wheel

Now that my friend is a cyclist. When we go riding we come into conflict.

I position to take the lane when needed, and he wants to ride over by the right side of the road all the time. For the most part there are bike lanes that take of this problem.

I try so hard to convince him, yet he says he is a driver and doesn't want to bother the cars.
He feels he is getting in the way as a motorist he wants traffic to be efficient.
Agruements:
Feels 45 mph on a street is a good speed nothing lower.
Doesn't want a 3 foot buffer says cars should pass him with caution.
Rides just to the right of the gutter pan with me.
I try to show him why to ride left when there is a right tunning traffic.
He likes to ride down the sidewalk.


any thoughts on this I am not sure what to do any more.
my next thing is to send him the link to not get hit. I don't think it matters to him.
I am not pushy as I let him do what he wants, yet why doesn't he get it or not want to get it.

revolator

He sounds like he has his preference. You should save your breath unless you really think he's looking for the advice.

CommuterRun

Sounds to me like you've pointed out the safety hazards of his lane positioning choice. The rest is up to him. He'll figure it out when he gets sideswiped or hooked.

BarracksSi

His opinion about 45 mph may be quite valid. Although it really depends on the particular street (it's just too fast for a residential street, IMO), it would certainly apply if the "ambient traffic" normally drives at around 45 mph. It's safer to drive at roughly the same speed as the traffic around you. It's like running with a herd of cattle.

I'll take the lane when needed, if the sidewalk just sucks, and if traffic is slow enough that I can keep up. All three conditions exist in my neighborhood, so it's an easy choice.

I still drive, so I'm still constantly reminded by how much it can suck, how annoying it can be, and how idiotic other drivers usually are (it's easier to see their mistakes from the driver's seat than from a bike, I'd say). Back on the bike, I try to think of how I could stay predictable & visible, using situations to my advantage whenever possible while trying to not impede traffic flow (which not only irritates motorists but also encourages them to drive dangerously & unpredictably, even if they treat me with courtesy).

So, I end up with a mix of methods, using whatever works best. I really appreciate the flexibility that cyclists still enjoy.

wheel

Yea I was thinking I was on the end of my rope.
I will keep that in mind next time we ride so I don't push him off the bike.
It is just so hard to sallow what he says.

Personally when I do motor I never encounter me saying I am going to slow or I need to go faster. I do get annoyed when there is congestion with cars and can't move anywhere.
Maybe I am just weird, but I get all excited when I see a cyclist in front of me.

BarracksSi

How about this --

Next time you ride together, make a deal. Have him follow you for half the ride, and then you follow him for the other half (or trade places per ride, etc). And by "follow", I mean exactly that -- ride single file, same part of the lane, same distance from the curb, etc.

Even though you might already know why he rides the way he does (I know that I used to, mostly), he might not yet have gone further into traffic like you have, and might not have found out how much of a difference it makes.

Of course, if he's nervous & uncomfortable, he might not ride as safely anyway, even if he's using correct lane positioning and whatnot.

AndrewP

Yuo have given him the reasons for your riding style. He will probably see the validity when he gets more experience. Teach him how to do emergency countersteering, so he can go around the corner with the car when he is right hooked, instead of crashing into its side.

ChipSeal

Ask him if he would mind if you bought life insurance for him and named yourself as the beneficiary!

thirdin77

Does he ride slower than you with all his sidewalk riding and gutter riding? If so, don't slow down for him when he slows because he's riding along the pavement division of the street and gutter or when he's negotiating a storm drain or something. Just keep going. If he asks you to slow down, don't.