pdedes

if i'm solo, i'll keep about a meter between my bike and the curb. keeps me out of the debris, forces most drivers to make a definitive move when passing me. here in Ontario, the Highway Traffic Act states that slower moving vehicles must keep to the right as far as practicable. in a letter to me from the director of the Ministry of Transportation, "the official driver's handbook advises that cyclists may use a whole lane for safety reasons, if necessary, and that they should not compromise their safety for the convenience of motorists behind them".

botto 

nor should you.

oh, btw - can this be moved to A&S before the psychos chime in?

Servo888

I do the same thing; except for when a vehicle is coming up on me. Then I pull to the right, as far as possible, and let them pass. There are also situations when (ie a trucker) a vehical cannot safely pass, that's when I pull over, let them pass, and continue on. Since I've started doing this, the number of people yelling / honking at me, has been reduced significantly.

EventServices

Michigan vehicle says "as far to the right as practicable".

And IBTCP (in before the chiming psychos)

RedWhiteandRed

In Ontario it is as far to the right as practicable whilst avoiding potholes, storm grates and obstacles. This means in the middle of most lanes.

Sgt. Hugh Smith of the Toronto Police gave a great talk on the subject explaining that cyclists have a right to the lane and the portion of the lane they choose to ride in is up to them (us.)

The only time I have remotely dangerous encounters is when riding too far to the right - if you are too far to the right people will do the 'squeeze or brush past' but in the middle will assert that you are vehicle and they will pass when it is safe for them to do so.

You drive your car and I will drive mine.

patentcad

To each his own; I have managed to ride 100,000+ miles within 1-2' of the edge of the road without a problem. I don't want drivers to make any 'definitive moves' other than NOT HITTING ME. I hear what you are saying, but my feeling is that the 'definitive move' might very well be the driver rear ending the cyclist. It's a gray area: depends very much on the road, the condition of the shoulder (if there is one), but I try to stay as far to the right as I can, and it works for me.

Do you have the 'right' to 3' on the side of the road? Yes, you do. The police will console your widow that you died obeying the law.

Spreggy

Besides taking some lane when needed, that little smooth section around 6" wide right next to the white line offers the best road smoothness, and has much less flat-causing tiny debris.

botto 

yep. far too much crap on the shoulder, which is one of many reasons why i don't ride hugging the side of the road.

riff

I WISH I could do this. I've ridden in enough centuries in the US to see that road quality is far superior to what we have up here. I live not far from Steeles Ave, which has been voted the worst road in Ontario for the umpteenth year in a row. Debris, sewer grates, potholes big enough to swallow children... If I tried to ride near the curb, I would constantly have to be swerving out 2-3 feet to avoid crash-inducing obstacles. This isn't just stuff that would dent a rim.

So yes, there are lots of stretches where I will ride 2-3 feet out from the curb. Once I get up to the country roads, I'm more than happy to be just left of the white line.

patentcad

On country roads here I am generally to the RIGHT of the white line, where possible, and it usually is.

Atol

I'm a real man. I take up the left lane.

patentcad

Fixed.

Patriot

It's possible to ride in the gravel, or even the muck down in the ditch.


Won't help your pace much though.

riff

I've been lucky enough to get a lot of riding in the Finger Lakes and upstate NY area... The generosity of the shoulders always delights and amazes me!

This is a typical country road here... Hence why I ride just left of the line...

Atol

Theres a perfectly good bike lane between the two yellow lines.

cyclezealot

calif state law says the same. Last time I read it's handbook..Often , The curb is full of debris and potholes. No place for stability. But, tell that to passing motorists.. They think you are not on the far right, don't be surprised if someone should attempt to force you further to the right.

DataJunkie

I ride wherever is safest.

botto 

countdown to A&S starts now...

clausen

Ah... I miss those nice roads. As for Steeles it's bad, but come up North it would just blend in, we just don't have the population to add up the votes.

Old Town

Atol is my new hero. Hey, the guy makes me laugh.

Coaster

I ride mostly on two lane country roads here in Maryland. I found when I rode as close to the white line as possible, that many drivers would, percieving an open lane with a bicyclist at the edge of it, zoom past like I wasn't there. In fact, you could hear them as they accelerated to pass, that didn't give a safe feeling. Now, I ride about two feet to the left side of the white line, keeping my ears open and my eyes on my rearview mirror. When I see a car approaching, they slow down b/c they now see an obstruction in their lane. Their next impulse is to move to the left to go around and I move to the right as they are passing giving a much more comfortable distance between us. Could this be a problem? Yes, with some drivers who don't give a **** what's in their way, but those drivers won't give you any consideration as long as you are on the same road they're on regardless of where you are. (And falling off the edge of the road and possible landing right in front of them is not my idea of a good place to be).
Rich

wheel

Way to many roads out there. If you did that on this road Hwy 60 AZ you would have to pull over every .5 mile. Az law of 5 or more.
https://www.youtube.com/user/bodybait#p/u/27/guSDgFGIOAE

Wogster

Actually if you read the relevant section of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, it says that you must ride within the right HALF of the road, allowing space that someone can pass on the left. The fact that cyclists usually ride within the right half of the lane, is as a courtesy, to allow faster vehicles to pass without needing to completely go into the left lane. The onus is on the person passing to make sure they can do so safely, if that means needing to slow to 15km/h and staying behind a bicycle for 30km, then that's just the way it is.

I find 1m from the curb is good, and that many drivers will give you about the same on the other side.

Digital_Cowboy

I can't find it right now, but I know that I've read at the Florida Bicycle Association web site that they recommend staying 3'/1yd/1 meter away from the curb. For the same reasons that you noted.

DX-MAN

Yup, that's the biggest flaw in the FRAP laws -- lazy motorists who read what they want to read, IF they read it at all.

Indiana has FRAP -- and recently let an amendment die in legislature that would have corrected a lot of loopholes in bike traffic law, and would have added the 3' requirement. Not that it would have mattered, simply because half the drivers here are below MINIMUM intelligence, not just AVERAGE intelligence.