Not strictly true, a while back someone passed me very close and I caught up with him very shortly afterwards when he got stuck in traffic. I pulled alongside him and just said something to the effect of "you passed me very close there sir, a little space would be nice". He had a look about him that I wasn't sure if he was going to launch into a tirade, accept what I was trying to tell him or be fearful that an angry cyclist was about to smash his windows or something. Anyway having moved on ahead I figured it would be interesting to see how he behaved if he passed me again (and was ready to take the rest of his number plate if a police report proved necessary). Anyway that time he passed me giving so much space you could have driven another car through it and waved (with all five fingers) so I waved back and that was the end of it.

Sometimes people are asshats, sometimes they're willing to accept they did something silly if you don't get in their face about it.

I don't think I would ever bother to talk to a car driver about an incident like this. Trying to stop driver stupidity one driver at a time is like bailing out the ocean with a thimble. I don't argue with the wind if it tries to blow me over, and I think of stupid car drivers in pretty much the same way. I do blow my horn at them at the time but I treat them like dogs - OK to yell at them during the incident but by the time 30 seconds have passed, they've either forgotten about it or self-justified and will just be angry if confronted. If it's really dangerous and I got a plate number I might report it, but that's never happened to me.

Here are the last couple of dumb ones. The first one I would have reported if I had a plate number. The second one, just an idiot being an idiot.

https://youtu.be/UOwv_IXZdIk

https://youtu.be/vuVKDTMh4ZM

Rather than that response I've bolded in the quote above, (which is a bit confrentational, though not out of line IMO) I would have replied: "that's why your vehicle is equipped with brakes. You should have slowed down and waited for a safe time to pass, rather than trying to squeeze through."

And why does he have to sustain 25mph other then to appease your troll fantasy? I'm not even going to waste my time addressing the rest of the drivel in your post this time.

Here we go again with the useless BS negativity putting down other members here. Please just go away.

OP I feel for ya on taking the lane (or not) and not wanting to get in other people's way. I'm the same way sometimes. My entire commute is on 2-lane rural roads with no shoulder, and lots of hills. Most of the time I ride in the right-hand tire track, and usually don't have any problems. Occasionally even when I'm farther out from the right, someone will still try to pass with getting in the oncoming lane as little as physically possible (which means inches from me), as though it's somehow safer for them to be only a couple of feet in the oncoming lane instead of half-way or fully.

There's this one hill on one stretch of road that is 45 MPH and has more traffic than all the other roads on my route. I'm only on that road for 1/4 to 1/2 mile or so, but every time I approach I pray that the gap in the cars will be long enough that I can get over the hill (I really suck on hills) before a car has to pass me or wait to pass me.

In California, we have the California Vehicle Code (CVC) that is the law for on-road/off road of moving vehicles. CVC 21202 states that bikes which are like vehicles travelling at a rate of speed less than the average speed of traffic need to ride to the far right of the roadway as is practical. So folks who think they could hog the lane... well, that's part 1 of the bad news. Part 2 of the bad news is section 3 of 21202, which refers to applicability of the turn-out for slow moving vehicles with 5 or more cars behind them (CVC 21656). This explicitly says that bicyclists must follow that rule too. So if you're slow and blocking traffic, you need to pull over and allow the 5+ vehicles behind you pass. This only applies on two-lane (one in each direction) roads. It does not apply on multi-lane roads with more than one lane in the direction of travel. However, the first rule still applies about riding as far right as is practical.

I believe the law is similar in most states.

Again, it's not cool to get buzzed, but again, it's a lot about common sense. We're sharing the road. If a cyclist blocks the lane and is going to slow and sustains that position forcing drivers to encroach on other lanes to get around, well, that increases by 10X the risk of accident at that point because now the slow cyclist is requiring cars to perform a course correction to change lanes exposing the cars to other cars in another lane who have the right of way. So I think the trick is to pick routes and times that reduce bike/car interaction and/or provide more bike lanes.

the flashing light, man. the flashing light. not the physical casing. the light emitted from it.

Let me help you with part of the CVC from that same exact section you decided was irrelevant I guess also, it states practical, not possible, another key thing, car drivers sure as heck don't get out of the way for the most part if they have 5+ cars stuck behind them, I know that isn't legal either but that's reality.

Operation on Roadway21202. A. Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:

1. When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
3. When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
4. When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

—California Department of Motor Vehicles, CVC 21202, Operation on Roadway[SUP][5]


Permitted Movements from Bicycle Lanes21208. (a) Whenever a bicycle lane has been established on a roadway pursuant to Section 21207, any person operating a bicycle upon the roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride within the bicycle lane, except that the person may move out of the lane under any of the following situations:

1. When overtaking and passing another bicycle, vehicle, or pedestrian within the lane or about to enter the lane if the overtaking and passing cannot be done safely within the lane.
2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
3. When reasonably necessary to leave the bicycle lane to avoid debris or other hazardous conditions.
4. When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

(b) No person operating a bicycle shall leave a bicycle lane until the movement can be made with reasonable safety and then only after giving an appropriate signal in the manner provided in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 22100) in the event that any vehicle may be affected by the movement.

—California Department of Motor Vehicles, CVC 21208, Permitted Movements from Bicycle Lanes[SUP][9][/SUP]
[/SUP]

RayleighSport:

Many lanes are perhaps wide enough for both bike and car to fit, only the cyclist needs to scoot over a few inches and hold his/her line. It's a judgment call, and when cars judge that they can pass, many will. I'm just being practical, because the law requires we ride to as far right as practical. Again, a vague judgment call. So if you want to be injured and go to court, fine. But if you riders choose better times and routes, that may be a better path for a majority, if not all cyclists.

Note that CVC 21202 says we're still subject to CVC 21656. We need to find a place to pull off if we have 5 or more cars trailing us. We also aren't restricted like most cars from driving on the shoulder so that could be a temporary place to pull off - on the shoulder. I've done this before. But maybe a lot of cyclists like to bash drivers. I happen to ride a bike and drive a car. I see it both ways. I choose to find better times and routes as a solution to avoid cars in the first place and I understand that sometimes I'll get buzzed. It's not a big deal for me and I don't go out of my way to encourage others to take over roads they are not legally allowed to obstruct. We share the roads and there are a$$holes on both sides.

There are indeed ******* on both sides, and I'm not trying to jump too far down your throat here but your statement leads me to believe you feel we should be the scared little goats in the pasture with the cows... that just doesn't fly. I'm responsible for my own actions, but so is a car driver who supposedly passed a test that granted him the PRIVILEGE to the road with his multi ton killing machine, not a right. I think the biggest problem right now is drivers entitlement issues and how easily they forget it's a privilege not a right, as well as how permissive our society here is about allowing people to screw up badly and kill others with their vehicles and let them off with a slap on the wrist since the majority also identifies since they do pretty much the same actions as the bad drivers.

Edit: You got some pics of your RB-1 and your MB-Zip? I'm a big fan of bridgestones.

Yep.

Take a deep breath. It's going to be ok.

ROFLMAO, it's never going to be okay for Leises...

I'm a big clyde and would probably really put a massive dent on somebody's car. But it's gonna hurt me and I've paid a price before. So yeah, I'm sort of scared. Cars have a lot of metal surrounding the passenger cage and the human on a bike doesn't get that protection. So it's not a fair fight. I've hit the pavement enough times and due to cars driving badly to know that I can be totally in the legal right, but still be the loser. Luckily none of those accidents happened with any classic Bridgestones in my stable. But while I understand there is a big love of Bridgestones, unfortunately, I didn't realize what kind of love the community would have for them when I was just out of college and had a stable with 15 of them in my Dad's garage, I sold them all before going off to work in Japan. Nowadays, it's been brutally hard to find good bikes to rebuild my stable. I just can't understand why all you folks love Bridgestones as much as I do. Why not find another brand and stop bidding up all the prices on eBay and CL? :-)

You have nothing to fear from me, I've got a Centurion Turbo and wouldn't trade it for an RB-1 unless there was a gun to my head

It matters to me a great deal what I prefer.

Sharing the lane does not mean sharing the same part of the lane.

Yes.

I greatly enjoy riding in traffic. I find it soothing.

I've never been a fan of "normality".

This is why I often ride on the left side of the lane. Sharing means passing me in the neighboring lane.


Sharing is hogging!

The more that motorists are afraid of hitting a cyclist, the safer it is for all of us.

I think you're right, and I generally take the same approach.

Trying to reason with these types is generally pointless. Certainly if you go at them saying, "Hey you screwed up!" all pissed off, then they just defensive, and the result is a butthurt argument or a pointless shouting match. Depending on circumstances, it could possibly even be dangerous.

Agreed...

@ the sci guy ~ oh, OK, no the light doesn't bother me, it is not in my field of vision. the bracket I made moves it down and to the left a little. I can also angle it a smidge to the left so that when the driver is passing it is aimed right at their head and will be it's brightest, causing them to stay the frick away and not cut back right prematurely.

@ RaleighSport ~ good stuff and makes sense

BTW, AASHTO standards are 14 feet for sharing a lane.

Any less than that, and you've got a case against any citations for failure to ride as close as practicable to the right hand edge of the roadway, even if no other hazards existed. Even above that, but under 15 feet, if the road gets a lot of truck traffic, you may still have a case.

Yeah I was actually going to say that a lane needs to be at least 16 feet for a bike and car to share the lane comfortably side-by-side.

Here in Florida is 14' or more to share, less than that and the car has to move over, if possible, or wait till he has 3 feet or more between driver and bike.

I had a cop at 11:30 pm, three car lane on one direction, no car insight and he made a point in buzzing me within inches on my bike lane. I watch him on my rear view mirror as he was approaching me from behind, he was steady, but never made an attempt to move over to the other lanes. I ride at that time with three rear lights, two batteries (3 watts each blinking) and one dynamo rear steady red light and a reflective vest. Need less to say my BLOOD was boiling! I had no poem to calm me down, but had a prayer for my anger, forgave the ignorant bastard and felt better! Double O

I spent part of yesterday at one of the NY State Motor Vehicle offices (registering a car), which reminded once again, that a good percentage of drivers should be in an institution, not a car.

Which drives home the point (no pun intended) that attempting a conversation with an adult motorist about their driving skills or lack of, is about as useful as talking to your cat and attempting to correct cat behavior accordingly.

Very few motorists actually THINK about what they are doing as they drive, so starting a conversation that attempts to correct their behavior typically results in "Huh ?", and then migrates into a Parent -> Child conversation, that itself ends up with [Insert foul language here].

And they hold all the cards. They will easily use the vehicle as a weapon and just run you the **** over. I've been chased onto a sidewalk by a shmuck in a Cadillac that I told to Go **** Yourself. I lost.

Now I keep my mouth shut.

I had a conflict two weeks ago when I took the lane and the entire lane. No place for me to go, 2 lane road, parked cars on shoulder, rush hour thus lot's of horns being blown at me. Nobody said anything, but the stress isn't worth it to take that road anymore, even though I've used it for 15 years usually with few issues. I simply went hunting for an alternative in local neighborhoods, found it and added a peaceful 1/2 mile to my commute.

I really don't like getting squeezed when there is another option. but if you don't take the lane then it happens. Rules of the road only apply to those that know the rules.

I've had motorists apologize to me many times. I also make an effort to apologize when I do something dumb.

One incident caused you to give up a route that you used for 15 years?