Trevtassie

Because running someone over because they slowed you down a bit is the right thing to do. Cars have rights. Bicycles aren't people.
You don't run someone over because they are in your way, that's attempted murder, it doesn't matter who is in the right or wrong.
If you think its OK for someone to run someone over because they are in the wrong or at fault, you are a moron and as bad as the car driver. No wonder our society is so screwed up.

StanSeven

^ I agree. What good does it do for the cyclist to take the lane on a curve?

I also ride that road and there's never much traffic. He should have just stayed to the right.

Campag4life

Exactly what I told the rider who texted me when he veered into the center. I told him to hng the shoulder and obviously he didn't listen.
He probably won't do that again. I also suggested if he didn't adhere to general rules of etiquette on the road that he better ride with a SAG car in case one of his tires gets thrown into the woods. Just common sense.

Campag4life

In bold...some may take issue with this. I have had conversations with cars that are always talking about their rights. I have no idea what their owners think but the cars themselves are very particular. I do take exception to Bicycles aren't people. Bicycles are people. I sat next to bicycle at a restaurant recently and it asked me to pass him a napkin. I think it was a him...it was a larger size frame and wasn't pink.

prathmann

Two things:
1) It improves the cyclist's view of what's up ahead around that right-hand turn and likewise makes the cyclist more visible to traffic that may be turning onto St. G. Barber from Governor Bridge. That gives both of them more time to be able to react and take evasive action if they are on a collision course (say the approaching driver makes a wide turn, not uncommon with trucks, and is therefore on the wrong side of the road - or if someone is illegally passing someone and is again, on the wrong side).

2) It makes it clear to drivers behind that they will need to move well over into the oncoming lane to execute a pass. I've found that to be an effective way to encourage sensible drivers (who constitute the overwhelming majority) to delay their pass until it can be done more safely. I accompany the slight move to the left with a downward extension of my left hand to emphasize that slowing is required and passing would not be safe. Being a bit farther left also gives me some maneuvering room if the motorist turns out not to be sensible and evasive action is required.

bt

3) It gets you run over.

bakes1

Other than making a left hand turn on a two lane road with no shoulder I see no reason in the world to ever make a habit of taking the center of the lane.
An exception to this of course would be any type of road hazard or emergency.
If you can't manage the lack of visibility that is inherent to the huge % of all right hand turns than you probably should not be riding on the road in the first place.
If the visibility is that bad you most certainly can slow down or stop as opposed to taking the center of the lane. Right hand turns with low visibility do not sneak up on you.
I believe there are more than a few road cyclists that routinely ride unsafely for no other reason than they don't want to jeopardize their Strava or personal times.

popeye

Anytime it is unsafe to pass for any reason as determined by the rider you take the lane and it is incumbent on the driver to pass only when safe. You take the lane.

bt

stupid

popeye

Who is stupid DS? FAQ: Why do you ride like that? | CyclingSavvy

FAQ: Why do you ride like that?
“Biking in the middle of the lane like that sure looks dangerous.”

Driving in the middle of the lane actually protects cyclists against the most common motorist-caused crashes: sideswipes, right hooks, left crosses, and drive-outs. A bicycle driver’s top safety priority is to ensure he or she can be seen by motorists with whom they might potentially be in conflict, and bicycling in the middle of a lane is one of the most effective ways to do that. Most overtaking crashes involve a motorist who attempts to squeeze past (illegally) in a lane that is too narrow to share.

bt

stupid is as stupid does.

kraftwerk 

If you are exceeding the speed-limit it's sometimes a good idea to "Take the Lane" where you have a bit of room to maneuver, left and right, within your lane. 'Might makes right' cars can kill you and get away with it, so better to stay to the right when they want to pass, regardless of your speed, curve of road, or if its unsafe for them to pass, its okay to hold up your hand: 'wait' some drivers might appreciate that others won't but it's helped me a few times. Glad this driver was caught. Crazy they are grown men.

popeye

Cute.

Joe Minton

Pepper spray.

Joe

gregf83 

Yes you read it wrong. The motorist passed on a blind corner with a double solid line. Sorry but no reasonable judge would attribute any blame to the cyclist.

HCB

I think I noticed a Maryland Cyclist posting about advice for new wheels.

bt

cyclist deserved an arse kicking for taking the lane.

people who do this ruin it for the rest of us normal thinking cyclists.

prathmann

My experience over the last few hundred thousand miles of cycling has been the opposite. My close calls have come from staying too far to the right. Taking the lane when appropriate (such as narrow roads with a blind turn) has never caused a problem.

bt

I hope it continues to work well for you.

B. Carfree

Yeah, I stopped hugging the right about forty years ago and haven't had an issue in over half a million miles. If there's room for a motorist to safely pass while staying in my lane, I'll be as far right as is practicable. If not, I'm in the center of the lane and they can go around into the oncoming lane when it's clear.

Motorists may not be very bright, but almost all of them seem to have figured out that a cyclist to the far right is happy to be passed tightly and one in the center of the lane should be passed by changing lanes when it is clear to do so.

LesterOfPuppets

I'll usually ride near fog line on two lane blacktop with no shoulder but in blind corners and up blind hills I'll take the lane, and often hold my left hand out, palm facing the rear. I find this greatly reduces pass attempts in these areas. If you're running the fog line and someone passes you on a blind corner/hill, they'll put you in the ditch if an oncoming vehicle appears. Guaranteed.

After the curve, I'll move over again.

This is the kind of corner I have in mind:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cl...266cc82d0b41dd

Possum Roadkill

So, you're riding down this narrow road, maybe going downhill, so you're not going all that slow, or at least you wouldn't be but you're pulled all the way to the right where the pavement is rough and all the road debris has been swept, because whoever's job to do that doesn't feel the need to sweep it all the way off the road because who the hell drives way over there anyway, and the car just sits right back there and doesn't even try to pass on the long straightaway. Oh yeah, I've been there. I can't believe how many times I've been followed by cars that wait for the turn with the double line to try to pass. What the hell are they thinking??

bakes1

Its not about legalities.
Its about common sense.
After you wave someone on you don't then take the lane for no other reason than you want a bit more of a sight line.
Do you understand what is expected to happen after you wave someone on bud? It is to be expected that they will try to pass you!
Right or wrong.
But I guess you advise taking the lane
on every blind right turn? For visibility reasons? No need to maybe use a $50 high visibility blinking light and just slow down when you can't see where you are going and there is potentially a two ton piece of metal coming up behind you on a BLIND turn?
*shakes head

LesterOfPuppets

One unknown is how long after the wave did they happen upon the curve? 100'? 1/2 mile?

The shorter the distance/time the worse judgement shown on the part of the waver. Anything less than 1/8 mile is probably a bad idea.

bakes1

I was wondering the same thing myself.
Based upon the news report you can't tell.
It's a damn shame because unless the rider just swerved into the lane (which I doubt) the driver was of course the issue.
But you just have to wonder what the rider was thinking when he took the lane knowing the car was there and probably expecting to pass after being waved through.