sbhikes

I've decided to put HHs Center Lane Positioning to the test. I am going to ride that way -- dead center, only pulling over to let people pass if it's safe (no parked cars to cause me to be in the door zone or other things that might not appear obvious to the motorists behind me) -- for at least a week.

I'm going to ride this way anywhere there is no decent bike lane, which means any residential or city street that is narrow, or has parking near the bike lane, whatever the speed. Dead center, no compromise to allow for the squeeze-by. Let's see how it works.

Since I've already begun, I'll give my first report.

Day 1 (Sat AM) Trip to coffee and back along Mission. Two lanes each way. People pass me well into the other lane, however some cut me off to show their annoyance as they merged back into my lane. Not much different than normal, actually.

Day 1 (Sat PM) Trip to the bank and back in Downtown area along Micheltorena and Santa Barbara St. SB St. has two lanes in my direction so although I could see some last minute panicking behind me, people did pass me by completely changing lanes. Micheltorena gave me the pleasure of several cars that attempted to pass me in on-coming traffic but had to merge back in behind me. What were they thinking?

Tomorrow I will try it on the farm road I ride on. The one that has a development full of BMWs and Mercedes at the end. Semi tractor-trailers, real tractors, BMWs and me. That should be fun. I'll also do it by the Jr. High. Those parent dropping off their kids should be a fun challenge.

Bekologist

I'm going for a nice ride this morning, and there is going to be MILES of road where there is no reason to take the center of the lane. for any reason, particularily if there isn't faster same direction traffic.

using daytime visibility devices and high visibility clothing makes a bicyclist quite apparant regardless of lane position.

however, sometimes just for fun, I'll ride on the OTHER side of the road, when there isn't any traffic.

when there isn't any traffic, why does it matter WHERE you ride your bike? (except rules of the road of 'slower traffic keep right') I'm such a scofflaw.

one thing I caution you against, diane, is head's pretended attempts at 'gap hunting' for short spaces in high speed traffic for you to 'powerweave in and out of- patently dangerous.

has anyone tried the headism internet technique of seeing cars slowing noticably in their mirrors? yeah, right...... brake lights in the front, anyone?

sbhikes

Day 2 - Rode down my street centered. I'm sure the guy impatiently stuck behind me (sorry guy, but I'm turning left in a block so you just have to wait) was glad for it when it turned out there was a cop hiding on a sidestreet with a radar gun.

I also did my farm road. Unfortunately, seeing semi-tractor-trailers heading up behind me leads me to want to pull over well before there is any need to. I just can't see any reason to ride the way HH does with people behind me who actually drive for a living, and drive trucks that weigh as much as my house.

noisebeam

A block can be a fair distance. What were the safety/practical reasons you could not have moved right to let them pass? Was it a NOL? Or was it a short block.

Al

sbhikes

Short block and I was turning left.

Day 2B. Attempted to ride centered on the farm road. Too many potholes and manhole covers. The edge is much smoother. Later, when I returned to my residential neighborhood, I was a bit disappointed that nobody was around to witness my CLP prowess.

sbhikes

Day 3. I forgot to ride VC on my farm road. I really think there needs to be actual, tangible benefits to doing something. Otherwise, it's much simpler to not worry too much about what is happening behind me and just kind of think about other things.

On my way home, I took the lane in front of a blue-haired lady in a giant Cadillac. I could see her trying to figure out how to pass me. I was going 18 on a residential road and she was trying to pass. I finally had to use a back-off kind of signal so she'd quit trying. She would have attempted it on a 90 degree turn with double-yellow lines and botts dotts otherwise.

In that case it was a successful application of lane-grabbing. Can't quite say it was VC since I didn't feel a giant swelling of "feeling like a driver of a vehicle", nor did I have a sudden urge to hate bike lanes.

randya

AZ block =/= OR block =/= NYC block

that's why one size does not fit all (apologies to FZ)

noisebeam

Why butt in when Diane already clarified (and even I gave the possibility that it was a short block in my post)?
Maybe this is something you just learned and feel all special about it? Maybe you just like to nag?

Yeah, I know Diane lives in SB which is not AZ. I've been to SB. I've also seen much of SB using Google maps. There are long and short blocks there. Amazing.

Anyway, even fairly short blocks are often long enough to move over and let a faster vehicle pass, especially knowing the comfortable speed Diane usually rides at.

Anyway the followup question to Diane would be that if she was turning left in a short distance, did she signal left so the driver behind her would understand why she was using a full lane and that the delay was going to be very short?

I also don't understand how she knew the guy was impatient.

Al

sbhikes

I get annoyed letting people pass me only to have to wait for them at the stop sign. I do it sometimes, but not that day. I figured, if I'm already in position for my left turn I'm going to stay there.

derath

Nice to see that even after segregating A&S nothing has really changed.

-D

noisebeam

It seems every time I post something Randya makes some off topic or snide comment about it. I'm tired of it.

Al

Bekologist

awww, pumpkin. let me get you some chocolate.