Hi Matt -
Interesting stuff. I've found myself claiming more the the centre of the lane recently - especially where the road narrows and it would be unsafe for cars to overtake me (though they'd otherwise try anyway). I've always subconsciously shifted my position this way, but now it's a real conscious manoeuvre - the full look-over-the-shoulder,-signal,-check-over-the-
shoulder-again-and-then-manoeuvre nine yards of it. This is following a close shave, where I took my share of the lane, but not quite enough, and not deliberately enough, and almost got smeared.
I guess this just re-enforces another golden rule for cycling in traffic: make your moves and your position on the road to leave no doubt in anyone's mind what you're going to do next.
On the subject of road position though, Ian Walker's research (oft cited for it's not pro-helmet lines) has some very interesting stats on how much space drivers give cyclists who've taken up different positions on the road. Definitely worth thinking about - though if you spend too long trying to analyse the exact, definitive, most definitely safest way to ride . . . you'd probably never get on your bike in the first place (and miss out on just so much)!
This was a great post.
A lot of what you wrote seems for city riding. I rarely ride in a city setting.
I've found I'm a lot less assertive outside of a downtown setting. I take the right side of the lane most of the time.
As soon as I get into downtown I turn it on and start taking the lane a lot more!
I started riding in May, so I just got off the shoulder a few months ago.
Commenting by HaloScan
