Reply to Cyclists -- Why do you hog the road even with a large shoulder?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I personally don't have a problem with cyclists who ride in the lane so long as it[b] is in the right third of the lane so that passing is easy and safe.[/b]  If the rider rides in the center of the lane, that is unnecessary and obnoxious, especially when he or she is aware of a line of cars waiting to pass.  Unless a cyclist can maintain the speed limit, he or she should pull over to let cars pass.

I also believe cyclists can ride side by side as long as traffic is VERY light.  If traffic is moderate to heavy, cyclists should ride single file, or at least have the cyclist on the left side pull back so that cars can pass.

The cyclists who feel justified in obstructing traffic for the benefit of their workout regimen are the ones who are making this an issue.  If it weren't for their pompous behavior, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Signed an avid cyclist.[/quote]

The average bike is 2 feet wide.   The average sedan is 6 feet wide.  The standard lane is 12 feet wide.   Assuming no parked cars, that means if you pass in lane you can give me at most 4 feet (3 feet required by law in most places) which is okay, if no one swerves unexpectedly for same reason, etc.   If you have an SUV, take another half foot away, you are now only 6 inches over the 3 foot minimum, and if my bike is a little wider than average, no more slack.

If there is adjacent parking I actually need 4 feet to be completely outside the door zone.  Four plus 2 feet is 6 feet, so for a 6 foot sedan (forget an SUV) there is no zero space between my left handle and your right mirror.

And many lanes are narrower than 12 feet.

Ergo, IF I am riding in the lane, and there are adjacent parked cars OR it is less than a 12 foot lane, to pass safely you will need to pass into the other lane anyway.  Both to avoid the door zone, and to discourage attempts to pass close in lane, I will take the center of the lane.

Where the lane is wider than 12 feet, and there is no adjacent parking, I will stay to the right - just to the left of the gutter (there is a road near my house where I do that). [/quote]

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