Nice when riding in primary REALLY works

[Crandoggler]

Brave! The thought of a motorist who isn't concentrating, travelling at 70mph and hitting me would more than put me off. I know the feeling when riding primary though. I sometimes move if a queue of traffic decides to pass me when I believe it to be too risky. Can imagine it works the same way on a dual carriageway.

 

[briantrumpet]

The only dual carriageway I can actually remember enjoying was the flyover in Genoa (which bikes aren't supposed to go on, but hey). For the first time in Italy there were no close passes at all, and we bypassed all the junctions and traffic jams below.

On a normal DC the speed differential is just too great for me to enjoy it, even if I'm belting along at 30mph. Even if the odds of someone hitting me are very low, the likely outcome of a minor mistake on a driver's part is very likely to be extremely serious, if not fatal. That doesn't leave me in a serene state of mind.

Though if I was like these two riders, I might think differently, I guess.

 

[Globalti]

To say you should ride in primary is to over-simplify it. Cyclists need to ride as if they are equally entitled to road space, projecting confidence and assertiveness. Having ridden motorbikes for many years has given me this understanding. Of course that means you should also make following drivers aware that you know they're there and give them space to pass as soon as possible.

 

[winjim]

Newbie here, could you explain what primary and secondary mean in this instance (sorry if i am I being really thick )

Riding distance from the kerb.

Secondary is quite close to the kerb, but not quite in the gutter.

Primary is further out, but not quite in the middle of the lane.

It's a teensy bit more complicated, in that you should think of primary and secondary riding position not relative to the structure of the road, which is static, but rather to the flow of traffic, which is dynamic. Primary is in the centre of the traffic flow and should be your default riding position. Secondary is towards the left of the traffic flow to enable other vehicles to pass, but should only be adopted if and when you feel it is safe for you to be passed in this way.