Road Position - rural roads

[tyred]

One particular incident occurred shortly after I started cycling again as an adult which made me decide that I was willing to delay traffic if necessary if I felt it improved my own safety (dependong on the circumstances). I almost got squeezed up against a stone wall by a Toyota Land Cruiser while riding over a narrow hump-backed bridge. It really did scare me at the time. At that time, I was basically a gutter cyclist, not brave enough to keep away from the side of the road. I ride over that bridge on a regular basis as it's only a mile or so from my home and ever since the Land Cruiser incident, I will check that there is nothing coming towards me (the walls are low enough for a cyclist to see over but not quite low enough for a driver to see over them) and then take the middle of the road and anyone coming up behind can just wait. I didn't want to get squeezed up against the wall again.

Over time, I apply the same logic to my riding on all roads but I try to be as helpful as possible and I don't sit holding up traffic for miles on end. On a narrow road, I will keep wide until the car approaching behind starts to slow down, then I know he/she has seen me and I will move left to let it past at reduced speed (if there is nothing coming towards me).

 

[lukesdad]

Depends on the potholes round here.

 

[400bhp]

I don't think too hard about positioning when I''m cycling on rural roads - or at least I don't think I do. I guess I usually cycle a metre from the side? Dunno, I will think hard about it later whilst out cycling on rural roads and report back.

 

[Willo]

Plenty of my riding is on narrowish country roads. I am no expert but tend to cycle a bit closer to the verge given pot holes are not as much of a problem. When it gets really narrow (single file) I am very aware of traffic in both directions and on poor bends slow right down in order to be able to react if an oncoming vehicle is going too fast. I've generally found drivers on these roads are courteous and patient with me, but there are exceptions. In return, knowing that they often have no room to move into, when I find a safe space to do so I pull over to let cars pass. I often put on my lights on some of the lanes too - some have high banks or vegetation making them pretty dark throughout the day, particularly at this time of year.

Fortunately, I've had more near misses with stray sheep and the brave pheasants that stay put (when I've wrongly anticipated that they'll scarper when I get close!)