Roads are a danger to cyclists...

[lb81]

Hmm I feel your pain. I was having a really nice ride yesterday until I was riding past a traffic island and the car behind was to impatient to wait for me to clear it before passing so tried to squeeze between me and the island. This forced me in to the curb and over 2 sunken drain grates. I managed to hop over the first, but only got the front wheel over the second and bent the back wheel. Then had to spend an hour last night bringing the wheel true again . I think that our roads are generally so poor that even if you know the route and where the worst lumps and bumps are there will always be occasions where it will catch you out!!

 

[Norm]

l'm cycling about a foot from the kerb,l tend to make sure l'm cycling so l'm just past the rainwater grates.
l understand what you are saying about cycling further out so you have room to manoeuvre around obstacles which l don't have as l'm not far enough out, but l don't fancy being half way across my side of the road incase. Some drivers drive to close as it is, l don't want to be in the middle of the road and someone try's squeezing past you only to relise he as to move in quick...

It feels counter-intuitive but riding further out through hazards generally gets you more space, you are making it very clear to following drivers that there really isn't room to overtake at that point and asserting your position on the road.

The main downside is that you will find a vanishingly small minority (I haven't had one myself in many thousands of miles) who get significantly aggravated.

Another downside is that riding in the middle of the lane should, IMO, be used with discretion. You are not generally trying to halt or delay the progress of other road users, just make it clear when there isn't room for two vehicles side by side. That takes practice to recognise and negotiate.

I had a great deal of trouble with it years ago, but riding a motorbike helped me gain confidence being on two wheels in the middle of the other traffic and I now have no issues riding assertively where I feel it is required.

 

[Paulus]

Riding in the primary position, about 3 feet out from the kerb not only allows cars and other motorised vehicles to see you and overtake you with space, but, should someone overtake really close to you, you have the room to go into the kerb, giving yourself an emergency get out without actually hitting the kerb so preventing, or lessening the possibility of an off.

 

[KateK]

The roads are in a bit of a mess after the winter and dry weather. Much worse near the kerb, I try to stay a good armslength out. That way if there is a pot hole in your way you have two possible options to avoid or minimise it, too close to the kerb and your only choice is out into the road. Also further out means that when someone cuts you up you have some space to manoeuvre. By and large if it's too narrow for a car to overtake you when you are a reasonable distance out then it is too narrow full stop.
Took a new route today, lovely road on the map, but I was on the drainoff side of the road with water runnels and ruts from a good metre and a half from the kerb....for 8 miles. Not many cars but those that were there were doing 60 so no option of riding far enough out to find a good surface. And into, admittedly fairly inconsiderable, wind. And my rear mudguard support is broke so I rattled like a steampunk armadillo. And I'm knackered now, only 34 miles too.

 

[KateK]

Paulus your mind is quicker and more concise than mine...it took me about 15 minutes to say what you said in 3 lines!

 

[Nearly there]

If I ride a terrible road I wont go on it again as I found out on saturday tried a new route hit a pothole broke a spoke buckled my wheel gutted.

 

[albion]

Positive thinking.

Potholes are designed to help ensure you get practice looking back as a signal to the driver of you change of road placement.

 

[Paul J]

Riding in the primary position, about 3 feet

Is that primary as I ride this all the time to miss the rubbish, manholes etc. I thought middle of your lane to middle of the road was primary. Correct me if I am wrong as now you got me thinking.

 

[Paulus]

You are indeed right Paul J, I have just checked various sources and what I mention is the Secondary position. The primary position is in the middle of the left hand lane, in this country at least. I stand corrected. This, from a rival site explains it well------http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/technique-road-positioning-197/

 

[cyberknight]

4 to 5 feet out - or roughly where a passenger in a car would be - not only gives you more room to manoeuvre round potholes etc, but raises drivers' awareness of you on the road, thereby reducing pull-outs and close passes.

Looking closer at my positioning i ride in the wheel tracks of the inner wheels of the cars , no idea how far out that is and use a strong primary ,over the centre of my lane at pinch points and blind bends .

 

[boydj]

Looking closer at my positioning i ride in the wheel tracks of the inner wheels of the cars

That's a pretty good secondary position - probably at least 3 ft out, depending on the road - and should give you plenty of room to manoeuvre while still allowing cars to overtake.

 

[KateK]

..and the road surface is often better there!