Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Tonka
I think i understand the situation. Down here, so long as i'm sure the people behind me can see me, i take the initiate and take the whole lane. The bike laws down here state that if there isn't enough space for a car to give you 3' clearance while staying in the designated lane, the cyclist should take the lane and while the motorist needs to wait for a safe place to overtake.
In certain situations, where it's dangerous for a car to pass and i know they have clear line of sight of me, i'll take the whole lane and force them to slow down until it's safe to pass. Though, it's much easier when your riding with a buddy who also has a super bright rear flashing light. Two red lights side by side are quickly acknowledged by drivers as a full size vehicle.
You're right, some times they think i'll be ok to pass and it's just dumb luck they don't get into a head on collision.
That being said, when a cyclist goes up against a car, the car always wins. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor and your action of pulling off can be warranted.
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I've seen groups of cyclists doing that on farm roads up around the U of I, sometimes to the extreme where they're taking up the whole width of the road and you can't pass even when you have a clear line of sight. But out by myself I don't think I'd test that option. Too many loonies here. I'll just have to make sure I have a clear road behind me before starting up the hill. The straight leading up to the hill is over a half mile, so if no one is in sight, I should have time to climb the hill. I just should have made sure I had the space this evening.