Road Position - Left or Centre?

Trickyupnorth

Just what it says really.

The last time I rode a bike on the road (it was a Raleigh Arena, for those that can remember that far back ) and I used to ride to the left, almost in the gutter really.

But, I've read some posts recently where people have said to keep away from the left as there's loads of crap to destroy the tyres.

It makes it slightly more confusing for me because, for the past few years, I've been riding my motorbike and adopting a more 'dominant' road position of dead centre.

So, I know it's probably a daft question but any advice? Where do people ride?

Thanks

Richie

fto-si

I dont ride to the left not because of the crap in the gutter but so I am more visable to other road users.

TheBoyBilly

Wherever possible I ride 1 - 11/2 yards away from the kerb. Cars can still easily pass most of the time and it gives you a bit of leeway should you have a numpty try to force you over. If you ride in the gutter you have no "out" should the worst happen. You'll also decrease the chance of a puncture.

willbevan

I used to ride almost in the gutters and found two problems...

Punctures
Idiots overtaking


Now when i moved further out the most noticable thing was how much safer i felt... cars on single roads didn't fly past me, they slowed down when approaching, cars on normal roads didn't over take me at stupid places... and oh the lack of punctures was good to

Alibran

I usually ride in the wheel track created by the nearside wheels of cars. It keeps me out of the gutter and clear of the main puncture zone (also, I think most of the cr@p is cleared out of that part of the road by the wheels constantly using it). It's usually smoothed out nicely by the weight of vehicles. I can be seen more easily. It forces vehicles to cross the centre line to pass me, which helps eliminate dodgy overtakes. And I also have a good few feet to my left if I need them.

The only reason I move in is on a narrow stretch of road to let another vehicle pass, once they've slowed down and we've made eye contact.

The most common reason for me moving out further is to discourage a vehicle from overtaking and risking either their own safety, mine, or someone else's. I also tend to use most of the lane if I'm descending fast on a bendy stretch of road, since no-one can see far enough to overtake me anyway.

redddraggon

I tend to ride in the middle of the road when I can - I tend to frequent quiet hilly roads.

On busy roads where I ride depends on the conditions, but it's rarely right in the gutter, normally just left of primary.

Lagavulin

I tend to ride a good half metre to a metre out from the kerb, minimum being at least the width or the widest drain cover.

Rightly or wrongly I move further out - to maybe about the middle of the lane - on downhill sections and when approaching roundabouts, particularly the latter as, providing I don't have to stop I'll likely negotiate the roundabout quicker than a vehicle.

allen

Don t ride in the gutter. Ride wide that way drivers defo give you more space. Also remember you are a road user and are entitled to space. At junctions/ roundabouts make eye contact with the driver that way you can be more certain that they have seen you. On roundabouts watch your inside in fact be completely paranoid !

Red Rock

I ride about a metre out from the gutter, where the road is clean. If I feel it's unsafe for vehicles to overtake me, then I'll ride further out in the road, but I always thank those that sit behind me until it's safe to pass.

I've also found that since the local council added a cycle lane near where I live, I now ride even further away from the curb to avoid all the crap in the cycle lane.

Red Rock

sloboy

Got to give yourself a bit of space so that you can duck either way to avoid potholes, drain covers and what not.

Also means you have some room that you own if some twit does squeeze you. Only very occasionally have I had to pull out further to slow down some oncoming traffic on a narrow road. But as noted above, you're a road user so you have the right to space, and as a vulnerable user, I feel fairly comfortable about being assertive where necessary.

hodsgod

In traffic I ride in the middle, to protect myself, as cars will almost always want to get too close. In free flowing traffic I ride to the left.

My advice would always be, dont hesitate to take up a cars position in very slow traffic, it is always safer.

Lagavulin

So I'm not being unreasonable moving into the middle of the lane approaching a roundabout?
I always look back before I do and make eye contact with the driver if possible but sometimes the image I see is a look of "what the hell are you doing?"

Philip S

It's perfectly reasonable to get in the middle of the lane when approaching a roundabout - that's my policy anyway. Chances are you'll get onto a roundabout quicker than a car anyway, so shouldn't hold them up too much. The alternative is that you get a car coming alongside you as you wait to enter the roundabout (which tends to be a tight squeeze in the lane if it's an urban roundabout), the driver's looking right at traffic already on the roundabout, sees a space and pulls out, and either you've managed to get away first and are safe or he pulls right across you as you try to set off. Not ideal.

Had a pr*ck try to do something similar to me on Sunday - at a pelican crossing 20 yards from a roundabout he pulled alongside me a little too close for comfort, seeing as I was a yard out from the kerb. I made sure I got in front of him as the lights changed and got to the roundabout first in the middle of the lane. Otherwise I'd have lost control of the situation and would have been waiting meekly to get back into traffic. As it was, he still tried his best to squeeze past me as I went to exit the roundabout - clearly no understanding of the phrase "right of way" there.

NWLondoner

I try to ride about a 1 mtr away from the kerbside. At least the width of the drain covers so i avoid most of the cr@p and glass.

I try to pull to the near centre of the lane when approaching traffic lights if i am going straight on to stop cars overtaking me then cutting me up as they turn left.

I wish there were more of the "Green" cycle boxes at Traffic lights in London as they really do help you get into a safer riding position (for me anyway). Apart from the other week when a p*ick sped past me at 30 mph giving me only 30 cm (or less) clearance. Had i been hit by a crosswind i would have been f****d

If my legs were stronger i would ride in the centre of the lane most of the time but i know that i cannot maintain a safe/constant speed so only do this when approaching red lights/roundabouts.

krakow

Lagavulin wrote:

the image I see is a look of "what the hell are you doing?"

I try to ride a fair distance out into the road rather than in the gutter for the reasons mentioned above (safety and avoiding rubbish in the gutter), but sadly this is the reaction I seem to encounter all too often. It's rarely merely a look either; there's plenty of shouting that goes on of varying levels of abusiveness. I've tried to develop a thick skin and ignore it as much as possible and hold my (safer) line.

My current pet peeve is drivers who overtake without slowing down at all and who barely move over to do so, insisting on sweeping past even when there blatantly isn't space. I wish they'd treat a cyclist with as much regard as they would a slowly moving car say, and wait till there's a gap and overtake properly on the opposite side of the road, rather than thinking that just because it's a cyclist they can go past straight away whatever the conditions.

charlie_lcc

Riding close to the centre of the lane is absolutely the standard recommended practice in National Standards (and Bikeability) cycle training. Most of the advantages have already been described. Its called 'Holding your lane' and it works really well. It means car drivers are much more likely to see you when coming from behind or from a tight corner. It means that they have to engage their brains before manoeuvring to overtake you.

It doesn't mean that you have to block the lane, when you hear or see over your shoulder that a car or van is coming up you can move over a little, giving them a signal that you know they are there and are happy for them to overtake safely. When you hear the roar of a high speed lunatic coming up behind then you have acres of space on your left as a safety margin. If you hug the gutter you have nowhere to go. Research by a scientist in Bath demonstrated that if you ride close to the gutter the overtaking cars go much closer to you than if are further out and the drivers have to actively 'overtake'.

Richie asked about proper advice on these ideas. The official book 'Cyclecraft' explains it well, as does the 'motorcycle craft' book. I have only been riding for 48 years but I found having a course of National Standards cycle instruction really useful, and fun. In London many adults can get it at a cheap rate via their local authority. I cannot see why any cyclist out there would not benefit from spending a few hours with an expert in cycling in traffic, sharing ideas and experience and learning better ways to cycle safer.

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charlie

Trickyupnorth

Thanks to everyone who's replied, there's some good advice here and sorts my query out.

I'll check out that book as well,

Thanks,

Richie