On Taking The Lane

When I'm riding, three different imperatives motivate me. Speed is crucial to me, as I enjoy getting places quickly. I'm also quite concerned about how motorists come to perceive cyclists - in this sense, every ride for me is a public relations journey. Thirdly, I try to do what is safe.

It's because of this third imperative that sometimes when I ride I see fit to ride in the middle of the lane.

I do this in lanes where there isn't adequate space for a drive to overtake me while remaining in the lane and giving me the legally required 1 metre of clearance. What I found happens in a typical situation is that cars will overtake me without adequate clearance - causing a huge danger in the all too likely event that I need to swerve to avoid a pothole, glass, or some other obstruction - or they will slope in to the adjacent lane to get past, which is also dangerous.

So the safest thing in this circumstance is to ride in the middle of the lane, thus compelling drivers to change lanes if they want to overtake.

This happens daily along the South-western most point of North East Road. Waiting at the lights, I clearly establish myself in the middle of the lane, not going to the front as I normally do. When the lights go green, I endeavour to get up to speed quickly, and then cruise along pleasantly.

I have noticed that this confounds drivers. Some will overtake me safely, as is their prerogative. Some will patiently cruise along behind me, perhaps waiting to take a left-turn or figuring that as soon as the opportunity presents itself I will move over - I do.

However, there is a small portion that seems to find what I do an insult to hard-working Australian families. They tend to yell things at me, or honk their horns. I find the best thing to do is smile and wave back.

This whole practice is even more fun with additional cyclists. I don't do it with cyclists unknown to me, as I feel the choice is up to them. But when cycling with friends, there are few greater joys. It is, unfortunately, illegal to ride two abreast when a bike lane is available. As bike lanes often aren't available, this is a profound joy.

Do you often find yourself crouching practically on the kerb in a too-thin lane while cars scream past? I encourage you to try asserting yourself. See how it goes!