Changing riding style mid ride

[Tangled Metal]

Last night I had a bad time with close passes. So I started to ride further out into the lane.

Do you ever change your position after getting too many close passes? Is this wise?

[beardy]

All the time.

Often when I am crawling up a hill, obligingly tucked out of the way to the left I will get a couple of people squeeze between me and the white line. So I swear and mutter "no more being Mr Nice on this road" and move out so they have to overtake me using enough of the otherside of the road that they cant do it with oncomming traffic (or at least without making that traffic slow, halt or swerve off the road, all of which do happen sometimes).

Then towards the end of a ride when I am exhausted I keep more to the left as I havent the energy to be more assertive further out.

[Tangled Metal]

Last night I had about 8 cars overtake then pull in again b with me next to them. It's like they didn't know that I can move forward too. If they'd done that to another metal box they'd have had a side swipe with resulting insurance claims. With a nice endoskeleton based carriage like a cyclist they do not care.

Anyway I rarely get this with at most one case a week. So any day I get multiples of this behaviour I go militant and take up the road space so they can't squeeze past. If that doesn't stop it I have even ridden in the middle of the lane (well my side of it, don't ride between each direction or someone will undertake and I'll be in the middle).

So, double white lines in the centre, narrow road with bends and undulations means some motorists aren't going to get past any time soon. All because other idiots didn't have any road sense around cyclists. No problems with that!

[LollyKat]

I find that riding with a calculated random wobble works well.

[Si]

Given that circumstances are continually changing around the average cyclist I think it a good idea for them to be continually evaluating their riding, asking themselves "is there anything I can do to improve it?" and making amendments as required. Shows that you are thinking about what you are doing rather than just drifting along in a daze.



Yep, I too have experienced the being less assertive when tired. Something one has to fight against at times.

[Vantage]

Not so much on my shorter rides as I follow a single route that is one way all offroad/cycle track and the other way is road marked cycle lanes but, on longer rides where the magic white lines disappear and after a number of closer than I'd like passes I do get into the mindset that I'm taking all the room I want and to hell with what the drivers think about me holding them up. By this time unfortunately I have stopped enjoying the ride as much and spend alot of it thinking about what my response will be to the next selfish arrogant sod that dares treat me like a cyclist. My Grand Theft Auto response is to pull out the bazooka and turn his/her car/van/truck into a smoking pile of molten steel but the real me just gets on with it, after either silently swearing at them or shouting blue murder at them. Depending on my mood of course

[Tangled Metal]

I find that riding with a calculated random wobble works well.

With me that means a headset that needs attention or in the case of my ancient road bike the quill steerer that's dodgy. Either way I learn to use the wobble well.

[Tangled Metal]

My grand theft auto moment isn't really that violent. I just wish a year of cycle commuting in rush hour on them. I still believe every driving ban should be accompanied by an enforced cycle commute to.replace the car journey.

Of course anything involving a cyclist at the receiving end involves the motorist watching the cyclist press the button on the car crusher and seeing his/her car getting crushed (or company car, hire car, etc.). Can you imagine telling your boss that you need a day off to see company property being destroyed because you had knocked a cyclist off? Ho hum!

I prefer non-violent punishment. Hit them in the wallet or their auto-emotion or make them sweat due to fear and exercise in rush hour. Would.help the health of the nation too!