Positioning on dual carriageways

[Dirk]

Living in North Devon, we only have one dual carriageway and that is only about a mile long (A361 from Barnstaple towards Braunton).
I've tried an experiment a few times when riding down it and have
noticed a marked difference in driver behaviour.
When riding in the 'normal' primary position, virtually every overtaking vehicle will encroach in my lane. I've even had a couple of what I would consider 'close passes', despite lane 2 being empty.
If I take up a position just a couple of inches to the left of the centre of lane 1 ie. 'own the lane', every single overtaking vehicle positions fully in lane 2.
This happens every time - never had anyone encroach.
Has anyone else tried this and does it work in other areas of the country?

 

[Racing roadkill]

Living in North Devon, we only have one dual carriageway and that is only about a mile long (A361 from Barnstaple towards Braunton).
I've tried an experiment a few times when riding down it and have
noticed a marked difference in driver behaviour.
When riding in the 'normal' primary position, virtually every overtaking vehicle will encroach in my lane. I've even had a couple of what I would consider 'close passes', despite lane 2 being empty.
If I take up a position just a couple of inches to the left of the centre of lane 1, every single overtaking vehicle positions fully in lane 2.
This happens every time.
Has anyone else tried this and does it work in other areas of the country?

Yes this works, until you get a HGV approaching. There usually isn't enough room for them to do the move cleanly. Side draughts from HGVs are. I frequently ride sections of dual carriageway, and just ride in standard primary. Riding as you describe also opens you up to passes on the left, from motorcycles, and the occasional 'city car', it's happened to me before.

 

[Dirk]

I've found that even the LGVs and buses move entirely into lane 2 - not so much as a wheel into my lane. Must be a Devon thing. Or could it be that this only happens on quiet roads?

 

[Racing roadkill]

I've found that even the LGVs and buses move entirely into lane 2 - not so much as a wheel into my lane. Must be a Devon thing. LOL

You've been lucky, the problem is that if the truck gives you enough room, when you're in primary, you are far enough away from the side, as to not be affected by the side draught. If you're close to the centre line, the truck moving into lane 2 is a whole lot closer ( I.M.E. ) particularly on a narrower D.C. like the A303, or bits of the A34, for example.

 

[Andrew_P]

I get loads of grief if I "own the lane" cars tooting, tailgating. Probably works on a not so busy road but rush hour SE London not so much so. That said I get loads of close passes in primary two cars plus me normally the cupid stunt in lane one undertaking lane two while overtaking me :-(

 

[hatless]

"A couple of inches to the left of lane 1" is exactly what I understand by primary position. So I'm confused.

 

[Dirk]

Maybe I should have said that it is an 'exaggerated' primary position. ie. Further out to the right than you would consider to be a normal position on a single carriageway.

 

[raleighnut]

That position would be fine at 50mph, any slower and I'd say it was a bit OTT.

 

[mjr]

Maybe I should have said that it is an 'exaggerated' primary position. ie. Further out to the right than you would consider to be a normal position on a single carriageway.

Primary doesn't change on a dual carriageway but I am more likely to use it. If nobber motorists have a problem with it, they have another lane they can use. On a typical wide rural single carriageway, I'm more likely to ride secondary but will ride primary if it is too narrow.

So in short, yes, I find taking the whole left lane works better on dual carriageways up to about 40mph. Beyond that, I try to avoid anything more than short stretches because there are far too many bad motorists for me to be happy.

 

[Ian H]

If there is a reasonable paved width left of the 'fog line' then I tend to ride fairly close to the left. Otherwise I will stay far enough out that vehicles have to cross the white lines to pass. Once they realise they have to cross the line, it seems some kind of psychological barrier is broken and they nearly always give a decent amount of space.
I do think drivers are getting better with cyclists.

 

[steveindenmark]

On a Dual carrigeway there should be plenty of room for a car or van to overtake you in your Lane without causing you any bother.

Do you want all the other vehicles to move totally into the other Lane to overtake you? If that is the case, be brave enough to sit yourself in the middle of the Lane as if you were a motorbike. At the moment it sounds you are dangling on the fringes of being a bike and a motorbike.

Having said that. Sitting in the middle Lane is OTT in my opinion.

 

[Spinney]

There is no middle lane. It's a dual carriageway.

Dual carriageway refers to the separation of the traffic in each direction, not to the number of lanes.

A dual carriageway can have 1, 2 or 3 lanes (1 lanes only for very short stretches usually).

HTH

 

[Spinney]

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-hig...-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158

Read the OP.

I did.

But your statement implied that there was no middle lane because it was a dual carriageway. Not that that particular dual carriageway had no middle lane.

HTH

 

[Dirk]

[QUOTE 4201479, member: 9609"]That sounds completely barking, you sound as though you're pretty much riding down the white line, it wouldn't suprise me if folk didn't undertake you with horn fully engaged. I have this vision of cars undertaking at 60 and large vans overtaking at 80.

I think I have only ever once been on an urban (40) dual and ever again. As for NSL twin lane dual, I think I once had to do half a mile and I stopped and got off when I seen a group of trucks and cars approacing from behind. I know many will disagree with me but I don't think these roads are for cyclists.[/QUOTE]
You have obviously completely misunderstood the description of my position on the road.

 

[jefmcg]

On a Dual carrigeway there should be plenty of room for a car or van to overtake you in your Lane without causing you any bother.

Do you want all the other vehicles to move totally into the other Lane to overtake you? If that is the case, be brave enough to sit yourself in the middle of the Lane as if you were a motorbike.

^^^ This. Though sometimes you have to move to what I call "strong primary" to really take the lane.

If there is a reasonable paved width left of the 'fog line' then I tend to ride fairly close to the left.

I'm not sure why that makes a difference. Is it so you have an escape route? There's usually a lot of crap in there including parts of vehicles, swept off the roads by the cars, so if you need to move into it in an emergency situation it could easily not be a safe move.

Otherwise I will stay far enough out that vehicles have to cross the white lines to pass. Once they realise they have to cross the line, it seems some kind of psychological barrier is broken and they nearly always give a decent amount of space.

Yes. Once drivers have to cross the line (this goes for single carriageways too) then they tend to move properly across the line and give you room.

Not just just in the UK, of course. I went for a Sunday morning solo ride in Melbourne and even though the traffic was much quieter even than in this streetview, strong secondary positioning still got me close. But moving towards the right of the lane ironically gets you more space to your right.