Primary position? A word of thanks.

[Jon George]

I've always ridden primary on my motorbike - it's just the natural thing to do. And while I've always ridden assertively on my cycles, it was only about six months ago that I read about riding primary on this forum.
I'm reasonably confident it saved me from damage, today
Country lane, slight blind bend and I'm out grabbing the lane. Two dog walkers 50 yards ahead on the opposite side, a 4x4 coming the other way. It indicates and pulls well over to my side of the road, still sucking rabbits from the hedge. I initially think the driver is pulling over to park, but hey, what do you know, she's not slowing down fast enough!
I swerve towards the walkers (and the only gap I can see to save me) and it about this time that the driver comes to a stop.
Now, I'm trying my best to reduce my outbursts at idiots, I truly am, but I gave her the full breadth of my opinion in language I expect she has not been used to. But it was only a couple of seconds later, as I continued on my way,that I realised she was not intending to stop, she was over-taking the walkers and just didn't see me.
If I'd been riding where I would have been six months ago, the only option for me would have been to pitch into the hedgerow on the nearside and pray. That extras foot or so gave me the edge.
So, thank you to whoever it was who raised this technique when replying to someone else's query.
Safe riding, everyone.

 

[Globalti]

If you do the advanced driving course you will learn that it's all about making other drivers behave in the way you want them to do.

Not much use if the other driver hasn't seen you though.....

 

[ColinJ]

If you do the advanced driving course you will learn that it's all about making other drivers behave in the way you want them to do.

Not much use if the other driver hasn't seen you though.....

True, but they are more likely to see you out in the road rather than hiding in the gutter!

I rode down some very narrow lanes yesterday and encountered quite a few drivers coming the other way. Some of them actually stopped to let me pass (*gasp*), some slowed right down and pulled as far left as they could, but a few continued towards me at full speed without deviating from their course at all. I stayed well out in the road and that eventually persuaded 3/4 of them to do the sensible thing. A crazy few still headed straight for me and I wasn't going to play a deadly game of 'chicken' with them so I dived left at the last moment, but only when I had no other choice.

I thanked the considerate drivers and indicated my disapproval to the others ...

 

[Jon George]

I thanked the considerate drivers and indicated my disapproval to the others ...

 

[yello]

Primary is about being seen*. If you get abuse for it it shows it's worked!

*It's also about giving you a better view.

 

[ColinJ]

Primary is about being seen*. If you get abuse for it it shows it's worked!

*It's also about giving you a better view.

It is also about saying "You don't have room to squeeze past me - if you want to overtake me, you are going to have to do it properly, on the opposite side of the road"!

 

[Peter Armstrong]

I've said it before and I will say it again the best advice I've heard for getting cars to give you space is "look Wobbly"

 

[ColinJ]

I've said it before and I will say it again the best advice I've heard for getting cars to give you space is "look Wobbly"

I adopted a 'wobble slightly' technique as I approached oncoming drivers on the ride that I referred to above. I noticed the bonnets of a few of the cars dip when I did it so the drivers had clearly hit the brake pedal!

 

[PaulSecteur]

For the full wobbly effect be rolling a rizla in your left hand while swigging from a can of tennants in your right.

 

[SimonJKH]

For the full wobbly effect be rolling a rizla in your left hand while swigging from a can of tennants in your right.

That's some elite-level wobbly!