Taking The Primary

[david1701]

My approach to this is to ridea bit out from the kerb if I think cars can get past, but if I think they can't/shouldn't/I am coming up to a right turn I move out to the middle of the road. I wanted to run this by the more experienced commuters/urban riders on here.

eg here I hold the primary and keep up with traffic because there are junctions at each end and with parked cars its pretty narrow. Is that right?

 

[buggi]

if you feel like cars have not got enough room to pass you, without putting you at risk, then yes, i think you are right. After what i saw last night, two cyclists leisure cyclists coming towards me on the opposite side, need to learn what primary position is. a 4x4 overtook them as i came towards them, leaving them about a foot space when he passed the oncoming traffic that was in front of me and then, of course, the rest of the traffic blindly followed him squeezing between me and my car.

of course, he was totally in the wrong to do this, however they could have mitigated the situation by riding out and forcing him to wait, rather than giving him the opportunity to overtake.

 

[summerdays]

I wouldn't necessarily keep primary position there ... but it is hard to tell as there looks to be very little moving traffic in that image so that it looks as though any traffic could easily pass by crossing onto the other side of the road. I doubt I would on the seafront side definitely, on the other side I would need to be wider passing the parked cars to keep out of the door zone and if that meant primary so be it. You can move out to a primary position near junctions rather than needing to stay out the whole time depending on the situation.

These are a couple of roads in Bristol where you need to stick to primary:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...1.472965,-2.554736&spn=0.009637,0.024462&z=16
because it is effectively one lane wide ... go near the pavement and cars will try to squeeze past

or
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...1.474362,-2.594559&spn=0.019273,0.048923&z=15
because I'm flying down the hill and there are parked cars both sides and lots of junctions which are parked up right to the junction so the car has limited visibility until they pull out - if I'm in the middle of the road then I'm helping them to see me fractionally quicker.

 

[david1701]

usually it has cars in a line going each way, which makes it a lot narrower - if it was quiet I'd probably take the secondary

I'm with you for those two summerdays, definitely places I'd take the primary.

Buggi I see that a lot, cyclists automatically sticking to hugging the hedge and I think they get closer overtakes than they need to.


So I'm right in my basic reasoning, but maybe should tweak how I apply it, cheers guys

 

[LosingFocus]

Dont fancy going up Belle Vue!

 

[the snail]

No doubt about it David, the more room you give cars, the less room they'll give you. I think it's important to anticipate pinch points and get into 'primary' well in advance.

 

[HLaB]

No doubt about it David, the more room you give cars, the less room they'll give you. I think it's important to anticipate pinch points and get into 'primary' well in advance.

Walker 2007 threw up some doubts, he postulated the exact opposite, but it doesn't seem to agree with my experiences (like yours) and many others.

 

[david1701]

Dont fancy going up Belle Vue!

I ride that way to get to the shops, scares the shoot out of me every time, big hill so I'm slow, lots of cars and its narrow

I see it in a face your demons type way

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I would say that you are 100% correct. However personally when turning right (if safe to do so) I will get close to the white line so cars have the ability to pass me on the near side. Some may well argue I am settingmyself up for a fall but I woudl rather offer a safe passing place than have cars over taking me at that time.

My approach to this is to ridea bit out from the kerb if I think cars can get past, but if I think they can't/shouldn't/I am coming up to a right turn I move out to the middle of the road. I wanted to run this by the more experienced commuters/urban riders on here.

eg here I hold the primary and keep up with traffic because there are junctions at each end and with parked cars its pretty narrow. Is that right?

 

[HLaB]

I would say that you are 100% correct. However personally when turning right (if safe to do so) I will get close to the white line so cars have the ability to pass me on the near side. Some may well argue I am settingmyself up for a fall but I woudl rather offer a safe passing place than have cars over taking me at that time.

+1
I also do this, undertaking is just a minor thing but I feel it gives a clearer indication to the driver that I am turning right and reduces overtakes which are more troublesome in that situation.

 

[david1701]

ok I'll bear that in mind, I don't actually have any of those on any of my roadier rides (lanes don't really count as I've never had to turn with a car anywhere near me )

 

[BentMikey]

I would say that you are 100% correct. However personally when turning right (if safe to do so) I will get close to the white line so cars have the ability to pass me on the near side. Some may well argue I am settingmyself up for a fall but I woudl rather offer a safe passing place than have cars over taking me at that time.

Aye, but only when the lane is wide enough. If it's not, I'll block it. I don't want a car passing me at 30mph inches from my left elbow.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Hnce the "if safe to do so"

Aye, but only when the lane is wide enough. If it's not, I'll block it. I don't want a car passing me at 30mph inches from my left elbow.

 

[Clandy]

No doubt about it David, the more room you give cars, the less room they'll give you. I think it's important to anticipate pinch points and get into 'primary' well in advance.

This.

 

[gambatte]

And how many times do you hear someone who hasn’t been on the roads on a bike in years say “I’d ride closer to the kerb, so cars can get past”

Thats when you have to explain we ride wider, so drivers have to think about it, sometimes stopping them from passing and also so we’ve got somewhere to go, if it all goes ‘t*ts’