I dont like the blocking position

[buddhacide]

I dont know about you guys but I dont like riding in the left tire track. I feel it leaves me more vulnerable to oncoming carelessness. I also find that in many situations I want people to pass me if they start riding my tail, not block them. If they're the type to try to pass me just because i'm on a bike, i'm skeptical the blocking position really deters people. I feel most comfortable riding down the middle of the road, or perhaps slightly to the left. I feel this gives me a greater buffer from traffic, as well as more error room. Not to mention that almost all the potholes I have narrowly avoided have been in the tire tracks. I understand there is an added risk of oil spills/depris from cars and what not in the city, but i havent noticed any advantage in practice. Comments?

[sharpmagna]

Change your riding position for the situation you're in. I like to move around to get better view of the round in front of me. I notice that most cagers tend to hug either the left or the right side of a lane. Whichever side they favor, I normally ease to the opposite side.

[ofblong]

I like to ride 10mph over the speedlimit. If there is someone slow arse in front of me I ride in the left. However if no one is in front of me and there is some arse that decides they like to be 10 feet from my rear tire I move over to the right and slow down. Thats how I ride anyways. Whats odd, for me anyways, is when I drive my cage I could care less if someone tailgates me and hell I tailgate but when I am on my bike or A bike is in front of me I cant stand tailgaters. It is very scary to have someone behind you within 10 feet of your rear tire. Hell I get scared when I see someone else tailgating a biker. Actually I almost called the cops on one lady who was tailgating a biker. Instead she ended up going to the same place I had to go so I reamed her for a while about the safety of giving a biker distance and that if a cop "happened" to be around she could have been pulled over since it is illegal to drive that close to a biker. Doubt I did any good but you know how SOME blonde women are when it comes to driving lol.

[jonnythan]

I don't want to ride in the right tire track and give them an excuse to try to pass me *in my own lane*.

I'd rather block, then slow down and let them pass when it's safe.

[ofblong]

when your doing 65mph and they are 10feet from your rear tire and I can see clearly that they can safely pass me I will go to the right lane. I should have clarified that. I dont go to the right lane unless they can pass me safely sorry. 10mph over the speed limit if they want to pass that bad they most likely dont care where you are, however, and are going to pass you at the most opportune moment possible. Usually if there is oncoming traffic lol. Being in the right lane keeps you a little safer than in the left in that situation. However I did "pee" one guy off apparently cause I slowed way down to 30mph lol. Obviously I didnt slow down so fast that the guy would hit me.

[KarateChick]

Change your riding position for the situation you're in.

Yes, agree.

Unless I am riding with a group, then I don't because they'd get annoyed at me pretty quick if I bobbled around in my lane.

[Inquizator]

I don't want to ride in the right tire track and give them an excuse to try to pass me *in my own lane*.

I'd rather block, then slow down and let them pass when it's safe.

I agree you don't want people sharing your lane. But them taking the right portion of your lane seems more dangerous to me than them taking the left portion. When they are in the right, your options to avoid either them or oncoming traffic are severely limited if something goes wrong.
I had that happen to me (luckily on a very empty road) and just couldn't believe the guy had just done that. He could have just passed me in the oncoming lane, no one was coming. But instead he turned on his flashers, pulled over partially onto the shoulder and sped past me, giving me some sort of weird "not my fault" look/gesture as he went past.

[fireguzzi]

Change your riding position for the situation you're in.

Yes, agree.

Unless I am riding with a group, then I don't because they'd get annoyed at me pretty quick if I bobbled around in my lane.

I agree as well, your riding position should be whatever position lets you see and be seen.

[Z (fka Sweet Tooth)]

+1

[Nibblet99]

Yep, I block until I find a safe place for them to overtake, then make a very visable left shoulder check for them to know I'm about to move to the left of the lane to allow them to pass (we drive on the left here)