Do you ever feel like....

[Jenn]

There is a HUGE bullseye right on your BACK!
Seriously, do people just not realize how close they come to you, or does it just seem like they are extraordinarily close to us.
Since, I'm still new to road biking, I guess I'm still trying to get comfortable with how close some people come. I mountain biked for years and never had to think about it so maybe I'm just overly sensitive?
I swear though, I had a line of cars pass me this morning and everyone nearly went into the other lane except for this one...%$$#@*& he didn't budge and I could actually feel the car near me, it was scary.

[mimitabby]

It sure is scary!
yesterday I left the bike lane to pass a tandem going slowly up hill.
I had looked in my mirror behind me and saw what i thought was plenty of room (wide street, wide lanes) and like with you, the vehicle that passed me didn't
a/ notice me or b/ care to move. it's a good thing i didnt' wobble or anthing!

[missymaya]

Yeah, sometimes cars are getting that close I had a friend a few years ago who lived in a very rural area but that area was like cycling heaven. Very little traffic, scenic, calm, nice and long. She would drive as close to the cyclists as possible, to the point that if they were wearing perfume or something, I could probably smell it. Now, I didn't ride then, but I never drove close to anyone like that, what if I hit them? I don't want to go to jail or hurt someone! She said it was because she was there first, whatever that meant (she wasn't a native of the state, so I was confused). Needless to say, a few arguments later (over other matters) she and I are no longer friends.
We now have the 3 feet law in place, but I haven't seen it enforced. People get really close, so all I can do is stay calm and focus on where I'm going or the line I'm pulling. The worst is when they honk right behind or beside you Talk about getting a little freaked out! When they honk I just yell so I won't jerk my handle about and accidently ride into them. I just hate that

[Grog]

Scary indeed!

On a busy stretch of road where I often ride, at the top of a hill AND in a curve, I was passed recently by a double gravel truck. That's a gravel truck with a trailer in the back which is as big as a second gravel truck. Drivers there are used to sharing the road but this guy just wasn't really careful.

In general, the further you are from the curbside, the further the cars will be from you on the other side. Bonus: if they do try to shave the fuzz off your forearms as they pass, you have somewhere to go on your right side instead of being stuck on the curb. A good 1 meter - 3 feet is what I think is best. No matter where the line is (if there is one), I ride about 3 feet away from the limit of the paved road to the right.

This being said, there will always be gonzos that don't remember that bikes were invented before cars. Keep your line and hope you'll be fine!

[CyclaSutra]

I agree, I think you get more respect/room if you are assertive.

Our law in Wyoming says to ride "as far to the right as is practicable" or something, and with all the gravel on the roads in the spring, it's not always "practicable" to be on the shoulder.

In town, and it gets to be a really busy town each summer, I stay way right if I'm going slower than traffic, but if I'm moving at the speed of traffic on the narrow downtown streets with cars parked to my right, I take over the whole freakin' lane with big ol' signals and a wide smile. Yeah, check out my legs, look at how much fun I'm having, way more than you in that car...

At Zion's early century last year, Yellow taught me the "Have a nice day" phrase to yell at traffic that got too close/spun out/almost killed us. Makes for a better mindset than screaming "You @*#&#$&#*!@!!!!"

[lph]

Hmm - maybe I can use it when trying to get through the pedestrians who think nothing of crossing on a red light in droves right in front of me just because I'm not a car, instead of my usual inarticulate "HEY!!aughWHADDYAjeezAAAHK!"

I think a combination of an angry glare and "HAVE A NICE DAY!!" as I barrel down on them should be suitably terrifying.

[Jenn]

That is what scared me so bad yesterday I think was that I was on the line then it was just gutter and curb there was no room for error had I flinched, I was going either into the car or eating some curb.
Then, don't you love the people that see you coming, ( BRIGHT GREEN jacket on to mind you) you are cruising along pretty good and just pull out in front of you anyway. Found out real fast that my breaks needed to be adjusted because I almost hit her like freight chain.
Ticked me off to because I building good momentum for the hill I fixin to climb.

Lastly, I'm sorry about my rant, but the varmits, the prarie dogs, rabbits,etc which are HUGE and plentiful here on the base. I SWEAR they stand up see you coming, then try to play dodge the bike while you are really hauling. I think I was just a moving hazard yesterday!

[mimitabby]

my usual inarticulate "HEY!!aughWHADDYAjeezAAAHK!"

That's what I say too!

[missymaya]

Yeah, the stuff I yell isn't even any form of language (except only to me ) Recently, I was on my way to work and part of the route is through a school zone, so I'm going about the speed of the cars. There's also a school crosswalk there, so sometimes I have to stop along with the cars (of course this all happening when school is about to start). This lady in a big blue SUV passed me, not allowing much room, which of course erked me. But, I'm used to the traffic and I was 'running late' so I didn't care to yell something at her. Well, there was a traffic stop due to a cross walk and the lady was all the way over, even almost on the gutter, giving me less than 6 inches to ride by!!! So, I slowed way down and yelled right at her window as I passed, "thanks a lot lady! Jerk!" and pedaled on through til I had to stop at the front. Funny, I passed her and got to where I needed to go, while she was stuck in the crap traffic at the school entrance. Hmm..

As for animals, a woman I ride with taught me to yell down right loud and viscous screeching so they run away. We come across a lot of squirrels in certain areas, so yelling like a banshee helps the animals 'make up their minds' to run from the yelling crazy moving thing! That might help with the animals on base.