What a timely discussion...I'm going to a BikeLeague Road I class tomorrow.

I've recently gotten back into cycling after a break from my early 20's to my late 30's - not uncommon on this board it seems. The funny thing is, I remember having seen cyclists "control a lane" on several occasions while driving or riding in a car and thought they were absolutely nuts for being in the middle of traffic. But after reading the pre-class book and other online info about riding in traffic, I can completely understand the thinking behind it now. And it is a fact that we clearly saw those cyclists that I thought were "nuts" for getting right in the middle of the lane.

Funny how far a little education goes. Its not immediately intuitive, but it is totally logical that being assertive and acting like the vehicle you are will get you noticed more and keep you safer than hugging the curb where nobody is looking for opposing traffic.

Now, how do we tell all the people (like myself just weeks ago) called the same person "nuts" that I would now call a smart cyclist riding in traffic???