Another reason to take the lane? I like to have an "out"--somewhere to go when the cars try to pass to closely. This is my determination on whether to ride the shoulder--do I have room to bail, if a car gets to close. Believe it or not, "taking the lane" alleviated my fear of riding on the roads. To get the hang of it, I bought one of those bright orange flags that stick out the left side of your back wheel. Cars won't risk scratching their paint..........
"Well-behaved women seldom make history." --Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
'09 Trek WSD 2.1 with a Brooks B-68 saddle
'11 Trek WSD Madone 5.2 with Brooks B-17