I am hoping there comes a day when the system is two-way and future cars will get a similar notification from the radar that there is a cyclist ahead.
I don’t know if it will ever happen, likely not, but it is nice to dream.
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If you have ever driven or ridden a bike in the Netherlands, I think the better options are a really good cycling infrastructure, proper laws (e. g. in the Netherlands cars are not allowed to overtake cyclists on certain roads) and drivers who also cycle regularly. The latter is super important, because they can put themselves in the perspective of the other and would like some courtesy next time they are on the bike themselves.
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I drive, I cycle on the road, and I don’t “take the lane”. I like to go fast (on the bike or in the car), drivers do too, and that’s fine, I’ll give them room to pass. But the shoulder, even when it exists, usually isn’t practical; all the debris from the road, plus litter and often enough broken glass, ends up there. And then there’s rumble strips and general lack of maintenance.
This post shows a ridiculously bad road. Looks like it’s both rutted from wear and milled (hopefully in preparation for repaving). The cyclist is likely doing his best just to find a rideable path. Cut him some slack.
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Always good to wear camouflage clothing like this person too…
Out of curiosity, where did you take that from? Could you link to it? Thanks 
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I find it incredibly annoying you’re calling him out for riding how he should be.
As a cyclist, you should know why he’s riding where he is. That shoulder looks atrocious from here, I can only imagine what it looks like in real life. He’s allowed to take the lane. And from the picture, it looks like it slowed you down by a whole 2-3 seconds and you can safely pass him after the red car on the left. Seriously, it kind of boggles my mind how you’re getting upset over this.
This makes this post even more confusing man. You even admit it’s a terrible shoulder and are still annoyed. No pleasing you is there?
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Screen shots from
UK highway code, cyclist section
and the British cycling website is a good resource for cycling and road safety. Point 3 recommends Primary Position
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I’ve solved this problem by pretending I’m on my motorcycle when I make left hand turns. Seems to work.
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I think you are wrong to right off his observation so flippantly. Just look at what removal from direct contact does to people on social media, it makes them sociopathic. It is not surprising that people act similarly when safe behind a 2,000 lbs. vehicle as they do behind their computer screen. Not everyone is a sociopath but we tend to be less empathetic in these scenarios. One only needs to drive around Tampa during rush hour or spend a minute or two on twitter, instagram or facebook to make these observations.
I have a very different experience of riding in the Netherlands. I remember awesome cycle paths, motorists giving way at roundabouts to cyclists on the cycle path and courtesy when on the roads.
that’s because you kept right, if you started taking the lane (which isn’t even legal as all traffic needs to keep right as much as possible) you’d be run off the road
Annoying, probably. Is probably still lawful, specially with how bad that shoulder looks. I would have ride the shoulder, but I don’t blame him for not riding it…looks like a terrible road anyways…
Most of the confusion in this thread stems from the OP mixing up what’s annoying for drivers with what’s unsafe for cyclists.
Button-activated pedestrian crossings with red lights for cars are certainly very annoying for drivers. But certainly safer for pedestrians.
Taking the lane on a road rather than a shoulder with parked cars (there’s one across the street if you zoom in), swerving back and forth into the lane, is certainly less annoying to drivers than taking the lane. Is it safer?
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In Virginia, cyclist have the same rights as drivers. But common courtesy says ride closer to the shoulder so folks can pass 
§ 46.2-800. Riding bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, mopeds, or motorized skateboards or scooters; riding or driving animals.
Every person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, moped, motorized skateboard or scooter, or animal or driving an animal on a highway shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter and shall have all of the rights and duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, unless the context of the provision clearly indicates otherwise.
I’m not aware of any studies specifically on vehicles, but there definitely has been with firearms; I think there are parallels…IMO the biggest one being both are essentially weapons you can take a life with.
In these studies…the gist was that simply having a weapon made people more aggressive, less empathetic, more confrontational.
There’s a whole lot to unpack there…but my personal, perhaps slightly jaded opinion (colored from some much too personal experiences), is that for a pretty substantial portion of the population in the US, consequences are the only thing keeping people from acting in completely, violently sociopathic ways. I think this becomes apparent in vehicles, because in the US, lawlessness is essentially not only tolerated, but actively encouraged on roads. Short of actively using your vehicle as a weapon, and there being video evidence, there generally are not consequences for breaking the law.
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Probably the best observation on this thread.
As for taking the lane or not, the answer is “it depends”. There are times when it is the right and / or safe thing to do and there are times when it isn’t. As vulnerable users of the road, it is incumbent on us to understand the differences and use the tactic appropriately.
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That’s taken at rush hour?? There’s one other car in sight.
From the picture it looks like the shoulder has been scarified, probably the road is due to be resurfaced. That’s not a safe surface to be riding on when there’s traffic about.
This position doesn’t put the cyclist at extreme risk unless drivers aren’t paying attention, maybe messing with their phones so they can take a photo to try and be a troll.
It feels like you’re lacking empathy, the cyclist is entitled to ride there and is trying to keep themselves safe. They aren’t doing you any harm and the biggest problem you have is that they have delayed you a little bit. Isn’t the safety of another human being worth an extra what 2 minutes on your journey?
It astounds me that people will get in cars and sit in traffic that costs them an hour without batting an eyelid but one human being out on two wheels costs them even 30 seconds before they can pass and they lose their minds.
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In the OP’s defense, what he is saying and what could be argued is even WITH tougher vehicle laws and harder crack downs on aggressive drivers it would only make the driving public HATE cyclist that much more! Sure, we can debate that tougher laws could lower actual accidents both fatal and not fatal but it would do nothing and even do worse to increase the other less violent but still aggressive and annoying encounters cyclist take from drivers like
getting the finger
coal rolled
closer and more frequent buzzing
cursing
Super loud obnoxious Horn blowing
And combinations of any one of these acts which could still absolutely lead a cyclist into a gutter or hitting the ground without even touching the vehicle.
And if we say, " well lets make all of those acts a crime as well ! " Again could be debated whether that helps or hurts the relations even more. But I guess that’s the debate and its a good one.
The OP may not have chosen the best picture and description of this scenario but I can agree with his point that there are hundreds of scenarios where a cyclist could have done better in a particular situation to ease tensions in a particular predicament.
Here’s another scenario, you take an event whether its a fondo or even a charity ride with hundreds of cyclist. Sure if a vehicle rolls up to a group of 50 or so cyclist when everyone is grouped together a driver can get annoyed but ultimately sees what’s going on and with still a shake of the head will deal with it and usually gently ultimately drive past.
But these rides take up 30,50,100 miles of road and lots of times there are groups of riders say 4 or 6 who are riding a bike but maybe only ride a few times a year and most other rides are on paved rail trails. This type of scenario absolutely irritates the driving community and its usually met with a noticeable revved engine as the driver goes by. And that driver will remember that for LIFE. Then, to add to it, the driver has to pass another group 5 miles down the road, then another, then another.
And even though the driver didn’t show any signs of aggression on that day, the anger and hate built up toward cyclists and that incident builds and boils over to an even less dramatic but a more unfortunate cyclists on a later day who pays the price for that drivers previous experiences with cyclists.
I am still for the fondo and the charity rides absolutely!! But its reality that it is an absolute guarantee that there will be dozens of drivers during one single event that are visibly frustrated while having to pass multiple groups of cyclists who are fairly uneducated on the road etiquette.
And nobody is perfect. I can be out on a solo ride like all of us millions of times and I have done something that in the moment i sort of forced to get through a traffic situation and directly after I think Ok I pissed that driver off for sure and wont help the long term cause. Even though always trying my best to be as flowy as possible with traffic in all situations, in town roads and the country.
And after writing this and thinking about it, maybe stricter laws are the answer! And sort of like laws for road construction workers where fines double in those work areas, if you drive aggressive around a rider in a fondo your fine is doubled if caught on video for proof.
How do we know if the rider was in a fondo to warrant the higher fine?? The rider was wearing the florescent green T-shirt with the word " fondo" on it.
And there’s our answer, all cyclists are advised to wear the Green T on any ride or commute to make sure that driver pays the ultimate price at all times so drivers ultimately learn to respect the cycling community.
Green T.
This has been mentioned by others above, but IMO the most important thing to remember is that all anger on the roads resides in the minds of drivers, and resides there natively.
It is NOT the result of the actions of anyone else. That’s broad brush of course, there are exceptions, but I think this covers 99% of all issues.
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You are making a lot of implicit assumptions, e. g. that all you have are these two options or that you are in control when you pick Option A. Cars may want to make a right turn into driveways or parking lots. They see you less in the shoulder and many cars underestimate the speed of road bikes.
Taking more space can be the safest option, because you are making it easier to be seen or you might prevent cars from making narrow passes or making (unsafe) passes at all.
From the way I read your post, you seem to think that not pissing off drivers is what makes cyclists safer.
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