Road position. What should I have done?

Essay sorry in advance.
So I’m saving the full susser for best and invested in a cheapo single speed to keep the pedals turning. It’s an absolute blast in the woods and on the bridleways but I’m riding from the door so it involves the dreaded roads.
So tonight I’ve made my way down to the a6 through the woods blah blah which is a busy road through the town, traffic is building in front as a car is turning right as I near the stationary traffic matey in a golf very nearly clips my bar coming past and starts to indicate left to turn into the petrol station. He hasn’t got the room to get in front and starts to move me over. I stood my ground a metre from the kerb as I figured if I moved left he’d go for it and I’d be under the passenger wheel. So in this situation should I have defended (only word I could think of) my position by moving out to the middle of the lane as I approached the traffic and before anyone came along side me?

Slat hoofage

Hard to say, not knowing the exact picture, but I try to take the lane fully when approaching junctions, especially if you’re getting up to speed with traffic. In those situations I ride pretty much the same as I drive.

The A6 sounds kinda scary though. Any A road with a number in single figures probably commands a bit of extra respect when you’re so low on the food chain. And if there’s any chance you’re going to get rear ended by someone doing 70mph, I may well get off and walk!

Yep.

That is basic defensive riding. Claim your space, make it difficult for the drivers to move into your space, thus discouraging them from trying it in the fist place. If you leave even the tiniest amount of space some bellend will try to drive their car into it.

if you were planning to stop behind the queue then yes, take the centre

if you were intending to undertake them then I guess you’d have been edging left anyway so taking the middle probably not a goer

So in this situation should I have defended (only word I could think of) my position by moving out to the middle of the lane as I approached the traffic and before anyone came along side me?

That’s what I do. If I’m sat in traffic with no intention of over/undertaking and maintaining distance from a slow moving car I’ll move out a bit. The number of people who try and overtake even though I’m a car’s length from the car in front is crazy. At least if I’m out a bit I’ve got somewhere to move to.

Primary position, yes – it also gives you somewhere to dive to when they decide to have a go at the overtake anyhow.

Entirely the driver’s fault there though, he didn’t have enough room to get past you and turn left safely. Of course, a few seconds of his time is well worth risking your life.

No need to filter either side of the traffic as I’m hardly blasting along on the ss as it’s geared for off road duties as well. The a6 is a 30 through the town and very busy. I avoid road riding due to dicks like Mr golf. I was genuinely thinking wtf as he came along side me. I was still peddling so we can’t have been doing any more than 15 mph as I’d have span out.

Glad you were OK. Have to say that central Belper has never caused me problems with cars, the Milford end on the bends seems to cause me more close passes.

Take the lane if moving at same pace. If someone does come alongside then this gives you space to move across a little to prevent them clipping you, it also allows you the the space to brake. In your circumstance I’d have probably just braked, holding your ground is fine and quite right, but sometimes it’s better to just get yourself in a safe place then give them the finger. 😆

As you should do when driving when there’s a hazard, check over your shoulder or mirrors. I find this often stops drivers sneaking past as it lets them know you’re aware of the situation that you’re both in. Riding in the gutter or a submissive position just confirms their bias of superiority; the poor little cyclist will capitulate.

No gutter riding. From many threads I’ve read on here I know you want to be a good metre from the kerb which is where I was. Thanks for the advice I’ll be using it.

my list of places where a lot of drivers can’t deal with other road users and the other task:

Petrol Stations
Drive Thru’s
Supermarket Carparks
Sandwich Shops at lunchtime – surprised some people don’t fit sirens and flashing blue lights its that urgent
Cash Machines
Schools

all should be red flags and need vigilance to survive dickwittery manoevres

I’d have shoulder checked and lined up middle of waiting cars with a check to left before setting off and moving back across a bit but sometime the idiots are very original and any road position can be defeated by bad driving combined with any lack of consideration

I’ve just give up. Cycle in the middle of the lane, whatever road I’m on. **** the cars.

It’s amazing how many people simply move to pull out around a cyclist without thinking at all about what is about to happen. Some people really just aren’t equipped to drive a car, to be honest.

Yep, hold your line. My general rule is that if they get close enough for me to touch them, their wing mirror gets a tap/slap (discretionary depending on, well lot of things).

I could have polished the mirror with my hand he was that close. No more than 50mm from end of bar to wing mirror, and at that it was one of those stupid short stubby ones that they retro fit. Lessons learned anyway. Back on the proper bike this weekend so thank **** for that!

It’s amazing how many people simply move to pull out around a cyclist without thinking at all about what is about to happen

Indeed, an all too frequent occurrence including an example this morning, me cruising along at sensible pace, a queue of traffic up ahead no more than 50-60 yards away, when the van that had been sitting (a little too close) behind me decides that now is a good time to overtake, changes down, revs, floors it to get past me and then realises he’s about to drive into the back of stationary traffic so comes to a tyre squealing stop behind them.

mind boggled

I was on a country lane once, car comes up behind, slows down, carefully overtakes with decent berth, *whilst a car was coming the other way*. Driver was totally bemused but kept driving and ended up having to stand on the brakes to avoid imminient collision with the other car whose driver looked as shocked as I was.

Just because I’m on a bike doesn’t stop the normal rules of overtaking from applying – i.e. don’t do it when there’s something coming the other way!

It’s amazing how many people simply move to pull out around a cyclist without thinking at all about what is about to happen. Some people really just aren’t equipped to drive a car, to be honest.

Happens literally on every ride. I cover a few miles of road on all my rides and there are a number of S bends, blind corners, blind hills and I will be overtake on at least one on them on every ride. That is even when riding in a primary position.

The last verbal interaction after flagging a car down had the driver state “how am I supposed to overtake you when you are in the middle of the road”
He didn’t seem to understand my reply of “you are not, it is a blind corner and you know even less what is coming in the other direction than I do”