I am constantly re-positioning myself in whatever lane I'm in based on a multitude of factors, including but not limited to:

Immediate road conditions/hazards, potential hazards
Traffic patterns in my immediate vicinity (directly left and right)
Traffic patterns immediately ahead of me
Traffic patterns approaching me (from behind)
Traffic patterns well ahead of me (anticipating possible situations)

When I ride I basically separate the world around me into 8 sections of 45 degrees each. Directly forward is position 1, 45 degrees to my forward right and left are positions 2 and 3. Another 45 degrees to either side would be directly to my left and right sides, as positions 4 and 5. And so on to the rear for a total surrounding viewpoint.

When you constantly monitor these positions for various potential hazards you find yourself moving constantly within your lane and also changing lanes frequently as conditions dictate. To constantly ride in one lane, on one side of the lane (so as to avoid oil slicks as they used to teach us all) is not really good practice in my opinion. You must always be aware of your surroundings and anticipate what some knucklehead MIGHT do as you approach them or they approach you and take pre-emptive measures to avoid a situation that MAY happen. If you ride with this approach you may be avoiding situations that you never even knew about because they did not happen due to your vigilance.

Even when out in the country on rural roads, when it's so easy to get complacent and lose some of your "asphalt jungle" senses (for lack of a better term), it is important to still be aware of at least positions 1, 2 and 3 as that is where the most dangerous threats will come from. Such as an animal darting out in front of you. A dog, a deer or even a squirrel flying out from the side of the road can cause some distress.

Then just as you are enjoying the beautiful country views, the wind in your face, the rumble of your exhaust and ..........ZOOM- some jerk on a sport bike goes flying past you at double your speed and within two feet of your left handlebar. Thank the lord that squirrel didn't dart out from your right side 2 seconds ago!

Point is, riding a bike is an activity that is always changing as the conditions change and therefore you must too.

Vigilance - Always!

 

I move across the whole lane depending on conditions. If there is no on-coming traffic I ride near the center line. I move to the right when cars are coming. I NEVER ride on the shoulder. Now a days a lot of people drive on the shoulder when cars are coming. Cops can pull you over for that just to see who you are, what you're doing, if you've been drinking or just to run you through the gamut to see if they can ticket you.

Then on the curves my lane position changes. On left turns I ride in the middle of the lane so I don't lean over the center line (even I don't see any cars coming). On right turns I move right. I don't mind leaning over the white line.

When riding in a group many cyclists will stagger within a lane and use the 2-second rule with the guy directly in front of them. They don't seem to care if the guy staggered a little in front of him is only one second ahead. I think that is ridiculously dangerous. If a deer comes out of the right ditch a cycle on the right may swerve left and brake. He was only one second in front of the next cycle but now those 2 collide and go down. Keep in mind that the cycle on the right blocks the view of the right ditch when riding staggered like that.

 

Agree with whats been said here, I also keep in mind in my lane position when in high traffic areas, to be in position that my headlights (note bright *** lights are good) are in the drivers mirror. That way it may help your odds of being seen by a cager (you can ony hope this helps the preoccupied ********).
One thing though I used to drive 18 wheelers, the right lane is bad for multiple reasons, that lane has constant entry and exiting vehicles, especially the dick that realizes he missing his exit and goes from #1 to #4 lane to exit, and the roadbed is hammered from the weight of trucks (by law they can only use the right lane, and the next lane for passing only, but they cruise there in order to stay away from the entries/exiting vehicles. There can tend to be more debris in the right lane and shoulders.

 

I voted for wherever comfortable but 90% of my solo riding that would be the left part of my lane. Like others have said, I will use any part of the road I need depending on condition of road or to see or be seen.

 

I started riding in the mid 70's. Back then I always rode to the left of the center of the lane. Kept me away from debris in the right gutter, and out of the oil slick in the center of the lane. Vehicles now a days don't leak oil like they used to. The center of lane now, while not oil free, is a hell of lot cleaner than it used to be. So I find myself spending more time in the center of lene now. Gives me more room to avoid testers drifting over the center line, etc...

Overall I use the lane as I need, always trying to keep an escape route in mind.

 

I stay in the tire track areas right or left. The center and the right shoulder is where all the oils and road debris ends up especially at intersections. In fact on vehicles, that's the side the brakes shoes/pads wear the fastest from my experience. By staying in the tire track paths, someone else has cleared the road for you of most potential puncture dangers. In the 25+ years of riding, any punctures I've sustained has been outside the aforementioned areas....just my experience.

 

I take the left part of the lane and always have. There are occasions where I move to the right before a blind curve because it's not uncommon to meet up with someone in the oncoming lane crossing over the center line. I don't like those kind of surprises. I picked the first choice but I guess in reality I should've picked where ever I feel most comfortable.

 

Very true......good post

 

^^^^That^^^^^

 

Thanks guys. There are some really good responses here. I usually ride closest to the zipper on those long boring straight stretches of highway where you don't see any other vehicles for 20 minutes at a time. Gives me lots of room to go either direction if an animal or whatever jumps out onto the road. As vehicles approach on those long stretches I will drift over a few feet close to the center of the lane. When coming up behind and preparing to pass I hold the zipper line so the driver ahead (hopefully) sees me in his mirror. Of course on the windy (most fun stretches) I would be where I feel most comfortable taking the corners using the whole lane.

After riding up Mt Evans and several other amazing passes on my most recent trip I observed quite a few riders that should be doing some slow speed practice. On the way down Mt Evans there were a few riders who were a little tipsy going around the switchbacks as they were coming up. At one point there was a group of riders actually duck paddling around the last few switchbacks. That is quite the road but that is another story.