Bikes must mix with motorized vehicles. And the reality is that traffic of all kinds is increasing. Not long ago, a Belgian cycling official expressed concern about whether road racing would survive the next 10 years in his country because of the increase in cars on what used to be lightly traveled farm roads. If this is a concern in cycling-mad Belgium, what chance do the rest of us have?

 

Itâs possible to ride safely even in the presence of cars, SUVs and pickups. Check out the cyclists in midtown Manhattan. They ride in perhaps the most traffic-dense environment this side of Bangkok but still manage to survive. The trick is knowing how to ride in such a way that you co-exist with traffic.

This is a complicated subject, and the literature contains a wide range of opinions. Some riders never venture into heavy traffic, choosing either to ride on bike paths or hang up their wheels. Others get downright surly about their rights to the road, which can lead to driver confrontations, accidents and injury. No cyclist, road rights be damned, is a match for a 4,000-pound box of metal. What follows is a middle course of strategies to survive and ride wise.

 

Assert your rights. But do it with caution. As a cyclist, you have the same rights as a motorized road user, but you also have the same responsibilities. You must stop for red lights and signal for turns. Motorists are legally required to give you safe space. (And at least 19 states have now enacted a 3-foot passing law more clearing defining that space.) As the slogan goes, âSame roads, same rules, same rights.â

 

Claim your lawful space. The law requires a cyclist to ride as far to the right on the roadway as practicable. âPracticableâ means as far right as is safe, not as far right as is possible. Thereâs a big difference. Youâre allowed to move to the left to avoid road hazards.

 

On roads with a wide shoulder, ride about 2 feet to the right of the white line. This is assuming the shoulder isnât strewn with broken glass or other dangerous junk. Look ahead to see if the shoulder narrows unexpectedly for bridge abutments or is blocked by parked cars. If so, ride as far to the left as you need to for safety. Do not dart in and out among intermittently parked cars. Hold a steady line to their left until you pass the last car, then move back to the shoulder. This prevents popping out in front of a driver who doesnât expect it.

 

If the road doesnât have a shoulder, ride in the traffic lane about a foot from the right edge. Give yourself some room to maneuver. If youâre fully at the edge, youâll have no space to make a correction to avoid obstacles or debris, and drivers will think they have room to pass without moving into the other lane. But if you take your legal space, youâll have the room you need, and drivers will have to slow and move left to pass. In other words, they'll have to share the road with you.

 

Beware of doors opening. All is good so far. Youâre claiming your legal space but not unnecessarily inhibiting traffic. You should, however, ride a bit farther to the left when passing parallel-parked cars. Drivers tend to swing open their doors after checking for traffic, not cyclists. If you hit a door, it might as well be a brick wall. Give yourself an extra 2 feet of space, and watch through windows to see if the driver is in the car. If you see someone in a left-side seat, anticipate the worst and slide farther to your left. A downward-extended left arm with palm facing rearward will alert drivers that somethingâs up. Similarly, keep your eyes peeled for pedestrians poised between parked cars. Theyâre looking for traffic, not bikes, and might step into your path.

 

Beware of right-turning motorists. Perhaps the most important reason to claim your lane space is to diminish the risk that overtaking drivers will make a right turn across your path. If you are hugging the curb or parked cars, you lose presence -- the only advantage you have in this situation. If you donât make drivers deal with you, they are likely to act as if you arenât there. Theyâll pass closely and turn right so abruptly that you have to brake hard. If the car isnât quite past you when it begins to turn, the best tactic is to turn with it. Thatâs a dicey maneuver, especially if the driver cuts close to the curb. Riding out in the lane forces overtaking motorists to slow and wait until you are through the intersection before they turn.