Partly inspired by Twickenham Cyclist’s post in the forums, I thought that it would be a nice idea to answer a few of the questions that motorists may have about cyclists, and why we behave the way that we do. Why do cyclists not pay road tax? Why do cyclists wear lycra? And to start… Why do cyclists ride in the middle of the road?

Sometimes people have to get somewhere in a rush. Let’s face it, we’ve all done it; We’ve left slightly late for work, or we have an important meeting to get to, or we promised we would be somewhere and we’ve run out of time. Just to make things worse, people aren’t going as fast as we’d like on the roads. What’s the holdup?

It turns out some cyclist is riding up ahead. Cars can’t overtake, and the blood pressure is rising. Why won’t the cyclist just get out of the way? Just move left, there’s plenty of space at the side, and the cars could squeeze past.

The first thing which needs to be understood is that a cyclist is more vulnerable than many other road users. Cyclists are not protected in the same way that a car driver is. There is no tin box surrounding them, and when squeezing past may clip a wingmirror on a passing car, the same maneouvre may clip handlebars or an elbow.

More to the point, what may be considered to be a small accident in a car, could be a serious or fatal one for a cyclist. A car passing too close isn’t just a near miss. A car creates a lot of force through the slipstream it creates, not to mention the surprise factor of suddenly seeing a relatively big vehicle overtaking at speed just inches away. Sometimes these factors, and others like them, can be countered somewhat through the experience of a cyclist. But there are still others which may cause a cyclist to move, apparently unexpectedly.

A cyclist may spot a hazard in the road, such as a protuding drain cover - not an issue for a driver, but potentially one for a cyclist. Such situations can potentially cause a cyclist to move out of the way of the hazard. If a car is overtaking too close, that slight swerve, which may only be an inch or two, could be enough to take them into the vehicle, and possibly under the wheels.

Indeed, the Highway Code recommends that drivers should “give vulnerable road users at least as much space as you would a car.”

If space is so important, surely it makes sense that a cyclist should be as far over to the left as possible, giving cars as much space as possible to overtake. However, there are several reasons why this position is not the best one for cyclists to take. Take a short break to have a look at the edge of a variety of roads in your area.

Done that? No? Seriously go and do it. I’ll wait.

You’ll see on many if not most roads that there are a number of potential hazards along the edges of roads, as outlined above. Drain covers, bumps, potholes, loose gravel, broken glass and other rubbish. The edge of the road is not a safe place to be for a cyclist. You will also have probably seen a white line at the side of the road. Beyond that, although probably made of tarmac, this is the gutter, and not intended for vehicles to use, including cyclists.

Therefore, we can see that it is in the cyclist’s interest to position himself away from the gutter. It’s dangerous, and not really part of the road. The cyclist needs to ride to the right hand side of that line.

But that’s not all. as there are other hazards to the middle of the road as well. Traffic islands can be invaluable for pedestrians crossing busy roads, but thay can also be a potential accident for cyclists if a car driver decides to fit his car between both the island, and the cyclist. As we saw previously, a car passing too close, although a “miss” can affect the cyclist in other ways, either pushing the cyclist off-course or potentially causing them to wobble or generally unnecessarily alarm them. A cyclist may position himself to prevent a car from overtaking where there simply isn’t room to do so safely.

Furthermore, the “Primary Road Position” makes the cyclist as visible as possible. If it is easier to imagine the idea of road positioning another way, think of it as ”front and centre.” By positioning themselves directly in front of vehicles cyclists ensure that they will be seen, and a driver will not need to make any last-moment maneouvres to avoid them. Indeed, there is a school of thought which indicates that cycling in the primary position encourages other road users to overtake safely, and courteously. Twickenham Cyclist’s video below goes a certain way to demonstrate this.

When the road conditions allow for a cyclist to be overtaken safely, most will move over and let drivers pass. Many will indicate that they have seen up ahead and that it’s OK to overtake, and possibly give you a cheery wave for holding back, or at the very least an appreciative nod.

And so we get the the crux of the matter, the one sentence answer… Why do cyclists ride in the middle of the road? It’s safer.

Let me apologise for any car drivers out there held up for a few seconds caught behind a cyclist. We understand its frustrating. Trust me, we really do. But patience is a virtue, and it may just one day reward you by preventing your car from being damaged when that annoying cyclist and his bike gets caught up underneath it, and more of your time being wasted explaining to Mr. Plod why there is a dead body there too.