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8,148 Posts
If you are nearly getting hit by people changing lanes, perhaps your positioning relative to others is off.
People don't often plan ahead enough when driving. This means that people will often change lanes at the last moment as traffic comes to a stop in front of them. Most people don't use their mirrors or have them set incorrectly.
Basically what it boils down to, is if you're not willing (or able) to give so much space to the people next to you that you're not in their blind spots, you should at least take care not to ride directly beside them as much as possible--especially not with your front wheel in line with their rear passenger door.
If I find myself beside someone's rear door, I either pass them right away or back off so I'm half a bike length behind their rear bumper. This way, I'm generally close enough that no one tries to cut in, but far enough back that if the guy changes lanes, he won't hit me. I might still have to evade and/or brake depending on what else he does, but at least I have time.
People don't often plan ahead enough when driving. This means that people will often change lanes at the last moment as traffic comes to a stop in front of them. Most people don't use their mirrors or have them set incorrectly.
Basically what it boils down to, is if you're not willing (or able) to give so much space to the people next to you that you're not in their blind spots, you should at least take care not to ride directly beside them as much as possible--especially not with your front wheel in line with their rear passenger door.
If I find myself beside someone's rear door, I either pass them right away or back off so I'm half a bike length behind their rear bumper. This way, I'm generally close enough that no one tries to cut in, but far enough back that if the guy changes lanes, he won't hit me. I might still have to evade and/or brake depending on what else he does, but at least I have time.
