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@edscoble
I somewhat disagree with saying that you should ride fast in order to gain respect from other road user, the implication that if you cannot keep your speed up, you should just walk instead, or move away nearer to the side of the road (of which tend to be a bit scarier with passing vehicles at 30mph).
I've been riding at a gentle pace for the last 7 months on my heavy duty town bike, my average speed was 10mph and frankly, the more the road user get used to cyclists travelling at a gentle pace, the less annoyed they'll be, the only time I got honked at or shouted at when I'm not on the cycle lane (Clapham Common's notorious for speeding vehicles buzzing past you).
I understood the notion behind going a bit faster (17mph on average), as it does make it easier for the motorists to filter by with ease and of course being able to be very assertive at that speed, but I rather get everyone to ride and not just the speedy commuter who regularly ride at 17mph on average.