Visual Aids for Cycle Training

The cyclist in this vid roughly matching the speed of other traffic should be in the primary position in the normal traffic lane. Traveling in tandem is always safest and side-by-side traveling should be justified by meaninigful increase in convenience to car driver/cyclist by overtaking/filtering.

A bus/cycle lane and traffic lane merge into a wider traffic lane and cycle lane on the approach to the lights. However, you will note the cycle lane has no mandatory or advisory markings (effectively meaning there are two de facto traffic lanes in most road users' eyes). This should have alerted me to a potential problem.

The point about being part of the traffic stream where possible is well made if you can maintain that speed (as you will see I was hanging back behind the 4x4) **until **I tried to proceed as the de facto lane was clear. If I had been 6 feet further over I would be behind cars wanting to turn right after the lights and I would then have to merge back to the left as the bus lane recommences after the traffic lights. It might have helped in this particular instance. HHowever, the major disadvantage of trying to maintain the position you are advocating in the moving traffic lane is that you get cars undertaking at speed wanting to turn left like the 4x4 or trying to overtake. This doubles the threat and leaves you exposed in what is, to all intents and purposes, a wide traffic lane that two motorised vehicles use all the time.

In the same situation, I would simply have slowed until I had passed the junction (less convenient, but potentially, lower risk as the threat is now from a rear ending).