




Direct link to research and a blog post by the researcher.

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    @dotjoe The solution is to give the cyclist the lane they deserve. You shouldn't be "passing" them in the same lane. – meagar Oct 19 '10 at 14:56

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    Sorry, but this is terrible advice. Each individual weave is itself dangerous (the car might be closer than you thought, and you just swerved into its path; there might have been a cyclist behind you who is now overtaking you and you just swerved into them; you might try to weave over a wet manhole cover and crash; ...). Further, as @Shawn points out, you're also causing the driver behind you to put all their focus on you, rather than the situation as a whole. – David Richerby Jan 17 at 18:44


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Stay safe and happy biking.


Long blonde wig? Perhaps a short grey wig.






  • The eye-cointact part of this answer is underrated - looking at a driver until they see you is a workable method. – Criggie Jan 17 at 22:54




I ride a few weird bikes, and have noticed a significant difference in passing space granted by vehicles, which correlates with the unusualness of the bike.

So a normal dropbar road bike or flatbar MTB gets a certain amount of passing space. Cars will veer around me on the very narrow roads, but not a lot. They're also more likely to push past if there's oncoming traffic on the other side of the road.

If I were riding my tandem, or my recumbent, or towing my little kiddy trailer then that passing space is much bigger. I've had full size B-trains go completely on the other side of the road to go around me, whereas other days they've given me half that space.

My theory is that a cyclist is just a thing, and the driver's mental "processing stack" never raises that above the "reptile brain" into conscious thought.

When that same driver sees something new and odd, the thought ascends through the brain layers and hits the conscious brain, and that causes the driver to consciously give a goodly amount of space.

So, rather than looking unsafe, look different.

  • Taking a lane is also quite effective at getting motorist attention. Some will even give you so much attention as to honk at you, or shout at you. Which is where you can think: Mission accomplished :-) – cmaster Jan 18 at 8:19
  • @cmaster top answer already suggests that. Problem for me is very few of our roads are multi-lane so if I take the only lane, then cars will be reduced to my speed indefinitely. Not wise. Also our road rules say "cyclists must ride as far left as practical and riders have been ticketed/cited for not being left as practical. This will totally depend on the region/jurisdiction. – Criggie Jan 18 at 19:32


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  • In some places the law encourages cyclists (and motorcycles) to split lanes. – hoosierEE Aug 16 '14 at 13:21
  • And in other places, bikes have more right to lateral safety distances than cars. 1.5m to 2m in my place. There is absolutely no way for a car to legally overtake a bike without using a second lane. – cmaster Jan 18 at 8:15

Pool noodle across on your pack rack. You may even alter shape/appearance with some duct tape, to make it more look like a fence post. Doesn't add weight, and it's very safe even if someone touches it.





Two more links from Ken Kifer's site:


Giant Tolkien-dwarf style Axe strapped to your back?

An assault rifle slung over one arm?

Waving a sword around your head ?

  • Too confrontational. There's enough threatening stuff on the roads already. – Criggie Jan 17 at 22:52
  • @Criggie Yeah, like 2t tanks hurtling down the roads at lethal speeds... – cmaster Jan 19 at 9:58

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