I don't remember where I saw it, but there was a safety study, I think out of Colorado, where they determined that group rides that take full possession of the lane like that are statistically safer than single file.
Has to do with people driving cars being stupid and thinking there's enough room to "squeeze" by instead of waiting to make a proper pass on "slower moving traffic."
Think of it this way: if it was a tractor or amish, would you behave like a raging cager?
Ken
BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”
I first became familiar with the concept via police bike school. It's from the book 'Effective Cycling' (IIRC). Some folks get right obstinate about it. Me, I always thought, 'hmm, I may be right, but if some car hits me as I'm riding in the middle of this lane, Ima still goin be dead.'
As far as the Tractor Amish, not a fair question, most folks that live around them already have a bias.
Fun fact, I live near, and often drive and ride along a portion of the TransAmerica Bike Trail. In my area the trail cuts away from several highways with improved shoulders and crosses three or four counties via narrow county blacktops with no shoulders and killer ditches. Traffic speed on these roads varies from the legal 55 (rare) to barely subsonic. The road across my county is kind of undulating and there are numerous spots where someone could come upon a bicyclist in a low area without much warning. I'm surprised there aren't folks killed every year.
Adding nothing to the conversation since 2015....
For any other weather nerds, or just folks who live in tornado prone areas and know stuff: there’s a joke somewhere here about not knowing a tornado if it hit you in the ass with a bass fiddle
https://twitter.com/@twitter/status/1638665211422081024
Meanwhile the “unconfirmed” Tornado video posted at 3:00pm Cali time
https://twitter.com/@twitter/status/1638631828482322432