Why do you … block the whole road coming into Bolton?

This article is a video that I created back in September. Its purpose is to explain some of the reasons why a cyclist takes up a strong road position in the centre of the lane (sometimes called “primary position”, or “claiming the lane”) by analysing one case of entering Bolton along Manchester Road, and inter-cutting it with examples of what can happen when the cyclist rides close to the kerb. I have a great deal of experience of both. It also shows how stupid some drivers can be when, in their self-centred way, they think it’s all about them, and cyclist is “deliberately trying to delay their journey”. Here is the video:

In fact, if you watch carefully, you will see that, even if the bus had waited behind me before turning the corner at the end, he would only have turned the corner 4 or 5 seconds later than the bus in front, so my presence delayed him by no more than that.