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To paraphrase state law, "bikes must ride as far to the right as is practicable, except when approaching intersections for left turns.' It also says 'motorists must allow 5' clearance when passing". There is also language that a motorist must ALWAYS yield to peds and bikes, even if they are making illegal movements. The key word 'practicable' means that a cyclist can and should make the decision whether to ride in the shoulder, or take the lane, as conditions require.
The reality is that in a few situations a cyclist can and should ride in the middle of a lane, especially in urban traffic and in our downtown where streets are narrow without shoulders. It is far safer to have a cyclist visible midlane, than to create a situation with unsafe passing width and have a motorist attempt to pass when they shouldn't.
There are roads where cyclists SHOULD be sensitive if they are holding up traffic. Bikers, like a Winnebago on a mountain pass, SHOULD find a place that is wide enough to pull over and allow traffic to clear.
This can be a problem on one-way boulevards designed 11' wide with no shoulder. With a median, cars cannot pull into the oncoming lane to pass, and it is too narrow to pass safely. Motorists MUST yield to cyclists. One-way blvds like Gov. Miles, or Las Campanas for example never should have been designed with lanes less than 15' to allow 11' for cars, and a 4' shoulder. In these situations, the long-term fix is not to ban bikes, but to improve the roads for multi-modal use as move toward a future with more expensive oil.
On mountain trails, pedestrians ALWAYS have right of way, and Climbing traffic ALWAYS has right of way. Descending bikes should stop, pull over, and let you past unless you volunteer to step off the trail and let them by. I am more outspoken than many and would have yelled at them about right of way.... this is exactly how bikes lose trails. The best phrase to use is 'climbers right of way' as bikes approach, and pick a spot to step aside if you can, and most bikers will appreciate it and hopefully slow down and say thank you.
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