inside or outside of lane?

[Maduro Mistress]

The post about following in someone's lines prompted a quesiton I'm sure has been asked before, but never hurts to ask again:

So do you ride on the the inside or the outside of the lane?

[3imo]

in a striaght, I stay to the inside, specifically to avoid cars pulling out of driveways and whatnot.

dogs, deer, rabbits, squirrels always seem to come from the right.

**and it leaves room for squidly errors  **

[Alphamazing]

Inside, as it allows me cushion room when I see a car changing lanes into me, as well as cushion room for anyone pulling out of driveways and sidestreets and stuff.

[Jake D]

But let's say you're on an on ramp.  You should stay near the inside edge of the road to avoid oil, dirt, anti-freeze, etc.

Every situation is pretty much different. 

[3imo]

But let's say you're on an on ramp.  You should stay near the inside edge of the road to avoid oil, dirt, anti-freeze, etc.

Every situation is pretty much different. 

??..  I was assuming outside meant curbside.   on a ramp oil,dirt..ect would be found curbside, generally.

[vtlion]

The answer to "outside or inside"  is ....

YES. 

Circumstances (traffic, road conditions, crowning, soft/hard shoulder, etc) dictate the best location, but the middle is seldom the best place to be, IMO.

[Jake D]

But let's say you're on an on ramp.  You should stay near the inside edge of the road to avoid oil, dirt, anti-freeze, etc.

Every situation is pretty much different. 

??..  I was assuming outside meant curbside.   on a ramp oil,dirt..ect would be found curbside, generally.

Uh.  An on-ramp or off ramp.  It curves.  The inside is the inside of the curve.  But you're right.  On a normal road, the outside is farthest from the middle.
And that goes for pretty much every other object on the planet (the outside being farthest from the inside) other than air, which can be either inside or outside and isn't altered by proximity. 

[Jake D]

Oh, and gravity is a force, not an acceleration!  Damn you!!!!

[Alphamazing]

Oh, and gravity is a force, not an acceleration!  Damn you!!!!

Oh don't even get me started with you... 

[3imo]

duh...    sometimes I type before I think.   or just don't think at all.  

im so stupid.  a ramp has curbs on both sides.  

[scratch]

Just for reference, when refering to inside vs. outside, remember that when passing somebody, you always try to pass them on the outside, this would mean that you are pasing them on their left.  Unless you're in England (or anywhere else in the world that drives on the left side of the road).

You will want to be in the left part of your lane when taking a blind right-hand corner to maximize your vision through the corner.  You want to be in the right part of your lane when cresting a hill when you can't see what's coming up over the hill.  You want to bias to the right for a blind left turn, again to maximize your vision through the turn, but also stay to the right for the whole turn because an errant, out-of-control truck coming the other way may go wide into your lane.

[calamari]

where's the 'all over the place' option?

the streets on the town I live in are filled with holes and whatnot.

[3imo]

I call them swerve practice targets.   weeeeeeeeeee!

[richbomb]

Center of the lane is a great place to be if you like riding on other peoples used motor oil.

Left of center for right turns, right of center for left ones, cruise wherever you have the least cagers near by.

[RVertigo]

Every situation is pretty much different.

++

I ride in whatever location I feel the safest (inside, outside, white line, shoulder, sidewalk, lawn, river).  When I ride alone, I move around A LOT and use the entire lane...  'cause it's MINE!!!!

[JetSwing]

the correct question is ride where you're most visible depending on your situation. so it's both inside and out. but generally you do not want to ride the center.