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Notes -
I think my caveat of "most places" was probably not strong enough. I'm many places you're correct, especially in bike-unfriendly areas.
But where I am at least the combination of "where practicable", minimum 1m passing distance, and lane widths means that it's virtually always legal to take the lane, as it's too narrow for a car to safely pass within it.
Drivers... Hate this, and tend to show little respect to cyclists asserting their right to the space, completely legally in the right.
I also try to avoid routes that require it, but unashamedly do so on sections where when the risk of a car clipping me in a narrow lane is too great.
The ability of cars to pass legally does not affect the practicability of riding to the right. That's the cyclist-advocate logic I'm referring to.
This isn't "twisted" logic. If the lane is too narrow to pass legally in, then cars have to merge to the other lane (or wait) anyways. Riding in the centre makes the cyclist more visible, and ends up being safer, while not disrupting traffic more than they otherwise would by being on the right. My region has official safe riding guides explicitly endorsing this.
If there is a large shoulder or bike lane, then yes, they should ride there. But drivers often are unaware, or uncaring of hazards that may not be visible to them on the far right. Debris, potholes, door zone of parked cars, trucks, etc are all situations that occur frequently, and nessitate a move to the left.
Obviously this should be done by signalling and moving over during a gap, waiting if necessary, and this isn't always done. It's nothing drivers don't do on the regular either though. (It is more dangerous for the cyclist in question if they do it unsafely, but that's a risk he's taking on, the actual risk to you in a car is minor).
None of that changes the meaning of "as far to the right as practicable".
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