I rode the door zone for 2 years before a guy on a cargo bike in Denver showed me why it matters

Drew Thomas · 2026-09-17T03:15:04.393792+00:00

I was riding down 13th Ave last Tuesday and this guy on a cargo bike with two kids pulled up next to me at a light and said I was riding way too far right. I told him I was staying out of traffic and he just pointed at the parked cars and said watch. Sure enough, 30 seconds later a driver swung their door open right where I would have been. I had been riding that same stretch for about 2 years, always hugging the parked cars because I thought it was safer. He told me to take the lane, or at least stay a door's width away, which is like 3 feet. I tried it the rest of the ride and yeah, cars went around me fine. How far right do you guys ride in a lane with parking on both sides?

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I rode the door zone for 2 years before a guy on a cargo bike in Denver showed me why it matters | Bike Lane Venting - The Community Guide