Awright motherfucker, let's do the dance.
Bicyclists must travel as close as practicable
Let's assume that there were not a "reasonable necessity" to avoid a hazard in this case, and that I am fully subject to riding as close as practicable to the right side of the roadway.
The roadway is defined thusly by Minnesota statute 169.011 subd. 68:
"Roadway" means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the sidewalk or shoulder [emphasis mine].
That means that I am only required to ride as close as practicable to the white line on the right that indicates the beginning of the shoulder.
So what counts as "as far right as practicable?" Well, let's take a look at where the two premiere cycling-safety authorities in the U.S. indicate a cyclist should practicably (safely) travel on the road.
CyclingSavvy
"
Driving in the middle of the lane actually protects cyclists against the most common motorist-caused crashes: sideswipes, right hooks, left crosses, and drive-outs. A bicycle driver’s top safety priority is to ensure he or she can be seen by motorists with whom they might potentially be in conflict, and bicycling in the middle of a lane is one of the most effective ways to do that. Most overtaking crashes involve a motorist who attempts to squeeze past (illegally) in a lane that is too narrow to share."
League of American Bicyclists
"Ride in the right third of the right-most lane that goes in the direction you are going"
Now, of course, that assumes that no hazards are present on the road. However, one of the hazards present on the road at this time were moving objects - to wit, the motor vehicles all around me. The presence of moving objects are one of the many circumstances explicitly mentioned in the non-comprehensive list of exceptions to the "close as practicable" requirement under Minnesota statute 169.222 subd. 4(3)
"when reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including fixed or moving objects, vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or narrow width lanes, that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge"
Is it reasonably necessary for a cyclist to move further into the lane to prevent close passes - in other words, to avoid the hazard of moving objects?
We already know from the above-quoted language from CyclingSavvy that they explicitly believe it is, indeed, reasonably necessary. The League concurs:
"Ride in the middle of the lane if traveling the same speed as traffic or in a narrow lane"
Here we see another exception under the hazards lists come into play - narrow lanes.
As others have pointed out, "narrow lane" is not legally defined in Minnesota. However, "substandard width lane" is defined in the Uniform Vehicle Code as a lane in which a motor vehicle and a cyclist may not travel side-by-side safely. This is the most likely evidence that would be used if such a question ever came up in court, and based on other states, we have great reason to believe this standard would be accepted by a court in Minnesota.
Minnesota statute 169.18 subd. 3(3) states:
"the operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle or individual proceeding in the same direction on the roadway shall leave a safe distance, but in no case less than three feet clearance, when passing the bicycle or individual and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle or individual."
My backpack measures about 2.5 feet across. Given that the above guidance from the two premiere cycling-safety organizations in the country indicates I should be riding (on a lane such as this that is 10-12 feet wide) about three feet from the shoulder at all times, and the fact that a vehicle cannot pass any closer than three feet from me, and the fact that most vehicles are at least six feet across, there are no lanes in the Twin Cities metro area of which I am aware (though there probably are exceptions, just not on roads I use) wherein a motor vehicle operator and a cyclist could share a lane safely.
Given that fact that the lane is narrow, and the fact that I have a reasonable necessity to avoid the hazard presented by the moving vehicles passing me illegally closely, I am free of my obligation to ride as close as practicable to the right side of the road. I could, indeed, be riding along the left edge of the lane and be perfectly legal.
In any case, from a legal and cycling-safety perspective, there is absolutely no doubt in the question of whether my road positioning in this video was correct.