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I am "eyeball-level" with most cars/sedans. I am lower then most mini-vans.
As a general rule-of-thumb 75% of vehicles give me more room then they do when I ride a traditional bike. I would say that the majority of cars give me "half the lane" (which would mean that they pull over far enough that their right-side tires are in the left-side wheel track).
BUT, I still get atleast 1 vehicle a day that drives too close. In some parts of town this is more likely to happen then others, it also depends on road/traffic/other conditions too. When I am areas or during times-of-the-day where it is not as safe for me, I 'Take the Lane' and don't let cars try to drive beside me.
In my city I can either take road (12km route) or dedicated bike paths for most of the trip (20km route). I always prefer the bike paths.
I went on a bike tour where I rode for 13+hrs a day for a month. At the end of the day the only thing sore was my muscles.
I weigh almost 300lbs.
A recumbent bike is a complete life changing, world altering, paradigm shifting, bundle of awesome. I beg you to look into it, or send me a PM if you have any questions.