All the gear, no idea?

For pulling out into the lane, it may have been called “taking primary”.

If the road is not wide enough to pass them safely, that is the best place to be. That way drivers cannot try and squeeze through. Obviously, I cannot speak for the precise road conditions where this happened, but it is legitimate in certain circumstances. Traffic calming is a good example, as it makes the lane too small for a safe overtake. Add in the fact that most cycle lanes in cities are more dangerous than the main carriageway and you can see why cyclists will take the prime quite often.

Or do you have a genuine reason that makes them advantageous?

I have an SUV because:

• my mother in law has mobility issues and struggles to get in/out of a saloon.
• my wife has neck issues and the higher driving position is better for her
• I like it (ok, that could make me an arsehole)

Truth is that mine (BMW X1) is at most 5cm bigger in any dimension, if at all, than the car on which it is based (Mini Cooper). The extra size is an optical illusion.