The law is to ride to the right when safe to do so, but to take the lane when it is not safe to do so. But ...

"If in doubt, primary position should be the default road position."

see: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2011/aug/01/cyclist-take-the-lane

The problem with 9th east is that drivers on that road never give the required 3-feet of clearance when passing cyclists ... because that would mean going into the left lane themselves and often there are cars there. So instead the cyclist gets crowded with about a foot of clearance. And if they have the garbage cans out ... it gets really dicey.

9th East, according to traffic data, is the most dangerous cycling/pedestrian road in Provo. So in dangerous situations, cyclists should take the lane. The point is to be seen, so if you have two of you, the safest thing is to go side by side. Motorcyclists know this too and do the same thing.

So the cyclist was being smart, not dumb.

BTW, another time when cyclists have to take primary position on the road is roundabouts because bike lanes end at roundabouts, so we have to merge into traffic to go through the roundabout and then merge out. So be kind when we do so ... I know some drivers have been angry that I've had to merge into traffic at a roundabout, and I don't like it either, but there is no longer a bike lane in those places to protect me.