[bdamschen]

What is the deal with that whole place? I was up visiting my girlfriend's parents for a few days and none of the roadies there seemed to give a crap about normal traffic laws. I talked to my girl's dad, and he claims that what I witnessed was completely normal. He was surprised when I told him that in the rest of the world, road riders don't ride 3 wide taking up most of the lane when a car is comming.


I was thinking maybe this is a backlash against the way people drive around there or something.

Anyone ride there or know what the story is around there that could shed a little light on the subject?

 

[LordOpie]

When they were riding side-by-side, how many lanes going in that direction were there?

I know that here, the laws were changed in 2004 to allow for side-by-side -- taking the entire lane -- when there are multiple lanes and it's not overly impedding traffic.

So, what are the laws there and circumstances you saw?

 

[sanjuro]

What is the deal with that whole place? I was up visiting my girlfriend's parents for a few days and none of the roadies there seemed to give a crap about normal traffic laws. I talked to my girl's dad, and he claims that what I witnessed was completely normal. He was surprised when I told him that in the rest of the world, road riders don't ride 3 wide taking up most of the lane when a car is comming.


I was thinking maybe this is a backlash against the way people drive around there or something.

Anyone ride there or know what the story is around there that could shed a little light on the subject?

In San Francisco, I can take up the entire lane by myself.

 

[bdamschen]

This is in a residential neighborhood with some fairly tight twisty streets due to the fact that it is around cliffs by the beach and there are lots of cars parked. It's only a two lane road. Had the riders been single file, there would have been plenty of room for cars to pass safely.

The worst case I witnessed while I was down there were two guys, riding side by side holding up 3 cars just so they could BS back and fourth. The one spot where they could have moved over and still been side by side to continue their conversation was at a four way stop intersection, except they didn't stop at the sign like the cars did. So the were through before anyone could get around them.

I'm all for giving bicyclists their share of the road, but come on.

 

[LordOpie]

This is in a residential neighborhood with some fairly tight twisty streets due to the fact that it is around cliffs by the beach and there are lots of cars parked. It's only a two lane road .

based on that description...

Had the riders been single file, there would have been plenty of room for cars to pass safely. .

Nope.

In what you described, if I was alone, I would've still taken the lane.

 

[bdamschen]

based on that description...

Nope.

In what you described, if I was alone, I would've still taken the lane.

I've done my share of road riding and would have felt perfectly comfortable riding on this particular section of road with traffic passing me.

The road is two lanes, with a center divider so cars can not swing out into the other lane to go around. There is a large enough bike lane that residents can park their cars on the side of the road and a single flie roadie can still ride down it with an arms length on each side. The inside guy we came up on was barely inside the bike lane, his buddy was out far enough in the street that normal cars couldn't pass. My girlfriends 2002 could have squeezed by, but it would have been close enough to give everyone a scare. Single file would have been fine.


As for taking a lane, for how long does one get to take a lane before letting traffic by? The road I'm thinking of is a pretty major artery around that town and I've heard locals complaining about being stuck behind a large pack for quite a while.

Last but not least, what's the deal with not stopping at intersections?? I can understand if there's no one around, but in traffic?

 

[LordOpie]

I suggest the locals call the cops and have tickets issued.

 

[rooftest]

Last but not least, what's the deal with not stopping at intersections?? I can understand if there's no one around, but in traffic?

I usually don't stop at stop signs - I'll roll slow for a second, then "steal" the next turn. I don't want to unclip.

 

[bdamschen]

I suggest the locals call the cops and have tickets issued.

Ya, that's what's been going on down there. It was just crazy to me how self centered the riders there are.

 

[sanjuro]

This is an old theme. 3 riders should merge over, 10 riders should take the lane. 4-9, maybe double?

 

[LordOpie]

This is an old theme. 3 riders should merge over, 10 riders should take the lane. 4-9, maybe double?

Umm, why?

10 riders can ride single file and keep to the side as well as an individual rider if it's called for.

And an individual can take the lane as can 10 if it's called for.

 

[sanjuro]

This is the old debate. Do you expect 10 riders to stay in single file for a 3 hour ride? Traffic, road conditions, and group size all come into consideration, and there is nothing I can do if someone is inconvienenced by a few cyclists (and the key word when a driver deals with an inconsiderate cyclist is inconvienenced, as opposed to threatened when a cyclist has to deal with an inconsiderate driver).

One time a group of 15 was climbing single file on 2 lane road, when a car did not like waiting 10 seconds he had to slow down to pass us, and he responded by swerving into the lead rider.

You don't hear me post ever story like that...

 

[LordOpie]

well, my post was less about 10 riders and the right to one rider taking the lane. TAKE THE FVCKIN LANE!

Hell, I don't even have 10 friends, let alone 10 who'll ride with me. Solidarity, uhh, me!