Look people, this is not that difficult. Most serious riders are about 1-2 feet inside the white line on the side of the road. You can't hug the extreme right side of the lane because it is dangerous to be there. The roads in the The Villages are not wide enough for a car, a bike, and the required 3 feet of clearance. This requires cars to pass in the other lane as a car and a bike cannot coexist in the sub-standard width lanes with the required 3 feet of clearance. Again, most cyclist are in the right third of the lane but cars need to move into the other lane to pass in a safe, lawful manner. You will often see cyclist move from the right most third of the lane to the center of the lanes. This is for safety reasons. This will often occur near the roundabouts and on two lane road on a curve with a double solid line. Again, this is for safely reasons. This is not rocket science. Give cyclists a wide birth and pass in a lawful manner (move to the left lane).
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Originally Posted by golfing eagles
Just measured Morse opposite Sarasota range---each lane, white line to center line is 12 feet. But this is absolutely the bare minimum width, IMHO, for safety. And that assumes a "good" driver and a "good" cyclist, which may be far and few between here. So, with all the FACTS in, even though the lanes are not "substandard", I think cyclists who are going to ride 25+ mph should exercise their right to "own the lane" as it is called. Might not need to do this if you see a mini-cooper coming up on you, but anything larger would put their safety at risk. If you are going to ride 15 mph, do the motorists, and your serious cycling cohorts a favor and stay on the MMPs. So in summary, my opinion would be that 14 feet and wider lanes, wherever that may be, follow the law and stay right. 12 feet and under, obey the law and "own the lane". Perhaps the Florida legislature could clear up section 5 posted above. Mia culpa to my cycling friends, they were right all along, even if it might have been for the wrong reason. Happy Trails!!!
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