Senior suicidal cyclists On st Charles tonight

[Boudicca]

Thank heavens my husband has excelled reflexes. A man and woman riding regular street bikes with no lights or reflective gear or even light colored clothes were riding in the car lane of the road and without any warning made a left turn directly in front of us. We are in a heavy car. As they turned while almost falling off - clearly novice riders it was a miracle we did not hit them. They did not look around or indicate in any fashion that they intended to turn left. After screeching to a halt and sounding the horn My husband reminded them that they must have a death wish. Two golf carts with passengers gave us the thumbs up as we shakily continued on to our destination. Our angels have bruised wings for sure.

[Jima64]

Did the bike riders ever realize how close they came to possible serious injury? Did they adknowledge you in any way?

[mixsonci]

I was riding down 301 today. There was a pick up truck filled with bales of hay (or grass) in large oblong block shape. Stacked on top of each other and not tied down. Sure enough just as I'm thinking it, one of the bales comes flying up and out of the truck right at me. Very lucky for me, there was no one in the left turn, turn lane and I was able to swerve out of the way.

[JGVillages]

How about the pick-up trucks that have a bunch of passengers in the back as riders. Yet if they get stopped and the driver or passenger is not wearing a seatbelt they get ticketed, but no seatbelts are needed in back. What wonderful politicians came up with this law??

[klough53]

As the old saying goes, you can' make this stuff up

[Boudicca]

Jima64 - they seemed oblivious as they wobbled across the street. I think my husbands bellowed comment struck a nerve.

[goodtimesintv]

Thank heavens my husband has excelled reflexes. A man and woman riding regular street bikes with no lights or reflective gear or even light colored clothes were riding in the car lane of the road and without any warning made a left turn directly in front of us. We are in a heavy car. As they turned while almost falling off - clearly novice riders it was a miracle we did not hit them. They did not look around or indicate in any fashion that they intended to turn left. After screeching to a halt and sounding the horn My husband reminded them that they must have a death wish. Two golf carts with passengers gave us the thumbs up as we shakily continued on to our destination. Our angels have bruised wings for sure.

I know that heart-pounding, breath-taking, knees like Jell-O feeling you had after those morons almost made you kill them accidentally.

Now wait for the bicycling fanatics to come on here and say the bike riders "had a right" to the road the same as you, and that you should have been "Sharing the road", because "It's the law".

:22yikes:

[tomwed]

There seems to be a lot of accidents and close calls lately. I think if you are only here a little while, months, it's easy to overindulge or assume you are 40 again. If you get on a bike and it's wobbly then you need to practice some place safe.

You can't just jump into a pickleball game or play half court basket ball. And you see all these people that are here all year round and they make it look easy. Your good judgement slips and that's when you get hurt. I would like to know what goes on in the emergency room this time of year. I'll be they have some stories that are real doozies about short timers having good times in TV.

[Northerner52]

There was a woman in the roundabout this afternoon. Very scary. Shouldn't they be in the multimodal paths?

[tomwed]

There was a woman in the roundabout this afternoon. Very scary. Shouldn't they be in the multimodal paths?
The wobbly ones don't know better. The ones in Spandex know the risks.

[Bosoxfan]

There was a woman in the roundabout this afternoon. Very scary. Shouldn't they be in the multimodal paths?

No.

[circletrack]

There was a woman in the roundabout this afternoon. Very scary. Shouldn't they be in the multimodal paths?

Legally, yes they can ride in them. But I would never do that. I barely feel safe in my car in the roundabouts with people swerving in and out of the lanes, completely ignoring the marked signs telling you clearly which one to be in based on your destination.

[EastCoastDawg]

Now wait for the bicycling fanatics to come on here and say the bike riders "had a right" to the road the same as you, and that you should have been "Sharing the road", because "It's the law".

and the anti-cycling fanatics, dragging up the same old stories

oh, I see you're already here, GoodTimes

[Taltarzac725]

Thank heavens my husband has excelled reflexes. A man and woman riding regular street bikes with no lights or reflective gear or even light colored clothes were riding in the car lane of the road and without any warning made a left turn directly in front of us. We are in a heavy car. As they turned while almost falling off - clearly novice riders it was a miracle we did not hit them. They did not look around or indicate in any fashion that they intended to turn left. After screeching to a halt and sounding the horn My husband reminded them that they must have a death wish. Two golf carts with passengers gave us the thumbs up as we shakily continued on to our destination. Our angels have bruised wings for sure.

Sorry that happened to you. I have had a few close calls over the past 10.5 years here in the Villages, too. Not as many as in Palm Harbor, Fl in the 9 years there, but a lot none-the-less. I drove a lot more in Palm Harbor while volunteering at their two libraries for three years or so three days a week. This was from 2000 to 2003 while East Lake Public Library had a number of different library directors and Palm Harbor Library had a vacancy for a few months and then in came Gene Coppola. I believe he is no relation whatsoever to the San Francisco area Francis Ford Coppola clan.

[looneycat]

I didn't see this as a bikers rights thing, rather a story on stupidity....

[Boudicca]

Looneycat, it was indescribably reckless, stupid and VERY frightening for my husband and I. It was dusk with low visibility. I shudder when I reflect upon all the "what could have's"

[Arctic Fox]

Looneycat, it was indescribably reckless, stupid and VERY frightening for my husband and I. It was dusk with low visibility. I shudder when I reflect upon all the "what could have's"

Indeed, shrandell, it doesn't take much to go from a narrow escape to a disaster.

Making oneself more visible, especially at dawn and dusk, is a key component of staying safe, for walkers, cyclists and anyone else in areas of traffic.

[cquick]

Bikes do have the right to the road. But of course they should signal a turn and when riding at night, lights and flashers should be used.

It is sometimes dangerous for bike riders to be in the tunnels with the golf carts. I was behind several golf carts in a tunnel, and we were all stopped. I couldn't get up enough speed to make the golf cart drivers happy. I just walked my bike up the ramp out of the tunnel. I am thinking of using the roundabouts and staying on the surface, or else walking my bike through the tunnels. either choice has its' disadvantages.

[GaryW]

and the anti-cycling fanatics, dragging up the same old stories

oh, I see you're already here, GoodTimes


:22yikes::bigbow::a20:

[goodtimesintv]

and the anti-cycling fanatics, dragging up the same old stories

oh, I see you're already here, GoodTimes

No, not "anti-cycling" at all. In fact I promote bicycling and the clubs in The Villages often to friends/relatives up north who would love to ride year-round and who would love it here.

We're only against bicycling fans here who always blame the motorists, and never hold the bicyclists responsible for the dangers they cause for themselves!

[tuccillo]

"Always" and "Never" are two works that should never be used because they are always wrong.

No, not "anti-cycling" at all. In fact I promote bicycling and the clubs in The Villages often to friends/relatives up north who would love to ride year-round and who would love it here.

We're only against bicycling fans here who always blame the motorists, and never hold the bicyclists responsible for the dangers they cause for themselves!

[tomwed]

"Always" and "Never" and two works that should never be used because they are always wrong.
Who could argue with that?

[eremite06]

How about the pick-up trucks that have a bunch of passengers in the back as riders. Yet if they get stopped and the driver or passenger is not wearing a seatbelt they get ticketed, but no seatbelts are needed in back. What wonderful politicians came up with this law??

Farmers have an effective political lobby.

[Chatbrat]

Remember you can't fix stupid