Please educate me....
 

Why is it that bicyclists feel the rules of the road do not apply to them, or am I
In the wrong? More often than not I see them not yielding to traffic or stopping at stop signs. Riding two and three abreast so they can talk to their "riding buddies" with no regard to other traffic behind them.

Today we encountered one. He was riding down the middle of the street. My hubby honked the horn to let him know we were behind him. He then moved to the LEFT. And gave hubby a bunch of lip!

Where does the "king Of The Road". Attitude come from?

It comes from laws being passed to protect them, which some took to mean "they are in charge"....many protected groups adopt this attitude.

You are so right! Have you noticed how the sandhill cranes think they own the golf courses? :beer3:

They are going to "heal the planet" and you in your car are destroying it.

They are more fit and thinner than you "lazy" drivers.

They "have a right" to do whatever they want in front of or beside you.

They are holier than you.

They'll make you sorry you ever dared to question any of it on here.

The other day on St. Charles place I passed a bike in my golf cart giving him the required 3' or more of clearance. He then immediately got behind me within 18" of my bumper. I know what he was doing, drafting me to ride without the wind. This was the second time this has happened in the same area and suspect the same rider. I'm sure if I didn't give him 3 feet of clearance he would have had a fit.

Let's hear what the bike riders have to say about this.

If you want to see that you're not alone, a search of this site will provide 34 threads about bicycle riders, with most in the negative. Here's a link TOTV - Search Results

"Lance Armstrong Wannabes", silly outfits for silly people.
3' by my judgement might be different than theirs...
If they truly want to share the road they should have to purchase license and plates. In order to get the license they should be tested. Once licensed the police can write them tickets for rolling stops, tailgating golf carts, DWI, etc.

Really?.....

I stay clear of any cycler's, pedal pushers, motor scooters, motorcycles, Especially those funny lay down pedal pushing 3 wheel bikes that you can only see the Flag. I give them at least 15 foot so I can stop if they topple over in front of me, more on BV. IF they are biking down BV I go way over in the left lane if I want to pass and only on straight part of the roads. I never pass them in the round a bouts.

I give up. I'm a bicycle rider and promise I won't walk on your lawn. I ride a lot and yes I roll through some stop signs if there is nothing coming but that is because I am more of a hinderence to cars if I stop and un-clip. I read all the time where bike riders are running stop signs, are they really pulling out in front of cars? On Morse and Bueni Vista I hung the white line in right lane so not to slow down fellow Villagers when I am legally entitled to the whole lane and can't remember a ride when I didn't have someone go by me closer than 18". To my golf cart friend, you're not going to get hurt if that bicycle rider drafting on you hits your cart although if someone was indeed that close it was rude. How about a thread where bike riders can criticize car drivers?

As Paper1 said when we are biking on the four lane roads (such as Buena Vista & Morse) within The Villages we are supposed to "take the lane" as opposed to riding on the far right side of the lane. The reason for this is simple, it is to prevent cars from trying to "share" the lane with us- which is very dangerous and has even happened to me when I'm in the middle of the lane. Cars should move to the other lane to pass us. Yes, sometimes we are in the left lane- we have to abide by the same rule as cars to make a left turn. Unfortunately many car drivers are unaware that we are entitled to own the lane and frequently I get honked at or buzzed. It would be nice if there was a sign on the roads to let drivers know about this. Call the Sheriff's office if you don't believe what Im saying.
Chill!

How about a thread where no one is a critic of another's life style choices. Life is short, lay back and enjoy what ever time you have left of it.

This is a retirement community and many people are involved in different exercise programs. My wife enjoys walking every morning but she has to watch out for the occasional irate golf cart driver. Even though she and her friend walk single file, facing traffic, they often get yelled out for being on the path, some yell out "get off our path!" Others like to ride our bicycles and yes, as been said here most of us are thin and in great shape(sorry). Some automobile drivers do not like sharing the road with bicyclists, just read the vitriolic comments on this thread. Why not just let the exercisers be? We do need to share your cart paths and roads, and yes, we do slow you down, but The Villages is a place for us older folk and we are retired. What's the rush? Where are you going? Be happy. Live and let live.

I also ride. I don't know where you get this idea that you are legally entitled to the whole lane. Florida law is clear about this. You are required to ride as far to the right of the road as safely as possible. That does not entitle you to the whole lane.

Riding a bike anywhere is a calculated risk. Wearing a helmet reduces the risk tremendously. I think staying on the paths also reduces the risk.

Anywhere I bike in the villages, street, main road or path seems quite a bit safer than almost anywhere I biked in New Jersey.

If you are not an experienced rider find a bike club and get some advice. Don't try to figure it out on your own.

I find that very hard to believe. My wife and I also walk on the MMP. We have never had an encounter like you describe with a cart driver. Of course, we move to the edge of the path whenever a cart is approaching, and we always yield to carts.

(5)(a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride in the lane marked for bicycle use or, if no lane is marked for bicycle use, as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
1. When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
3. When reasonably necessary to avoid any condition or potential conflict, including, but not limited to, a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, animal, surface hazard, turn lane, or substandard-width lane, which makes it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge or within a bicycle lane. For the purposes of this subsection, a “substandard-width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
(b) Any person operating a bicycle upon a one-way highway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of such roadway as practicable.
(6) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway may not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast may not impede traffic when traveling at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing and shall ride within a single lane.

According to Florida law, you are supposed to stay as far to the right as safely as possible.

Quote a post then attack it. Life is too short. Enjoy it.

This idea that you "own the lane" is why you have so many close calls with irate motorists. You can "take the lane" if you want, but expect many more close encounters. You are playing chicken with a 4000 pound vehicle.

Actually, this thread is quite enlightening. We haven't taken our bikes out for several years and looked forward to getting out again when we got our new house in The Villages. Reading through the posts has been educational, helpful. I do hope type A's don't get too stressed with confrontation and opposing views. It's all part of the game.

didn't you, effectively, just do the same thing? :D

Looney. For a long time I let your enchanting good looks overshadow the fact that you are a smart guy.

3. When reasonably necessary to avoid any condition or potential conflict, including, but not limited to, a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, animal, surface hazard, turn lane, or substandard-width lane, which makes it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge or within a bicycle lane. For the purposes of this subsection, a “substandard-width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

a “substandard-width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
In my opinion this is the "rub". A biker will say that there is not enough room in the lane on BV for a bike and a car so they are entitled to the center of the lane. And a motorist will say that they can safely fit their car between a bike and curb on the right on BV so they are not entitled to the lane.

You don't want to be "rubbed" by a car or clipped by a mirror.

It would be worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the law as it applies to bicycles. I will try to make a couple of points that may clarify things a bit.

You should consider bicycles to be slow moving cars. Bicycles are allowed to occupy an entire lane and it is safer to do so because often a car and a bicycle cannot safely share a lane. As a passing vehicle, it is your responsibility to pass the slower moving vehicle in a safe and lawful manner. On a four lane road, such as Buena Vista or Morse, this involves moving into the passing lane. On a two-lane road, this involves waiting until it is safe to do so and moving into the left hand lane. Double solid lines are no-passing areas - please wait till it is safe, and lawful, to pass on two-lane roads. Cyclists, in general, do not like to hug the right hand side of a lane as there is a lot of debris that can cause a flat tire. Please don't assume that cyclists will move to the extreme right hand side of a lane so that you can squeeze by without changing lanes or moving into the left hand lane on a two-lane road. You must give cyclists 3 feet of clearance, by law.

While I am sure that you will see some cyclists violate some rules of the road, I can assure you that cars also violate the rules of the road and there are a lot more cars than cyclists. It behooves you to drive carefully.

Cyclists will often "roll through stop signs" when it is clear. Many cyclists use "clip-in" pedals (sort of like a ski binding). It really make no sense to unclip, come to a complete stop, then clip back in if there is no traffic. When I say "roll through stop signs", it is typically at about 5 mph. Many cars do the exact same thing. It is what it is.

Regarding blowing your horn at a cyclist, I generally recommend that you don't do this unless there is a truly compelling reason to do so. I can assure you that we know who is behind us. Blowing a horn usually just startles cyclists. Blowing your horn at a slower moving car is rude. Rude behavior may be met with a reaction. It is what it is. If you are blowing the horn to suggest that the cyclist is in your way then I recommend you research the rules of the road - cyclists are entitled to use the roads and it is up to you to pass when it is safe to do so.

Lastly, you essentially suggested that cyclists are slowing you and other traffic down. The vast majority of cyclists try to be stay out of the way of cars, for obvious reasons. In those instances where you are caught behind a cyclist, just take a deep breath and relax until the opportunity to safely pass presents itself. Again, bicycles are really just slow moving cars that you need to share the road with. When I am driving and see a cyclist, I go out of my way to give them the widest possible berth. Besides being the safe thing to do, it is also a matter of courtesy.

Feel free to write your representatives about changing the law. Until then, the law is what it is.

Biking clothes are functional. Padded shorts for comfort in the saddle and brightly colored jerseys for improved visibility. No different than any other sport.

3' is 3'. Violate the law at your own peril.

For cyclists everywhere, I thank you and applaud your attitude that we are all just sharing the roads in our beautiful community.

That is not true. The law does not say "possible". It says "practicable". In this context, there is a big difference.

See. That's the biker attitude that gets them killed. Who in their right mind is going to pick a fight with Mike Tyson. That's what many bikers do with automobiles. What satisfaction does the biker have knowing that the driver that just killed or maimed him is going to be in trouble? Do what you want. I'm going to give the motorist as much space as possible. More often than not, they respond in kind by giving me plenty of room.

Amen to that. I'm definitely a type A, but I have no interest in harming anyone. On Saturday my wife and I were out for a ride. A gentleman in a recumbent low riding 3 wheeler approached a merge point in front of me on Pinellas. I slowed down to let him into the roadway from the side cart/bike lane. He waved to me as he safely made the transition. When he successfully transitioned back into the side lane he waved again. I had difficulty seeing him but my wife said he mouthed "thank you" as we passed. It's always nice to do the right thing. Besides, where are we rushing to here in TV - the 3 PM seating at BoneFish?

What is the difference in this context?

I have seen a police department video that makes that suggestion. Bike clubs also suggest "owning the lane" under certain circumstances. The classic example is a two-lane road with a curve and double solid lines. Without "owning the lane", a car may attempt to pass you, illegally, by only partially using the left hand lane. If a car from the other direction suddenly appears you may be squeezed off the road or clipped by the passing car as he attempts to avoid a head-on collision. By the "owning the road", the passing car will often wait until a straightaway, and it is legal to pass, since they would have to fully move into the left hand lane. I have seen this happen more times than you would believe. Most experienced cyclists will move into the middle of the lane on a two-lane road around curves because to do otherwise is dangerous as there are too many drivers who violate the law.

I can assure you that nobody wants to play chicken with cars. To the contrary, the concept of "owning the road" is motivated by increasing safety. Any motorist that becoming "irate" about sharing the road with cyclists is a hazard to themselves and everyone else they share the road with. Unfortunate by true.

Sigh ....

The original poster said the following:

3' by my judgement might be different than theirs...

I am simply responding to his assertion that there are "different" definitions of 3' and the suggestion that he doesn't really care what the law says.

I don't know any cyclists who pick fights with cars - not sure where you got that from.

I don't know if I see it your way. When you bike in the middle of the lane the car behind you might beep or curse you out but they won't run you over on purpose.
When you hug the curb the driver will pass you on the left when there is not quite enough room and that's when you could get clipped, especially if there is a bottle or some other obstacle near the curb and you have nowhere to swerve but left.
If you biked in traffic for any length of time you know what I mean. The rest of you will have to guess what it's like.

Let's use a couple of analogies.

There is a 75 mph wind at your back. Now walk as close to the edge of the Grand Canyon as practicable. Good Job. Now walk as close to the edge as possible.


There is a ferocious pit bull on a chain. Walk as close as practicable. Now walk as close as possible.

If someone rode their bike as far right as possible, their tire would be on the exact edge of the road. The statute says "practicable".

Comparing
 

I know what you all mean. There is the biker who feel some pride in riding in traffic and even more annoying is the walker who brags that he/she can walk 5-10 miles a day but never seem to make it to the NY Marathon. If you talk to or are a marathon runner you appreciate following great safety rules, being aware of where you are running or walking and not "feeling special". It appears that both amateur Bikers and Walkers have a sense of "entitlement" while SERIOUS competitors in these programs are fun to be around. :(

I wish the administrator would remove these sorts of posts by Trolls. You are adding nothing to the discussion.

In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[3]

Good point on turns.

Actually, I said "as safely as possible". does that help?