Friendliest hometown?
 

Not if you’re on a bicycle riding on a MMP. Then it becomes a turf war with golf carts. Be cautious when on these trails.

ride in the st

Fortunately, the more enlightened areas of The Villages have beautiful walking/biking trails where golf carts are absolutely forbidden. These trails go on for miles and they are building more of them.

Isolated incidents do not warrant a general condition assignment.!!

Very true

And not if you are on the MMP riding in a golf cart, then it becomes a turf war with the bicyclists.

How about instead of trying to find faults with others we all act friendly towards one another - it just might work wonders.

Apparently I need to restart my practice and represent bicyclists and pedestrians here in TV!

No need, we already have Dan Newlin!

The problem is that there is no clear direction provided for bicyclists. They should either make bicyclists ride on the streets or on the MMP's but not both.

They have bikes at the gym, much safer.

I drive my golf cart everywhere. When I come across walkers or bikes I give plenty of space and pass when safe. I guess everyone doesn’t which it too bad. When you come up to bikes on the split path you have to wait to pass as there is really not enough room there. I tend to wave to walkers and bikers understanding that bikers cannot always wave back as they need both hands to control the bike. Anyway my wife and I have a little joke that people that don’t wave back or even turn away to avoid seeing us as unfriendlies.

defensive riding is the name of the game

act any differently, then you place yourself at risk

ignore that advice, because you think you are special, and you're gonna get hurt, my friend

it is what it is

Started coming to TV in 07, it’s not a turf war, it common sense. I ride my bike in our neighborhood streets. Why, because I can’t sustain a speed of more than 10mph. That puts me at half the speed of carts, which I don’t expect them to slow down, and follow me. I haven’t in all the years had a cart, not give me enough room when they pass, and they usually wave.

It’s a shared path, if you are uncomfortable, maybe the main roads will be your friend, no carts to deal with, and an entire lane all to yourself. For me I just stick with my neighborhood, plenty of contours, very little car or cart traffic, with the occasional walker of dog.

Bike trails you mentioned
 

We ride our bikes almost every day tell me where all these bike trails are that they let only bikes on and golf carts are not allowed.

The second largest group of whiners in the Villages are cyclists. They break every traffic law the whine when they have a close encounter with a car or cart.

Yup, and that’s about all it has!
The enlightened buyers live in areas surrounded by amenities. I stopped eating from food trucks, on picnic tables, the day I played my last Little League game.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Bike Paths
 

Bike paths and walking paths are all over and clearly marked where you see Two white poles and you see golf carts can not fit in between the poles that's where you ride your bikes walk and jog Stay off the golf cart roads or don't complain when a golf cart gets to close to you, on a golf cart path.

Be careful as to what you say the”Developer” might lose a sale.

I'd rather have bikes on the trails than holding up traffic on the main streets.

I somewhat agree with our visiting residence here now many times “caravans” of golf carts are on the MMP tough area if riding on a bicycle the paths are too narrow to pass safely with that many carts jammed up.

For example: The trails along Fenney Way and Corbin Trail are, for the most part, walkers and bikers only. Golf carts must ride in the cart lane on the shoulder of the road.

Not really. What needs to be told to the pedestrians is to walk facing the carts, walk single file when you have a cart coming toward you and please quit being so stupid and wear lights or reflective clothing when walking in the dark.

What needs to be told to bicyclists is quit being stupid and riding in groups on the MMP’s like that family group of 20 was doing yesterday on the Meggison MMP going toward Brownwood.

Go the same way with groups of bicyclists riding along barely able to pedal their bikes and carts not being able to pass with THAT MANY BIKES JAMMED UP.

Answer for cyclists
 

Best place to cycle is the Santos trail in Ocala.

Long, long threat on this topic just a couple days ago… it’s generally not been my experience… most provide respectful distance and pass when safe to do so. That said, only takes once to end up in the hurt locker for perhaps a very long time. If I am uncomfortable or feel like I’m backing up numerous carts, I just pull off and get some water for a minute.

I can’t agree that the streets would be safer or I wouldn’t feel a huge amount of anxiety constantly notwithstanding biking in a large group.

Respectfully, DB

South of 44...

I believe you are speaking of the MMPs (MultiModal). Which means they are accessible to carts, bikes and pedestrians...

they are NOT Golf Cart Paths, unless they are on the golf course...

Lest I repeat a post...

https://i0.wp.com/www.roamingabout.c...2/DSC05573.jpg

So yeah, you're going to encounter A LOT of golf carts. Act accordingly...

Yes, great attitude, which unfortunately is not everyone's attitude, especially with the newly transitioning retirees who haven't adopted the slower pace of retirement. . . or the self anointed more important peeps. ..

who is #1 ??

The posters on TOTV. . . especially when the bars are closed. . between sunrise and Noon

I know...

How hard is it to be courteous to those with whom you're sharing the MMPs?

I swear, there are too many folks just looking for trouble... :ohdear::ohdear::ohdear:

:1rotfl::1rotfl::bigbow::bigbow::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Go south of Route 44 to the Village of Bradford. Behind the neighborhood pool you will find a walking/biking path. Get on the path and go to the right.

The path goes along the lakes bordering Bradford, then crosses a very narrow bridge to the Village of St. Catherine. Then the path goes along the lakes bordering St. Catherine until it reaches Meggison Road in the Village of Citrus Grove. Turn left to follow the path and continue on to the Homestead Recreation Area.

The path stops there and you can see where the path will be extended to three new Villages.

Rights?
 

Cyclists and, for that matter, pedestrians, do not have SUPERIOR rights over golf cars. All the above are expected to follow the same "rules of the roads." Pedestrians who walk with traffic, instead of facing it, and cyclists who ride two abreast, taking up more than half the width of the path, exacerbate the "problem." Grow up - you ain't "special."

Large groups of cyclists riding on the MMPs would be bad for both cyclists and carts. Large numbers of single riders on the roads would be bad for both cyclists and cars. The dual use system in place now works fine when people have consideration for all trail and road users, be they cyclists or cart drivers.

As a cyclist riding the MMPs daily for the 8 months I've lived in The Villages, I've only had one scary encounter when a cart coming towards me swerved into my lane about 30 feet in front of me and then swerved back over to its proper lane just before I was ready to swerve off into the grass along the trail (luckily that would have been possible where the incident occurred). There have been a few other occurrences where a cart passed uncomfortably close to my bike, but all went well. I wouldn't want to change MMP use because of that.

I ride to the right of the trail when a cart is behind me. In the split lanes that are too narrow for carts to pass a cyclist, I will swerve off into the grass to let a cart pass when possible. Sometimes that is not possible, so I pedal a little faster. I often wish there weren't split sections on the MMPs. They are pretty, but do lead to slowdowns or uncomfortably close passes by carts.

A little patience is needed by both cyclists and cart drivers on the MMPs.

We had a nice walk around Hogeye Marsh yesterday. Most of the path is on the walking/biking path where golf carts are forbidden, but there is a short section that goes along the MMP where carts whiz by. On that section, we walked single file facing traffic and got off the MMP into the short grass when a cart came by. We had no problem.

We saw several bikers along the MMP and did they look miserable, especially the ones that had a cart bearing down on them. They did not appear to be enjoying their ride.

They are in the new section South of 44. I rode the Bradford Preserve trail yesterday on my bike. Only pedestrians and bikes allowed (two white poles at entrance instead of one designates them). Beautiful ride in nature….my total ride was 8 miles. Another long one is the Hogeye trail in Marsh Bend/Fenney area. More still being built too.

No one owns the trails
 

I also ride the MMP. I ride to one side, do not ride double, I try to be courteous of the golf carts and they seem to be courteous of me. Riding in the center, riding double, or going 5 MPH and not letting carts pass is not courteous. Yes, there are those kind of people on both sides, the rest of make this the friendliest neighborhood.

Absolutely, but unfortunately bicyclist's rarely win a case even when the result is 100% the other persons fault and the result is severe injury or death. That's a fact. We just need to be very cautious.