Bicycles on MMP
 

After my experience yesterday, I hope to never see posts how golf carts need to be more courteous to bicyclists. Here is 2 examples we had. Two, 3 wheeled bicyclist spaced just far enough apart, had traffic blocked all the way from the rotary off of the Waterlily bridge all the way to Brownwood parking lot. By the time we reached the Brownwood parking lot, there had to be at least 40 carts backed up and took almost 25 minutes. On our way back to St Catherine. there were 40-50 bicyclist approaching the tunnel that crossed over by the Waterlily bridge with well over 50 carts following that couldn't have been going 5 miles per hour. When bicyclists start to respect golf cart drivers, they can than earn the respect to them.

agree.

Hum, if 40-50 bike riders were riding at 5 mph, they would fall over. I'm sure they weren't riding that slow. Also, take a picture of 40-50 bike riders grouped together on the path. I don't think that happened.

Did it occur to anyone to pull over and take in the majestic sights.. for say 10-15 minutes... let the mob of carts go by... Why sit behind that nonsense.. sniffing the exhaust of 50 carts?? - it was also the berry festival and everyone who loves crowds attended!

Remember folks crowds = traffic

No likey stay homie

Strawberry Fest is always a cluster.

And this year it's a 2 day CLUSTER!

love it!

Bicycles have every right to be on the MMPs.

The reason that there was a backup was because the first cart determined that there was not enough room to perform a safe pass of the cyclists.

If that bothers you or slows you down then get your keys, open your garage, and drive your automobile.

Your privilege of operating a cart on the MMP ends exactly where the cyclist's begins. Your privilege is not greater than anyone else's in The Villages.

They have the right to use, but not to block it. Anymore than a group of walkers could walk ten abreast and not permit others to go by.

They can and should take the entire lane and walkers should as well.

If a cyclist rides towards the right in the MMP then carts will "share the lane". That is extremely dangerous for the cyclist. Cart drivers can and do force cyclists off the path. If you are in such a rush to pass (an emergency) pass on the grass. All golf carts are designed to do this, most bicycles on the MMPs here are not.

Replace MMP with a two lane public road, carts for cars, and bicycle or ebike for motorcycle.

At anytime in your LIFETIME have you intentionally shared a lane with a motorcycle? What about a 150cc motorcycle (very small, not powerful but road legal)? No, you have not. For exactly the same reason you, as a cart driver should NEVER share a lane with a cyclist. If it is not safe to pass then you follow the cyclist until it is safe to do so. It's pretty simple. Your privilege of operating a cart on a mmp IS NOT SUPERIOR to a cyclist, never.

I can't believe that's have to explain this to an adult.

It isn't about rights, it's about respect and courtesy. Knowingly impeding others is not very courteous or respectful even if it is your right to do so.

How, exactly, can a trike give anyone room to pass without a cart entering the other lane? This is what this thread is about, although the same concept applies to two wheeled bicycles


They can't. It is a physical impossibly.

The OP did say that the procession "couldn't have been going 5 miles per hour", and I think we can all agree with that.

Both correct ... to a point. Respect and courtesy is a two way street. Walkers, and most bikers cannot travel at 20 mph. Since I know this, I never try to push them or expect them to do more then they can. After all, they are working at getting some exercise while I'm just sitting on my fat butt. A couple of minutes is no big deal unless your having a heart attack.

There was a group of 10 or so cyclists on Morse yesterday. I was behind them in my golf cart, on my way from the "historic" section to Brownwood for the Strawberry Festival. Never been down there by golf cart so I thought I'd enjoy the beautiful day and give it a try.

There wasn't any vehicular traffic behind me so I sped up to pass them. But then it turns out, they were speeding up too and were going close to 19MPH. I was very impressed. I also got back into the golf cart lane and slowed down so as not to tailgate them. Any group of cyclists who can maintain speeds of over 15mph deserves respect, not disdain. If they hadn't sped up, they would've been going around 11mph - which in my opinion is slow enough for me to pass them.

Could they pull off the path for a minute to let the backed up carts go by???

Wasn’t this covered in detail on 2 plus previous threads??

Yes, but never really came to a consensus. Don't worry, we'll keep argu, I mean, discussing it for as loooooong as it takes.
😁😁😁

Furthermore dog poop stinks.:1rotfl:

Exactly this!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who will step aside or move over to let a line of others pass. Simple courtesy.

Choose one:
A. I have a right to be here and I will ride as fast or slow as I want. I pay the same taxes and amenity fees as anyone else. All those behind me can just suck it up!

B. Why should I hold up all those behind me? Pulling off for one minute won't hurt me, will help them, and maybe next time someone will do the same for me.

Bill, I'll take "B" for 100 brownie points.
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Even when I am in a cart and another cart quickly approaches, I often pull over and let the speedsters go.

I pull over because I like to drive in the beautiful environs and take in the scenery as I drive.

If the two bicyclist with 3 wheels each are side by side, I suspect they are pushing the width limit of their lane. I could see that actually being a hazard to the carts in the oncoming lane. It only takes a slight wobble to go over the imaginary line.

To me, whatever the conveyance (walking, biking, carting, somersaulting, etc.), if you are taking a leisurely stride and others are approaching from the rear and stacking up, you could simply let them pass -- stress be gone, go leisure again after they pass.

Like this person said, there is always the other side of tolerance that makes you angry that sphincters run up on you like they own the road. And this is true, but these same fine folks do it on the highways, Publix and Walmart aisles and elsewhere. If you get made every time, you'll be made all the time. Don't be mad all the time. Life is shorter when you get to The Villages.

They were really pushing the 4 wheel bicycles at the Everglades Outdoors Event Friday.

In this thread, if we are to believe the OP. Two trikes caused a road jam that covered a distance of over two miles. That's the distance from the round about at Water lilly to the Brownwood bridge. Further, these trikes maintained a speed of 5mph (trikes can easily hit 20mpg downhill).

None of this is true, obviously. Despite, this the OP asks us to believe the trikes were rude or discourteous.

Why would anyone believe the first two statements, demonstratively false while believing the third?

I would say that in many posted scenarios where pictures are not added for support, certain "facts" are often exaggerated. However, there is still a principal to the tale. Here the principal is courtesy. Carts should not try to "push" or intimidate bikes or walkers. In return, walkers and bikers should be aware of things approaching from behind so that, when it is safe and reasonable to do so, move aside so the carts can safely get by. If both parties play nice they will both be happy. If either party does not act with courtes, then both parties will complain here.

Best post of this thread. I would wish that the militant cyclists read it about 100 times over and over. (Of course, they won't---it might interfere with "their rights")

I believe you misread the post. The road jam did not extend two miles in length (about 400 carts), the road jam existed for 25 minutes while covering two miles of distance and growing to 40 carts.

Two miles in 25 minutes would be about 5mph average. This seems slow, but.... While a trike might reach 20mph going downhill, it would not be going nearly that fast if it had to make a 90 degree turn at the bottom to go into a tunnel. It also would not go that fast riding up the hill out of the tunnel on the other side. There are several stop signs along that route which would further affect the average speed.

It isn't obvious to me that "none of this is true." There may have been some exaggeration (imagine that!) but the situation seems plausible.

That’s not sharing the MMP it’s hogging it.

Was you there? If not why should I believe you?

Here's the difference between you and I on this matter. I've put over 1500 miles on a trike (I know how they perform) and I travel this section on the MMP eight or more times a week on a two wheeled bicycle.

I can assure you that they didn't operate at 5mph. That just is not true. It's just not comfortable to ride at that speed

Unlike the multi modal path in your neighborhood of Hillsborough, there are zero homes where he is talking about. No cars crossing at village entrances, zero carts entering the MMP, carts exiting the MMP= nada.

There are just long and very long straight sections with hi visablity to pass, no vegetation. It's easy for six to eight carts to pass. There are several of these sections. The OP has gone beyond stretching the truth, instead writing a fictional post about something that didn't happen.

The only possibility under any circumstances is there was a tremendous amount of oncoming traffic which made it unsafe to pass. If that is the case, which I doubt, then it was unsafe to pass. It is not any cyclist, slower moving cart, loaded four passenger carts, or anything that is legally operating on the MMP, that is not traveling at the speed the OP wants to travel at, problem or obligation to pull off the path for anyone to pass. This is exactly the same as allowing an irrational driver to pass me in a bumper to bumper traffic jam.

well i just got in the road and passed them all and went back on the path. we all can go in the road

If they were riding single file, you would be wrong...

That would have been polite, but not required...

Only two? :icon_wink:

2 plus….

Not their obligation, but it would be the courteous thing to do. If we believe the story, it was not just the speed the OP wanted to go, it was the speed 40 other drivers wanted. If someone is on a 2 lane road with a double yellow line and is travelling at 30 mph in a 55 zone, they are not obligated to pull over and let others pass, but if they don't they are *****(fill in whatever you choose). Just because a trike has the right to ride 5 (or 8 or 10 or whatever) mph on the MMP, doesn't mean they have to shove that right down everyone else's throat.

PS: You might not like letting an "irrational" driver pass, but it's usually a good idea----far better they are ahead of you than behind or along side.

Widen all the MMPs to three lane with an alternating passing lane.

I assure you, there are several more differences. But, since you've made up you mind and aren't going to let facts change it, I guess I'm done.

Every day I watch them blow through stop signs.

When you've appointed yourself the Rule Maker & King of the Paths, how is anyone else to know the rules you've made up, unless you spread the word?

Do you have a podcast or anything, where folks can tune in and hear your new mandates and perhaps ask you questions?

WHOA!!!!! Then 2 oncoming carts choose to pass in that third lane at the same time?! I think a whole different smaller lanes for bikes/pedestrians where possible.