Bicyclers in The Villages.
 

There are a lot of people riding bicycles here in The Villages. Some are returning to the sport and some are down and out serious cyclists. They are all making me VERY nervous.

They do not go as fast as cars and I like to give them a wide berth when I pass them which means that if there is a lot of traffic and oncoming cars I am holding up traffic. (SORRY....I am afraid they might swerve or fall in front of my car)

Today I was driving over to SeaBreeze to photograph the neat cabanas there for a painting and I was behind two not so serious cylists, I say that because they were riding upright and not bent over and they were, well, older, maybe as old as me. They did not look behind them when it was time to merge with traffic and then they went around the circle,(!!??) narrowly missing some cars. (or the cars narrowly missing them) They went into the inside lane and then exited the right lane in the traffic circle...and the cars were nearly stopped trying to avoid them which they did. Thank heavens.

Are they supposed to stay on or in the multi-modal paths, thus going under the street instead of the turn around???

Bicycles can go either on roads or the multimodal trails. Cars are supposed to give 3 feet of clearance when they pass a bicycle -- hopefully a lot more! The bicycle clubs in TV emphasize safety and following all of the laws.

Maybe the bicycle clubs do but most of the individual riders do not know what a STOP sign is or a hand signal.

One day the cart in front of me went to pass a bicyclist that was riding in the cart part and the bicycle decided to turn left and the guy in the cart did some real tricks trying to avoid the bicyclist who made the turn - oblivious to the cart drivers maneuvers to avoid him. If that would have been a car there could have been a real mess.

Like GG I have also seen bicyclists weave and bob their way around a circle - managing to avoid being run over only because of the car drivers attention to the idiots.

BTW: how can I give you three feet on the multinodal paths? They are not that wide.

They may emphasize safety but do they practice what they preach? I have observed a group of 15-20 all run right through a stop sign. (This was the 4 way stop by Toojays, they must have been in hurry to get coffee.) I have no way of knowing if this was a bicycle club activity but it was obviously an organized bike ride.

As always in TV, drive defensively and plan for the unexpected.

The three-foot law is for regular roads, does not apply to the multi-modal paths.

Hi Gracie,
I think it would be more dangerous for bicyclists to use the cart tunnels simply because if a cart rounds quickly into the tunnel without seeing the cyclist the cart driver would have very little room to maneuver to avoid hitting the cyclist.

I realize that many bicyclists don't, but they are supposed to follow the rules of the road. That would include using turn (hand) signals before turning, stopping at stop signs, not weaving from lane to lane, not changing lanes inside the roundabouts and using the appropriate roundabout lane. They are also required to wear helmets.

For any occassional cyclists out there who might not know:

In roundabout, cyclists should enter in the right lane after yielding and exit from the right lane to make a right turn or to go straight and enter in the left lane after yielding and exit from the left lane to make a left or 270-degree turn. Cars should stagger for cyclists just as the would for other cars inside the roundabouts. Both cyclists and motorists should use turn signals before exiting the roundabouts, but I rarely see anyone do this!

To make a left turn not in a roundabout, a bicyclist should a) use a hand signal; b) look behind before moving from golf cart lane to car lane and wait before switching lanes if traffic is coming from behind; c) move to the inside of the lane (still using turn signal); and d) wait for any oncoming traffic before making the left turn.

Since we all know that many cyclists-- and many motorists for that matter-- will not obey the traffic laws, we need to be extra vigilant.

I used to be an avid cyclists and I hate when cyclists fail to follow safety rules and common sense! Not all bicyclists are a danger to themselves and others, but sadly, many are.

Some of the "packs" have an attitude. They seldom, if ever, stop at stop signs. They expect carts and cars to give them a wide berth (three foot rule is reasonable) but they will run pedestrians off the multi modal lanes and paths. It is only the result of defensive cart and car drivers that keep them from serious accidents.

I think a smart biker
 

would use the cart path when they could. It's just plain safer. In the roadway they could be (Dead Right). On the road ways the speed differential is very dangerous even when everybody plays by the rules. I most cases the three foot rule will work but I have seen too many bikers wander three feet or more. I always give them more space. When closing on a bike doing 15 mph in a car doing 45 it's a potential dissaster.

As stated earlier they seldom stop at stop signs. Heck most people don't come to a stop in a car which is much easier to get going again than a bike.

My point, isn't it logically safer riding in a cart/bike path. Common sense rules.

Just my thoughts.

Of course bicyclists in TV should ride in the cart lanes! They should get in the car lane to make a left turn-- only after using their left-turn hand signal and looking behind them to ensure a car is not approaching from behind.

It depends on the biker, as GG said the ones she encountered were not serious bikers. They were out for a casual cruise it sounds like... I ride all the time. I ride to work, I ride on the weekends alot. We have a group that meets at the church on 466 and Morse every Thursday at 615pm and does a loop of the Villages. I can tell you that we stop for the stop signs and watch traffic. And yes there are those that dont. Just like cars.. There are those that dont stop and those that do.. I am kind of stuck on the remark of cars doing 45 MPH.... Unless on 466, 466a, I am thinking the car is speeding to begin with, thus not paying attention to us idoiots as caveman posted....

Cyclist for the most part will not use the tunnels, for one alot of the have the speed bumps like at 466 and cr-101. Hard on a expensive Bike, plus a gent in a CAR almost hit me as he was trying to use the tunnel under 466 and cr-101 mind you in his car.... said he didnt know it was a cart path???????????????? and he has a DL?????

As I have said on her before, this is a retirement community, why such a Hurry?? I ride the roads all the time, and only a few times have I had a run in with a car. And thankfully at that time there was a bright blue unmarked Sumter County Sherrifs car following the car that almost hit our group. The lady was the only car on Buena Vista between Stillwater and Baily Trail, came right up beside us within a foot and rolled the window down and called us everyname in the book, and we dont pay the road taxes and all that hoop la... then floored it and took off.. She should of been looking in her Mirror at them pretty blue lights flashing behnd her. We all stopped with the Deputy and told him what she had said. So she got a big ticket to pay our part of the "" ROAD TAX"".

what I am getting at is this, that is when it get dangerous out there, when people get that out of control.. Most cyclitst ride in groups or packs for visibility. It is one of them things we could argue this more or less, but we have to share the roads. You moved here to relax and enjoy the lifestyle.. Why such a hurry and all the hostility??

So nice to ride in The Villages. Most of us work to watch for cars and traffic flow.

It may be logically safer, but a serious bike rider may be out for a 50 mile ride. Turns, tunnels, pedestrians, stop signs, and road crossings would make 50 miles a long ride. Imagine traveling from 466 to 466a on Morse Blvd. Not one stop sign, just yield signs at the traffic circles. Now turn right on 466a, and right again on Buena Vista - as you head up north no stop signs again until you get to the light at 466. Now map out that same route using the multi-modal paths. Lots of stops, road crossings, tunnels, tight turns, and speed bumps - and oh yeah, cart traffic, pedestrians, dog walkers, etc.

BogeyBoy, I agree. To clarify an earlier post, I intended to say that bicyclists on the road should ride in the golf cart lane. I agree that serious bicyclists have good reasons to ride on the roads, as you point out.

Ah, the voice of reason and rule. I agree.

While I understand that it is safer to wear helmets I do not think that they are required in Florida. You do not even need a helmet on a motorcycle.

I only said that those bicyclists that are bobbing and weaving through the traffic circles are idiots. For the most part those that ride in groups in their colorful spandex obey the law.

And I always give the three feet or more to those in the street.