I agree Russ. There seems to be a rules mentality, that says obeying the "rule" is more important than having common sense and driving safely. And a lot of it is tied up in this anti-cyclist attitude. Some people won't be happy unless the roads are all free of all cyclists. The roads are meant to be shared, they are not just dedicated to automobiles. Luckily its just a few people that think that way.

People seem to lose track of the fact that the objective is not the Rule, it is Safety. And sometimes safety is better served by adapting the rule to the situation i.e. have one person stop, then the group goes thru the stop sign, for example. If you waited for each biker to uncleat their foot, stop, re-cleat, slowly gear up, etc. it would take forever, and you'd have cars trying to pass the group, honking their horns, slamming on brakes, etc. It would be a nightmare for everyone concerned.

:bigbow:

Here is a good video of being mad the cyclist are on the road. Instead of just going around have to make a deal of it..

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwnAbcmWrCA]Driver harasses cyclists as cameras roll - YouTube[/ame]

I'll remember that next time your behind a pack of 30 bikes and we all stop one at a time. I hope your not in a hurry.

This will never be resolved not matter what changes take place because people like to b**ch about stuff. It's in their nature. The Villages is for everyone to use and share and until we realize this, there will always be problems.

You know, I have to ask... how many times have you actually been held up by a pack of cyclists? Geez, c'mon. Maybe once a week, or less. Actually, I may see two packs a week, but I've never been held up by them. I'm all in favor of following the traffic laws, but if 30 of them are stopping one by one at a stop sign as opposed to going through it as a group, that's going to make me late for pickle ball.

Good point, Dave! I do wish, however, that Florida traffic law reflected this sensible approach.

By the way, from the sound of your handle (Bentboy), am I correct in assuming you ride a recumbent? I ride a recumbent trike.

I ride a recumbent trike usually only around my neighborhood. I stay away from the MM because it's just too dangerous and I get sick of smelling exhaust fumes. I also wear ear buds but I can hear all traffic approaching.

This all boils down to courtesy on the roads. Driving is a privilege and everyone has equal rights to the road.

and equal responsibility:bowdown:

Agreed!

The recommendation is for bicyclists to form a group at stop signs or traffic signals and proceed through as a group then separate into a line after the intersection. That makes great sense in that it meets the stopping requirement yet still allows the pack to stay together while not creating the jam of each cyclist stopping individually.

That makes perfect sense to me, but I can't see it in "The Florida Bicycle Law Enforcement Guide" or "Florida Bicycling Street Smarts"; two pamphlets put out by the Florida Bicycle Association.

I'm afraid to ask but.....what do they do with the paint?

Not being a cyclist, I looked at their website and I think it was there in a discussion about stop signs and groups of riders. I can't find it now.

Its a joke? Spray paint, mark your territory. Gangs? 65 or 70 year old bike gang members in the villages?

If ya have to explain it........

I should have checked this myself. I just visited flbikelaw.org and to my surprise the legal interpretation is that each bike (vehicle) has an individual requirement to come to a complete stop at a stop sign, regardless of their being in a group. The operative law is FS 316.123. Here's a link to the discussion of this topic: Cycling Groups at Stop Signs and Red Lights | Florida Bicycle Law
There are some exceptions to this requirement, but they don't seem to apply to every day situations.

To me, it doesn't make a lot of sense because, if strictly applied, car drivers following a large group would be severely inconvenienced as each bicyclist stopped consecutively, before proceeding through the intersection, rather than as a unit. I'm glad that I don't normally ride in such groups.