[chas39]

Your a good bike rider

Thats what I do. I hope this is viewed as the best way to handle the situation .

[Byte1]

Do you wear a helmet when you drive your OPEN golf cart?

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

So you're on a multi-modal path. That's great. You should have a helmet on, but hey that won't affect me one way or another if you lose control or crash into a car at an intersection, so that's all good.

HOWEVER

if I'm behind you, in a golf cart, and the speed limit is 20, and I'm going at a reasonable pace of 16-18mph, then please let me pass you. You were going only around 9mph when I got close. I went to pass you and instead of letting me, you sped up to over 12mph. That meant it would take me a lot longer to pass you, and that's unsafe since it's a 2-way multi-modal and only enough room on it for 2 golf carts passing each other - not 2 golf carts and a bicycle.

It wouldn't have been TOO bad, if it was just as far as the stop sign.

But you went all the way from Buena Vista on the Camino Real path, all the way to Paige Place, refusing to allow me to pass you while you continued to speed up and slow down - almost as if you were daring me to go fast enough to succeed safely (which was not possible). You also rode your bike RIGHT THROUGH those stop signs. Every single one of them. On one, you didn't even slow down. You were going 12 mph right through it. That was the entry to one of the villages near the Savannah center.

Don't do that, guy. And wear a helmet if you value your safety because one of these days, the person behind you won't be me. It'll be someone who doesn't give a damn about anyone but his own convenience.

[sloanst]

I remember my first year here. I was leaving pickle ball at Eisenhower, heading toward Buena Vista. There was no traffic either ahead of me or behind. I had intended to take a left turn onto the multi-modal path to head North. A bicyclist blew through their stop sign and I had to slam on brakes to keep from hitting him. Then the guy had the nerve to cuss me out. To this day, I still wish he had thrown a punch at me.

[Fenster]

these guys have a chip on their shoulders.
They look and act disgracefully.

[JoeinFL]

Originally Posted by Jackie vohs

Funny this situation happened as I had a similar one yesterday. 3 of us were on the bike path headed toward Arnold Palmer. In the oncoming lane there were 6 carts coming our direction when the cart behind us decided it was time for him to pass. Our bikes are actually electric so we were going approximately 12 to 15 miles per hour. This person decided he could not wait 10 seconds to get to his tee time, he pulled around with no notice or horn making us vear to the right and the oncoming traffic veered a their right. I followed him right down to the Arnold Palmer golf course where we got into a huge argument as he advised me that i was an idiot.He called me every name he could think of. I assure you I was not offended and obliged him with language I'm sure hes never heard. If you can't wait 10 seconds to get a golf club in your hand shame on you. We are in a retirement community and especially at this time we have nothing but time. The last time I checked every state of the Union gives the bicycle and the pedestrian the right of way and I assure you people we have enough time that we do not have to risk someone's life on a bicycle.. most people in their carts are polite as are the bikers HOWEVER it only takes one entitled person to screw it all up.

So, I have an older brother that lives a couple of miles from me. These days, I've been riding over on my cart to check on him, bring food etc.
A couple of days ago, I'm riding down Fenney and the cart in front of me was doing about 15 mph. Didn't bother me. But, when I had the opportunity, I put on my signal and went around him. No biggie right? I consider myself a pretty friendly guy and wave as I go by. This guy with a lady in the cart with him gives me the finger. I kind of do a double take and I'm like WTF? Anyway, my younger self probably would have ignored social distancing.
I get passed by carts going faster. I don't mind or care. Just do it safely.

What happened to "The friendliest Home Town?"

[Abob954]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

So you're on a multi-modal path. That's great. You should have a helmet on, but hey that won't affect me one way or another if you lose control or crash into a car at an intersection, so that's all good.

HOWEVER

if I'm behind you, in a golf cart, and the speed limit is 20, and I'm going at a reasonable pace of 16-18mph, then please let me pass you. You were going only around 9mph when I got close. I went to pass you and instead of letting me, you sped up to over 12mph. That meant it would take me a lot longer to pass you, and that's unsafe since it's a 2-way multi-modal and only enough room on it for 2 golf carts passing each other - not 2 golf carts and a bicycle.

It wouldn't have been TOO bad, if it was just as far as the stop sign.

But you went all the way from Buena Vista on the Camino Real path, all the way to Paige Place, refusing to allow me to pass you while you continued to speed up and slow down - almost as if you were daring me to go fast enough to succeed safely (which was not possible). You also rode your bike RIGHT THROUGH those stop signs. Every single one of them. On one, you didn't even slow down. You were going 12 mph right through it. That was the entry to one of the villages near the Savannah center.

Don't do that, guy. And wear a helmet if you value your safety because one of these days, the person behind you won't be me. It'll be someone who doesn't give a damn about anyone but his own convenience.

I am a cyclist that uses the multimodal path exclusively. In the Villages, I think it is dangerous to use the street. Multimodal does not mean exclusively for golf carts. When there is a golf cart in front on me on a side street and I'm in a car, I slow down. When on the path, if there is enough room for a cart behind me to safely pass, I move over to allow it. Most people in carts are respectful of cyclists and observe the 3 foot rule. That being said, when cycling along split paths (e.g., 466, 466a, Buena Vista, etc.), there is only room for one vehicle, and that includes cyclists. Most carts stay a respectful distance behind, but a few will attempt to pass, and express displeasure when I refuse to let them pass. There have been two instances where a cart has hit my handlebar causing me to fall. I am in good shape and suffered only scratches, but for many people, it would cause serious injury. I have observed other cyclists suffer the same fate.
Also, when crossing the Lake Sumter bridge on Morse, there is a 10MPH limit for carts. I have yet to see a cart observe that limit. A few have been close. Some carts have passed me on the bridge. There is no way to pass and observe the 3 foot rule. I cycle around 10 MPH. Most of the time, if I'm halfway across the bridge, and I see a cart entering the bridge, it is right behind me several seconds later.
As far as using the street, I feel it is dangerous in the Villages unless you're in a group. A car traveling at least 30MPH has to slowdown significantly. All it takes is a small distraction to cause a fatal injury. People who live here have shorter reaction to braking, as well as shorted attention spans (not all, of course).
Just some thoughts to consider.

[toeser]

Originally Posted by kenpoboy

If you can’t pass a bike with your golf cart, you either need a new golf cart or you need to learn how to drive the one you have. Really? You couldn’t pass a bicycle??.??

Depends. I was following a biking club group all on road bikes. I was impressed they were averaging 18-20 mph, so no, I could not pass them.

[toeser]

Originally Posted by Abob954

I am a cyclist that uses the multimodal path exclusively. In the Villages, I think it is dangerous to use the street. Multimodal does not mean exclusively for golf carts. When there is a golf cart in front on me on a side street and I'm in a car, I slow down. When on the path, if there is enough room for a cart behind me to safely pass, I move over to allow it. Most people in carts are respectful of cyclists and observe the 3 foot rule. That being said, when cycling along split paths (e.g., 466, 466a, Buena Vista, etc.), there is only room for one vehicle, and that includes cyclists. Most carts stay a respectful distance behind, but a few will attempt to pass, and express displeasure when I refuse to let them pass. There have been two instances where a cart has hit my handlebar causing me to fall. I am in good shape and suffered only scratches, but for many people, it would cause serious injury. I have observed other cyclists suffer the same fate.
Also, when crossing the Lake Sumter bridge on Morse, there is a 10MPH limit for carts. I have yet to see a cart observe that limit. A few have been close. Some carts have passed me on the bridge. There is no way to pass and observe the 3 foot rule. I cycle around 10 MPH. Most of the time, if I'm halfway across the bridge, and I see a cart entering the bridge, it is right behind me several seconds later.
As far as using the street, I feel it is dangerous in the Villages unless you're in a group. A car traveling at least 30MPH has to slowdown significantly. All it takes is a small distraction to cause a fatal injury. People who live here have shorter reaction to braking, as well as shorted attention spans (not all, of course).
Just some thoughts to consider.

When biking, I have quit moving over on split areas of paths. I have had too many people pass me so close I could have shaken hands with the passenger. Some cart drivers are real jerks when they cannot get by until the split ends, but so be it. I'm not going to die because someone can't wait 10 more seconds.

[dtennent]

Originally Posted by Sedlecky

What bothers me consistently is the bikers who do NOT stop at STOP signs! In the 4 years I've lived here I have seen exactly one who did. It does make me very unhappy with bikers and watchful when we come to a stop sign as i'm not certain what might happen. I am not against bikers on the MM paths or the street and I like to ride my bike. I stop at stop signs and obey all rules - why can't others? It's not that hard!

As an avid bicyclist for over 40 years, I have seen this comment several times in the past. About a month ago, I decided to count carts that did not stop at stop signs unless there was traffic coming in the cross direction. (In which case, most people stop because of self preservation). After counting over 50 golf carts that did everything from a slow rolling to a full out blow through the stop sign, I stopped counting as I did not see one cart that came to a complete stop. This does not excuse anyone in or on any vehicle from not following the rules of the road or for not showing courtesy. In full disclosure, I do wear spandex pants because they eliminate any chaffing and I wear a colorful shirt so that I can be easily seen. So shake your fists at the idiots wherever they are and then let it go.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by ajbrown

i was not there so I cannot access exactly what the cyclist were doing. Reading OP's version (which I am not disputing), I am curious how many cyclist there were, riding one behind each other.

If it were 3-4+, then I can see how that would be harder to pass, but one or two? I have never been in a scenario where I can not pass anything going 12 mph safely on the multi modal paths.

PS. I do not have a "souped up" cart.

It was just the one cyclist. And you are also not envisioning what happened. He was going 9. I have a speedometer, so I can actually tell how fast I'm going. I had to slow down to 9mph from 16-ish, when I started getting too close to him.

I saw the opportunity to pass, so I sped up and started the process of passing him. THAT was when he chose to go faster.

When I saw that he was now going faster, and it would take me longer to pass him, I knew it would be unsafe to do so AT THAT POINT. So I had to pull back into my side of the road and slow down behind him again.

And then - he slowed down.

He continued this on and off the entire trip from the Savannah Center to Paige Place.
Every time it was clear and I had a chance to pass him while he was going slow - he would speed up. And as soon as we got to a curve in the road, or a split in the path where it would be *impossible* to pass - he would slow down again.

He was doing it on purpose. No one ahead of him, no one behind me.

[toeser]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoelaces

Get ready for the E-Bike revolution coming soon.
These bikes do 20+ easily.
Will this help or exacerbate the situation?

My e-bike easily does 20+. I think that makes things safer. My normal riding speed on my e-bike is around 14-15 mph, but if I have carts piling up behind me or just one cart behind me in on a split trail, I speed up to 20 ending any conflict except with speeders. When I ride my hybrid (10-12 mph) I am getting passed constantly. With my e-bike, I am getting passed a lot less. That, to me, is safer.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoelaces

Get ready for the E-Bike revolution coming soon.
These bikes do 20+ easily.
Will this help or exacerbate the situation?

If they're going around 16mph consistently in a 20mph zone, I'd be okay with that. It doesn't matter how fast a vehicle (of any kind) can go. It matters whether they are going with the general flow of traffic on a consistent basis, OR allowing others to pass them when they need/want to slow down.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by toeser

My e-bike easily does 20+. I think that makes things safer. My normal riding speed on my e-bike is around 14-15 mph, but if I have carts piling up behind me or just one cart behind me in on a split trail, I speed up to 20 ending any conflict except with speeders. When I ride my hybrid (10-12 mph) I am getting passed constantly. With my e-bike, I am getting passed a lot less. That, to me, is safer.

I have a hybrid mountain/street bike (it has shock absorbing springs on the fork and a saddle seat, standard non-racing tires, and 21 speeds, of which I typically use only 5). I average around 8-10 mph when I'm not in a hurry, just cruising and enjoying the day. I average around 12-14 when I'm rushing to get somewhere, and as fast as 18-20 if I'm going downhill and there's an incline up ahead (to gather momentum because I hate shifting gears).

I get passed most of the time and it doesn't bother me at all. I expect it, and know how to accommodate for constant leans in and out of the edge of the road.

As for stopping at stop signs - accelerating from a full stop while on an incline is insanely difficult, and will usually cause traffic jams. So if I see that I need to go uphill, but stop in the process, I will do a rolling stop instead of a full stop. If there's someone coming toward the intersection either left, right, or ahead of me of course I will come to a full stop. If they're coming up from behind me well - I was there first, they can wait for me to get through, whether I stop completely or not.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Abob954

I am a cyclist that uses the multimodal path exclusively. In the Villages, I think it is dangerous to use the street. Multimodal does not mean exclusively for golf carts. When there is a golf cart in front on me on a side street and I'm in a car, I slow down. When on the path, if there is enough room for a cart behind me to safely pass, I move over to allow it. Most people in carts are respectful of cyclists and observe the 3 foot rule. That being said, when cycling along split paths (e.g., 466, 466a, Buena Vista, etc.), there is only room for one vehicle, and that includes cyclists. Most carts stay a respectful distance behind, but a few will attempt to pass, and express displeasure when I refuse to let them pass. There have been two instances where a cart has hit my handlebar causing me to fall. I am in good shape and suffered only scratches, but for many people, it would cause serious injury. I have observed other cyclists suffer the same fate.
Also, when crossing the Lake Sumter bridge on Morse, there is a 10MPH limit for carts. I have yet to see a cart observe that limit. A few have been close. Some carts have passed me on the bridge. There is no way to pass and observe the 3 foot rule. I cycle around 10 MPH. Most of the time, if I'm halfway across the bridge, and I see a cart entering the bridge, it is right behind me several seconds later.
As far as using the street, I feel it is dangerous in the Villages unless you're in a group. A car traveling at least 30MPH has to slowdown significantly. All it takes is a small distraction to cause a fatal injury. People who live here have shorter reaction to braking, as well as shorted attention spans (not all, of course).
Just some thoughts to consider.

I'm already considerate. I'm a cyclist. Once again (I feel like I'm repeating myself, again)...

There was no risk of violating a three-foot rule, at the time I saw that I could pass this guy. HE sped up, to prevent me from safely passing him. Up until he sped up, it was 100% safe for me to pass him, on a wide, sprawling multimodal path with grassy embankments on both sides, and no split in the middle. As soon as I went to pass him - since he was only going 9mph in a 20mph zone - he sped up to 12, and that meant it would take me longer to pass him if I wanted to maintain a safe and legal speed. As soon as I got back over to the right after realizing he would not allow me to pass him, he slowed down. He did this on purpose.