[aninjamom]

Yesterday morning I was heading into Sumter Landing and a pack of bicycles was coming the other way. One of the lead cycles swerved INTO my path and waved at me to slow down!
Firstly, I was going maybe 20 coming out of the round-about, and I was already decelerating for the intersection while looking on both sides for golf carts. He had no way of knowing what my speed was.
Secondly, I was going in the opposite direction of the bikes, centered in my own lane and no danger to them whatsoever. Unless, like the arrogant fool who swerved into oncoming traffic to "police" my speed, they were to cross into the wrong lane. I thought cycling was a healthy activity. Apparently it hasn't helped his mental facilities any. I hope he doesn't make this a habit on the main roads, many drivers here have diminishing reaction times.
Whoever he is, if he thinks his bike can survive a head-on collision with a car, he needs another activity. OK, vent over.

[fred53]

Agree completely. Unfortunately there are a few cyclists who feel superior to those in cars.

[Chellybean]

Originally Posted by aninjamom

Yesterday morning I was heading into Sumter Landing and a pack of bicycles was coming the other way. One of the lead cycles swerved INTO my path and waved at me to slow down!
Firstly, I was going maybe 20 coming out of the round-about, and I was already decelerating for the intersection while looking on both sides for golf carts. He had no way of knowing what my speed was.
Secondly, I was going in the opposite direction of the bikes, centered in my own lane and no danger to them whatsoever. Unless, like the arrogant fool who swerved into oncoming traffic to "police" my speed, they were to cross into the wrong lane. I thought cycling was a healthy activity. Apparently it hasn't helped his mental facilities any. I hope he doesn't make this a habit on the main roads, many drivers here have diminishing reaction times.
Whoever he is, if he thinks his bike can survive a head-on collision with a car, he needs another activity. OK, vent over.

welcome to the entitled villager!!!! IDiots
They also don't have the right of way and need to stay on the shoulder unless they can do the posted speed limit. Bikers need to read the law. Now lets see how much controversy this starts!

[tuccillo]

The rules of the road are essentially the same for cyclists as cars. In a circumstance where a car would have the right of way, a cyclist would also. Cyclists do not need to stay on the shoulder (in fact that is a dangerous place to be) and can occupy an entire lane. There is no requirement based on posted speed. You should think of cyclists (as well as street legal golf carts) as slow moving cars.

Here is the Florida Statute.

Statutes & Constitution
:View Statutes
:

Online Sunshine

Originally Posted by Chellybean

welcome to the entitled villager!!!! IDiots
They also don't have the right of way and need to stay on the shoulder unless they can do the posted speed limit. Bikers need to read the law. Now lets see how much controversy this starts!

[Villager Joyce]

I think of it as a gang mentality more than a bike thing. For example, one or two walkers almost always go single file when a car or cart approaches. If three, one almost always separates from the two. Five or more walkers block the street and make no effort to allow space fir anyone to pass. I see that same mentality with bikers. The biggest difference is bikers seem to always be in a gaggle so they always take the right of way.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by tuccillo

The rules of the road are essentially the same for cyclists as cars. In a circumstance where a car would have the right of way, a cyclist would also. Cyclists do not need to stay on the shoulder (in fact that is a dangerous place to be) and can occupy an entire lane. There is no requirement based on posted speed. You should think of cyclists (as well as street legal golf carts) as slow moving cars.

Here is the Florida Statute.

Statutes & Constitution
:View Statutes
:

Online Sunshine

Would this part of the statute not mean that it is the duty of the person riding the bike in the roadway to maintain the posted speed limit?

(1) Every person propelling a vehicle by human power has all of the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under this chapter, except as to special regulations in this chapter, and except as to provisions of this chapter which by their nature can have no application.

Is this part of the Statute not in conflict with the highlighted part of your post above?

(5)(a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride in the lane marked for bicycle use or, if no lane is marked for bicycle use, as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
1. When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

3. When reasonably necessary to avoid any condition or potential conflict, including, but not limited to, a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, animal, surface hazard, turn lane, or substandard-width lane, which makes it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge or within a bicycle lane. For the purposes of this subsection, a “substandard-width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

Thanx for your opinion.

[tuccillo]

The roads in The Villages are not wide enough (sub-standard width) to contain a bike and a car with the required 3 feet of clearance in a single lane. What this means is when passing a cyclist on a four lane road you need to move into the left hand lane. When passing a cyclist on a two lane road you need to wait till the oncoming lane is clear and pass in the oncoming lane (assuming a dashed center line). Since the roads are sub-standard width, you will often see cyclists in the middle of a lane and this is allowed by the law, regardless of their speed. Whether you hug the curb or not, a car and a bike cannot/shouldn't be adjacent to each other in the same lane on the roads in The Villages. The important part of the statute is highlighted in red in (5)(a) 3 below. If the roads weren't of sub-standard width then it would be different.

Originally Posted by njbchbum

Would this part of the statute not mean that it is the duty of the person riding the bike in the roadway to maintain the posted speed limit?



(1) Every person propelling a vehicle by human power has all of the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under this chapter, except as to special regulations in this chapter, and except as to provisions of this chapter which by their nature can have no application.

Is this part of the Statute not in conflict with the highlighted part of your post above?


(5)(a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride in the lane marked for bicycle use or, if no lane is marked for bicycle use, as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
1. When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

3. When reasonably necessary to avoid any condition or potential conflict, including, but not limited to, a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, animal, surface hazard, turn lane, or substandard-width lane, which makes it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge or within a bicycle lane. For the purposes of this subsection, a “substandard-width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

Thanx for your opinion.

[autumnspring]

First of all, I drive a car, I drive a golf cart, I ride a bike and I of course walk.

Sadly, what we notice, what I notice are all the stupid things people do. As most accidents involve, a car, a golf cart, a bike or a walker, even if one is acting inappropriately, the other can avoid the COULD BE ENCOUNTER-politically correct termed an accident. PEOPLE since in almost all cases it can be avoided, it is not an accident, it is a stupid action.

THE LAW-as I read this and similar threads, assuming that others know the law is a stretch of reality. Then to assume people know the law and will follow it...................

To the original post-THEY ARE RIGHT. Bicycles are supposed to be going in the same direction as cars-not going into or is it at traffic.

I was tempted to post all the STUPID things I see people doing in the villages. If, I just posted yesterday, I would be far too long.

As I've posted before, my Dad taught me how to drive. He is long gone but I will never forget what he said. Expect people to do the stupidest possible thing because that is exactly what they are going to do. Or, more politely said,
you should always have a way out.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

Would this part of the statute not mean that it is the duty of the person riding the bike in the roadway to maintain the posted speed limit?

Not wishing to defend any errant cyclists, but the posted speed limit is exactly that - the limit - how fast you can legally go.

There is clearly no requirement for any vehicle to go the maximum speed.

[tuccillo]

Please read post #7. I believe I have explained the situation in The Villages.

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Not wishing to defend any errant cyclists, but the posted speed limit is exactly that - the limit - how fast you can legally go.

There is clearly no requirement for any vehicle to go the maximum speed.

[pauld315]

Originally Posted by aninjamom

Yesterday morning I was heading into Sumter Landing and a pack of bicycles was coming the other way. One of the lead cycles swerved INTO my path and waved at me to slow down!
Firstly, I was going maybe 20 coming out of the round-about, and I was already decelerating for the intersection while looking on both sides for golf carts. He had no way of knowing what my speed was.
Secondly, I was going in the opposite direction of the bikes, centered in my own lane and no danger to them whatsoever. Unless, like the arrogant fool who swerved into oncoming traffic to "police" my speed, they were to cross into the wrong lane. I thought cycling was a healthy activity. Apparently it hasn't helped his mental facilities any. I hope he doesn't make this a habit on the main roads, many drivers here have diminishing reaction times.
Whoever he is, if he thinks his bike can survive a head-on collision with a car, he needs another activity. OK, vent over.

Reading through the responses to the OP I wonder how many of the people actually read it and understood it. Simply put, the bicyclist swerved into the lane the OP was driving their car in instead of staying in their own lane.The cyclist drove into the lane with oncoming traffic putting himself and others at risk. There is no lawful purpose for that to be done by anybody whether or not they are on a bike.

[gbburgess]

The above posts sum up why I do not ride with the groups. I have seen 5,10, and 15 in a group riding the main roads. While the bikers appear to be following the rules of the road the cars assume they have the right of way. Bikes cannot compete when cars get too close and cars cannot stop when bikes swerve erratically. Bikers should be in single file and in the center of the right lane (curbs are to dangerous) when on the main roads around here. Everyone needs to follow the rules - like stop signs! Cars fly through them, golf carts ignore them and bikers seldom stop (a discussion for another time) at them. I wish everyone would respect the others.

[New Englander]

Originally Posted by pauld315

Reading through the responses to the OP I wonder how many of the people actually read it and understood it. Simply put, the bicyclist swerved into the lane the OP was driving their car in instead of staying in their own lane.The cyclist drove into the lane with oncoming traffic putting himself and others at risk. There is no lawful purpose for that to be done by anybody whether or not they are on a bike.

[Villager Joyce]

Originally Posted by pauld315

Reading through the responses to the OP I wonder how many of the people actually read it and understood it. Simply put, the bicyclist swerved into the lane the OP was driving their car in instead of staying in their own lane.The cyclist drove into the lane with oncoming traffic putting himself and others at risk. There is no lawful purpose for that to be done by anybody whether or not they are on a bike.

You are correct. I did not respond to the OP. There is not an excuse to behave as the bicyclist did unless he/she has an attitude—a bad attitude.

[rubicon]

Tuccillo's postings and explanations are accurate.

Obligations caused me to follow State driving regulations across this nation. States are pretty much the same when they define "vehicles"and their application to the responsibility of drivers/riders of those vehicles as applied to the Rules of the Road.

Bicycles, cars, golf carts for purposes of the rules of the road are all vehicles and the rules of the road apply to all as to right of way (ROW) overtaking, signaling, backing , merging, etc.

Overtaking and backing carry the greatest responsibility to the moving vehicle. It is almost absolute.

I have read or heard some folks believe that a car has the right of way over a golf cart in every situation here and that is not correct

We have people from all over the country who have brought with them some of their very bad driving habits.

We have people here because of age disability or both over or under react to traffic situations.

We have cowboys on the road that believe when the golf cart ahead of them is merging at the entrance of a gate that, that won't do,and speed up to pass them. " No carts going to get in front of me" type

We have far too many Sunday drivers in cars and carts

We have pedestrians who walk before sunset or sunrise in dark clothing and without reflectors or lights walking in the diamond lane or with their backs to traffic

And we have the ubiquitous cyclers with the motto "lead follow or get out of my way"

What we have is human frailty at its best

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