Bicyclists keep right - Ride single file

It is bad up here. but try driving hwy72, 100th, and Alkire. Those Boulder cyclists are brave. They get the added thrill of huge wind gusts. I give them a foot and hope the car coming towards me gives me a foot.

I ride a road bike all over the world and generally speaking the worst attitudes toward bike riders are in the US. I used to ride events like the Elephant Rock ride. All kinds of bike riders participate and I agree many are downright rude. All of us are asked to ride single file during these events. Many totally ignore this request. I've seen groups ride 4 and 5 abreast even with one in the oncoming lane. This and riding even two abreast pisses riders like myself off royally, because they are so inconsiderate. Not always is it possible, because the pace of riders varies considerably, so even conscientious riders will sometimes end up two abreast while passing or being passed. But, that is only for very brief periods of time. I consider myself a conscientious rider. Mostly I ride by myself as opposed to a group, I ride near or on the white line on the right side of the road when there is no bike lanes or wide shoulders. This is dangerous to do, because you have a few inches over which you can maneuver. My experience has been for drivers to pass you within a foot or less to spare. Those who give me a little more space I greet with a wave of my hand and a mouthed word of thanks. Those who pass within a foot of me doing 55 get a glare. Since most people who rage here never ride a bike for whatever reasons, you have not idea of what the wind force of your passing too close at 55 generally creates enormous control issues and more than once I've ended up off the pavement because of this. Yes, I know you have an attitude issue with bike riders, but it is your inconsiderate behavior toward contentious riders that will make us move a foot over from the edge of the road for nothing more than safety reasons. Of course if we seek to preserve our hide, it pisses you off even more.

OK, I wear spandex. Nothing flashy, but functional. Sorry if you do not like it but I could care less what you like or don't like to see. I'm not particularly thrilled with the way some of you look or dress either. I'm out there to gain fitness and enjoyment while doing so. My health and comfort are more important to me than your opinion.

Let's face it. There are always going to be people who have an attitude problem for one reason or another. You find them on both sides of this issue. Unfortunately, some of you with a huge issue, are indiscriminate in how you react and use all kinds of lame excuses to justify your attitude. Since you wish to use inconsiderate cyclists as an example to condemn all bike riders, it would be equally dumb to condemn all drivers because a few of you are a**holes. If you see me out there, I appreciate your consideration and I'll be the first to jump to your defense when you encounter inconsiderate or flaming jerks on a bike.

BTW, I do not see a minimum speed limit posted on our roads up here, but I do see a maximum speed limit. Going too slow uphill??? Not according to the law.

Sooooo, we can just forget about the fact that motorcycles do virtually no damage to the roads, pay licensing/registration fees, but cyclists don't because......why......

Jekyll wrote: Sooooo, we can just forget about the fact that motorcycles do virtually no damage to the roads, pay licensing/registration fees, but cyclists don't because......why......

Be honest here. Motorcycles can do a hell of a lot of damage to roads. Do they routinely? I do not think so. But there are those times when the gravel flies.

As for licensing and fees, that has been kicked around before. If it is based on the same yardstick as motorized vehicles, the fees would be negligible. My bike weighs no more than 10lbs. and I'm sure I could afford to register and license it. I doubt you would get much of an argument from most adult and responsible cyclists.

If licensing happened and even if all riders rode single file and obeyed every rule of the road, I'm sure many anti-bike riders on roads will find something else to bitch about. Just saying. Oh yes, the spandex would be enough to set some off.

Most motorcyclists aren't stupid enough to make the gravel fly.

No, they don't do much damage, nor can they. The heaviest bikes are dressers and a lot of geris ride them, and soon to become geris.

Most bikes weigh much less than half the weight of a car.

Most road damage is caused by 18 wheelers.

Rockdoc- you sound like the type of road biker that I never have any problems with- on the other hand- Somthin the Dog drug in has another attitude.

While Rockdoc understands what it's like to deal with dickhead road bikers- Somthing the dog just wants to throw the new law verbage at us which gives road bikes priority. I got news for ya dog- try that attitude out on the road and I'm gonna shove a copy of that law straight up your ass after you wind up in the ditch!

Every year now for about 10 years I have more and more problems with rude road bikes on my road, and all over town. They ignore those rules you posted - and I'll be ignoring them too when you guys are. I've had more road bikes flip me off than all the road raging cars- and I'm just minding my own business and obeying the rules of the road. They seem to think they are entitled to abuse the rules.

These bikes are not commuting to work- getting kids to school- running business errands- going to see a doctor- on the way to get medicine - they are out there for recreation. You don't get priority until you pay the same taxes I do for the roads- I don't care if you also own a car- your road bike is just another vehicle in the way - and while you recreate- I have business to attend to so stay the hell out of the way.

I'd like to find one of those train horns for my subaru- anybody know where to get one?

P.S.
I didn't see a single bike on the road this morning on my way to work.

I try to treT everyone the way I'd like to br treated. I give a cyclist as much space as I safely can, i'll wait to pass until it is safe, there is nowhere I need to be so badly that I'd risk a life. If a group of cyclists are being rude and riding abreast preventing me from safely passing I'll give them a toot. I always appreciate a heads up when I'm being a jerk, so I assume they do too!

The ones on Pleasant Park road have no manners.

Most of the ones on Pleasant Park are OK. They have nowhere to go except IN the lane. Yep, there are some bad apples but IMO the drivers think bicyclists should not be on any roads and the drivers act out.

It's just that there are so many more bicyclists on the road these days.

Rockdoc Franz wrote: BTW, I do not see a minimum speed limit posted on our roads up here, but I do see a maximum speed limit. Going too slow uphill??? Not according to the law.

Having already established that cyclists need to follow motorized vehicle laws:
((1) Every person riding a bicycle shall have all of the rights and duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under this article, except as to special regulations in this article and except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Said riders shall comply with the rules set forth in this section and section 42-4-221, and, when using streets and highways within incorporated cities and towns, shall be subject to local ordinances regulating the operation of bicycles as provided in section 42-4-111. )

I would propose that there are very well defined laws regarding impeding traffic (that are completely and blatantly ignored by a vast majority of cyclists on the mountain roads)

42-4-1103. Minimum speed regulation.
(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on any highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable forward movement of traffic, except when a reduced speed is necessary for safe operation of such vehicle or in compliance with law.
(2) Whenever the department of transportation or local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine, on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation as described in the state traffic control manual, that slow speeds on any part of a highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, said department or such local authority may determine and declare a minimum speed limit below which no person shall drive a vehicle, except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.
(3) Notwithstanding any minimum speed that may be authorized and posted pursuant to this section, if any person drives a motor vehicle on a highway outside an incorporated area or on any controlled-access highway at a speed less than the normal and reasonable speed of traffic under the conditions then and there existing and by so driving at such slower speed impedes or retards the normal and reasonable movement of vehicular traffic following immediately behind, then such driver shall:
(a) Where the width of the traveled way permits, drive in the right-hand lane available to traffic or on the extreme right side of the roadway consistent with the provisions of section 42-4-1001 (2) until such impeded traffic has passed by; or
(b) Pull off the roadway at the first available place where such movement can safely and lawfully be made until such impeded traffic has passed by.
(4) Wherever special uphill traffic lanes or roadside turnouts are provided and posted, drivers of all vehicles proceeding at less than the normal and reasonable speed of traffic shall use such lanes or turnouts to allow other vehicles to pass or maintain normal traffic flow.
(5) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class A traffic infraction.