I hate to reply to the listserve like this, but i have a lot of internet issues at my bro's house in ATL, so I apologized in advance....

We ARE ALL ADULTS on these rides(A rides, Gliders, Vetmed, etc), well, atleast that was my thought; however, more often than not, I would yell out "car back", "turn left", "turn right", etc, and the riders in front of me don't communicate the information forward.  Thank you to those that do, but for the rest of you, you know who you are because I've already talked with some of you on the rides.  Funny how we don't point out debris or potholes, etc, til we have an accident on the ride, then we are more proactive for the rest of that ride, but NEVER a regular practice on ALL RIDES!!!!  WE ALL know what I am talking about.  SAFETY is top priority on my list as I have a lot of experiences riding in the back of an ambulance with accidents that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, but if you put the group at risk because of your lack of safety competency, I will be a jerk to you.  Friends don't put friends' well being at risk!!!  Thanks for reading....see ya'll on the road sometime. :)

Huan

Subject: RE: GCCMail: Gainesville cyclists made another enemy today...
Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 21:10:55 -0400
To: gccmail@xxxxxxxxxx
From: egardner@xxxxxxx

George said:   Florida Statute Title XXIII Chapter 316.6052(6).

George
 
I think George probably means title XXIII Chapter 316.2065(6), which reads:
 
 " (6) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway may not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast may not impede traffic when traveling at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing and shall ride within a single lane. "
 
What Doug seems to be describing is an inappropriate pass, into a lane of oncoming traffic, not riding three or four wide in the "single lane" as section (6) seems to be prohibiting, which is more of an "impedeing normal traffic flow" kind of statute, although a failure to follow section (6) lane protocols seems to have created the situation which prompted the rider to make the unwise pass maneuver.
 
What Tal seems to be describing is an inappropriate pass, into the oncoming traffic lane, which dangerously impeded someone in a car who was trying to pass the whole group of riders who were already impedeing traffic by clustering rather than riding, at most, two abreast or single file on the rightmost side of the road.
 
I don't know how the law was intended to be read, but the phrase "shall ride within a single lane" might reasonably have been intended to mean, "don't cross into the oncoming lane, pass other bikes only within the same single lane the bikes you are passing (or riding adjacent to) are riding in."  This interpretation would leave the oncoming traffic lane open for the bicyclists to be safely passed by cars going either direction in that other lane.
 
There seems to be a possible conflict with section (5) which says bicycles: "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", and then lists an exception " When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction."  This would seem *to me* to allow bicycles to be more than "two abreast" when one is passing another pair of bicycles, but only single file close to the edge of the road at other times, unless a pass maneuver is underway.  I don't think that the statutes, as stated, clearly condone riding "two abreast" (i.e. a double pace line) down a two-lane highway for an extended period of time, but neither do they specifically and clearly prohibit it, as I read them.
 
Usual disclaimers, I Am Not A Lawyer, etc etc.  In any event, be careful out there guys.
 
Ed
 

On 5/28/2011 7:06 PM, Gerry Bouchard wrote: 
So the cyclist was ensuring the motorists'
safety by making it that much more difficult to pass?

In my opinion, once "car back" had been called, the group needed to remain
tight to the right. This is seemingly not a shared opinion.

Gerry.




On May 28, 2011, at 5:33 PM, geocycle wrote:


Actually, the way I saw it was the motorist was trying
to pass in an area
where there was not enough visibility to see the oncoming car.

Shannon

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