Tioga Pass is open!

bob_nestor wrote:

RayUSMC wrote:

coolbreeze01 wrote:
One of my favorite drives. It would be better if the bicycles could stay to the right. Enjoy :C

I'm glad to see it open. You're right about those cyclists. They're getting more aggressive every year. Did two short taps on the horn to let them know I was coming and they deliberately moved into a 4 abreast formation instead of riding single line. Wish a cop had been around. I called it in to the local LEOs because these cyclists could have caused fatalities.

I understand your frustration with the slower moving two-wheeled vehicles, but they do "own" their space on the roadway. A lot of drivers in cars feel that both bicycles and motorcycles should ride on the shoulder so they can crowd past them on the hiway and that causes accidents, especially with motorcycles. That's also the reason you see a lot of motorcyclists "ride the center stripe" with their bikes. It forces anyone who wants to pass them to move into the next lane to do so. It isn't that the motorcyclist is being a PITA, he/she is driving assertively (not aggressively) and establishing their ownership of that section of the hiway. It may annoy you but it's really a defensive safety move on their part.

ummmmm....a motorcycle is doing the speed limit and is expected to ride in the middle of his lane....bikes are expected to ride the shoulder as they are going much slower.

Share the road is for both the motorist and the cyclist and the cyclist's dont seem to want to follow the rule. I have also reported them and was told yes they are a problem and we try but when they see us they fall into line.

"a motorcycle is doing the speed limit and is expected to ride in the middle of his lane.."
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Road-savvy motorcyclists will usually ride *between* the center line and the middle of the lane because the middle of the lane is often covered with oil and various "drippings" from four/six/eight/whatever-wheeled vehicles; a mid-lane oil slick can be a slide hazard for a motorcyclist.

Ebbetts Pass and Sonora Pass are now open as well. Pretty early for both of them.

RV daytrader wrote:
ummmmm....a motorcycle is doing the speed limit and is expected to ride in the middle of his lane....bikes are expected to ride the shoulder as they are going much slower.

And most of Tioga road has about a 2" shoulder width.
And yes I have biked from the top down into the valley :B

smkettner wrote:


And yes I have biked from the top down into the valley :B

Curious what speed you get up to?

Crazy fast at times... had to brake to avoid passing some cars.
Worst was the small expansion heaves that seemed to need a bunny-hop to avoid a blow out on the skinny tires.
Not all of it is downhill though.

Its the cyclists that ride 2-4 abreast that are the issue not single file like they are supposed to be doing.

nevadanick wrote:
Its the cyclists that ride 2-4 abreast that are the issue not single file like they are supposed to be doing.

This. I bike btw, and would really like to bike to work which is about 9 miles from home. but I just don't consider it safe. The community where I work has wonderful dedicated bike paths. Unfortunately, when some of these cyclists get on country roads, they ride side to side and hold their place. It's not unusual to read about another car vs bike accident in the local paper. And on the other end, all it takes is a moment when someone is texting while driving to take out a bike. So I drive to work and bike once I get there.