Cal's 1, RV's & bicyclists

[aerbus32]

Getting to the time of year where people are going to start asking about RV's on Highway 1 in North & Central California. Thought I'd share a conversation from last Tuesday night. After dinner in NOLA, we took a pedicab back to our hotel. Young lady pedaling it was pretty jazzed when I shared that I was an 'old dude cyclist' from So Cal. She shared that she had recently biked from Portland to San Diego via 1. She asked if it were true that she had to get off the road to allow vehicles to pass as passing motorists kept angrily yelling at her. Absolutely not. My understanding of the law is that bicyclists in Cal have the right of way & must be given a minimum of a 3' clearance when passing them. I bike a great deal, but would never on many parts of 1. Nor would I take our 37' Class A towing a Honda.

[jplante4]

It's always good to remember that right of way is something you're given, not something you take.

On that note, I will gladly give cyclists right of way as soon at I seen one of them stop of a stop sign.

Like that will ever happen. DON'T PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN!!! DON'T DO IT!!!

[TyroneandGladys]

Bmach wrote:
What a lot of people do not understand cyclists taking the lane is at times the safest thing they can do. By taking the lane you can be seen better, you stop cars from squeezing you on a tight turn. Yes I would pull over if I was causing a line of traffic. If I am slowing up a few cars so I can be safer then to bad that is my LEGAL RIGHT. The cars can wait for a short while till it is safe to pass. Talk with experienced cyclists some time and ask them about it. Also cyclists pay taxes just like everyone else. We have cars that are tax but our bikes do not damage or wear out roads or lane markers.

Your legal right yes just do not be dead right.
Going down the 101 very narrow section of the road blind turn and there was a bike in the traffic lane I could not move over because of oncoming traffic thank the good lord the brakes were good and I was not going under the speed limit.
Choice was going to be the bicyclist or my family.
And not to mention all the bicyclist that do not have flashing lights on the back of the bike wear dark clothes riding in the shadows or dark

[Billinwoodland]

pettigb wrote:
Hi,

In the event I had to "take the lane" because of a narrow bridge, for example, I looked for the next safe chance to move to the right and let faster traffic through. None of this seems complicated unless we want it to be.

RVrs are like any other group of people, lot's of differing opinions but as a general rule most are respectful from what I have seen. Bike riders are the same. I think if all bike riders moved over when they had an opportunity as you suggest above, it would foster improved relations. I work in a city that has one of the highest concentration of bike riders in the nation, and when I am at work I bike into and around town. I have also toured through multiple countries on my bike. Unfortunately, a lot of riders take a very cavalier approach to their "right" to take the entire road and don't budge when they have an opportunity. In my community we have had several fatalities on the country roads, some the fault of vehicles, some the fault of bikers, for example blowing a stop sign. My wife will not let me bike to work, which is about a 9 mile ride. Be careful out there.

[time2roll]

Bigdog wrote:
I don't mind seeing bycycles on the road. I do mind when they ride in the middle of the road and hold up traffic. I had to follow a group of them last summer along the Oregon coast at a grand speed of 5 mph with about 50-60 cars behind them They were riding two abreast and were loaded. I was third or fourth in line and a couple of folks in front of me tooted, not layed on them, their horns and a couple of the back riders held up a finger. When we finally hit the top of the hill, instead of pulling over and letting traffic go by, they hunkered down over their handle bars and bombed down the hill, then climbed up the other side w/o stopping. At the top of that hill was an Oregon state policeman pulling them all over. Don't know what happened after that, but we were finally able to get on with our trip.
I have seen a lot of courteous bikers along the road that stay to the right and stop if they're holding up traffic, BUT I have seen a bunch that are real A** holes on the road too.

This is best solution. Have your navigator call CHP with an honest description and let LEO enforce the law. Until then drive slow and safe.

[pettigb]

Hi,

I saw this thread and registered to post my (near death) experience on the 101.

A RV blew past me while we were both descending a large steep hill, passing easily closer than three feet. The resulting "air pocket" put me in a massive speed wobble that i just JUST managed to pull out of without going down. I expect the driver had no idea that he nearly sent me to the hospital or worse. I often wonder what he or she was thinking brushing past a cyclist on a steep descent at 20PMH over the speed limit.

I don't think it's particularly hard for cyclists and cars and RVs to share the road on 101, assuming basic courtesy. For most of Oregon, for example, there is a wide paved shoulder that cyclists can use.

When the shoulder is absent, there is usually ample opportunity for drivers to give three feet or more when passing.

In the event I had to "take the lane" because of a narrow bridge, for example, I looked for the next safe chance to move to the right and let faster traffic through. None of this seems complicated unless we want it to be.

Thanks for considering my viewpoint as a drop in visitor here. I had to post after seeing nearly half of the commentators above taking an inexplicable attitude that as a cyclist was "putting them in danger"(??) or showing them "disrespect"(??) they would "return the favor"? This is an insane attitude from a road user and I really hope I didn't nearly not come home to my family because a RV driver wanted to prove a point about who should be entitled to cause delays on the road. I hope this is not representative of your community.

[Jbrowland]

Are bicyclists and even motorcyclists annoying? Sure! However, it doesn't really matter how any of us FEEL about bicyclists. The law doesn't care about our feelings. In fact, our feelings can be detrimental to us in court.

In California, if any of us hits one, the fault will very likely rest with the driver and not the bicyclist in most cases. There's almost no way around it when the lawyer asks you why you didn't choose to slow down and even stop before you hit the bicyclist. So you felt like you were in danger? Then why didn't you slow down or stop? The bicyclist was hogging the road? How did that make you FEEL? Why didn't you slow down or stop? There was no room to pass them? So you saw them and then chose not to slow down or stop? Just like rear ending a car leaves the car in the rear at fault 99.9% of the time, so does hitting a bicyclist in California no matter how annoying they were to you.

And please don't tell the lawyer they were annoying you either, lol.

I do enjoy the irony of us RV'ers complaining about people holding up traffic in the right lane though. Us sloths get really annoyed by those slow turtles. 😉

[4runnerguy]

Lauren wrote:
"I will tell you that the better the cyclist, the more they seem to feel everyone else should get out of their way....."

I don't know Lauren, maybe the quote should be "the better the cyclist thinks they are, the more they seem to feel everyone should get out of their way. 😉

[Lauren]

"I will tell you that the better the cyclist, the more they seem to feel everyone else should get out of their way....."

That is very true in the Tucson area.

[aerbus32]

My purpose in posting the original was largely to throw one more reason out there as to why I personally don't think it is a good idea to be encouraging RV's on parts of Highway 1, especially during the peak vacation times. RV's hold up enough cars without throwing cyclists in the mix to hold up RV's. Cyclists are at risk. (I would have been clipped by a Class C's passenger side mirror when I was in a bike lane on a 4 lane road in Redding had I not been watching their approach in my mirror.). Motorists are at risk for a head on when either bikers or motorists fail to exercise due caution. Where I can find safe bike lanes or multiuse trails, I bike around 100 miles a week. I'm the guy that always gives pedestrians, bikers & most especially motorists, the right of way. And I give lots of thumbs ups to others who are doing the right thing. I will tell you that the better the cyclist, the more they seem to feel everyone else should get out of their way, especially other cyclists. All users of the roadways need to be courteous to all others. And sometimes that may mean avoiding a road that has the potential to be deadly. Be safe out there.

[aerbus32]

aerbus32 wrote:

Gonzo42 wrote:
I ride bicycles, motorcycles, drive cars, trucks, and RVs. I get disrespect with each group depending on which I'm using at the time. I always try to be as courteous as possible to everyone, but I never expect the same.

anyway, good luck and happy trails to you all.

While I agree that everyone needs to be courteous to everyone on the road, not long ago a driver on a backroad in the Temecula, Ca., area admitted to having essentially the aforementioned attitude after running a cyclist off the road & killing them. Law enforcement was not sympathetic.

Just reread this & realized I quoted the wrong thing. My bad!

[Billinwoodland]

OK, got it.

[Drbolasky]

Campfire Time wrote:

On the flip side as a driver I find it really annoying when bike riders assert their rights and right on not only very dangerous roads, but that interfere with traffic. Exercising a right doesn't make it right. And why pray tell, would anyone purposely put themselves in what is clearly a dangerous situation?

Well said, and very telling coming from one who also rides.

[coolbreeze01]

As a bicyclist I am aware of riders when driving and give them room.
As a driver, I think the riders hogging Hwy. 120 on the downhill from Yosemite to 395 are extremely rude.

[Bmach]

Bill did you read what I posted? No attitude at all in my post! I said I would pull over if backing up traffic, I also said if holding up a few cars for a SHORT while. Not sure what you read but what I posted was not an attitude at all just trying to explain why some cyclists do what they do.