On Wednesday, August 5 2009, Colorado joins 14 other states with bills which require a distance of three feet when passing a cyclist. Burt Reynolds could not be happier about gaining three feet (1 yard). The bill, 148, also gives motorists the right to safely cross the center line whilst passing cyclists…I could joke about motorists crossing the line but I won’t. Riding as far right as deemed safe is also a right of the cyclist now which means you are legally allowed to “take the lane” without impeding the flow of traffic. This is where it gets a bit grey and common sense needs to be called in.
On a four lane road with no shoulder such as Horsetooth, near College Ave, or Riverside, cyclists are allowed and encouraged, for safety sake, to ride in the right lane. I hope you’ve noticed the “share the road” signs posted in these areas. They’re there for just this purpose! On a two lane lane road with no bike lane, this also means a cyclist can ride in the lane, but it does not mean we can hold up a car from passing in a reasonable amount of time (impeding traffic)….how long is ‘ a reasonable amount of time’ you ask? As soon is it is safe for you to move over. The reason you ride in the lane is to ensure vehicles see you and make a conscious effort to pass safely. I call it a little take and give; take the lane and then give it when it’s safe. Riding in the far right or in the gutter on such roads encourages and forces drivers to violate the three foot LAW (doesn’t that have a nice ring to it?) when there is oncoming traffic or on curvy roads.
As for two a-breast riding… cyclists can ride side by side but must move to single file to allow vehicles to pass. Now I’m not saying moving to single file in the gutter – remember, the law says as far right as deemed safe by the cyclist. The moving to single file is more a means for cyclists to let vehicles know they are cognizant of them and thus expect the same in return.
What else does this bill mean for cyclists? It means that we cyclists must watch our ‘Ps and Qs’ even more so until the bill is understood and accepted by everyone. If we’re going to demand adherence to the new bill, we must also follow the rules of the road…..Three feet pertains to us as well and squeezing between cars and the gutter at intersections violates this law as well. Move in with traffic in these situations.
In related news, I came across a good idea for license plates while visiting the http://www.3feet2pass.com/ site. It’s a license plate dedicated to the three feet to pass law and a local rider’s foundation. In Tennessee they need 1000 people signed up before they will print them and donations go to http://jeffrothcyclingfoundation.org/. Might be something to check out!
Now for this week’s tip – I’d like every cyclist to learn, practice and preach the rules of the road to other cyclists. Remember – 3 feet, no gutters, right lane and single file when necessary!
That’s it for now! This weekend, forget mowing the lawn and enjoy your real back “yard”…..go ride!
Steve Lacey
tour de fat colorado state university
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: 3 feet, 3feet2pass, bicycle safety, bike safety, bike shop fort collins, bill 148, college ave, colorado, colorado safety bill 148, craigslist fort collins, fort collins, miramont fort collins, Ps and Qs, tennessee, three feet to pass, tour de fat
Are you as fit or conditioned mentally as you are physically for your next ride or race? Whether you are going on a road ride or mountain bike ride your mental attitude plays a big, more like the majority, role in your success. Notice I said success and not failure…..we might as well get on the “right” foot here. There is no place for negative thoughts before a ride or obstacle and positive ones can always be found.
Just as the laws of motion define the way things move, the way we think defines how we move. For every negative thought, there is an equal and opposite, positive thought. Think of every obstacle you encounter on your mountain bike as a chance to excel; not a chance to put a scratch on your shiny bike. Think of every piece of road as purposeful; the ones less traveled are builders of character and strength. Think of the wind as always blowing in your direction; at your back,it’s helping you along; in your face, it’s giving you a taste of what’s ahead; to the side, it’s keeping you from traffic or from the shoulder. Your bike never breaks by itself and would last years if you didn’t touch it; never blame your bike. Hills are great; if we didn’t have hills, Shimano wouldn’t be in business!
One of my favorite quotes and words I try to live by came from JFK, which I have written on my top tube by the way, “Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly”. A bit more profound than “Yes we can” because let’s face it, at times there are things that happen beyond our control and we can’t. If you have the chance to race against Lance, take it! Not because “you think you can” beat him, but because if you dare and he has a bad, albeit very bad, day you may succeed. If you go to a race and don’t win it’s not because you lost, it’s because someone else rode better than you and you had no control over that person. Likewise, pushing yourself to complete your first century or conquer an obstacle on your mountain bike takes a willingness to succeed.
I hope some of these thoughts help you get through your next ride; if they don’t, I’m positive you didn’t need them in the first place.
This week’s tip was inspired by a thorn in my tire which I was happy to remove from the street. When patching your tube, stretch the tube around your pump or other cylindrical object when scuffing it up. This allows the sandpaper to work better and provides a good base to support your tube. Don’t forget to remove the thorn from your tire before replacing your tube!
By the way…..Did you happen to see Lance lose the Giro or Team Astana win the Giro?
Have a good ride!
Brain picture by dierk schaefer
Steve Lacey
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: bicycle riding, bike shop fort collins, bontrager, burley, cervelo, competitive, electra, gary fisher, giro, jfk, Lee's Cyclery, mirraco, mountain biking, niner, orbea, patching a tube, pearl izumi, positive thinking, purposeful, road riding, shebeest, shimano, shimano bike, sidi, succeed, thorn, those who dare, thoughts, trek, tube
