Southern California - The rights and duties of road cyclist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU4nKKq02BU

good, thank you.

Excellent, VB.

If only this was part of driver's ed.

Also needs to be a part of rider's ed....ooh...wait...:D

How about:
Required viewing at all bike shops for buyers of a bicycle and (maybe more importantly) required viewing at all X-Marts for buyers of bicycles.

^ Definitely, but now we're getting close to requiring a rider's license on the road. That leads to registered bikes and liability insurance. Wait, is that a bad thing?

^ Mmmm...not sure. We all like to loudly proclaim that a bicycle is not just a toy. But toys don't have to be registered. Vehicles do (or at least motor-vehicles).

Dan and Brian are great guys! Thanks for the find VB!!!

If anyone wants to learn these skills, the League of American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org) has a calender of classes available in your area... or you can just send a PM to the local LCI's on this forum...

LCIBrian
Extort
Madmike

^ Mmmm...not sure. We all like to loudly proclaim that a bicycle is not just a toy. But toys don't have to be registered. Vehicles do (or at least motor-vehicles).
Will it make my wife stop calling it a toy?

Dan and Brian are great guys! Thanks for the find VB!!!
I would have posted the link to the vid here, but that would have been shameless self promotion! :D

Dan is now on BF under username "CyclistLorax"

Great video but he's cycling through Santa Monica which is a biker friendly city.....compared to other areas of Los Angeles where one doesn't fare as well

pretty sure that was long beach.

I would have posted the link to the vid here, but that would have been shameless self promotion! :D

Dan is now on BF under username "CyclistLorax" I got it from Roadbikerider

Just saw it on RBR. Yes, all the video scenes are in Long Beach.

Will it make my wife stop calling it a toy?

Your wife calls it a toy? Cool.

pretty sure that was long beach.

my bad

Maybe instead of pushing for Share the Road license plates, we should push for legislation to put more bike-related questions on the drivers license test. That would force the driving instructors to spend more time on it, too.

Maybe instead of pushing for Share the Road license plates, we should push for legislation to put more bike-related questions on the drivers license test. That would force the driving instructors to spend more time on it, too.

With a buffer space law for CA, seems like that would happen. Too many cyclists and parents for it not to happen. :beer:
Its an election year. Who's your State Assembly rep and Senator?

this was posted previously elsewhere but then again it is always nice to get a different perspective on it. That would definitely be beneficial.

^ Definitely, but now we're getting close to requiring a rider's license on the road. That leads to registered bikes and liability insurance. Wait, is that a bad thing?

Just curious - what makes you say this?

As I understand it, there is absolutely no budget, staff or political will to follow through on a bicycle license program, at least not in LA county. This comes directly from Michelle Mowery of the LADOT, speaking at the last Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting.

I'm a safety guy for the Coast Guard and just forwarded this to my higher-ups as a possible training tool for our members of the Coast Guard. As gas prices creep up, I think we'll see a whole lot more people commuting by bike (I hope) and we have a lot of Coasties in places like So Cal, Portland OR and Seattle!
THanks for posting this,
Chris

Maybe instead of pushing for Share the Road license plates, we should push for legislation to put more bike-related questions on the drivers license test. That would force the driving instructors to spend more time on it, too.


+1 Great idea!!!!!

Love the video!

Remember our friends at CICLE and LACBC also offer workshops that assist cyclists to ride safely and legally in Los Angeles traffic.

It was a good video. I just wish more cyclists would actually STOP for stop signs/red lights! We would fare a lot better on the road if more actually did just that. I always stop. Its safer, and smarter.

Good video, but I'm waiting for the Vertical Bob edition with lots more climbing :thumb:!

It would probably be filmed on Angeles Crest with a special section on dealing with racing motorcycles . . . :D

Rick / OCRR

Wow, I missed some golden responses.

If you're still here Angle, I wasn't saying it was going to happen. I was just saying Mark's thought pattern was leading that way.

And 1955: :lol: :thumb:

I can tell ya this bleep wouldn't be in it http://www.socalbikeforums.com/showpost.php?p=118043&postcount=1 These guys give us all a bad name

Hi Bob,

I think I'm missing something in the post that you linked.

In a perfect world....
How many of those "motorist" behaved because they saw cameras on helmets?? or because there was more than one cyclist?
I ride alone most of the time and for many many years.... thats not how things work!!
Good luck with that!!
Please, all you folks that want bike licenses and reg's and insurance... don't speak for me or any of my friends.

Great video, horrible music.

pretty sure that was long beach.

I have to agree, it looks a lot like 2nd Street. I thought I recognized a lot of the buildings and everything.

I don't think anybody could pay me to use a left turn lane on a bike. :) Especially if the speed limit is above 25, case in point, I almost got hit by a car at a red light yesterday because the driver was speeding and probably running late. Maybe he got a ticket later, but if he went on the 405, I can rest assured he was late. :)

Most of those roads looked to have a speed limit of 25 or slower.

What if you avoid the highway on ramps and arterial/feeder roads altogether? I think I read on the forums some place that the safest way isn't necessarily the shortest way. :D

Good video. Reminds me of "Effective Cycling" John Forrester. I had a copy, but loaned it to a friend and never got it back. I learned a lot from that book.

Hi Bob,

I think I'm missing something in the post that you linked.I'm refering to the guys taking the whole lane climbing the mountain. That's so illegal,inconsiderate, selfish, and dangerous to more than just themselves.:mad:

"Taking the lane" is not illegal if done in the right situation. It may be an unwise idea in the mountain curves, but it's not illegal. Of course, the way some of those motorists drive up there, riding anywhere in the mountains may be an unwise idea :D

Here are those situations:

(a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.
(b) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway of a highway, which highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of that roadway as practicable.

And Section 21656 says that if there are 5 or more cars lined up behind, we have to utilize any traffic turn-outs in order to let traffic go by. Of course, if there are none, we don't have to use them.

I ride out into the center on Palomar sometimes to avoid the added grade on inside of the switchbacks. You can hear cars and motocycles on the switchbacks below though so it's easy to move over before they get to you.

^ Definitely, but now we're getting close to requiring a rider's license on the road. That leads to registered bikes and liability insurance. Wait, is that a bad thing?

Not a bad thing at all. As much as I'd hate to register my bikes, it would reinforce our rights to the roadway. The registration fees should be fairly low and liability should be dirt cheap. (After all, how much damage can you do on a bike? It's not like you're going to wipe out a busload of school children...)

Not a bad thing at all. As much as I'd hate to register my bikes, it would reinforce our rights to the roadway. The registration fees should be fairly low and liability should be dirt cheap. (After all, how much damage can you do on a bike? It's not like you're going to wipe out a busload of school children...)

I for one don't want anymore legislation. This government is too far up in my business as it is. I dont need them demanding anymore of my money.

What you're asking for is not going to change a thing exept that it would give LEOs another opportunity/excuse to harrass cyclists.

Education not TAXATION would reinforce our rights to the roadways.

In a perfect world....
How many of those "motorist" behaved because they saw cameras on helmets?? or because there was more than one cyclist?
I ride alone most of the time and for many many years.... thats not how things work!!
Good luck with that!!
Please, all you folks that want bike licenses and reg's and insurance... don't speak for me or any of my friends.

I usually ride alone and that's pretty much EXACTLY the way things work for me. In fact I linked that to my cycle commuting blog.

If you look at the other videos, though, the "Lane Splitting" video makes me cringe. They claim it is legal in California. I used to live there and I understand it is, kind of, and what I saw in the video, they are within what's legal, but GEEZ I wouldn't have the nerve to do that.

Bicycle license update:

In December, Police Chief William Bratton, under pressure from the Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee, placed a moratorium on enforcement of the city's bicycle license law pending its removal from the municipal code (his findings are an interesting read: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2008/08-2944_rpt_bpc_12-29-08.pdf).

Unfortunately, that little detail is not actually keeping officers from using the law to harass cyclists: http://www.westsidebikeside.com/guess-what-lapd-didnt-get-the-memo/

Not a bad thing at all. As much as I'd hate to register my bikes, it would reinforce our rights to the roadway. The registration fees should be fairly low and liability should be dirt cheap. (After all, how much damage can you do on a bike? It's not like you're going to wipe out a busload of school children...)Four bucks.

The fees required to be paid pursuant to this division are as follows:

(a) For each new bicycle license and registration certificate, the sum shall not exceed four dollars ($4) per year or any portion thereof.

(b) For each transfer of registration certificate, the sum shall not exceed two dollars ($2).

(c) For each replacement of a bicycle license or registration certificate, the sum shall not exceed two dollars ($2).

(d) For each bicycle license renewal, the sum shall not exceed two dollars ($2) per year.
I for one don't want anymore legislation. This government is too far up in my business as it is. I dont need them demanding anymore of my money.

What you're asking for is not going to change a thing exept that it would give LEOs another opportunity/excuse to harrass cyclists.

Education not TAXATION would reinforce our rights to the roadways.+1 We already have a right to the road. Motorists (and the occasional cop :() just don't know or don't recognize it.

"Taking the lane" is not illegal if done in the right situation. It may be an unwise idea in the mountain curves, but it's not illegal. Of course, the way some of those motorists drive up there, riding anywhere in the mountains may be an unwise idea :D

Here are those situations:


And Section 21656 says that if there are 5 or more cars lined up behind, we have to utilize any traffic turn-outs in order to let traffic go by. Of course, if there are none, we don't have to use them. Well I guess I can put you in the "dead right" category then Mark.:o

Bicycle license update:

In December, Police Chief William Bratton, under pressure from the Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee, placed a moratorium on enforcement of the city's bicycle license law pending its removal from the municipal code (his findings are an interesting read: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2008/08-2944_rpt_bpc_12-29-08.pdf).

Unfortunately, that little detail is not actually keeping officers from using the law to harass cyclists: http://www.westsidebikeside.com/guess-what-lapd-didnt-get-the-memo/


GGGRRR there is something seriously wrong there. Thank you for the information I was ignorant of all that.

Thank you again