balto charlie

I think I will be on the 60 mile route. Not certain if the 26 miler coincides but will look for you guys. White Trek tandem should be easy to spot.

balto charlie

He Max: I was just going to ask where have you been. Nice report and pixs. Thanks for posting here for us dinosaurs. Really like the picture of you, bike and sunset through the trees. I always like to take a state road map when I tour just for insurance. Plus there's a bike map called Delmarva that's not too bad. Glad to see you last line.

maxine

Thanks for the recommendations, I'm really going to look into it. I'm a slow adopter of technology, not because I'm particularly gadget-averse, but just because I hate spending the time learning to use them!

I *so* feel your pain on the demoralized-at-getting-lost thing.

maxine

Glad you enjoyed them, Charlie! I always print out a few detailed maps (using either Google or Streets & Trips) of areas where it looks to me like the turns on the route are problematic/complicated, and of some of the downtown areas, but on this trip, it just seemed like the spots we had problems with were *not* the ones I had planned for! The camp store at Janes Island had a Maryland bicycle map, which I bought (though I'm positive I already have one somewhere), but it actually wasn't much help, because it didn't show a lot of detail of roads that weren't "bike routes." (And it was really stingy, in general, about anything in that part of the Shore -- I guess St. Michaels is more popular than Crisfield/Snow Hill.)

Have fun (Charlie and everyone!) at the Tour du Port. I thought about doing it this year, but I don't know . . . I like big rides (occasionally), and I like riding in cities (usually), but for some reason I'm kind of lukewarm on the combination of big urban rides. Plus I have to make some dishes for a work going-away party Monday, and of course, I'll be watching the Ravens trounce the Steelers at 1:00! I may do a hike at Patapsco early in the morning -- it looks like it's going to be a beautiful weekend, I definitely want to get outside!

NoRacer

It was a little wet out this morning.

Got a flat just before pulling up to the bike rack:

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/51108377

balto charlie

I really wanted to bike today but have to help my dear old ma

kudos NR, it was hard driving a car. They closed I-70 eastbound!

greaterbrown

I still haven't gotten my butt out into the rain yet. Definitely the fendered bike.

Yesterday was a great riding day. Rode up to Oregon Ridge on the Kogswell for the BBC ride. Steve Zeldin, the ride leader, intercepted me on the way. Figuring the group would dust me on my 32mm tires, I left early and looked in my rear view mirror all the way to the rest stop at the 28 mile point. Steve rolled up to the rest stop with Janet, Tiffany, Amy and a new BBC member, Kathy. Girl power!

I mooched off the pack for much of the second half of the ride, tucking in behind Janet or Steve. Kathy broke a derailler cable and steve helped her get into "3-speed" mode. They made it back late, but fine. Tiffany dropped behind me and out of view, Janet couldn't get clipped in at an intersection. I could hear her cursing as Amy and I climbed away from her. We made it back to Cuba and I veered off to ride back to work. Great route of Steve's. 50 mile ride plus 23.5 miles for my riding to/from the ride.

I managed to get in a good half day of work. Then, at 6pm, I hopped back on the bike for a loop around Lake Liberty in the dark giving me another 28.5 miles.
So I got in a total of 102 miles for the day. Hot damn.

NoRacer

^^^^^^^^
Good job, GB!

NoRacer

Orems Rd is flooded. This shot is just before the train bridge. I walked through it. It was too deep to bike through.

greaterbrown

Geez. that's some water. It looks like 3-4 feet based on the sign in the background. I got real soggy heading in this morning. Gotta get a new waterproof shell.

balto charlie

Not certain if this jacket will be good for riding BUT great price for eVent, hood might be in the way though and don't think it has pit zips

https://www.camp-usa.com/products/app...acket-1804.asp

NoRacer

It was only up to my crotch... maybe just a little higher. That makes it higher than the Ridley's top tube.

The Human Car

I've got a new alert up on Baltimore Spokes in reaction to Buel Young, spokesman for the Motor Vehicle Administration statements in regards to cyclists "responsibilities" as reported in the Baltimore Sun https://www.baltimorespokes.org/artic...01003220233390

balto charlie

That's pretty screwed up. I'll send emails tonight from home. Seems that Md cyclist need a local pro-bono lawyer to help with the law aspect. Do we have one?

TdP went pretty well. A few cyclist went down on some RR tracks, one needing stitches. I saw GB and fellow BBC rider Dave. I also finally met up with Ken (AKA CC-rider) a BF rider from DC. I was really tired last after many biking miles and 4 hours of directing bikers yelling watch out for the bad angled RR tracks. It's unfortunate that the tracks posed a problem for some. This is such a cool biking area. One cyclist yelled out, "Now this is a PORT ride". Looking east one sees the rusted infrastructure of Sparrows Point yet looking west the view is the harbor, Key Bridge, blue skies, Ospreys and Herons. A rather pleasant spot for marshaling.

greaterbrown

Barry, thanks for the heads up. The link to the Balt Sun is dead however. I'd like to see where it came from if you have it.

veloellen

Charlie, looked like a great turnout - any idea of the numbers? My legs were screaming coming home. Harford Road and the Alameda never seems uphill in a car. I have a bad knee and just haven't put in the miles this year. We rode with a friend who is getting back into cycling and not from Baltimore (but lives in Ell. City now) - he really enjoyed it. Much better lunch plan this time around - as wonderful as it is to have something like Chipotle for lunch, being able to hand out bags of wraps, pasta salad and a cookie was ideal.

The Human Car

Update: I got a call from John Kuo MVA Administrator he sends his apologies and they will be issuing a correction as well as putting information about how to drive safely around cyclists on the MVA web site. They will also be consulting with Peter Moe of Maryland Highway Safety Office who does a good job of presenting issues fairly.

The link to the Sun article is now corrected (Still the featured article (first one) on www.BaltimoreSpokes.org )

Good job to every one who emailed! It made a huge impression.

FWIW I looked on the MVA site https://www.mva.maryland.gov/Driver-S...le/default.htm


Highlights:
When overtaking a bicyclist, motorists must pass at a distance of three feet, with important exceptions:
* If the bicyclist fails to ride to the right,
* If the bicyclist is in a Bike Lane,
* If the bicyclist doesn't keep a steady course,
* If the roadway is not wide enough for the motorist to pass legally at a distance of three feet.

A person riding a bicycle shall ride as close to the right side of the road as practicable and safe, except when:
* Making or attempting to make a justify turn;
* Operating on a one-way street;
* Passing a stopped or slower moving vehicle;
* Avoiding pedestrians or road hazards;
* The right lane is a right turn lane; or
* Operating in a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle (TR § 21-1205)

Bicycles, motor scooters and EPAMDs are not permitted on any roads where the speed limit is more than 50 miles per hour or higher. (TR § 21-1205.1) [scooters just got dinged with being limited to roads with a speed limit of 25-30mph depending on bike and how favorably they interpret the law.]


Where there is a bike lane, a person must use those and not ride a bicycle or motor scooter in the roadway except: (TR § 21-1205.1)

* If passing safely cannot be done within the bike lane or shoulder;
* When preparing for a justify turn;
* To avoid hazards;.

It never ends, who's going to correct this stuff??

Anyway justify your turns and avoid car lanes too narrow for a bicycle.

greaterbrown

Thank you again Barry. Great read too.

maxine

I hope the Sun will print a prominent "correction" article, since those who read the article probably won't notice some later MVA announcement, but somehow I doubt it.

On a related note, I'm gearing up to work tonight on the next issue of the BBC newsletter. A BBC member, whom I won't "out" here , sent me a gushing e-mail (and voice mail!) about how I should include this "terrific" article that had been in the Sun explaining the new 3 foot law. (Even I, who am not nearly as attuned to bike advocacy stuff as I should be, had realized immediately the problems with it.) I sent a reply gently pointing out that it was actually an awful article, and linking Barry's Baltimore Spokes alert.

I'll put something in the newsletter, but certainly not that -- except maybe it would be a great recruiting tool to get more people involved in advocacy . I'll probably crib the stuff from OLC's site, if Carol is okay with that.

Okay, enough typing, I gotta get cracking on learning how to make those "justify" turns on my bike!!!!

balto charlie

@ veloellen: Didn't see the white Trek during the ride. I did see many tandems and one triple, dad with 2 kids. Sorry we didn't meet up. I forgot to look for you at the picnic but I got there a little late. I don't know the turnout numbers. I'll find out and post.

@ Barry: well done mate. Emails were sent last night.

The Human Car

I'm baby sitting the grandkid right now but if and when I get some time I'm going to but together something about what the new 3' law says and doesn't say, there is a lot of misleading summaries out there and cyclists and media need to be aware what's a good interpretation and what's a bad one. When I get it done I'll send it to Maxine.

I'll share what I have to put up with:

greaterbrown

This looks interesting. (to me, anyway)
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-and-Swap-Meet

The Human Car

My treatise on the 3' law: https://www.baltimorespokes.org/artic...01005122814769

IMHO it's rather shocking to see poor summarizes (MVA's) against the actual wording.

NoRacer

They don't have the right to twist the law and then publish mis-information about it.

@Barry,

Is there a way to turn off the daily email newsletters from Baltimore Spokes? I'm following it in near realtime through RSS feed. Also, everytime I try to change my "home page" in my account, I get an error message stating "Spam detected. Post was deleted."

greaterbrown

Barry, great job of getting to the real effect of the changes. It's difficult to know how drivers in general will respond to this.
I definitely believe that focused analysis of what's going on is important, but most drivers will have a very blunt (if any) understanding of the new law.
I am hoping that the vast majority of drivers will interpret the law in its most basic terms: cars give bikes 3ft when passing. When this applies or does not apply will likely be a long learning curve.

My commutes this week have not been significantly different, but I am getting a smidge more space during passes. Unfortunately (for me), the distance of the pass is less important than the driving speeds and driver attentiveness. I don't mind a car being a foot away from me as long as their speed is close to mine and they are as attentive to the road as I am. But hey, whatcha gonna do?

Anybody else getting a different vibe on the road during commuting?