Originally Posted by
Kevin666
Whoa...Step back...Who came up with the "two abreast" idea? Or did I read that wrong?
Since I've been commuting by bike, I've become a lot more sympathetic towards cyclists' right to the road. But the one that still gets me when I'm driving is the yuppie cyclists who ride next to each other and block the lane.
I find it disrespectful not only to motorists, but to other cyclists as well. As far as I know, it's always been the law as well as a courteous, safe cycling practice to ride single file, even if there are two lanes. And if they were ignoring the law before, you can bet they'll forget whether there's one lane or two when they're busy chatting.
Ironically, this is the very type of in-your-face practice by some cyclists that screams "Get that boat off the road, you gas-guzzling, global-warming redneck.", and which turns off more moderate-headed motorists. If other municipalities encourage this, I'm afraid it will aggravate existing tensions between cyclists and motorists.
Get ready to get flamed for having this point of view but I'll give it a massive +1. When riding, I try to be as courteous to drivers as humanly possible. The last thing I want is to give them a legitimate reason to NOT want to share the road with cyclists. I think the same thing as Kevin when I see cyclists riding abreast so that they can chat more comfortably while taking lanes. For the sake of the ease of your conversation you are willing to inconvenience the drivers behind you and sentence them to driving 15mph in a 40mph zone? Not fair. I expect courtesy from drivers, and at the same time, I give it.
Edit to add: BTW- I am not saying that the OP was blocking the road or being discourteous. I am simply agreeing with kevin's point about riding etiquette.