UnsafeAlpine

The sheriff's attitude is pretty lousy. https://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs....TES01/80521021

dark13star

Seems like a bit of a culture clash with the Boulder neighbors.

SKYLAB

Oh geez...there are times when we ride two abreast, but thats normally when there is a big wide bike lane. It really isn't very smart to ride 2 abreast when there is no or little shoulder. I read the comments and it was the usual mix. There are just people out there that do not care for cyclists.
for a different perspective check out
https://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/
look for the entry titled "short story......"

Heyduke

Ah sheesh! I was riding through GOG here in the Springs yesterday evening and my riding partner scraped a guard rail because a car was parked in the bike lane so they could gawk at the scenery. The bike lane is very clearly marked, "NO PARKING." You think the police/law enforcement would give that motorist a ticket? I've called in enough aggressive motorists to know that at least here in Colorado Springs, it ain't gonna happen.

Just a while ago a woman (forgot her name) was struck climing Ute Pass. The police sited her while she was in the hospital receiving treatment for her injuries! (They were minor injuries thankfully.)

Riding two abreast can be dangerous or not - depending on the circumstances but ticketing cyclists for this? Come on...

Last point regarding traffic laws: If I do run a red light because there are clearly no cars coming, I'm not in danger of killing someone the way a motorist might be if they ran that read light. Same deal with stop signs. I'm not condoning breaking traffic laws; I'm just saying that the possibility of carnage from doing so is almost never going to equal that of a car.

badhat

heres his article:
https://www.co.larimer.co.us/sheriff/...ye/BullEye.htm

heres the letter i sent to the email provided on his homepage:

Quote:
As one of the thousands of residents of fort collins who live here in part
because of our community's commitment to making the roads safe and
hospitable towards bikes, your famously cavalier and condescending
attitudes about cyclists are deeply offensive and insulting to me.

the suggestion that cars need more protection from us mean arrogant cyclists
and that CYCLISTS should be more aggressively ticketed are backwards and
ignorant. Why don't you spend a week commuting on a bike in Larimer
County and take note of how often you get cut off, honked at, heckled,
yelled at, buzzed at unsafe passing distance, and verbally threatened, and
then tell me that roadies riding two abreast on rural county roads is a
legitimate law enforcement priority.

Fort Collins and Boulder routinely rank among the country's bike
friendliest towns, and your documented effort to embolden inconsiderate
and disrespectful drivers and marginalize cyclists as afterthoughts on our
country roads is unacceptable and i look foward to voting you and your
ignorant cowboy bullies out of jobs. You cold learn a lot from Boulder
County.

UnsafeAlpine

Well spoken. I'm moving back to Fort Collins in a couple months, so I should write a similar email. Also, props for the use of "embolden".

I lived in Fort Collins for quite a long time, and now I live on the western slope. You would think that a bunch of rough neck oil field workers would be more hazardous to ride around than "educated" Front Range people, but it's not the case. I've never felt as comfortable riding as I do around here. Strange, but true.

RockyMtnMerlin

i would add that you might want to send a copy of your letter to the county commissioners, the sheriff's bosses. I would be interested to hear their take on his snide post.

OOPS - read some more crap on his website and it appears that he is already in conflict with the commissioners. Looks like you are stuck with a wonderful guy (at least until the next election). Then maybe he will get voted out.

DnvrFox

In Colorado, a sheriff is independently elected and has no "boss" except the voters.

RockyMtnMerlin

Exactly - that's why I added my "oops" comment. I am not a fan of the elected sheriff system (which we also have in Wyoming).

Iowegian

Well, I'll just chime in and say that I both ride to work and drive, about 50/50 lately, and sometimes, bikers are inconsiderate. Sharing the road works both ways. Of course, in any conflict the biker always loses and that's unfair. But lots of things are unfair and many folks who are barely getting by don't understand folks on $2000 bikes out riding in the middle of the work day.

So yes, be careful. I know I am and I haven't had any problems yet with car buzzing me, throwing things, etc. When driving, I always give bikes a wide berth and am tuned in enough to know where the sand is on the corners and give even more room but I still get slightly annoyed when I need to brake since 2 guys are riding side by side and I can't pass....

ban guzzi

okay...
I read his post and unless something changed since in the meanwhile, it looks reasonable to me.

Did I miss something other than cyclists feeling entitled to riding two abreast?

UnsafeAlpine

I agree that riding two abreast and impeding traffic is something cyclists should not do, but what incensed me was his misrepresentation of cycling laws. Riding two abreast is legal when traffic is not present. He feels it's against the law to ride two abreast at any point. He also feels that riders should always ride on the shoulder or as far right as possible, not taking into account dangerous cycling conditions.

ban guzzi

ahhh...okay. Well, if you got that from his posting (I can see it either way) than yeah, he is just being an ass 'just cause'.

Slective enforcement sucks, no doubt. This looks to fall squarley in the gray area and for better or worse he upholds the law as he reads it and judges do the hair splitting.

Not a good situation for arrogant cyclists OR rodeo clowns with badges...

dark13star

What a thread this has turned into over in the road forum: https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/421234-cyclist-going-jail-no-i-d-crazy.html

Frankly, I really think it is just posturing from this guy, but I always carry some ID anyway.

badhat

i'm a very conscientious commuter, and i've had all of the treatments i described, and "get off the road" regularly. rural colorado is brimming with rednecks who love to harrass cyclists and either dont know or dont agree that we are legitimate users of the county roads.

i know that some roadies are arrogant and inconsiderate, but its a fuccin joke that the sherriff feels like they need to be a law enforcement priority, and that he's so flippant about cycling and cyclists rights.

RockyMtnMerlin

Wow. I think your take is correct.

badhat

man its hilarious to me how alpha and intense the roadies get about everything.

jesus guys

RockyMtnMerlin

^^^ Phtt...A gross over generalization.
I see there was a meeting between the two camps. Seems not much was resolved.