Polka Dot

Here's my rant about the local drivers. I'd be glad to get your input on the matter.

Where I actually come from, there were not that many bike lanes and I was all the time training on car roads out of the town. It was more or less OK.

Now a while ago I moved to southern Germany and there is an excellent network of bike lanes, connecting all villages. Often they follow the car roads, but sometimes go directly through the fields. I find them absolutely awesome for commuting or easy weekend ride with family or friends. Yet, at the same time I don't like them for training purpose on road bike. There are usually a lot of people, riding side by side, or walking with dogs or riding with roller-blades. In addition, they often cross with other smaller trails. People here do not care about the common rules of keeping to the right or giving way. Dogs are often running free, etc. On my road bike I try to keep my speed above 30km/h and find it really hard to react to these obstacles on smaller lanes. As a result I train on car roads. Yet, since I started with road cycling here a couple of months ago, I have witnessed that more or less every week a driver has honked horn and angrily pointed at the bike lane. For instance, yesterday evening there was a totally empty road between two villages. No cars except for one coming behind me. As the woman overtook me (without signal lights) she suddenly honked the horn and yelled at me to get to the bike lane...WTF?

Another thing is that the bike lanes often lead away from the car roads and I do not really know, where I end up.

Hence my question: Do you train on car roads or bike lanes? Is there a legal claim forcing cyclists to use bike lanes when they are present? I do not mean really large roads and roads with obvious signs that prohibit cycling.

Low J.

If there's a bike lane I'd be in it....but they don't exist here so I'm always on the road. I still get cars honking at me even when I'm solo and all the way over on the shoulder. Unfortunately there will always be stupid people in cars who do not know that bikes have a right to share the road and that cars are obliged to yield to them.

sounds7

In Louisiana there is a 3 feet law. Cars must give bikers 3 feet of clearance room. I have not seen a car pulled over for disregarding this however but if there was an accident at least the local law enforcement would get their cut. By the way, if you get honked at a lot get some molded ear plugs. You can still hear the horn but it just doesn't scare the **** out of you like it did before the plugs. Oh and remember your finger jestures as you respond to said honk.

timster

Yeah, cause that's the best way to get people in cars to respect us.

/sarcasm

scirocco

I don't know. You tell us. What are the rules in the jurisdiction you are in? The road rules vary all over the world. Sometimes planners and legislators set things up to force cyclists onto paths because they think that bike-pedestrian conflict is less unsafe than bike-car conflict. A royal PITA I know but you can't fight city hall.

If that's the case where you are then it's no surprise that drivers are honking at you. Suggest you get a copy of the local rode rules and find out one way or the other.

Spire

Whether there is a law saying you are supopsed to use the bike lane. Its doesn't make it OK for people to honk and shout at you.

I'd say get a good look at the traffic laws so you know where you stand and base your position on that.