Not your average "cyclist killed" thread...

[FishrCutB8]

Welcome to Beaumont, Texas. I found THIS THREAD at Beginner Triathlete unnerving and disturbing. I also like that people have decided to address the issue with local police in a direct manner.

I just sent my "inquiry"...

[Mark57]

I think the law is pretty clear:

Texas - Sec. 551.103. Operation on Roadway.

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, unless :

(1) the person is passing another vehicle moving in the same direction;

(2) the person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway; or

(3) a condition on or of the roadway, including a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or surface hazard prevents the person from safely riding next to the right curb or edge of the roadway.

(4) the person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is:
(A) less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane; or
(B) too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side.

In which case the bicyclist owns the lane and does not need to ride "as far to the right as practicable" which I guess is different than how the police interpretted it in this case. They seem to think that if the conditions defined in (4) are true then bicycles lose the right to be there. The mistake the cyclists made in this case seems to be being to the right of the lane enough to allow the trucks to attempt to pass, they should have just blocked the lane until it was safe for the trucks to pass.

Wyoming statute doesn't list any exceptions, just the "as far to the right as practicable", but I and only I determine what is "practicable" in any given situation or location. If there are debris or loose gravel on the shoulder I'll ride on the white line. If I think it would be unsafe for me for a car to pass me in the right lane I will move over into the traffic lane.

[FishrCutB8]

I ride on the right side of the right lane, as there is A LOT of debris, especially in PA after winter. Drivers in this area have a generally accepting nature except when it comes to rush hour in the AM...then I have to be just a little more careful.

[Ron Rizzardi]

The jump was an interesting read. Looks like it came down to the local media misquoting or not summarizing correctly the police department spokesperson's comments.

[Lost Dog]

I'd be more interested in the laws about driving an 18 wheeler and passing. Trucks make a huge air disturbance. Likely, THEY have some rules about speed differentials when passing others.

All this being said, I tell my kids not to just follow the laws, but to assume that others aren't going to. Do what's safe. Don't just go because the sign says "walk." Don't assume that the driver knows that you have the right of way, etc.

I can't count the times when I've gotten off my bike and walked through a strange intersection or traffic hurdle, just to play it safe.

[Kaiser]

In many municipalities, it's against the law to ride on a sidewalk.

[FishrCutB8]

It is in PA

[Cynic]

I'm pretty sure it's illegal in Milwaukee also.

[Ron Rizzardi]

I'm told by a BACA co-advocate that in Little Rock it is illegal to use the road where a bicycle path is nearby according to a city ordinance - though no one has been able to cite the city ordinance that says so.

My read of the North Little Rock city code reveals no such ordinance. When I looked for a muni code that prohibited riding a bicycle on a sidewalk I could only find reference to the prohibition of riding an animal or driving a car on a sidewalk or riding in a wagon being pulled by an animal or vehicle except for purposes of where a driveway crosses the sidewalk.