PaulBarnard: Does "this" describe you? Last month on a narrow two lane highway (one lane in each direction) between Alder, Montana and Virginia City, Montana I am driving along and come upon a slow moving bicyclist that had attached to his bicycle a 5' long stick with flag attached at the end. Problem was the "stick/flag" was extending horizontally not vertically! And said stick stuck into his lane of travel at least 4 1/2'!!! Causing folks travelling in his lane (ME!) to slow down and travel in the ONCOMING lane to pass around him! WTF I said to myself as I and the car behind me went into the oncoming lane and had to slow down in a limited sight section of the road. I was miffed at this dimwit bicyclist's idiocy but went on my way. The fellow in the car behind me DID NOT! He pulled in front of the bike/bicyclist and turned his car so the "biker" had to stop! I slowed as I watched in the rear view mirror - last I saw was the fellow in the car opening his door and getting out of the car - obviously to speak with the bicyclist in question. He-he I thought. I continue on to the gunshop in Ennis, Montana do my business and start backtracking towards my home on the route I had came. Who do I come across but said idiot bicyclist and he no longer has the long stick and flag extending into the lane of travel! It MAY have been shoved up his ass - I don't know? I myself worry about bicyclist using auto lanes and not keeping up to speed or staying on the shoulder as many roads where I live have NO shoulders. Bike safe! Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
There are a lot of different angles on that. First off, it is very prickish of the cyclist to do that. While I say that, I will also say that I wouldn't pass a cyclist on that road without moving into the oncoming lane. I might if he moved to the tiny strip of pavement to the right of the fog line and I crawled past him. Montana law requires a "safe" distance in passing a cyclist. I am going to go for a minimum of 3 feet. I will most often move completely into the oncoming lane. It's really easy to do on lightly traveled rural roads like that. Some states require it. A few states require more than 3 feet. 3 feet seems to be the most common minimum established by law.
The guy that got out of his car was as big of a prick as the cyclist. What in the name of fuukk makes people comfortable getting out and taking up issues with cyclists. Those same people don't do it with motorists.
But wasn't it pretty much a non-issue for you and the other driver? That's not a high traffic road, and while it's got some curves, sight lines are generally good enough to pass a slow moving cyclist.
I like riding on roads like that. I ride in the middle of the lane. When a vehicle comes up from behind, I glance over my shoulder. I continue doing over the shoulder checks as they close the distance. I do this so that they know I know they are there. I do allow that they may be distracted morons and not notice me. The way it usually plays out is I see them start drifting over to set up to pass. As they do that, I drift to the right side of the lane to create a cushion an as a sign of courtesy. I wave as they pass at a safe distance. I was riding a road like that last year in CO. A semi was coming from both directions. I got the hell of the road. The bottom line is that I choose the strategy that my intuition and experience leads me to. I am prepared to bail hard right at any moment.
Why do I ride in the middle of the lane? There are several reasons. It makes me more visible. Motorists are much less likely to buzz pass me. As they approach, if I sense a buzz pass, I still have some real estate to move over into to create a safer distance.
That rider must have been slow as hell if you had time to go into a gun store and come back out and him still be on that less than 10 mile stretch of road.
Have you wondered what would prompt a cyclist to do something like that one did?
I think Louisiana Law requires 6’ of separation when a vehicle encounters bicyclist.
