Where does it say that if someone else is breaking the rules it's ok for you to do it? Especially when it compromises the safety of the riders around you? What other rules is it ok for you to break because, hey fuckhead, it's for time?

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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The problem is probably less exaggerated in mainland Europe where you are required by law to ride to the right on the road for cars as well as bikes. If you camp in the middle lane on the motorways in Denmark you will get a fine of 1000 DKK (~150 USD) if pulled over by the police.

In the single race in Germany where I deployed the bike bell it worked fine; it is more easily heard than yelling; everybody here knows what the ringing of a bike bell means, so less confusion; and very importantly it is much less aggressive than yelling. I will most certainly use it in races in the future as I think the weight and aero penalty is easily offset by having less frustration :)

Calm down Beavis.

I'm totally with you on this; but if you changed your post from bike LANE to bike PATH - with no cars involved - I have been riding on the left lately (generally where there are few riders but intently watching ahead for other bikers) while getting ready for IMSA ... just to get ready for the shift in proper direction.

In my experience, lots of people "obey" by moving to the left.

Hmm.. I see it differently. I do have to pass cyclists going double-wide in bike lanes, chatting. But it usually doesn't bother. In my perception bike paths and lanes are largely for commuters and recreational riders, not racers. If people want to have a chat double-wide while going 12 MPH, I'm OK with it. I look back, and pass when it's safe.

Racing is a whole other story. :)

I agree, I hate when I see people riding to the far left. If you like me don't want to be passed on the right, ride so that you can't be passed on the right.

Lol. This crossed my mind the other day. Would be great for both training and racing, mounted on the extensions. Which one of these works in the rain? I've heard some don't. https://www.mirrycle.com/incredibell-bells/

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What am I missing here? You go on a sermon about how following the law/obeying social etiquette is so important after describing how you yourself don't follow the law/obey social etiquette when you encounter someone else not following the rules, and that those rule breakers are losers for getting agro at you when you break the rules.

You seem conflicted.

I'm OK with what he describes, though it is context-dependent.

In terms of safety the most important thing is to be predictable. And starting a conversation about where other riders should be or where you should be (e.g. "on your left/right? Or please move right!" injects uncertainty into the situation. Particularly if there are headphones, etc. If there's a good speed differential than sometimes I think the most appropriate thing to do is to select an unimpeded path, and use it. I often don't try to talk at all to the person I'm passing because I don't want them to suddenly move. Sometimes if you say, "On your left" people move left. It'd be nice if the track cycling convention of yelling "Stay!" were used everywhere....

But, as I said, context-dependent. Depends on speeds, lane width, if there's a possibility of traffic coming the other direction, etc.

Exact same thing happened to me at IMC a few years back, going up the first good climb when the crowds start bunching up more. Clown in front of me was to the left of the fog line when there was plenty of open shoulder available; I waited and waited looking for space to go around on the left but at that point there was a steady stream of more overtaking riders, so I finally got fed up and passed on the right. Dude immediately yelled at me for it but before I could even get out a "Well then why the fuck don't you move over already so it wouldn't be an issue in the first place?!?" retort, I heard the marshal motor up behind us and call out a blocking infraction, so I guess they (judge and moto driver) must've seen the whole thing unfold as they approached. Ha! Justice, asshole!

If it weren't a big race, fine, but anyone saying you should just chill out and it's not a big deal for MOP AG fodder, what the hell else is the point of a race? If you want to just tour along and see the sights, that's up to you, but the rules are clear you need to get the hell out of the way. If I had some way of knowing it was only going to be a moment, OK, but after Mr Head-Up-His-Ass has failed to yield for 3-4-5 seconds, what indication do I have that it's not going to be another 5 or 10 seconds? It's like the clueless geezers on the highway that won't pull over with a line of cars stuck behind them, never mind passing several perfectly good turnouts along the way. If you wait for them to do the right thing, that could just as well be forever; if they are ignorant/inattentive enough to be blocking in the first place, what makes you think they'll suddenly become enlightened unless/until the next marshal happens to come along?

And fuck the double infraction idea, too. The second would-be infraction is only a direct reaction to the first, just like you can be excused for shooting some dipshit in self-defense when it would be 100% illegal otherwise if you weren't provoked first. Again, how long should you be expected to wait? I'm not saying 2 wrongs make a right, but the 2nd one didn't just happen in a vacuum, so there's mitigating context.

The double penalty seems stupid to me as well. There has to be somebody on here that can clarify.

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just your average age grouper . no one special . no scientific knowledge . just having fun.

+1

People are oblivious everywhere when it comes to this. Here in NYC I have to yell at people that walk down the wrong side of the sidewalk, or don't walk on the left side of the escalator, or just generally block my movement because they're not paying attention, or just don't care. Swimmers do the same in practice, pushing off doing breaststroke kick when I'm doing freestyle. I like to call it the awareness problem - people just like to stay in their own bubbles and don't pay attention (the awareness problem also applies to politics, economics,manners, basic human decency, etc but that is another discussion entirely)

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