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You make the call
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This has happened to me once, in each of the last 2 races I did. The races were on roads with a fairly wide shoulder (4-6 ft.) I do not ride at the edge of the shoulder, but about six inches outside the white line. Shoulders tend to have more debris and the likelihood of a flat is higher. I was passed on the right by another rider. I believe I was staying to the right as I was right next to the white line and therefore the rider passing on the shoulder was not following the rules. What is staying to the right, the white line or the shoulder?

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"When I first had the opportunity to compete in triathlon, it was the chicks and their skimpy race clothing that drew me in. Everyone was so welcoming and the lifestyle so obviously narcissistic. I fed off of that vain energy. To me it is what the sport is all about."
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Re: You make the call [Matt_Mallet] [ In reply to ]
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without seeing the course its a hard call... but in general you were comitting a postion foul and they made an illegal pass

assume that the lines are there for cars not bikes in most cases. the best thing to do is to preview the course before the race noting areas like that then track down ad ask the head ref for a ruling before the race then do what he/she says

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"on your Left"
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Re: You make the call [Matt_Mallet] [ In reply to ]
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my understanding is that the course is the road and not the shoulder so you were in the right spot and whoever passed you committed the foul. i'm no official though.

brent
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Re: You make the call [Matt_Mallet] [ In reply to ]
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I agree with you. Keeping right is keeping to the right of the traffic lane not riding on the shoulder. I also agree that riding on the shoulder is a good way to get one or more flat tires. Keep right, always just to the left of the white line!

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! đŸ˜‚ '' Murphy's Law
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Re: You make the call [Matt_Mallet] [ In reply to ]
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I agree with Eric - I look at the details on the specific racecourse. Things like:

- How much traffic is on the road?
- What's the speed limit?
- Is the pavement to the right of the line very rough, braking up, or in good shape?
- How clean is it?

I've seen races where the RD has the shoulder swept the day before the race, so what was unrideable pre-race was fine on race day. I know of a couple of races that explicit say 'stay to the right of the white line' in the posted race info.

A general guideline I use is: If I'm on the white line, and the shoulder to my right is in a condition that a bike could safely pass me on the right (albeit illegally), then I'm too far left, and I should be over there. That way, the people coming up to pass me can be on the line, and not out in the middle of the car lane.
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Re: You make the call [Matt_Mallet] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:


This has happened to me once, in each of the last 2 races I did. The races were on roads with a fairly wide shoulder (4-6 ft.) I do not ride at the edge of the shoulder, but about six inches outside the white line. Shoulders tend to have more debris and the likelihood of a flat is higher. I was passed on the right by another rider. I believe I was staying to the right as I was right next to the white line and therefore the rider passing on the shoulder was not following the rules. What is staying to the right, the white line or the shoulder?


I asked the official at CalHalf this and he said that within "a foot or two" to the LEFT of the white line is considered a proper position. He didn't expect people to have to ride down on the shoulder, especially on a "one lane closed" type course. He literally said, "Don't ride down on the shoulder. It's too dangerous."

I did another race where there was a bike lane, and I think that the proper positioning was to be in the bike lane, and pass out in the car lanes.
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