Posted on 01/23/2007 1:20:01 PM PST by GeorgiaDawg32
With its flat surface, wide shoulders and lack of parked cars, Columns Drive near Marietta draws dozens of cyclists on a nice day, including many who use the somewhat remote road as their training track, riding lap after lap up and down the 2 1/2 mile street.
But angry residents who live along the road in upwards of million-dollar homes say the cyclists whip along the street three or more abreast, cutting off cars, robbing the roadway and scaring people even as they step out to check their mailbox.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
The guys who ride that route are the biggest scofflaws in the metro. And the "avid cyclists" - at least the ones with the spandex and the high-end bikes - are the very worst offenders. I have plenty of experience with them because they literally cross my driveway several times a week. The weekends are the worst, with 50-odd cyclists all in a bunch, but even with just 10-20 of them they are all over the road.
I wish you would send some of the "vast majority of cyclists" over here to Vinings . . . somebody is going to get killed before long unless these guys get their act together.
So it would be OK in a less expensive neighborhood?
"They'll go 30, 40, 50 miles per hour down Columns Drive."
Wow! I can make it well in to the thirty's on occasion, but 40 or 50? Must be some elite riders!
My kids and I ride the Silver Comet. It has its own set of problems -- little kids on tricycles, sharing the bike path with dogs and walkers, and of course the occasional hot dog blazing through as fast as his road bike will go. But at least we don't have to contend with cars, and the curves are mild and the visibility good because it's an old railbed.
Much better off to ride the Silver Comet than Columns Drive or Woodland Brook.
my record is 52 - hit it on a downhill here in CT this past summer! needless to say, i had to empty my spandex at the bottom...
If there is no traffic, do you think cyclists should come to a complete stop?
Cyclists don't blow through stops if they have a chance of being hit. They blow though when the road is free.
Then, let's see your license, registration, proof of insurance, and seat belt.
Teehee, those high-end bikes are so easy to spot from a distance. Just look for the spandex.
Never met a cyclist I liked. As described by others they are arrogant, obnoxious road hogs.
While I agree that the Silver Comet is OFF ROAD. I can still chose to spend my vacation money where cyclist are accepted. That leaves Atlanta off the list for now.
I've seen them blow through stop signs where the car that DOES have right of way must stop or hit someone..
lol...Who do think is more fit. A lard@ss dentist on a motorcycle or a guy who cycles hard for 5-7 hours a week and probably also lifts weights with the same enthusiasm.
Cyclists are supposed to follow the laws of the road.
Stop at stop signs. Yes, even when you don't see any other vehicles coming.
One vehicle abreast per lane.
Stay right.
And be courteous. Just because the law may happen to be on your side doesn't mean you should use it to annoy others. Courtesy saves lives.
People do need to look both ways before they step in the street, but IIRC it is the responsibility of the vehicle to ensure they don't hit pedestrians. Especially if they are not on the street, but on the shoulder.
Such things are necessary to operate a motor vehicle on the road. The fact that such things are not required for a bicycle does not confer someone operating a motor vehicle more rights to the road than someone operating a bicycle.
IMO, the reason non-riders hate bikers has little to do with traffic and much to do with dislike of folks who stay fit.
Correction to my #19 post. Georgia State law specifically permits riding two abreast as follows:
40-6-294.
(a) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, except when turning left or avoiding hazards to safe cycling, when the lane is too narrow to share safely with a motor vehicle, when traveling at the same speed as traffic, or while exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction; provided, however, that every person operating a bicycle away from the right side of the roadway shall exercise reasonable care and shall give due consideration to the other applicable rules of the road. As used in this subsection, the term "hazards to safe cycling" includes, but is not limited to, surface debris, rough pavement, drain grates which areparallel to the side of the roadway, parked or stopped vehicles, potentially opening car doors, or any other objects which threaten the safety of a person operating a bicycle.
(b) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
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