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Rules of the Road reminder

I hate to sound like a nagging schoolmarm, but it's time for a lesson on the rules of the road for bicycles in Illinois. On both of the group rides I've done in the past week, one with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society and one with Trailnet's Bicycle Fun Club, I've seen some pretty obvious violations of Illinois traffic law regarding cyclists.

That concerns me because motorists develop a bad attitude toward cyclists when we ignore the law. That was a contributing factor in the dispute between Monroe County (Ill.) residents and cyclists several years ago.

Illinois cycling law is clear on one thing: You may not ride more than two abreast on Illinois roads. You may ride three or more abreast only on bicycle paths or within bicycle lanes.

The law on riding two abreast is a little less clear. Here's what the League of Illinois Bicyclists says about the law on its card explaining Illinois bicycling laws (PDF file):

Riding 2 abreast is permitted as long as the normal and reasonable movement of traffic is not impeded.

To me, that sounds like a lot of interpretation of the law would be up to police officers, lawyers and judges. That's why I prefer playing it safe when it comes to decisions about riding two abreast. If I'm on a narrow country road or a highway with fast-moving traffic, I ride single file when vehicles are approaching.

In Illinois, generally speaking, you are required to ride as far to right as safely possible. Yet, I saw several people during both rides riding near the center of road while riding two abreast. In one case, two cyclists hogged the entire lane, forcing a passing truck to go in the passing lane. It's a good thing no car was coming from the other way, otherwise there would have been an accident or at the very least, an irritated motorist.

To Trailnet's credit, it does address most safety issues on its Trailnetiquette page. When I initially wrote this item, Trailnet had not addressed the issue of riding two abreast, but the page has been updated and includes a section about riding two abreast and riding as far to the right as safely possible. I would like Trailnet to make it clear riding three or more abreast is generally illegal on Illinois roads. I try to explain the law on the map for the Tour de Stooges. Again, I prefer a conservative interpretation.

Speaking of Trailnet, I did enjoy today's Spring Chicken Ride, which began and ended in St. Libory, Ill. Here's why:

• I got to play the Good Samaritan today. Fellow BABES ride Kathleen Michael was heading north on Illinois Route 153 north of Lively Grove when she started to feel a lump in her rear tire. She pulled over, and I stopped to see if there was something wrong. She explained the situation, and I took a look at the tire. A portion of the rear tire had popped out of the wheel. She was extremely lucky the tube didn't pop while she was riding. I deflated the tire, fitted the tire back into the wheel and put some air back in the tire. She was good to go!
• I haven't done much riding in Washington County (Ill.) but I was pleasantly surprised how good many of the county roads are. Sure, some of the township roads were a bit rough, but that's to be expected because townships in small counties have limited funds for road repairs. But many of the county roads were paved with asphalt. Lot of nice flat to mildly rolling terrain made it a good early-season ride.
• I ate lunch at Chicken's in St. Libory. I ordered a fried chicken plate with two breasts, but the waitress came out with a plate with four of them. She later checked the order, and I was right, but she let me keep all four pieces at the same price of the two-piece dinner. I appreciated her honesty, so she got a generous tip. Great fried chicken, by the way!
• The 33 miles I did today was the longest I've gone in 2005. I really need to start pounding the miles in soon.
  

Roger 0 comments 10:39 PM