And still none of the comments on the Apex Herald piece have been approved. Censorship at its finest.

Forwarding an Update to topic from: Dwayne Allen

Subject: Re: Apex Police Dept


Just a follow-up on the Warning from Apex Police Department topic..... I got a call from Todd Spain this morning and apparently he did an interview with NBC17 and the Apex Police Department this morning, which will be aired tonight at 7pm. I don't know how it came about, but I did ask Todd if he emphasized that The Sunday Ride from The Bicycle Chain has been working closely with the Department and he said that he did mention that and what ride leaders try to do with the groups to make the riding environment safer. I don't know how it is going to be edited....we will just have to wait and see. It DOES seem that the Apex Police Department WILL be looking out for good riding practices within the Apex town limits, but I think that is a good thing. Hopefully the constructive dialogue will continue between the Apex Police and local riders, they have done a great job since our first initial meetings. Other ride leaders might be interested in reaching out to the Department as we have found them to be very willing to help out, but a part of that is cyclists riding more responsibly.

So no mention of the cagers, then?

FYI: There are now 8 comments showing for the Apex Herald piece.

Looking at the letters and posts that I've seen from Apex residents, the primary motivation for the town's special enforcement campaign seems to be the delay that motorists experience when they're "caught" behind a group that's large (longer passing zone needed) and wide (more difficult to see if that zone is clear).

When someone asks "What are good practices for a local group ride?", I refer them to the OBC's Group Riding Techniques. Those techniques minimize motorist delay by:

• limiting the number of cyclists abreast at any one time to two (by using a rotating paceline)
• having large groups break up into packs of a dozen riders (or less).

I'm thinking about how to get more local groups to use those techniques.

Video is here:

http://wake.mync.com/site/Wake/news/...ates-cyclists/

I little irony in that story. It ended with a shot of two people riding down the sidewalk. But, I thought that one of the Apex statutes is that you cannot ride on the sidewalk. I could be wrong, I have been reading a lot of different sources on this topic...
Chris

ROFL I noticed that too...

Riding two abreast may be the reason you have a "target" on your back. Common sense would also suggest that taking a drink from a water bottle would not constitute "riding with no hands".

While I do cross red lights, after stopping completely, when no traffic is coming I do not run stop signs.

Bicyclists want all the rights and privileges of motorists yet don't seem to want to obey traffic laws. It is a frightening experience to have a car pass too closely, that is the point. Riding two abreast forces even those motorists who want to be considerate to pass closely. I have experienced the same frustration while riding. Attempting to pass slower bicyclists riding two or more abreast on narrow roads is difficult and dangerous.

Ultimately we, as riders, have to acknowledge that motorists will not respect bicyclists regardless of laws. We should ride defensively and courteously. This will go much further in removing said targets than any amount of complaining. After all bicyclists are the ones who die in the collision between bicycle and auto.

You do know that NC law does not require you to ride single file? Not sure your point about 2 abreast.

The law is, however, clear that cyclists are entitled to the lane of traffic they are occupying, and IMHO much of the time you can do it more effiiciently (taking up less distance) 2 abreast than single file.

If I'm riding single file and don't think it is safe for a car to pass me (because of oncoming traffic, blind bends, etc, then I'll be in the middle of the lane so they don't try and sneak past me too close.