Cycling in the USA
 

This caught my eye this morning

California 3ft passing rule becomes law next week - with fines for violators | road.cc

I cycle everywhere (I work for British Cycling) and have come across a huge variety of attitudes to cyclists from both drivers and pedestrians in the UK. Where do you think has the best attitude to cyclists in the US? I've heard Portland is the most bike friendly city. Thoughts?

Must add that I have come across plenty of cyclists with bad habits and poor attitudes too.

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

Next time I'm in California I suppose I'll attach a yard stick to the right side of my car, if it hits the bicyclist I'll know I am too close.

Spent more than a few hours in Portland and yes there are more than a few riders. Attitudes toward them among motorists range from acceptance to neutral to irritation.

My gripe with them is why when they are given a 4 ft. lane must they ride on the stripe?:banghead::frown:

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

Less friction on a painted strip than on the tarmac so they go faster/use less effort but not a recommended appraoch in the wet beacuse there is......less friction!

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

Here I thought it was thumbing their nose at us.

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

well they do that too ;)

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

Certainly here in the UK lots of cyclists avoid the cycle lane as they're usually full of cr@p. Local authorities are slowly upgrading or adding cycle strategies to their local transportation plans, but we're never going to be The Netherlands.

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

I think it depends on whether you mean urban commuting or cycling for leisure. Certain cities are very bike-friendly (I've never lived in one). Other cities are not bike commuter-friendly but nevertheless have a very vibrant leisure cycling community. I used to live in middle Tennessee for example and the bike club I belonged to organised weekly rides way out into the boonies, stopping at mom and pop stores to pick up supplies. The roads out there in the middle of nowhere were in pristine condition and perfect for pounding dozens, or hundreds, of miles.

I have done much less road riding since I returned to the UK, mainly because the roads are in such appalling condition and because out in the countryside you get crap from drivers. I find country roads here so narrow and windy that a single cyclist can create a tailback of 20 or 30 vehicles in no time. A group of cyclists, especially riding two abreast, can hold up country traffic even more.

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

We live in a rural area with generally good roads, meaning very little traffic (two cars and three Amish buggies per hour would be typical...) Drivers in general are very courteous and usually give you plenty of space when they pass. Very wide hard shoulders are common on all but minor roads here, too. By contrast, in the UK with its narrower, busier roads, I notice that drivers give cycles very little safety margin when they pass. I find a lot of those UK cycle lanes worse than useless; the kind that appear and disappear every hundred yards or so.

As for US places that are good for cycling, one would be Cape Cod. It has several quite long rail trails and additional bike paths that run along (but are separate from) roads. Roads are OK for cycling too, in the ten months of the year when Cape Cod is free of holiday makers.

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

Given the generally poor quality of driving in ATL I would think you'd have to be suicidal to attempt to cycle on the roads here

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

Because the bike lanes are often full of detritus.

There are a few bike lanes around here and, on cycling with my son to school a few times, have noticed that cars have been giving a wide berth (read: completely on the wrong side of the road) which is good.

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

In the main, I'm a social cyclist not a city commuter, but I do occasionally cycle into the city centre. I find that urban drivers give me much less space than when I'm out in the Cheshire or Lancashire lanes. That said, my leg and shorts got a blue paint job from a Boxster that couldn't wait to get past me last week! 3 ft? I'm not sure he was 3cm away from me :ohmy:

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

What city are you in? (Did you know you can add some indication of where you live, in your profile? It then shows in your messages and people know where "here" is for you. ;))

Of course, to understand mine you have to speak Gaelic.

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

I thought I had added it to my profile (must have been a blonde, non save moment!). I'm in Liverpool, heading to Chicago in Jan 15

I'm guessing you're somewhere in Scotland?

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

Yes, the soggy West (just north of Glasgow, where the rain falls sidey-ways). Great place to ride mountain bikes/off-road but I no longer ride road bikes for pleasure (though I do commute sometimes). No fun when you know you are p*ssing off the queue of drivers stuck behind you.

I was just in Chicago (airport) yesterday on my way home from Austin.

Re: Cycling in the USA
 

I think the general view here is that bikes are an irritation and cyclists don't pay road tax like other road users have too.

They do have some decent bike paths or multi use trails as they call them. I can commute 12 miles from my house into work with only crossing two roads and never riding on the road. And i do manage to do that even when its 110 degrees.