Quote Originally Posted by CorsairMac
This being said: due to the torrential rains we had while I was out of town, the bike lane in some areas is full of sand and debris and very dangerous to ride in. Several commuters have reported it to the city and as of Fri they still hadn't done anything. Due to it being so unsafe I ride in the car lane just to the left of the white line and have had several cars try to "crowd" me back into "my" lane. I'm praying that New Mexico becomes the next state to pass the 3 foot law.



You aren't kidding! I was riding up a road with one of those marked bike lanes and large portions of it were completely awash with dirt, rocks, and of course, glass. So of course I rode on the right third of the car lane. This of course precipated lots of yelling and harassment (the usual stupidity) from motorists, but overwhelmingly from those in SUV's and other gas guzzlers.

Still I find most of the time, all of the road garbage and debris finds its way to the bike lane. IMO the answer is fewer cars, much MUCH more motorist driver education, and integrating cyclists as vehicles.

I tend to hate bike paths for a variety of reasons. For one, it basically removes bikes from the roadway which is concession to motorists. Plus I hate that it reinforces the notion that bikes and cars cannot be on the same path. Finally, they are often littered with off-leash dogs, goat-heads, skateboarding teenagers. Since I ride for fun and fitness, dodging all of these things/folks isn't my cup of tea.

However, unlike car drivers, I don't yell at cyclists on bike paths! :P