Sunday 12/2 Ride Report

Riders present; Jerry, David, Pat, Fast Dan, Spencer, Joel (new guy), Bill.

It was an eventful ride this Sunday. Temps were in the low 30's when we rolled out under cloudy skies. We went up Lotus Grade and across Gold Hill to 49 to complete the Kelsey loop. I spent the whole day off the back so I dont have much to report from the group. Thanks for waiting for my sorry a$$. I do think that Jerry took bragging rights at the Placerville sign and Patrick got Kelsey but I dont know...

As i rolled upto the P.ville sign there was Pat on the side of the road fixing a flat. The group gathered to help any way we could including farting in his face. Sorry Pat, but not that sorry. He proceeded to discover an 2nd goat head in his tire afer the first patch. Then as he was fixing that both Dan and Joel discovered they also had been goat-headed. So four out of seven of us flatted in one spot.

Going up 193 to Kelsey Joel and I nearly had a heart attack when a Cal Trans truck snuck up behind us, lowered its plow and scraped the pavement about 15 yards back. It sounded like the world was coming to an end. Later at the bottom of Prospector there was the same truck telling Jerry that it was illegal for us to ride on the road. Jerry aka doctor transportation set the shovel prop straight.

Jerry Sent me this today as info for all you cycling lawyers.

The Vehicle Code:

21200. (a) Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division, including, but not limited to, provisions concerning driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs, and by Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000), Section 27400, Division 16.7 (commencing with Section 39000), Division 17 (commencing with Section 40000.1), and Division 18 (commencing with Section 42000), except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application

HOWEVER:
21207. (a) This chapter does not prohibit local authorities from establishing, by ordinance or resolution, bicycle lanes separated from any vehicular lanes upon highways, other than state highways as defined in Section 24 of the Streets and Highways Code and county highways established pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 1720) of Chapter 9 of Division 2 of the Streets and Highways Code.
(b) Bicycle lanes established pursuant to this section shall be constructed in compliance with Section 891 of the Streets and Highways Code.

BUT WAIT...There are no El Dorado County ordinances...

AND...
Operation on Roadway
21202. (a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.
(b) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway of a highway, which highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of that roadway as practicable.
Amended Sec. 4, Ch. 674, Stats. 1996. Effective January 1, 1997.
Relevant Links:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/tocd11c1a4.htm
http://www.cicle.org/cicle_content/pivot/entry.php?id=574
http://www.sctransit.com/bikesafe/vehiclecode.htm
I will be placing a call to a local CHP contact I have to see if anyone is actually delivering false information to Caltrans workers. I am inclined to believe that the Caltrans worker misconstrued the info as it was told to him. I didn't find a thing in the vehicle code about bicycles not being alllowed on roadways, even though I know bicycles are not permitted on sections of US 50 and I-80...
-Jerry

I always refer to this website when I have a cycling related legal question.

Thats it for the ride report. Remind me to bring my camera and I'll put some damn pictures up one of these days.