Cyclists must follow the rules on country roads

Re Bike wars, July 21 Our concession roads were never designed for the volume of traffic they now must absorb thanks to out-of-area drivers blindly following their GPS. Add bicycles to the mix, which often travel in large groups, and there is potential for disaster.

Frankly it’s amazing there hasn’t been a major tragedy, as often I will crest a blind hill only to be met with groups travelling in the same direction, four or more wide, leaving me to slam on the brakes or veer into oncoming traffic. Even then, I still receive vulgar sign language or insults.

These roads were built to move traffic and farm equipment, not to indulge the dual-wheeled spandex-clad elite.

If there is to be a future for road cycling, it will require proponents to support opportunities to build and/or redesign appropriate infrastructure that will provide safe routes for bikers and motorized vehicles alike. Alicia Savage, Clearview, Ont. I grew up in England and rode a bike to work. The roads could just accommodate a bike and a car. The passing of a cyclist did not require one metre of clearance, which is now the law. To stay on your side of the road while passing a cyclist would have been impossible.

I drive Hwy. 26 and when I see an approaching cyclist, the cars overtaking them pull out, very often over the centre of the road into my lane! It’s a very big problem when approaching a hill, as you can not see what is coming. Maleine Fredricks, Thornbury, Ont. Would it not be safer for everyone if cyclists rode on the opposite side of the road, so they could see cars coming toward them? Lilian Hulme-Smith, Richmond Hill As someone who regularly walks the Simcoe County Loop Trail, I can attest to the arrogance of cyclists. Whether in a pack or solo, they take up the width of the paved trail. And they rarely announce their silent presence as they come up from behind causing you to startle (hopefully out of their way) as they speed by.

Speed limits, stop signs and courtesy to others using the trail are a pipe dream when the cyclists are out, especially on the weekends. Barbara Carson, Waubaushene, Ont. Good on OPP Const. John Gee.

Let me guess, a large pack of cyclists riding side by side? Maybe the Highway Traffic Act needs to be revised to compel cyclists to ride in a single row.

In our municipality, several roads have a paved shoulder. One of the purposes of this paved shoulder is so that cyclists won’t be in the driving lane. How many do I see use it? Maybe 10 per cent of them. John Maloney, Hampton, Ont. If a car driver gets ticketed for running a stop sign no one hears about it. If a cyclist does the same it warrants two pages in the Star. Thank you Const. Gee for sending the right message.

Traffic laws apply to everyone. Maurice Sacco, Toronto Don’t blame the locals. This is not a cultural thing; it’s not about “blue collar” resentment — it’s about the total disregard for the rules of the road by some cyclists. John Zvanitajs, Midhurst, Ont. Cyclists, if you want your loved ones attending a funeral, just keep going through stop signs and red lights. Mary Clarke, Marmora, Ont.