Nyah

Is this the forum that someone said is defunct? I actually check this one more often than I do the General forum.

indyfabz

Sup? If it was, you managed to revive it.

At least you’re still getting the attention you need.

flangehead

I was on a jury in Texas where a young man was charged with misdemeanor assault, and we were told that knocking a hat off the head of another person is adequate evidence of assault. (We found the defendant guilty.)

I am not a lawyer (just an old person) but I've developed the impression that "assault" involves fear and "battery" involves physical injury.

If you really want an answer you should consult a lawyer in your jurisdiction. One source is Bicycle Accident Lawyers Across the US & Canada (bikelaw.com). If you do get an answer it would be good of you to share it with us.

GhostRider62

Don't know where you live, but a pack of 50 riders double paceline is generally not lawful here. I often see riders 3 and 4 up coming the other direction putting me into the gutter. Sorry, no sympathy.

I have had dozens of more serious incidents with motorists. You are overreacting.

BadGrandma

Why didn't you single file? Isn't this group experienced?

work4bike

There is no such thing as having 50 riders riding two abreast, much less single file. I've seen very large group-rides around here, especially on holidays and they take up virtually the entire road. I would love to see a video of this group.

You have to ask yourself a question, when driving have you ever got impatient with another motorist that was driving slowly or pedestrians taking their sweet time crossing the road....I think a lot of cyclists have selective memory loss with these type of encounters while driving their car.

Metieval

I quit riding with a group like yours!

I'm in the rear of like 7. A car approaches I yell car back. Nadda, no reaction from leader. several calls of "car back" was ignored. I speed up to the front. And yell in the guys ear. "CAR BACK", to which I get a shrug for a reaction.

Some riders are just jerks. Sometimes they are jerks with bicycle locks. The part that scares me the most. These people (jerks) also drive cars.

Never in my life was my ride so much more important than anyone else that I felt the need to impede traffic.

In my opinion if you've a group of 50, you need to be in pre-planned coordination with law enforcement and some form of traffic control.

jaxgtr

On my ride today, I was riding in the bike lane coming up to a traffic light planning to turn right, and there was a long line of vehicles stopped. A Ford F250 was planning on turning right and as he started to move, he rolled into the bike lane and started to squeeze me out. I slammed my hand on the side of the truck and yelled to grabbed his attention and he stopped. I continued on my way turning right, he made the turn going on his merry way and gave me proper space as I was again, in the bike lane, no harm and no foul, no assault and no battery .

livedarklions

New York has the common law definition of assault, which does incorporate threatening.

California defines assault differently, and I'm certain honking wouldn't fit the definition:

“An assault is an unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another.”

I-Like-To-Bike

50 cyclists group riding fast on a public road in a manner where it would be dangerous to slow down or pull over due to traffic conditions at best sounds like 50 cyclists riding like jackasses.

LarrySellerz

I live in the bay area and there are rides of over 100 people multiple times a week, none coordinated with law enforcement. im in a mecca.

livedarklions

You're in California. California requires that he actually try to injure you before it can be called an assault.

I think what you got there is disturbing the peace, punishable by up to 90 days in jail. "Any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise."

LarrySellerz

You can't slow down or change directions in the middle of a pack, that's rule number one. If we tried to stop and pull over as a group we would have crashed out. We try not to blow stop signs but **** happens on the fast days, its part of the sport, and its part of the reason some cars hate us. But that's no excuse for what he did.

work4bike

These very large group rides cause riders to ride in a way that is against state law, at least in the ones I've observed. I've read a lot of cycling laws, including from your state of California and I've noticed that they all, for the most part, are very similar. Like I said above, I've also seen these large group rides around here in Florida and it's somewhat common to see them blow thru stop signs and take up the entire roadway. It's simply against the law.

See below, your state laws which are very similar to my laws here in Florida and most other states.


This is the problem with Regular Joes attempting to be like the professionals. When riding a bike your first responsibility is to ride IAW the law. There is NO sport to that. I never look at my riding as sport when out on the roads. It's life and death, literally.


I'm not sure what the law is about a guy blowing his horn for 1 full minute, but it is definitely wrong to blow thru stop signs. People die doing that. Horns are just annoying.

https://www.walkuplawoffice.com/cas-...ike-laws-2018/



Various Excerpts:

veganbikes

A helmet could potentially protect your head in a crash, a horn is just annoying. If they do more than honk and get physical like most of us have said that is assault but just honking is not unless they have a really loud horn and are directing it specifically in your ears with intent to do harm.

You should really use a dictionary it could help you in these situations.

GhostRider62

I never said law enforcement coordination was necessary, did I?

The code here allows 2 abreast until a motorist arrives, then you have to ride single file but only as far right as is safe. I was implying that the group was probably 3-4 abreast, which is totally uncool with 50 riders and probably why the motor vehicle laid on the horn and one of the reasons motorists hate us, riders like you.

mstateglfr 

A full minute? Take a stop watch and really experience 1 full minute in silence. Someone held their horn down for that long? Come on.

Your threads are fun.

LarrySellerz

Yes a full minute, we were at least 50 riders and were coming up to a turn/stopsign, he was stuck behind us. He deliberately passed slowly so he could blare each and every one of us and totally own the libs, after the turn he could have accelerated away but he kept it up for another 15 seconds at least. Really interfered with us more than just honking, as the pack was broken apart after he passed, we normally stick to each others wheels because its a drop ride. We don't hog the road like some of the social club rides ive seen around here, cars only get stuck behind us on a couple roads. A guy honking his horn is normal, this guy was crazy or on drugs

LarrySellerz

We aren't trying to be professionals (though we do have a former olympian on the ride) we are just trying to race our bikes man. We only pull that on the fast days. Also check this out its radical
these guys are way crazier than us, we try to be on our best behavior and stop at stop signs M/W/F

downhillmaster

You got what you deserved.
Wannabe racers riding unsupported on public roads

GhostRider62

Now, it is clear.

david101

Do you expect motorists to call the cops after you blow a stop sign?

LarrySellerz

Blowing stop signs is not as dangerous as threatening a peloton. They aren't comparable. We are less disruptive to traffic than many club rides, the club rides clog the road and then the cars take it out on the drop ride. Not the other way around.

also y'all claiming that you can't race on public roads are being sticks in the mud and causing barriers of entry to the sport (racing.)

david101

Just sayin, if you're going to be riding that way, maybe you need to develop a thicker skin.

work4bike

People that do that type of riding (whether they're racing or not) are idiots. They stupidly think that it's ok, because they're just risking their own lives, but they're not.

I have zero problems with people risking their own lives and sometimes I even have respect for what they do; however, when someone operates in a way that risks the lives of others -- zero respect and they must be called out.

Cyclists that run stop lights/signs and do other unforeseen things can cause others to brake/swerve in a manner to cause an accident just so they can miss the idiot on a bike. I don't run lights, not because I'm afraid of getting hit, rather, I'm afraid of causing an accident.

The only good thing in all these cyclists doing stupid things, is that usually they suffer the consequences.



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