I cringe when I see it. It's Little Red Riding Hood. The 18 and 32 milers want to ride side by side so they can talk to each other. The 50 milers need to get around them. Soon, a line of century riders is also in the mess and we're riding over the yellow line. Cars are honking and we're hoping a police officer doesn't decide to drive by. According to a very unscientific poll I conducted with my non-cycling friends riding more than 2 abreast is the most annoying law broken.
“A person riding a bicycle ... on a roadway may not ride more than two abreast with another person except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.”
There are rides, like LRRH, where the 2 abreast law is almost impossible to follow for the entire ride. When you are doing one of these rides please be aware that due to differing speeds you will either be passing or be being passed. Keep a single file line to make it safe for the other riders, especially in areas where the routes merge.
Another time this law gets tweaked (for lack of a better word) is when you have finished a pull and are dropping back. When it is time for a rotation, do it quickly and with a head check first.
Another time this law gets tweaked (for lack of a better word) is when you have finished a pull and are dropping back. When it is time for a rotation, do it quickly and with a head check first.
Although riding 2 abreast is the law, when riding in a high traffic area or on a road with no shoulder, single file is the way to go.
Remember we share the road with cars. Taking up an entire lane so you can visit is not only poor cycling etiquette, but dangerous, and also illegal.