Little 5 is only six weeks away. All across campus, seasoned and beginner cyclists are taking to the roads of Putnam County to prepare for the race—unless it’s raining, in which case I’ve been setting up on the stationary trainer and tearing through seasons of Deep Space 9.
As a cyclist, it is important to remember that a car will win any collision.
As a motorist, it is doubly important to remember that.
I have had generally positive experiences on the roads of Putnam County, but this past week, some cyclists reported that motorists—affectionately known as “cagers”—slowed down and yelled at cyclists in the region of Big Walnut Sports Park. The motorists wanted the cyclists to use the multi-use “People Pathway,” rather than bike on the road. These motorists were in the wrong. It is important for everyone, cyclist and motorist alike, to be aware of Indiana state laws concerning cyclists.
The most important law is Indiana State Code 9-21.11.2, which states: “A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway has all the rights and duties under this article that are applicable to a person who drives a vehicle. Except the following: (1) Special regulations of this article (2) Those provisions of this article that by their nature have no application.” This section of Indiana code goes on to define what a bicycle is, including the need for a permanent seat and a limit on passengers.
A common misconception is that cyclists cannot ride two abreast. Code 9-21.11.6 “Riding Two Abreast,” sheds some light on this topic: “A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway may not ride more than two (2) abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.” Notice the key wording of “may not ride more than two (2) abreast,” with the obvious consequence that cyclists may indeed ride two abreast. It is common courtesy for cyclists to collapse into a single-file line when being passed by cars, but it is by no means necessary.
Local ordinances can trump state law where specified—for instance, Carmel, IN specifies a three-foot “buffer zone” that cars must adhere to when passing cyclists—but Greencastle has no such laws.
I urge all users of the road to employ safe driving and cycling practices while out on the road. Cyclists, as the slower and weaker wheel-borne entity, should defer to cars when convenient, but it is not the cyclist’s job or duty to “ride on the sidewalk” or “go faster up this hill” in order to make driving an automobile slightly more convenient. While a good portion of roads are payed for by a gas tax, road maintenance also is funded by general taxation. This means that everyone—motorist, cyclist, and runner—is entitled to the use of public roads.
Safe riding!
McMurtry is a senior computer science and English literature double major from Covington, Kentucky.