Every so many miles, while riding around Randolph County, North Carolina, I see another of these signs.  They remind everyone to share the road.  Well, they don’t have to remind bicycle riders to share the road because most everyone else is so much bigger and faster than we are that we don’t have a choice.  We have to share the road.  It’s the cars, SUVs, and trucks that need to be reminded to share the road.  It is an enlightened legislature that realizes this and allocates money for the signs.  Good for them.

    Now, if this was the extent of what the legislature had done, I would be impressed.  In fact, when I first came to the area, as I drove a rental truck filled with bicycles and the tools to build them with, I thought, “This is impressive.  This state legislature is enlightened.”  I wondered if the drivers are also enlightened.  

    I didn’t really expect more than the pleasant surprise the signs gave me, but I found even more evidence of enlightenment.  Riding bicycles is my favorite way to transport myself on land.  On water, big bodies, I like sailboats -- schooners particularly -- and on small bodies of water, I like rowboats and canoes.  I used to like to fly, but homeland security has taken all the fun out of that.  But, on land, I like bicycles followed by walking.  I do, however, drive cars and occasionally trucks.  For twenty years, I was a motorcycle maniac, but I pretty much haven’t ridden a motorcycle for almost 13 years now -- time gets away from from a guy.  Anyway, since i do drive a car, I need a North Carolina driver’s license and while prepping for that license, I found more evidence of legislative enlightenment.

    Listen to some of what I found in the rules of the road pamphlet:  

    “Bicycle riding is an important means of transportation. . .”

    “Bicycles usually ride on the right side of the lane, but are entitled to the use of a full lane.”

    Whoa!  Did you get that?  Bicycles are entitled to the use of the full lane.  Lots of state, I thought it was all of them, say that a bicyclist has to ride as far to the rights as practical.  In lots of places, a bicycle rider can be cited for riding out in the lane with the other traffic.  Not in North Carolina.  Here, because of an enlightened legislature, we are entitled to use the full lane.

    There’s more on that: “A bicyclist staying to the right in their lane is accommodating the following drivers by making it easier to see when it is safe to pass, and easier to execute the pass.  Drivers wishing to pass a bicyclist may do so only when there is abundant clearance and no oncoming traffic in in the opposing lane.  When passing a bicyclist, always remember the bicyclist is entitled to the use of the full lane.”

    There is another section in the Driver’s Handbook that warns that “Bicyclists can be expected on all roads . . . Avoid the Left Cross, Drive Out, and Right Hook types of potential collisions shown below.”  When you look below, there are three diagrams that explain what these horrible driver mistakes are and, thus, how to avoid them.  Wow, I am so excited.

    I took off this morning and rode about 75 miles of bicycle routes today and I could see how they can easily be linked together.  Not only that, but they did a good job selecting roads.  There were some busier sections and these were marked on the map and there were lots and lots of quiet roads through scenic country.  They even excited me by telling me that as I went south, I would find more and bigger hills.

    While I was out riding, I saw some marks on the road for the Rambling in Randolph County bicycle rides coming up this weekend.  There are 25, 50, and 100 mile options.  And do you know who the sponsor is?  Randolph County Parks and Recreation!

    So far that’s what I’ve found about our enlightened legislature.  I can’t wait to find out if there are more pleasant surprises in store for me, but I am already very excited.  Oh, and did I tell you?  The roads are mostly in very good condition.  How about that?

    Addendum: When I took my driver’s license test, there was a question, “If you come up behind a bicyclist on a two lane road and there is oncoming traffic in the other lane, what should you do?”  The correct answer is that you should wait until the other traffic has passed and then pass the bicyclist when the other lane is clear.