Kristi Meyer commentary: Share the road

You all see the signs around our town as well as many other towns: "Share the road." I'm a cyclist (don't hate me!) who has been riding my bike since I was a young girl. It was my freedom! My home was at the other end of town, so my bike was the way I was able to get to my friends. It was faster than walking and safer than hitching a ride. Today, I'm not so sure which of those two are safer! First, I want you to know I too am a taxpaying driver of three vehicles so I know what it's like to be on the road as a driver alongside a cyclist or multiple cyclists who disrespect the rules of the road and seem to care less that there are vehicles on the road that can do some serious damage to them should they be hit or even grazed by it. I lived on Mt. Vernon in Auburn for many years on a straightaway and saw cyclists riding three abreast when a car was behind them. That's just not cool. I've been riding the back roads of Auburn since the 80s. The vibe has definitely changed from then and now. It used to be ranchers in their trucks cruising along, giving you a nice two-finger wave as they gave you ample room on the road. Now, the back roads seem to be filled with people in a hurry, disregarding the speed limit as well as being distracted and sometimes, seemingly trying to run cyclists off the road. I've never been assaulted while on my bike (thankfully) and think it is because I try to be as courteous and respectful as possible. However, sometimes I've felt like a vehicle purposely got a little too close to me. I just hope that isn't what was really going on. However, I have been on rides when the other person, both times males, had something thrown at them from a passing vehicle for no apparent reason other than they didn't like cyclists. A lot of cyclists say they don't feel safe on the road anymore. There are a few things I've heard from people who aren't cyclists about cyclists and the way we ride. So I thought it would be nice to try and clear up a few things from both points of view, the drivers and cyclists. From the cyclist's point of view: Did you know the white line on the side of the road is called a fog line? It's meant to show drivers where the edge of the road is. Some people think it's for cyclists to ride on the right side of it. Common sense will tell us to ride on the right side of the fog line; however, sometimes it is not possible. Some examples: There isn't a shoulder to ride, there are branches sticking out, debris such as wood, trash, rocks and gravel. Then there are large cracks, bumps and holes in the road that will require us to ride on the left side of the fog line. Our tires are skinny at high pressure so they can pop easily, taking us down. This week, I was riding my mountain bike and tagged the end of a dead tree that was sticking out in the trail and down I went! Imagine a car driving by should that happen because there was no room to go around it. So know, most cyclists are considerate and are in the road because there is a reason, and you may not see it. It is also OK to cross solid yellow lines to pass a cyclist as long as you are doing it safely. Feel free to go over that line a bit when we're the only ones on the road and there isn't much shoulder. We will gladly take more than three feet distance between us. From the driver's point of view: When a car comes up behind you, please ride single file and stick to the right side of the road as best as you can. Large groups of cyclists can pose a hazard to both parties. Cyclists, please leave ample room between each other to help prevent any accidents and stay to the right side of the road. When a cyclist has a flashing taillight and/or headlight, it helps us to see you. Red lights mean stop. Stop signs mean stop, too! I believe California is talking about allowing cyclists to do a rolling stop if the intersection is empty. The bottom line is we all need to be kind, considerate and respectful of each other on and off the road. If we lived by those three words, I'll bet this column wouldn't be necessary. Your comments are always welcome. Tailwinds my friends! Kristi Meyer is a Realtor at Granite Real Estate in Auburn. She has been serving the foothills for more than 18 years. If you have questions about RE or need a Realtor, she can be contacted at text/cell 916-847-5128 or email her at ItMattersToKristi@gmail.com.