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I thought this was a bike trail.... |
Comments (5)Truckee River Bike Trail in July: More Dangerous than BASE Jumping?
By Tim HausermanPublished: June 20, 2010
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The bike trail from Tahoe City to the entrance of Squaw Valley is five beautiful miles of pavement right next to the idyllic waters of the Truckee River — an off-season and early morning stretch of biker heaven, away from roads and people, peaceful, smooth, and easy. Then at midsummer, all hell breaks loose, and this patch of joy becomes a dangerous obstacle course.
Rafters plop huge inflatables onto the middle of the bike trail without even noticing that you happen to be riding where they are plopping. Girl-watchers stand in the middle of the bike line checking out the drunken female rafters yahooing on the islands in the middle of the river. Hundreds of small children on their bikes with the uncanny ability to pull a U-turn just as you attempt to pass them, and of course the prerequisite oblivious walkers strolling along four abreast, all leave the rider with the impossible question: Will they let me by on the left, right, or center? Oh, just give me a little lane, please! Then there is the newest contributor to the danger: those riding under the influence of cell phones. Just to make it more interesting, they like to talk and bike with no hands, in your lane.
How did it get this bad? Is it like this everywhere? Actually, no. Several times a year I take a ride on the American River Parkway, which follows the American River from where it meets the Sacramento River at Discovery Park in downtown Sacramento to Folsom Lake 32 miles to the east. This is a busy bike trail with commuters, runners, walkers, and tons of fast moving cyclists. But it seems to work. People understand how the trail works, and everyone seems to be able to coexist comfortably on the trail. Perhaps our dilemma in Tahoe is that many of the people on the bike trail have never been here before, or they are on the trail so rarely that they forget bike path etiquette. In an effort to save a few collarbones and make life more enjoyable for all, I offer a few tidbits to make the bike trail safer:
1) First and most importantly, this is a bike trail. People ride bikes on it on a regular basis. A bike trail is like a little road. Do you stand in the middle of a road and sightsee, or do you step off to the side? While walkers, hikers, and rollerbladers are also welcome to use the trail, they should be aware that cyclists ride here, so behave accordingly. I don’t know how many times I have passed a walker or someone standing dumbfounded in the middle of the trail who gives me an incredulous look of “Oh my God, it’s a bike!”
2) Upon entering the bike trail from the river or the road, look left and right. Do not walk directly to the porta-potty with blinders on or you will get run over or cause an accident.
3) Please, if there are more than two people walking together, do not walk abreast. Taking up the entire trail is a recipe for an accident.
4) When someone yells “on your left,” that means they are riding by you on your left. It does not mean, “jump to the left.”
5) If you decide to get off your bike to watch the rafters, please pull your bike all the way off the trail. When you start riding again, look around before re-entering the bike trail.
6) Rafters. Let me put this as politely as I can. Keep your damn rafts off the bike trail.
7) Hang up and ride. The only thing more dangerous than riding your bike while talking on the cell phone is driving while talking on the cell phone. Are you really that important that someone can’t wait to hear from you until you can pull over and stop? I think not.
8) Everyone be courteous. Bikers, let walkers know you are passing them. Fast bikers watch out for slow bikers. Everyone be aware of other users and give each other plenty of space. Then enjoy the view and jump in the river.
~ Tim Hauserman wrote the guidebook to the Tahoe Rim Trail. He dares to journey on the Truckee River bike trail on a regular basis.
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