Common sense key on French bike trip

Having just returned from a great bike/barge trip in France, I would like to share the common-sense approach expected of and observed by bikers there.

I feel all bikers (cyclists) and drivers would benefit from these methods of handling themselves on our roads here.

When traveling in a group on the road in traffic, ride single file and spread out allowing cars to come in between the line of bikers for everyone's safety and ease of frustration for drivers. This allows drivers to progress past bikers instead of being afraid to pass.

In a town, keep line of bikers (2-25!) together single file, observing all lights, stop signs (two feet down!), and using obvious hand signals for right and left turns. Stay to right or left in the lane to which you will be turning.

Don't "blow" the stop signs or other Rules of the Road. When bikers do this, they lose the respect of car drivers and put everyone in danger. Put two feet down on the road when you stop and exaggerate your respect for drivers. They will eventually do the same for us.

We actually had a safety class the night before we headed out on our 60-mile trip to Paris. We all felt safer. There were no accidents or near misses and we all noted the respect and sincere acceptance on the road from all car drivers. We were a group of 19 cyclists. Had we not observed safety rules, it would have been chaos especially on the roundabouts.

We can take a lesson from the French to help gain the respect and acceptance of drivers here in the United States. Let's all pay it forward.

Angi Chamberlain

Lake Forest