Motorist Information

Cycling News

2023 League Cycling Instructor Seminar

Save the Date: The JRCF 2023 League Cycling Instructor Seminar at Henry Horton State Park has been scheduled for September 22-24, 2023

Registration Link: Chapel Hill TN 2023 LCI Seminar

LCI Scholarship Application for TN Residents

Request for Proposals: The JRCF 2023 Community Grants funding cycle is accepting proposals through May 31, 2023

Proposals for the 2023 Community Grants program are being accepted through May 2023. Projects that promote bicycling as a safe and health form of recreation and transportation at the grassroot community level have the highest probability of funding.

2022 Community Grants Awarded

The Jeff Roth Cycling Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the Community Challenge Grant Awards for the 2022 funding cycle

2023 Ride of Silence (5/17/23 @ 7pm)

The 2023 Ride of Silence as a "live in person event" scheduled for May 17, 2023. We will organize and ride from the Blount Co courthouse as in years past. Please arrive by 6:30 pm to get your bike ready as we will depart the parking lot precisely at 7pm with the bell-chime from the tower. Additional information can be found under the Events tab.

Smart Cycling Traffic Skills Course

The Jeff Roth Cycling Foundation is pleased to announce the return of Smart Cycling 101 instruction.

Please read full information regarding the course and registration under Events

Motorists

Traffic rules exist to improve everyone's safety and are based on collective experience.· Most crashes can be avoided if both bicyclists and motorists follow the rules of the road.  Individual drivers can make the roads safer by driving at reasonable speeds, expecting and slowing for bicyclists and pedestrians, and leaving plenty of room when passing.

When you pass a bicyclist on the street, please remember...

  • Bicyclists are, by state law, drivers of vehicles
    Bicyciists have the same rights as other vehicle drivers to be on the road
  • Giving 3 feet or more clearance is the law in Tennessee
    More clearance is needed as speed limits increase (>40 mph)
  • Bicyclists are allowed to ride as far to the left of roadside hazards as needed for safety
    If bicyclists squeeze over to the right, they endanger themselves.  They end up facing debris on the road, bad storm drain grates and other road hazards like potholes
  • Bicyclists are allowed to take the entire lane
    When the lane is too narrow for the motorist to safely pass the bicyclist within the lane while still allowing the cyclist a safe buffer distance of 3 feet or more.  This means the motorist has to wait behind for a safe chance to pass.  Remember that it is easier to pass a person on a bicycle than that same person driving an automobile.

MORE INFORMATION
Please take a look atTennessee Traffic Laws Relating to Bicycles, a Handbook for Motorists & Bicyclists .

Here is an excerpt from the Tennessee Drivers Manual Study Guide on Sharing the Road .

Other Organizations Promoting Safe Cycling

League of American Bicyclists

People for Bikes

Safe Routes

Bike Law USA