Even to the untutored eye, it's obvious that recreational bicycling has exploded in the Wood River Valley.
Why not? This is a cycling-friendly area, laced with bike paths and mountain trails suited for the vacationing cyclist who simply enjoys the outdoors at a relaxed pace as well as more experienced and adventurous cyclists astride the most expensive, many-geared racing bikes.
However, with this freedom, cyclists who share paths and roadways with others owe them safe, courteous behavior that doesn't interfere with their rights and physical well-being.
Too many examples are evident of cyclist recklessness and discourtesy—running stop signs, riding in crosswalks, riding and turning against traffic, speeding on paths where leisurely hikers are walking, failing to yield the right of way.
In these, injuries or worse lurk.
During the Labor Day holiday, the city of Sun Valley plans to patrol its lengthy, winding bike path system to enforce its trail ordinance that covers cyclist conduct to prevent mishaps growing out of cyclists' discourteous behavior. That could be the beginning of something bigger.
With the explosive growth of cycling, communities up and down the valley as well as Blaine County should put their heads together and develop a cycling education program with omnipresent reminders of rules of the road and paths that must be observed and obeyed.
To give it meaning, communities should ticket cyclists who disregard rules of the road and present risks to others.
The key to continuing to make this a cyclist-friendly community is to provide a safe and courteous recreational environment for riders as well as pedestrians and vehicles that share the same space.
