NWCC at Waller County PD

Waller County Sheriff Troy Guidry and Chief Deputy James Flynt recently welcomed board member Carl Grasshoff and myself for a substantive meeting at their office.

Primarily we spoke about the interface between cyclists and motorists in Waller County. Sheriff Guidry is very aware that not all motorists follow all laws at all times as are we aware that not all cyclists behave correctly at all times either.

We discussed how we as a club have a safety briefing before every Zube ride and how we call out riders who do not follow the appropriate rules of the road. We demonstrated how camera/light units work using my front and rear units as an example.

The sheriff told us that he wants us to report aggressive behavior from motorists and stated that video evidence would help them very much to have a “proper discussion” with errant drivers.

There has been some confusion among local residents and law enforcement regarding pace lines. We advised the sheriff that group riding entailed riders taking turns on the front of the peloton or pace line and that we instruct riders to do so quickly and safely. We took the opportunity to point out a double line is not only easier for the cyclists but also actually can be less disruptive of traffic. We said that we do ride two abreast when safe, particularly on four lane roads, but that we encourage the change at the front to happen one rider at a time so that we are not four abreast.

We also discussed the Bluebonnet Express (BBX) ride coming up on March 27th and how we will work with local law enforcement to help ensure cooperation and understanding among cyclists, riders, and Waller county residents. The sheriff and his deputy were unaware of the purchases and donations made by the club in Waller county as part of putting on the ride. They made suggestions of groups to approach for volunteers and encouraged club members to volunteer at specific local events (more to come on that).

Overall, there were a number of ideas shared to improve the interaction between cyclists and drivers and engagement with the local Waller County community

If you do have any future video evidence of driver aggression towards cyclists in the future, please provide the video clip to the club president by the link president@nwcc.bike which can also be found on the club’s website.

Be safe!

Geoff