USF racing team bicyclists fight traffic tickets

Generations of bicyclists have been flocking to San Antonio for decades to test their mettle on the area's hilly country roads.

On Thursday, cyclists faced a traffic court judge, not a hill, after being charged in January with impeding traffic. Five members of the University of South Florida racing team who were ticketed by the Pasco County Sheriff's Office have pleaded not guilty. Instead of paying the $67.50 fine, they hired lawyer Declan Mansfield, who filed a motion to dismiss the case.

It's legal for bicyclists to ride two abreast as long as they do not impede traffic. Mansfield said the USF cyclists were not breaking the law. "We're not contesting that they were riding two abreast," he said. "But they were traveling at or near the speed limit, which is an exception to the law. They weren't impeding traffic. These guys are racers. They know how to ride in a group."

Cpl. Chad Tadlock, who wrote the tickets, said the department started cracking down after hearing numerous complaints from drivers about the cyclists who take part in the weekend morning group rides.

Sheriff's deputies recently cited another cyclist for running a stop sign.

"There's just a multitude of complaints," Tadlock said. "We were getting so many calls and walk-ins about this group in particular, we had to do something."

Tadlock said he took photos of the cyclists riding in a group of 10. "They're taking up the entire lane, and they won't let anyone pass," he said.

Mansfield said the cyclists are not required to ride single file or allow cars to pass on the roads where they were ticketed because the lanes are narrower than the standard 14 feet. "They're allowed the full use of the lane," he argued.

Mansfield said the next step is to wait for traffic court Judge Robert P. Cole's ruling on his motion to dismiss. The cyclists said they plan to see the case through to the end.