Good luck to Mr Tarlton and all the other riders. The various incarnations of the RAAM have been one of the most wonderfully insane sporting events for years. Think about it: 20 hour days for 9+ days!

But, a technical note: California law does NOT require a foot down to complete a stop sign. The only reference to a foot down requires that a rider be on a machine where s/he CAN put a foot down when stopped. Fully stopping the wheels rotating is legally sufficient just like in a car or motorcycle. Please do stop at stop signs for all our safety but let's keep it straight

If you have a citation as to where this is specified, I would appreciate it.

A Menlo Park police officer, interrupted in the process of ticketing a cyclist on a stop light violation, told me that the foot has to come down, but that he will not ticket a cyclist who all but stops without an extended foot.

Dave, there's nothing about putting a foot down at a stop sign in the CA vehicle code. The confusion stems from a section about equipment (see section c, below). You could infer from this that one *must* stop at all traffic signals and put a foot down but that would be flawed logic. One much be *able* to put a foot down, but it doesn't necessarily follow that one must always do so.

21201. (a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it
is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one
braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(b) No person shall operate on the highway a bicycle equipped with
handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate his hands above
the level of his shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip
area.
(c) No person shall operate upon a highway a bicycle that is of a
size that prevents the operator from safely stopping the bicycle,
supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the
ground, and restarting it in a safe manner.

CCB's assertion has been confirmed by the California Highway Patrol.

Officer Art Montiel of the CHP confirmed that the vehicle code is silent on the question of a cyclist having to put his or her foot down to be legally stopped.