More than 500 cyclists participate in Tour de Menlo

Posted by Gary
a resident of Portola Valley: Central Portola Valley
on Aug 23, 2016 at 6:40 pm

As stated in the opening paragraph, the route was well marked. I'd argue that most organized rides through town are unnecessarily overmarked by paint (Bike for Breath) or brightly colored road stickers (Tour de Menlo, and many others) that leave a long term visual impact on many of our roads. This group, and others, should take a page from the Tour de Cure organization and learn the value of temporary sandwich board signs that are put along the route and removed after the race, leaving no visual blight behind. It is unlawful to deface the surface of a public road although utility companies do it frequently as needed for public works. Bike rides are hardly in the public interest in general and should be held to a higher standard. Water based paints aren't the answer during a draught and adhesive stickers eventually contribute to roadside litter.