Road or Sidewalk?

K-Man

I had my first encounter with a jerk with an automobile the
other day. I was riding on the main 4-lane road going
through town, as far to the right as I could without going
into the gutter, when from behind me I hear the belligerent
shout of "Get off the road!" I look back to see a college
punk in a black SUV. The traffic was light, and he had
plenty of room to pass me. I just ignored him and biked on.

But the incident brought to mind a question. I'm a fairly
new cyclist, having gotten my bike for Christmas last year.
I've learned all the rules of riding on the road and sharing
the road with cars, and I follow those rules religiously.
I've never had a problem with a motorist until the above
mentioned incident. I see lot of cyclists riding on that
same road, and I also see a lot of cyclists riding on the
sidewalks paralleling that road.

My question is, should I be riding on the road when
sidewalks are available? I prefer riding on the road, and
the sidewalks, while not crammed with pedestrians, are never
free of them either. What are ya'lls thoughts? TIA!

Ken

CapeCodCyclist

My question is, should I be riding on the road when
sidewalks are available? I prefer riding on the road, and
the sidewalks, while not crammed with pedestrians, are never
free of them either. What are ya'lls thoughts? TIA!

Ken [/B][/QUOTE]

As cyclists we have every right to the road that motorized vehicles do. Unfortunately, we sometimes have run ins with the occasional ignorant driver that disregards this fact. Most sidewalks are actually dangerous to us as cyclists. When a sidewalk crosses driveways and side roads, for example, there is a far greater chance of the cyclist not being seen by motorists. There are instances such as crossing bridges and along some narrow highways that the sidewalk may be safer (and may be mandated by law). In these instances, especially when intersected by side roads it is safer to walk your bike than ride it on the sidewalk. There are also cities, towns, and states that strictly prohibit bicyclists from sidewalks (often a fineable offense). So, in my humble opinion... stay on the road whenever possible.
www.capecodcyclist.8k.com

S O R N I

K-Man wrote:
> I had my first encounter with a jerk with an automobile
> the other day. I was riding on the main 4-lane road going
> through town, as far to the right as I could without going
> into the gutter, when from behind me I hear the
> belligerent shout of "Get off the road!" I look back to
> see a college punk in a black SUV. The traffic was light,
> and he had plenty of room to pass me. I just ignored him
> and biked on.
>
> But the incident brought to mind a question. I'm a fairly
> new cyclist, having gotten my bike for Christmas last
> year. I've learned all the rules of riding on the road and
> sharing the road with cars, and I follow those rules
> religiously. I've never had a problem with a motorist
> until the above mentioned incident. I see lot of cyclists
> riding on that same road, and I also see a lot of cyclists
> riding on the sidewalks paralleling that road.
>
> My question is, should I be riding on the road when
> sidewalks are available? I prefer riding on the road, and
> the sidewalks, while not crammed with pedestrians, are
> never free of them either. What are ya'lls thoughts? TIA!

My thought? Don't let one idiot influence your
safety/enjoyment of riding. (Don't cower over by the gutter,
either; you're entitiled to the right-side portion of the
lane, and sometimes the whole damned thing.)

A bicycle is a vehicle that belongs on the road (or a
trail), NOT the sidewalk.

Bill "cautious yet assertive" S.

Loki

"K-Man" <k-man@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:k-man-7D5116.11095909062004@news.supernews.com...
> I had my first encounter with a jerk with an automobile
> the other day. I was riding on the main 4-lane road going
> through town,

I'll let others deal with the 'should I take the sidewalk?'
part as I'm sure many are eager to.

My 2 cents worth regarding the 'as far to the right as I
could without going into the gutter' part: It may seem counter-
intuitive, and most jurisdictions laws are worded in the
manner of: 'cyclists should stay as far to the right as is
_practical_ or _reasonable_' or some other qualifying words
BUT: sometimes that merely encourages auto-addicts to crowd
you off the road. Some motorcyclist acquaintances of mine
claim similar experiences especially wrt to cars passing
them without moving fully into the other lane. They say
eventually they get crowded right off the roadway.
Consequently they ride near to the centre line to force
autos to fully take the other lane to pass.

As cyclist you should consider whether the conditions merit
'taking the lane' for your own safety - Both to be more
visible, and less likely to be crowded off.

As I said; my 2 Canuckian cents worth.

--
Ricky: 'What's an aptitude test?' Lahey: 'A suitability
test, Ricky' Ricky: 'I'll wear a suit if I have to'

David Kerber

In article <k-man-7D5116.11095909062004@news.supernews.com>,
k- man@nospam.com says...
> I had my first encounter with a jerk with an automobile
> the other day. I was riding on the main 4-lane road going
> through town, as far to the right as I could without going
> into the gutter, when from behind me I hear the
> belligerent shout of "Get off the road!" I look back to
> see a college punk in a black SUV. The traffic was light,
> and he had plenty of room to pass me. I just ignored him
> and biked on.
>
> But the incident brought to mind a question. I'm a fairly
> new cyclist, having gotten my bike for Christmas last
> year. I've learned all the rules of riding on the road and
> sharing the road with cars, and I follow those rules
> religiously. I've never had a problem with a motorist
> until the above mentioned incident. I see lot of cyclists
> riding on that same road, and I also see a lot of cyclists
> riding on the sidewalks paralleling that road.
>
> My question is, should I be riding on the road when
> sidewalks are available? I prefer riding on the road, and
> the sidewalks, while not crammed with pedestrians, are
> never free of them either. What are ya'lls thoughts? TIA!

Pedestrians are generally much less predictable than drivers
and their vehicles, so from the way you describe it, you
will probably be safer on the road. Also, drivers don't
expect fast-moving vehicles on the sidewalk when they are
coming out of side streets and driveways, and will likely
pull out in front of you. Now if there were no shoulder and
bumper-to-bumper traffic in both lanes so that you don't
have any room to ride, it might be a different matter, but
bikes usually are safer on the road than on the sidewalk.

You really have to use your judgement for any given
situation.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

Dan Daniel

On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 11:09:59 -0400, K-Man <k-man@nospam.com> wrote:

>
>My question is, should I be riding on the road when
>sidewalks are available? I prefer riding on the road, and
>the sidewalks, while not crammed with pedestrians, are
>never free of them either. What are ya'lls thoughts? TIA!
>
>Ken

Here are a few links, and I'm sure others will post much
better ones. Educate yourself as to your rights and
responsibilities. Don't let one misinformed kid stop you
from using the roads.

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/index.htm

http://www.sfbike.org/download/reso...torists-STR.pdf

California laws regarding bicycles and roadways- most states
should have similar laws, but check...

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-
bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=21001-
22000&file=21200-21212

Maxo

On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 15:26:19 +0000, loki wrote:

> Some motorcyclist acquaintances of mine claim similar
> experiences especially wrt to cars passing them without
> moving fully into the other lane. They say eventually they
> get crowded right off the roadway. Consequently they ride
> near to the centre line to force autos to fully take the
> other lane to pass.

The motorcyclist way of treating the lane as being three--
the middle being "verboten" because of the oil drippage--
works great around here in Nashville, where folks often
refuse to acknowledge a bike as a vehicle
[vs. a toy] I occupy the right side of the lane in the city
here and have have much better interaction with traffic
because of it. I also make sure to smile at folks and
wink at the cute ladies... Sometimes I'll ride far far
right when I know somebody really has to pass and the
going's tight, but for the most part "occupying" the
lane when I'm going withing 5-10mph of traffic calms
people that feel this burning desire to pass otherwise--
even if it's not going to really be in anybody's best
interest--since they simply can't.

The classic "pass" around here is the guy that MUST get past
you because you are a cyclist (!), then slows down and cuts
you off making a right turn. [slaps forehead and says
duh...] I get a couple of these per day even with my
"assertive" style.

Oh well.

Terry Morse

K-Man wrote:

> My question is, should I be riding on the road when
> sidewalks are available? I prefer riding on the road, and
> the sidewalks, while not crammed with pedestrians, are
> never free of them either. What are ya'lls thoughts?

Sidewalk riding is a no-no in virtually all situations.
Here's John Forester's ("Effective Cycling" author's)
recommendations:

http://kba.tripod.com/ecbasic.htm

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

Badger_south

On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 15:27:42 GMT, maxo <maxo@NOSPAMhome.se> wrote:

>Oh, and I hate to mention this, but over 25% of cyclists
>around here do it (!) so, make sure you're riding on the
>correct side of the road--with traffic. ;D
>
>Happy travels!

Ya know, I intend to follow all the rules and regs and be a
responsible rider, but mebbe b/c I'm new to road riding - I
find myself violating the rules fairly frequently, all the
while going 'wtf are you doing!'.

I think it's a fear factor thing.

We have a couple scary intersections with like five lanes
leading into it, all going different directions. I try to
wait for the light, but worry about having to de-toeclip,
and stuff, so I end up seeing a 'prime time' opening and
jetting through it.

I hope it's a passing thing. Gotta practice that track
standing more...

Maybe it's the slight anoxia - leading to questionable
judgement.

Am I the only one who does this, almost involuntarily - spur
of the moment? Yikes!

-B

Matt O'Toole

K-Man wrote:

> My question is, should I be riding on the road when
> sidewalks are available? I prefer riding on the road, and
> the sidewalks, while not crammed with pedestrians, are
> never free of them either. What are ya'lls thoughts? TIA!

Read:

http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm

Matt O.

Loki

"maxo" <maxo@NOSPAMhome.se> wrote in message
newsan.2004.06.09.15.39.31.794416@NOSPAMhome.se...
> On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 15:26:19 +0000, loki wrote:
>
> > Some motorcyclist acquaintances of mine claim similar
> > experiences especially wrt to cars passing them
> > without moving fully into the other lane. They say
> > eventually they get crowded right off the roadway.
> > Consequently they ride near to the centre line to
> > force autos to fully
take
> > the other lane to pass.
>
> The motorcyclist way of treating the lane as being three--
> the middle being "verboten" because of the oil drippage--
> works great around here in Nashville, where folks often
> refuse to acknowledge a bike as a vehicle
> [vs. a toy] I occupy the right side of the lane in the
> city here and have have much better interaction with
> traffic because of it.

In the discussion with the motorcyclists the circumstance
was highway driving. I'm not sure they felt the same way
about city driving.

--
Fiona: 'What kind of knight are you?!?!' Shrek: 'One
of a kind.'

Drew Eckhardt

In article <k-man-7D5116.11095909062004@news.supernews.com>,
K-Man <k-man@nospam.com> wrote:
>My question is, should I be riding on the road when
>sidewalks are available?

Side walks and separated paths are much more dangerous than
riding on the road. While cars crossing them usually look
for traffic on the road, they're often completely oblivious
to whatever isn't on the main road.

--
<a href="http://www.poohsticks.org/drew/">Home Page</a

Drs

"loki" <nolookee@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:QNGxc.241$5bq.117@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com
> "maxo" <maxo@NOSPAMhome.se> wrote in message
> newsan.2004.06.09.15.39.31.794416@NOSPAMhome.se...
>> On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 15:26:19 +0000, loki wrote:
>>
>>> Some motorcyclist acquaintances of mine claim similar
>>> experiences especially wrt to cars passing them without
>>> moving fully into the other lane. They say eventually
>>> they get crowded right off the roadway. Consequently
>>> they ride near to the centre line to force autos to
>>> fully take the other lane to pass.
>>
>> The motorcyclist way of treating the lane as being three--
>> the middle being "verboten" because of the oil drippage--
>> works great around here in Nashville, where folks
>> often refuse to acknowledge a bike as a vehicle [vs. a
>> toy] I occupy the right side of the lane in the city
>> here and have have much better interaction with
>> traffic because of it.
>
> In the discussion with the motorcyclists the circumstance
> was highway driving. I'm not sure they felt the same way
> about city driving.

Regardless, motorcyclists should be riding in the driver's
wheeltrack, which in the US is the left side of the lane,
because that's the most visible position to the driver in
front's rear-view mirror and wing mirror. The centre of
the lane is safe enough on the highway, it's at
intersections you get the big oil buildups in the centre
of the lane. The gutterside of the lane is a no-no
whichever way you look at it, it collects all the crap and
is the least visible position.

--

A: Top-posters.
B: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

Alex Colvin

>> My question is, should I be riding on the road when
>> sidewalks are available?

it's generally illegal for cyclists to ride on the sidewalk,
although there are usually exceptions for children.

--
mac the naïf