[zerodish]

I found something similar to a speed trap in Arkansas. I entered the state on highway 71 it changes into interstate 540 in Bentonville. There are no signs stating bicycles must exit and in fact I have not been able to find a single sign on an entrance ramp stating pedestrians or bicycles not allowed on 540. Here is one that states that it leads to highway 71B this is incorrect though it would be if placed on the other side of the road. http://www.flickr.com/photos/78934859@N04/8084093127/in/photostream/ a state trooper named Lingar pulled me over here and ordered me off the road. The police have not answered my email nor has the Arkansas department of transportation. A post I put on the Bella Vista topix forum asking for photos of wheel eating storm drain grates on 71 was censored. This is a good indication my activities are being monitored by the state police. This is clearly some sort of trap I have cycled in most states and this is the only state where bicycles are not allowed on the interstate and it is not marked. Some of this information was placed on http://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php that account was hacked and I had to shut it down.

[davereo]

If it would have been me catching you riding on the interstate you would have been taken in for a pyschic evaluation.

[LarryM]

Originally Posted by davereo

If it would have been me catching you riding on the interstate you would have been taken in for a pyschic evaluation.

Its not that unusual. There are a number of western states where riding the sholder of an Interstate is the only way to get somewhere. Those Interstate sections are generally marked with bikes allowed or share the road signs.

[rideSATX]

I was on one the other day. usually like 55 mph speed limit

[davereo]

I know of no highways freeways or interstates that allow bikes in the northeast. Evidently it was not allowed where the OP was riding. I dont think the State Police are really monitoring thier activity either.

Bike are allowed on rural routes like Rte 6 ect.....

[StockGuy]

Originally Posted by LarryM

Its not that unusual. There are a number of western states where riding the sholder of an Interstate is the only way to get somewhere. Those Interstate sections are generally marked with bikes allowed or share the road signs.

This is correct. I rode from Santa Barbara to San Diego CA a couple years ago and there is no way to go south of Santa Barbara except by interstate. So you ride the shoulder. Well my partner and I got pulled over by the Highway Patrol and were told we were very bad boys. Nowhere did it tell us to get off, or that bikes were not allowed. We would have been happy to get off the freeway and did at the next exit. These are things that maybe a local bike club could work on. Identify the stretches were bikers must go on the freeway and mark them accordingly and then put up a sign when you can get off and go on surface streets.

[newleaf150]

I have seen touring cyclists on I-80 in WY and read a lot of logs from others who've cycled a variety of different Interstates - usually legally, sometimes not. In WY, there are bike signs (not many, but I saw a few) both on the Interstate and on-ramps through the section where bikes are allowed.

That said, it's not unusual for police to be unaware bikes are allowed on some sections of Interstate. It's more understandable in light of the fact that cyclists really are banned from riding most Interstates - just not all of them.

When it comes to the idea of cycling on the Interstate, doing so makes good, safe sense to me, but only so long as we're talking a section without lots of on/off ramps - say, deep in the middle of nowhere in WY, NM or any number of other predominantly Western states.

Yes, you're cycling on a road where traffic is moving at 80+mph. You also have a full lane-width shoulder to let you be separate from the cars. This seems safer to me than cycling a 1/4 lane-width shoulder with 45+mph traffic, much less a shoulder-less road with that traffic speed. The dangerous part is crossing on/off ramps where you have no choice but to mingle with the high-speed traffic.

While I wouldn't seek out Interstates to cycle on, I can definitely see doing it. Indeed, the idea of cycling local non-urban Interstates scares me a whole lot less than does the thought of getting over the shoulder-free 2-lane 45mph feeder roads I'd have to use to reach the Interstate from where I live.

I'll also be the first to admit that whether it's legal or not, cycling on the Interstate is one of those subjects where the 'right' answer will vary wildly depending on who you ask Aside from the question of legality, this boils down to personal preference and perception of the source of the danger.

I see the difference in my speed vs. traffic speed as less important safety-wise than my ability to physically separate myself from the stream of higher-speed traffic. Others will, no-doubt, perceive much different safety priorities. Who is right? Depends on the specific situation.

[omnivox42]

I dont think cycling on the interstates are legal in Texas. ( I may be wrong). I have rode on a highway (highway 90) and had no issues with Johnny law. I see people biking there often. It has a HUUUGE shoulder. I think the difference is the lack of entrance/exit ramps, over passes, and 65+ mile an hour speed.

[zerodish]

OK let me give you the basics. Some time between 1851 and 1876 the Oregon territory declared all existing roads to be public land. This is a precedent law that has been adopted by other states verbatim or through case laws. There are people working on this. The county surveyor is responsible for the location of all roads in the county. Counties existed before states and county laws did not change when they joined states. Public land once it exists can never be sold back to private owners. No one can be barred from public roads for any reason nor can tolls be charged for the use of these roads. This means any interstate built over existing roads must allow pedestrians horses and wagons on those roads. Now frontage roads running along interstates are being closed to save money and the border patrol is closing them to force people through their checkpoints. These laws were in response to police misconduct led by the railroads who declared them selfs to be the law on the frontier including the first one that made it illegal for any one to charge tolls on mail carriers. Railroads bought up land through passes and defiles and charged tolls to pass through them. You should know there others on our side including farmers who have been arrested for driving a tractor form one field to the next. It is also illegal under federal law to bar access to navigable waters and the interstates are doing this so fisherman are on our side.

[carlharsch]

It varies by states. http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/faqs/answer.cfm?id=9