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Sidewalks

6K views 32 replies 19 participants last post by  Chris516 
#1 ·
Does everyone here typically ride on sidewalks when bicycling or do you just bike on the road with the cars and obey the traffic laws?
 
#3 ·
on the road and obeying the laws. 15+ mph on a sidewalk is asking for flat tires, messed up wheels, and a really good chance at going over the handlebars. While riding on sidewalks you are a danger to pedestrians, plus drivers are less likely to notice cyclists on sidewalks which makes intersections and driveways extremely dangerous.
 
#11 ·
No sidewalks ever. Too much chance of getting clipped by a car popping out of a driveway. Being in the road (when there is a sidewalk) gives you a split second longer to react to cars coming out of their driveways. Besides, I would not want to (in any way) mess up a pedestrian in a sidewalk with my bike. That wouldn't be good for the ped or for me in court.
 
#14 ·
Sidewalks, Safety and the Law

Be careful about using the sidewalk. Most cycling safety studies have found that cyclists fare much worse on the sidewalk than in the road. Furthermore, many local communities have passed laws either banning or restricting cycling on the sidewalks. In Florida, where I live, it is illegal to ride on the sidewalk in various towns.
 
#16 ·
People wonder how riding bikes on sidewalks can be dangerous. First, there is a greater chance of minor collisions with cyclists and pedestrians due to poorer visibility and restricted room and also a greater chance of falling down. However, the likelihood of a collision with a motor vehicle also increases. These accidents occur at intersections and driveways, the former more deadly. Unwilling to dismount and often unwilling to wait for the light, the bike rider starts across the intersection parallel to the main road, completely hidden from a turning motorist until the last second, when it's often too late for the motorist to stop. A study of these risks was made in 1994 and showed that sidewalk cycling is almost twice as dangerous as cycling in the street, and cycling against the traffic on the sidewalk is over four times as dangerous as cycling in the street.
 
#18 ·
People wonder how riding bikes on sidewalks can be dangerous. First, there is a greater chance of minor collisions with cyclists and pedestrians due to poorer visibility and restricted room and also a greater chance of falling down. However, the likelihood of a collision with a motor vehicle also increases. These accidents occur at intersections and driveways, the former more deadly. Unwilling to dismount and often unwilling to wait for the light, the bike rider starts across the intersection parallel to the main road, completely hidden from a turning motorist until the last second, when it's often too late for the motorist to stop. A study of these risks was made in 1994 and showed that sidewalk cycling is almost twice as dangerous as cycling in the street, and cycling against the traffic on the sidewalk is over four times as dangerous as cycling in the street.
I can personally attest to the stupidity of riding on the sidewalk. I was riding on the sidewalk of a busy four-lane road. At one point, I lost my balance, due to conditions on the sidewalk. I ended up falling into the street.:eek: The driver had to hit their brakes hard. I would have been severely injured or killed:(, if the motorist hadn't hit their brakes:).
 
#20 ·
london, Yes we have plenty of bears. Mainly they are active at night and rarely seen. The other morning I turned a corner near right after leaving my house and suddenly realized I was only fifty feet from a HUGE bear just leaving a yard with three trash cans just inside the fence. I swear he looked at me like I owed him money.
 
#21 ·
I can personally attest to the stupidity of riding on the sidewalk. I was riding on the sidewalk of a busy four-lane road. At one point, I lost my balance, due to conditions on the sidewalk. I ended up falling into the street.:eek: The driver had to hit their brakes hard. I would have been severely injured or killed:(, if the motorist hadn't hit their brakes:).
Just to play devils advocate, what if you were riding in the street and the same thing happened? Wouldn't you have been just that much closer to the car?

As for riding the sidewalks, I've done it when it seemed prudent, but speed was not much faster than a ped. Very careful.
 
#24 ·
If Chris was in the street when he fell over he'd have been run over. Life is not guaranteed. We should learn to accept the fact that bad things happen from time to time and there is nothing that can be done to make our existence perfect and injury free.
But the point was, I fell off the sidewalk. Had I been in the street, the terrain(relatively clean asphalt, compared to uneven concrete slabs) would have been far better. Now, I stick to the street. My family doesn't like it. But I tell them to try riding a bike on the sidewalk. They don't come up with a retort but, it silences their argument temporarily.
 
#26 ·
Just to play devils advocate, what if you were riding in the street and the same thing happened? Wouldn't you have been just that much closer to the car?

As for riding the sidewalks, I've done it when it seemed prudent, but speed was not much faster than a ped. Very careful.
My family said the same thing. I told them, the berth of the sidewalk is much smaller than the street AND, I have better control, when 'taking the lane'. Than I do, with a sidewalk. While I would be closer to getting hit, because of the vehicle being behind, it would already know, from my 'taking the lane', that I was there and, would be better prepared. If I fall off the sidewalk into traffic, the potential for getting hurt/killed, is greater due to sudden entrance into the traffic.

I know there are those, who would think I am nuts for 'taking the lane'. But I do it because of prior experiences hugging the curb and/or, riding on the sidewalk.
 
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