OK To Ride Bicycle On Sidewalks? Pavement? Commuting Bike Blogger
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2015
- Is it OK to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk?
In some areas very few people tend to use sidewalks it seems. But sidewalks are being made wider to accommodate people with disabilities.
Why not widen sidewalks further and make them multi use trails for bicyclists too? It would help bridge that gap between less experienced children and more experienced adult cyclists.
Sidewalks are dangerous for many reasons - they tend to be narrow, cross driveways, are next to light poles and telephone poles, fire hydrants, etc. They are certainly not safe for riding at any sort of brisk pace.
If I were to build a brand new city I would make all "sidewalks" wider multi use trails, and have bike lanes, and other infrastructure like roundabouts, special intersection signals, and bridges for cyclists only. Or maybe it would just be easier to lower the speed limit to 15 mph (25 kph) everywhere...
In the real world though we have to work with what we got (for now...), so learning to ride with traffic is a valuable skill, and when mastered it is much faster than riding on sidewalks.
I recommend reading my post on vehicular cycling if you are interested in stepping up to the next level and getting off those sidewalks!
BikeBlogger's Vehicular Cycling tips: bikeblogger.com/?p=1033
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Sometimes you have to ride on the sidewalk, that's the beauty of the versatility of bikes. If you're a biker holding up traffic on a narrow road and the sidewalk is empty or lightly used, for sure use the sidewalk. Most pedestrians can see you and will be accommodating as well.
I think your opinion is greatly influenced by the city you live in. In many cities, we don't have the luxury of quite streets or bike friendly drivers. Here in Miami for example, it's all a judgment call. It's not just where but when. In most places people will honk, yell, swerve and cut you off making it extremely dangerous not just for you but for other cars as well. Riding in a 40 mile speed limit street here will have people look at you like you're crazy. So unless it's downtown, there is nothing wrong with taking the side walk sometimes.
True, I have only ever seen 1 person ride on the street, he was riding so far right in the gutter and everyone kept honking at him aggressively
@@Me-eb3wv i do this too jesus respect bikers pls.
I rather ride on the side walk for my safety because people who drive don't care about people on bikes
And people who ride bikes on the sidewalks don't care about the safety of pedestrians.
Both of these statements are exaggerated yall i highly doubt people are being malicious when they ride on sidewalks. usually they are kids or people concerned about not being able to keep up with traffic on the road. in my experience as a pedestrian who couldnt ride a bike most bikers on sidewalks are very coutreous and polite, probably because they dont have airbags and shit to protect them if they hit someone who cant walk out of their way fast enough
when I was 16 a man pushed me off my bike for riding on the sidewalk
when I was 16 I got run over by a bicyclist riding on the sidewalk
Nathan Deunk So now you hate all cyclists because of ones mistake? You're so petty.
Riding a mountain bike on a very uneven narrow sidewalk with cracks and natural jumps formed from tree roots at 20 mph is soo exhilarating. YES it's legal where I live, and YES most sidewalks I ride are pedestrian deserts. If there are pedestrians I go slow and ride the grassy part or the road gutter.
If There isn't a lot of traffic I'll ride on the road. If I can pedal the speed limit I'll ride on the road. If there aren't sidewalks I'll ride on the road. But if I can't keep up with traffic then I really should ride on the sidewalk. There are almost never pedestrians to bother as opposed to the full road full of people I would be bothering. It's safer for me since the people around here drive like their license came out of a cereal box. And yeah I can't bomb hills at 30 mph on a sidewalk but If I was worried about getting somewhere fast I wouldn't be on a bike in the first place.
So your reasons are exactly why most people choose to ride a bike, scooter, skateboard on sidewalks. So yeah, I understand that many people do it recreationally, on a “beach cruiser” bike or “comfort style” bike on the weekend with their partner and children. But many people use a bike for commuting in urban centers. That’s when riding on the sidewalk becomes an issue. Especially when there’s a bike lane right there. If you’re that afraid of motor traffic then just take an Uber, bus, or walk.
@@adamwe12 I don't live in an urban area. The sidewalks are always near empty and I've only seen pictures of bike lanes.
Drivers say they want bicyclists to ride on sidewalks, but they don't look for us or see us there because their eyes are on the road. Still, making a blanket statement like "Never ride on a sidewalk" is narrow-minded. If I'm tired and pedaling up a steep hill where there's no shoulder and traffic is heavy, I'll get on the sidewalk so cars don't line up behind me.
I'd rather ride on the sidewalk then get run over. It's risky riding on the road sometimes.
I have people in my neighborhood that drive easily 20 mph over the limit all the time and it gets to you after a while.
www.planetizen.com/node/84910/bicyclists-sidewalks-why-theyre-not-going-away-and-what-we-can-do-about-it
"Numerous studies (for example, Aultman-Hall and Adams 1998; Wachtel and Lewiston 1994) have shown that crash risk, overall, is higher for bicyclists riding on sidewalks than for bicyclists riding on streets."
I ride whichever is safest at the time. I don't hurry to get anywhere. If on the sidewalk, I always give pedestrians the right of way. 👍 for your thought provoking video.
I ride a bike to college first year and yeah it's difficult because there's only 1 bike lane path for a short period but I tend to stay in the side walk because scared of riding with traffic . There's plans for next year at my college to add bike paths which I'm very excited for !
I started cycling to college this year and i'm fine cycling on road. Hoewever if you live In UK it is illegal to cycle on pavement.
Why you scared you two?
www.planetizen.com/node/84910/bicyclists-sidewalks-why-theyre-not-going-away-and-what-we-can-do-about-it
"Numerous studies (for example, Aultman-Hall and Adams 1998; Wachtel and Lewiston 1994) have shown that crash risk, overall, is higher for bicyclists riding on sidewalks than for bicyclists riding on streets."
why are there no more bike safety in schools any more
I do both and I encounter very few people on the sidewalks as a general rule. It's one of those things that you just need to take on a street by street basis.
I live in Chicago, so all the streets are busy. That’s why I ride on the sidewalks, but I stay at a very low speed. I never get too close to people in case they want to turn around or slow down, instead I either stay pretty far behind the people in front of me or I speed away from the people behind me. If I need people to move, I say “excuse me” and if they don’t hear it I repeat myself even louder until they hear me. Multiple pedestrians and bicyclists get killed daily by drivers, (which sometimes it’s the pedestrian’s/bicyclists fault, other times it’s the driver faults) which I am more careful, but I feel like I am in driver’s way. There is also a lot of construction.
I have ptsd from my bike accident, would never ever ride in a bike lane. I always get annoying people telling me to use the bike lane. I just ignore them and bike away. I always use the side walk, where I live sidewalks are empty.
I was taking my 2 daughters to school on my modified tandem along a sidewalk this morning and some lady was on the sidewalk, I yelled out beep beep, but the noise from the 55mph traffic on the road made it so she did not hear me. I said excuse me when I got close and she told me "You're not supposed to ride on the sidewalk." I told her Yeah riding in 55mph traffic with my kids was a great idea and road away. some people are so selfish. I almost stopped before passing her, maybe going 2mph.
Sad to be treated like a pariah cast. It will most likely change over time, but not before more and more people demand to have a safe bicycle infrastucture, and more and more old school car infested people convert into pro bicycling. Look what the Nederlands managed to do. It shouldn't be impossible for other 1st world countries to do the same.
I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that riding on sidewalks can mean the difference between life and death depending on where you live and ride. Some of us live in cities that are statistically high in cyclist and pedestrian deaths by people texting and caught up with whatever situation is going on inside of their vehicle. I myself, and I'm absolutely positive that others would admit that even though I'm an extremely attentive driver, have caught myself distracted and have momentarily swerved into bike lanes. I don't feel like that necessarily equates to bad driving, I think it simply equates to everyday life. No one person is paying attention 100% of the time. Not even the best driver. I say ride where you feel safe, and don't ever think that just because the law says cyclists are treated as cars that it means someone isn't looking at a Facebook post for 1 second and clips you. Real life vs. theory. It's simple.
www.planetizen.com/node/84910/bicyclists-sidewalks-why-theyre-not-going-away-and-what-we-can-do-about-it
"Numerous studies (for example, Aultman-Hall and Adams 1998; Wachtel and Lewiston 1994) have shown that crash risk, overall, is higher for bicyclists riding on sidewalks than for bicyclists riding on streets."
I commute daily in DC, which is consistently one of the worst driving areas in the country (wtop.com/business-finance/2017/06/dc-baltimore-drivers-among-worst-country-according-allstate/). I am treated far better on my bike than I am in my car, but that could be because I don't ride on the sidewalk, I use turn signals, I stop at lights and stop signs...
In other words, I'm not selfish enough to think the rules don't apply to me.
cyclists die cause they don't pay attention either.
I'd attribute the beat up roads to the yearly snow fall. I lived in Northern Utah for almost 10 years, and Seattle for a few years, and both of those areas had terrible roads that were cracked and patched. It costs a lot of money to rip up the roads and replace them every year or two.
However, here in Las Vegas, most of our roads can go many years and still look brand new. When they start to look like your roads, we can quickly cover them and they are fine for many more years. It seldom snows here, and rarely gets below freezing.
I only ride on the sidewalk on steep hills. I do it so that I don't have to slow down traffic
I only ride sidewalks in rare cases. One is a short jog where the bike trail comes out to a sidewalk, and traffic is heavy and there is no ramp, you have to jump off and onto a curb, another case is in steep hills with heavy traffic when no one is on the sidewalk. Just short jogs of it tho
Hey BikeBlogger, do people ever look at you like you're a crazy guy, talking to himself while riding his bike?
Eh, I sometimes get surprised looks just because I'm riding a bike. :)
BikeBlogger maybe you’re just really attractive and they can’t help but stare.
I lived in southern California LA and my bike never touch the road unless i was crossing it on a pedestrian crossing. I rode on the side walk and parking lots 99.999% of the time. The roads are dangerous and full of traffic but the pavements have maybe 1 or 2 people for every mile. I had an awesome mountain bike and it would hop curbs and cracks and crappy conditions of the pavement like nothing. It was fun.
I love in Georgia and the other day I got pulled over, while on a bike, for riding on a sidewalk. The cop said it was agains the law; however, I told him the parkway was too dangerous. He agreed but Im saying to myself, "Well why are you stopping me??" I get the law, but when following the law can get you killed or hit, break the law!!
Based on this video and the comments, I think it is clear that we all need to: advocate for your city to prioritize bike lanes and shared greenways!
I live in a suburban area in the South where bikes are certainly not prioritize but we've seen several pedestrian/bike ways open in the past few years thanks to the growing bike commuting community / development
this law is endangereing,killing, and increasing the risk of cyclists being hit and killed by cars just to prevent cyclists hitting pedestrians which doesn’t usualy happen in the first place just to prevent a non fatal more minor injury
I agree.
Wherever you ride, a cop will likely pick on you. The government can't get anything right, and what's legal one day, can be illegal the next. It's madness when you can't even reliably question where you ride your mode of transport to the job you are literally required to have to live in this forsaken system. Bloody hell, what are we doing?
It's illegal to cycle on pavements and footpaths here in the UK, however there are times where I would use the pavement if it was a lot safer than the road.
It's legal to cycle on bridleways though, not sure if they exist in the US, but as the name suggests they're for horses. Incredibly useful to get round the countryside whilst avoiding roads.
The Pavement safer than the road? Pavement are what roads are made out of so im afraid your not making any sense.
dmbfannh the pavement is what american people call a sidewalk
I can't stand to ride on sidewalks, but I will when #1 the road isn't passable due to construction or other obstacles #2 I'd be blocking traffic if I stayed on the road. So, not much.
Tbh depends I I commute on a fatbike normally loaded if I'm hauling butt I ride the street. If I'm moving slow like grocery runs or lunch I go on sidewalks
In Norway it is legal to bicycle on the pavements, but as a bicyclist you must yield for all pedestrians and go slowly. Many go too fast and cause dangerous situtions.
The culture here is much more bicycle friendly. Most (but not all) car drivers are chill and respect bicycles. Riding in the streets is mostly no problems. In Oslo, where I live, they are building more and more bicycle infrastructure. Much of it is very safe to ride on. There are some bicycle highways here, going completely outside the ordinary street grid.
In Anderson Township where I live, it's legal. 5 minutes or two blocks away depending on the weird township line, it is ONLY legal to ride on the sidewalk if you're a kid, or there is a shared use sign.
If the roads are wide enough and the speed limit is no more than 40, I’ll definitely be in the street. This is the majority of my commute. I can’t imagine a car being able to avoid me above 50 and I my life is more valuable to me than a driver flying by me (most likely sending a text or drinking a coffee).
Of course ride on sidewalks, and the law should be changed to this way. Make the sidewalks 2ft wider, both bikers and pedestrians would be happy and good environment is the gain. Bikes travel at 20km/h, and pedestrians walk at 5km/h; 15km/h speed difference and riders have great visibility. Cars travel at 50km/h; 30km/h speed difference, and drivers have very limited visibility. If you consider reaction time, riding on road is worse. Therefore, ride on sidewalk all the way!!!
where i live the bike lane is small and there is nothing to tell the drivers there is a bike lane there
We're lucky here in Scotland. We can ride on roads and walk ways. We also have the national cycle network which stretches all over the UK. It makes commuting by bike much easier and safer. Love the videos by the way. Keep em coming.
Cool. A network like that is what we need here! Thanks for watching!
Yes your roads are very quiet compared to my area in Yorkshire, England. It can get very dangerous if you cannot keep up to some degree. I would love one of the new Giant carbon framed race bike, and they do the frame size in small for me which is a plus, but I cannot afford at the moment. I think the weight of the small one was 7 kilos plus my weight of nine and a half stones, I should be able to cruise at 20 plus mph easily.
By American city standards your city and roads are very bike friendly. This looks like Sunday morning traffic it's so light. Your bike route also did not encounter arterial roads or roads with long right hand turning lanes which is a major safety hazard to a cyclist. Is this Portland Oregon by any chance?
Hello Phillip Mulligan. This is Brentwood MO.
I thought it looked like Portland OR too
@Joaquin Quintero I use a gopro 3+ action cam
Im only eleven and my road doesnt have many people running at all so i just ride on the sidewalk
Hey Bike Blogger! I'm in your neck of the woods, but on the Illinois side. Hope to see you out and about some time. I'm coming up on 10,000 miles this year (8,900 so far). Do a lot of roads, but been doing more trails lately because of aggressive/angry drivers. I'll do sidewalks if there is road construction (1 lane) and cars back up behind me, I'll pull up on the sidewalk and ride cautiously always yielding to pedestrians. When the traffic clears I'll get back on the road. I can understand driver frustration in those circumstances and I try to be aware of that.
Where do you mount your camera, and what kind of cycle computer do you use? I do a lot of MCT trails lately. Do you ride with any racks/panniers? I commute and haul on my bike. Gave up driving 3 years ago. Good to see another cyclist lifestyle in action.
Happy trails!
Hi Marc MkKoy! I mount my camera to my handlebars and use a basic wired bike computer by Sigma. I do not ride with racks/panniers usually but I have some videos here ua-cam.com/video/dEPSOkq8dkc/v-deo.html and here ua-cam.com/video/HIfGpzU13AU/v-deo.html
Good stuff. I like your videos. You have more diverse trips than I do. I get around, but until I get my 10K in for the year I'm playing it safe/conventional and sticking to my 41 mile round trip on the MCT trails. I bike to St. Louis a lot. I like bags and racks. Kind of an overpacker/pack rat, but I'm always shopping or picking something up on my rides and need room to carry.
I've seen your rain videos, and watched your video on riding gear. I rode 20 miles in a thunderstorm the other night and still managed to get pretty wet, but not soaked. I guess nothing holds up to 2 hours in a downpour. Still trying to find that sweet spot between water repellent and breathable.
Happy trails!
@@MarcMkKoy00 is that safe to ride in a thunderstorm? I feel like that is super dangerous.
@@benjammin6228 Yeah, generally it is, but I was on a trail surrounded by trees and lightning has to get through a bunch of other stuff before it hits me. It's when I'm out in the open that I worry. That night I didn't have much of a choice. I had 20 miles to get home and there were tornado warnings. I didn't want to be caught out in the open in a tornado so I took a calculated risk. It was fun, but not recommended.
I ride my road bike on my sidewalk when I feel like riding really slow, and I'll cut out thru the road if there are people ahead of me
How do you prevent wind noise? When I bike my GoPro picks up an absurd amount of fuzzy wind noise
+Bozeman Biker I use a separate mic and put it on my body. It's messy but the only way I think.
+BikeBlogger do u know any dirt cheap fixed gear bikes that can fit me BTW Im 5'2 almost 5'3
+Rizrag3DxXz I ride a Motobecane Fixie Cafe that is a pretty good deal for the price. Video here ua-cam.com/video/4vYhSA_Lg2g/v-deo.html Otherwise the cheapest option is to buy used and/or convert a vintage bike to single speed.
I usually tend to ride on the road and pedal fast, apart from narrow uphills where I'd like a bit of pavement to ride on if it's not busy with people. I never ride downhill on the pavement. On my electric bike I tend to ride it like a moped on the road, or on shared use paths at speeds below 15 mph.
The only thing I hate about shared use is path etiquette is generally horrible - cyclists rushing out of side junctions, electric scooters on the wrong side of the path, lines of pedestrians using up most of the path width, people drifting across the path when walking with their back to you, dog leads crossing the path. I'm glad most people don't drive like that on the road or it would be a disaster. They are better at off peak times.
In Missouri, where you can legally ride on the sidewalk, you simply rarely need to. As commuting cyclist myself, nothing embarrasses me more than seeing another cyclist on the sidewalk, in a business district, going against traffic. They're just inviting a motorist making a right turn to plow them over.
In Europe, we have separate cycle lanes with rails and new signs and traffic codes to protect them. Still though, I use the pavement at night in rural areas.
I try to ride on the pavement when on narrow uphill roads as cars tend to speed round tight corners
Agreed, I try to stay off unpaved roads, especially on a road bike. However, in places where I ride, roads are constructed of pavement, so I always ride on it instead of on the sidewalk. It's not moral to transfer my danger to pedestrians.
is it okay ride on side walks if the traffics are like 40mph with tons of traffic?
Especially with big semi trucks on the road.
I commute by bike in DC daily throughout the year. I only drive to work when it's
Just curious; is this the city of St. Louis or a suburb of it? It looks so quiet and peaceful, makes me jealous.
+Chicago Biker POV Hello Chicago Biker POV. This is a inner suburb of St. Louis on the border of the actual city.
+BikeBlogger Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply. Ride safe!
I totally agree with you about the hazards of riding on the sidewalks. I am an urban cyclist and recreational cyclist. Only times I ride on sidewalks in I’m riding through a square/park or looking for a place to park. I’m some cases they route bike lanes along sidewalks. I’ve lived in Chicago where urban cycling is popular, and sidewalk riding is heavily restricted 🚫 and enforced, along with other medium to larger bustling cities with strong cycling commuting culture. I’ve moved to Salt Lake City that doesn’t have a lot of pedestrian traffic in most pockets, except for downtown. And it’s okay legally in most cases, but it doesn’t make it smart and the wiser choice. Chances of being hit by a car is higher riding on sidewalks due to them pulling out on you, and if you hit a pedestrian they can sue. The real problem now are these electric scooter 🛴 riders that rent these damn scooters. I don’t know about other urban centers, but in Salt Lake about 95% of the people ride those things on the sidewalks despite obvious bike lane infrastructure. And the city is trying to regulate the issue by reducing the amount of scooters but it’s not working. Like I said in cities with more of a stronger urban cycling culture you see more of an influence of more proper ways to ride a bike, scooter, long/skate board (electric or a analog) versus cities with less bike lane infrastructure, or less cyclist on the streets.
I guess it depends on the kind of road. If it’s a crowded inner urban city sidewalk or a suburban town where the speed limits is like 15-20, then yeah it’s best to ride on the road. If it’s a stroad and everyone’s driving 40-55 MPH it’s best to ride on the side walk.
Here it's illegal but honestly for me as someone who's scared of the traffic I just mostly ride on the sidewalk.
yea of course in a calm little city you will ride the bike on the road calmly with any worries, but if you live in NYC like me, trust me, you will NEVER want to ride a bike on these highways and streets. You will get ran over within a month guaranteed.
without any...**
Nah just be assertive and follow the law
Hey love the vids. Just a question, why do u stop at every stop sign, I know your meant to but when u can see it's all clear u still stop. Seems harder work for yourself
+RO8H4NL3Y It is harder, but it's a good habit to get into. It's horribly inefficient. I did a video about this (search 20 stops). Cyclists have to use something like 30-50% more energy stopping.
John Smith never heard of that a policy. It sounds dangerous to me.
Hello. Love your videos.
I watched your video about your cycling sandals couple of days ago.. unfortunately for what I work, it will be hard to be "that" casual. What is your office policy on dress codes? What about where you park your bike at work?
If you got an office or place you can leave it, most people will do that option. If you got a rack in back you can take them with you and change. You can get clip less shoes made to be walked in. I don't use clip less or anything so I couldn't say how well they work.
+farisammari Hello, farisammari. A couple of my coworkers also ride their bikes to work sometimes. We got a little bike rack inside to store them out of the way. Our dress code is business casual, but I keep spare dress clothes and dress shoes at work in case I'm meeting with clients that day.
In my West Tennessee city there is absolutely no bicycle infrastructure of any sort, so we have to ride in the street with motorist who feel the speed limits are only suggestions for the very cautious, residential neighborhoods are for high speed shortcuts and everybody and everything should just get out of their way and not dare to impede their progress for even an instant. It is not legal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk here. I am a low speed, upright, elderly cyclist and if I do need to ride on the sidewalk for a short distance for any reason, I always give the pedestrians right-of-way and courtesy as I feel the sidewalks are there for them and not me. One ding on the bell can alert a pedestrian that you are coming up behind them without ringing the bell madly and making them think they are about to be run over. Like most things in life, I have found out that common sense, consideration and a little courtesy can go a long way in preventing bad feelings or a problem.
I think there should be an extended sidewalk where one side is for bikes and one side is for people becuase riding on the road is dangerous for cyclists I’ve heard of cyclists been KILLED on the road due to the reason of cars being much bigger and faster than the cyclists. I would rather be on the sidewalk than get endangered. I’m only 13 and I’m told to ride on the road while i or anyone gets hit by a car we will most Likley get killed while if a cyclist hits a person they will not likely get killed. The law to me is BS the law is just killing cyclists just to prevent HURTING people
why you dont record fps?
I commute by bike to work and will do both depending on the situation...about 50/50. But if I am on the sidewalk I ALWAYS yield to pedestrians. Its the main reason I went from a hybrid to a MTB because sidewalks are usually pretty uneven, and if I need to divert off to the grass it's better the the fatter tires. Even the roads have lots of pot holes. Neither roads or sidewalks are very safe at times. I rely on my commom sense and take safety as my responsibility.
what type of bike is that, fixie?
+Big Papi Single speed (freewheel), Big Papi.
I don't mind cyclistson the paveent if they are courteous and don't just blast past without warning. When I am on my bike there are situations where it just makes a lot ore sense, even though I am generally OK with roads. In one instance I can save 10 minutes by using a pedestrian rail bridge and the foot traffic in the area is very light, on our Main Street the pavements are very wide and the road is one-way and the alternative route is 5 minutes longer on a busy fast moving road. Speaking of which, sometimes there is no sane alternative where vehicle speeds are high and there is no safe space you can use. I will match my speed to the level of foot traffic and make sure to alert people and cover my brakes. It also depends on how fast I want to go, if I am riding at 20MPH I will be on theroad, if Iam cruising at 10 then the pavement makes more sense.
Here in the UK the police ignore pavement cycling unless you are being really aggressive and most pedestrians don't bother either, unless you are in London. Shared paths are becoming more common too in which they just put up a sign or paint a bike on the pavement that already exists. Given the woeful lack of cycling infrastructure where I am and the wide open footpaths with light to moderate traffic, I take the approach of mixed use of roads and pavements, using the one that creates the least conflict or that provides the most direct route. For instance one of the shared paths crosses multiple side streets, so I use the road to avoid having to yield to cars on side streets and this is generally why I prefer the road most of the time. But I will never say not to use a pavement. I will often find that getting off and lifting my bike up and down stairs on foot bridges is quicker than the road too, or pushing my bikethrough busy streets. I am just trying to make the most efficient use of what is available without getting in anyones way too much.
its so quiet in your area
All upper middle-class neighborhoods in America are like this
in downtown toronto people walking on sidewalks yell at you to bike on the road. But in the suburbs, people prefer you ride on sidewalks or bike lanes lol
Makes sense. The rule of thumb is that if there is a lot of pedestrian traffic (down town, inner urban cities etc..) it’s best to ride on the road, because roads located in areas like that have low speed limits. On the other hand, If there’s very little pedestrian traffic, it’s best to use the side walk, because roads near those areas tend to have 40+ MPH speed limits
Pop a wheelie
Do you notice how many drivers hit motor cycle riders? Do you notice how many drivers drive around high and impaired? Any day could be the day you die, if you take a bicycle to work.
I work in a very busy avenue. I have a 6 years old Son with Down Syndrome, in order to prevent him from gaining weight I usually walk with him around the block. Last week a bicycle rider was riding on the sidewalk with his ear plugs in both ears I assume listening to music, when my son and I where approaching to the corner thia ryder turn towards our way without been careful, I tried to stop him but he was driving too fast on a very crowded sidewalk and unfortunately Hit my son with the side bar and breaking completely all his front teeth, far from apologising, he told me that I should be more careful since he has the right of riding and we were on his way. My son can not speak and he was crying and all scare with blood coming out of his mouth
I only ride the sidewalk if there's no shoulder, bike lane, or wide enough space. Driver's are freaking nuts in Jersey.😅
if theres a bike lane i ride in the bike lane if not i ride on the very side of the rode like 1 foot away from the sidewalk
It is impssible to ride on the road in over populated ciy with crazy and hurry drivers.
Pedestrians are not against. They understand everything.
Welt Rogg yep. And since there are rarelt any people walking on my road i just ride down the sidewalk
i only ride on the sidewalk because im a little 5ft 3in tall 13yr old...AKA I cant really be seen on the road, so the sidewalk for me is safer so i don't get hit as much
any bike lanes i come across, i use but i never riude on the road unless it isn't busy
Riding on the sidewalks is fine as long as you don't hit anyone and watch out for blindspots.
Dang you are going fast. Maybe i should switch bikes.
I live in LA County where the average speed limit on roads is often 40 miles or higher. Also I have a hybrid bike and not a typical road bike.
same
I think there's nothing to worry about if you ride on the road as long as you ride as close to the sidewalk as possible, therefore you can avoid being a pain in the neck for drivers
Unfortunately that is wrong. If you go all the way to the right, cars will pass you without changing lane. You will not matter to them, since they don't need to change lane. So you will sooner or later be squezed. And your right to be on the streets and roads are the same as for drivers in their cars.
Unfortunately car drivers think they can bully bicyclists off the roads by making life dangerous for them. So the problem isn't the bicyclists. It is the car drivers.
What they need to do is add more bike lanes
Preferably completely off the road so cars don't have to worry about cyclists and vice versa
What state is this?
+CannedPakes MIssouri CannedPakes
In Finland sidewalks are not allowed for bikes unless there is a sign telling otherwise. We have high taxes so we have a lot of bike lanes. My commute is 100% bike lanes so it's super safe. In your city it seems like BikeBlogger is the only cyclist on the road ;-)
+Kobbetop I live in a smaller city in the same state as BikeBlogger and it's pretty much the same. Hardly any dedicated bike lanes and few mixed use trails. There's really only 3 good ones in the whole city, the rest are very short and more sized for running (2 miles long max)
Lol then you realize people walking on the bike lanes
Yes to riding on sidewalks; but only as a last resort and at greatly reduced speed limit...8 to 10 miles an hour max, head on a swivel. However, you can take a pretty good guess as to how many sidewalks there are out in the countryside.
New route? Like I'd know, it all looks like a concrete jungle to me. Government takes out plenty in gas taxes to do a much better job at transportation infrastructure, problem is the money is diverted into general funding and that means the loudest squeaky wheels and more favorable re-election programs get inordinate shares. We have roads in my area that would be smoother and more consistent as gravel roads now. Definite inefficiencies in the bureaucracy as well as you say, as some main roads that aren't nearly as bad as many lower traffic roads, get redone much more frequently.
Do you do any bicycle shopping (quaxing if you want to call it that)...?
+ZiggZagg11 Not so much, ZiggZagg11. My household does have a car, and we also order things online. 90% of my trips are by bike though. I would like to step it up to the next level and 'quax' too. :)
is it okay to ride on the side walk if you don't ride as fast?
+xROSEBLADEx If you ride below 10mph I'd say you're fine. But stopping for joggers and going around people with strollers can be annoying.
+Slizzard73 I'm new to the city and I ride my bike in the mornings as the sun rises and I'm kind of scared to ride in the bike lanes. but I'm not sure if it's okay to ride on the side walk here. once I rode in the bike lane other bikes were passing me.
If you're riding over 10mph stick to the bike lanes. You'll only get faster, and most people shouldn't mind too much.
+Slizzard73 Okay thanks! :)
It irks me that you never seem to signal your turns...
I take that back, you do signal occasionally.
I find that drivers don’t know hand signals so it really doesn’t matter.
i need to ebike a regular footpedal bike or get a preassebled ebike
do u wear a helmet?
I love it when you go WWooooo XD
wheres your day light dude?
Until theres designated areas everywhere to bike share the space provided
Nice country
If a path is paved long and wide enough for bikes and walkers and runners
You can ride on sidewalks in PA just be mindful of pedestrians get off your bike or stop if you can't do that stay on the road. It is also not illegal where i live. Unless you're in a buisness district. If there is a bike lane available you must usd it. I would like to use the road mostly, but ppl in cars do not like that very much. They like to speed.
My city and state do not prohibit bicycles on sidewalks. I prefer to be on the road or a standard bike lane, or a multi-use path or greenway if available.
Sidewalks also are frequently just blocks of concrete or asphalt stuck together and not paved, so it is easy for them to deteriorate over time, or shift and be uneven, which makes it a danger for cyclists but not a big deal for peds.
That said, my city has more than a few Stroads out there and even though I clock 200+ miles a week, I would NOT ride my bike on those huge, messy, highway like Stroads so I don't blame cyclists who use the sidewalks in those areas. Of course they should proceed with caution and yield to peds and get off and to the side for those in wheelchairs and whatnot.
I checked the bicycle laws in my state and riding on the sidewalk is not legal yet I see most people do it and the cops do nothing because as long as your not in the road they don't care
RetroMaticMike So its de facto allowed
Only the super athletic and the brave, or young children, ride bicycles in the US, because riding on the side walk will get you a ticket in most places. In Japan and South Korea, that is not so. Many adults ride bicycles daily. And they're not going 10mph, 20mph. I would never ride a bicycle and "share the road" with cars. They don't do that in Japan or South Korea. Even in the US, any traffic collision as a result, is death or permanent disability. Unless we change the laws, most of will just stay fat and ride our cars.
There should be a new law that says: SIDEWALKS FOR BICYCLISTS ONLY. PEDESTRIANS USE THE STREET......my posts may not apply everywhere but it certainly applies to downtown olympia washington... a cesspool of lowlifes and scumbags.
Florida permits bikes to use sidewalks due to the number of cyclists killed down here. Heck , cars are in danger, too!
Well actually those roads are shitty looking due to the fact that they are good enough because not many people use them anyway. If it ain't broke why fix it?
I have crush on sidewalks many of time.
I'm 16 and fuck riding on the road cos I trust my ability to avoid pedestrian but I don't trust over cars
very interesting question for me where I live and if I need to ride down I stay off the sidewalk and other areas I stay off the streets one because people can't walk two people can't drive
Cars hate slow cyclists, people hate fast cyclists
You're gonna get negative feedback no matter what, so use your best judgment
And hit the dam brakes, people nearly hit me with bicycles and then get mad that I wasn't quick enough
One was a homeless guy downtown, the other was some rich guy in a park
Please just use the breaks
Strange camera angle.
70 Celsius would be 158 Fahrenheit. I gathwred What you meant. Lol
If you come to ride🚲 in Cambodia, you'll be dizzy. But you'll get fun ro ride motorcycles. 🛵
hay bike blogger girls should do what your doing and have fun doing it