Vehicular Cycling (VC) - Should bike paths (in general) be opposed?

"I was surprised when I rode along the shoulder of I-5."

Isn't it illegal to ride on the freeway?

There are exceptions in some places... such as along 5 in San Diego to and from Genesee and Sorrento Valley. Also between San Diego and Calexico... where there are no other roads.

Back in 1981 I rode from San Diego, CA to Ft Worth Texas... much of it on the Freeway. Between San Diego and Yuma, there isn't much else. (there is a side road from Calexico to Yuma.) Then between Yuma and Tucson, there are some sideroads, but again the Freeway is the main route... with the side roads just serving local areas. After Tucson, there are farmroads.

Once into Texas, past El Paseo and the mountain range just to the east, again, there are farmroads... long lonely two lane blacktops... actually somewhat fun to ride due to the rolling nature and the isolation. Don't run out of water. And don't run into rednecks. (I didn't)

I was stopped by AZ hiway patrol outside of Tucson and after a very interesting chat, directed to a service road...

But bottom line, if Freeway is all you got, that is what you ride. It can be a rather boring ride though... and a bit noisy.

If it's legal, things have changed since I lived there. I was born and raised in San Diego, and there used to be signs on every freeway on-ramp warning pedestrians, cyclists and motor-driven cyles (I believe that was the wording) to stay off. Of course, I've been gone for nearly twenty years, so...

Okay, thanks. Wow! Dago to Ft. Worth. How long did it take you?

Isn't it illegal to ride on the freeway?
Usually. In this example, the freeway is the only route between two points, and they allow cyclists on the shoulder for a section.

Okay, thanks. Wow! Dago to Ft. Worth. How long did it take you?

10 days. I toured lightly back then... just a couple of small panniers. I rode longer days than I expected.

I thought I would have to be out of the sun (this was in late June) by just after noon everyday... but it turned out that I could ride all day long, as long as I stayed hydrated. I only carried two water bottles and stopped whenever an opportunity to fill up came along. I only "ran short" one day...

I also wore wool leg warmers and long sleeve cotton T shirts until about 11:00 everyday. That too surprised me... it was cooler to keep covered than to be bare armed/bare legged.

If it's legal, things have changed since I lived there. I was born and raised in San Diego, and there used to be signs on every freeway on-ramp warning pedestrians, cyclists and motor-driven cyles (I believe that was the wording) to stay off. Of course, I've been gone for nearly twenty years, so...

In most places it is illegal. These are isolated locations. There is a bike lane and a sign that says "bikes must exit."

It is the same way going east... at least a sign that says "bikes must exit."

But where there is no other road... Ya ride what ya got.

The only bike paths that cyclists are required to use are those that are parallel and close to a roadway, and that is only in those areas in which there are mandatory-sidepath laws.

The only exception that I know of (there may be others) is the Kelly Drive sidepath. Cyclists are banned from the roadway during morning rush hour (posted on signs). Pennsylvania does not have a mandatory sidepath law.