Originally Posted by
SolitaryRider
Truth! Throw a hi-vis jersey into the mix, and this is much safer than riding on the sidewalk, where one has little room to maneuver to avoid things; pedestrians; uneven surfaces, ad infinitum. How can one go 25MPH on a sidewalk? Where I reside, no roads have shoulders or sidewalks...you learn to take the lane and act like a car...or you don't ride. Most important thing: Always make sure you can be seen from far away by texting drivers and take the lane unless there is enough room to safely share. Sidewalks are for kiddies and pedestrians, not road bikes. There are many more hazards on the sidewalk than in the road.
WHO the heck said ANYTHING about going 25 mph? I reach 10 mph tops,.....and probable average 7 or 8 mph. I'm commuting a short 2 mile to 4 mile each way distance. (usually 2X daily) Ultimate speed is NOT important,......comfort and safety is. Whenever i do pass the occasional pedestrial i crawl by them at walking speed.
And WHAT pedestrians are we talking about as i have laid out the typical route?
I would agree there are more hazzards on the sidewalk,.....such as cracks and potholes, slabs of uneven concrete, and dirt sections. But none of them are moving with 4000 to 20000 pounds behind them.
And i don't use a road bike. Lately i've been using one of my Dean titanium MTB's converted to an upright hybrid running a 700x32c front and a 26x1.50 rear tire. (a "69er" to correct for no suspension fork) Perfectly suitable to the conditions presented.
I took my camera tonight to give you all a better idea. This IS the usual pedestrian traffic along this road, usually NO pedestrians or so infrequent compared to passing cars, trucks, and buses as to be of no concern, The road traffic, however, IS much reduced at the time these pics were taken. (7:30 pm)
These are the typical storm drain grates along the route, usually 2 every block and most are recessed like this:
And here is the usual car traffic as they pass the grates:
Heavy trucks and buses pass regularly, often right up to the grates. These are just some of the ones that passed in just a 2 mile commute:
(notice 1 of the 3 pedestrians i passed along the way tonight a bit further up from the NEMF truck)
Follow the image of this truck up a little and try to imagine how close to the grate it would pass just a few yards further along. Picture a cyclist caught there. Now look at how close to the center line the large dump truck is on the left side. He can't move over much more if there is traffic in the left lane during busier times of the day.
And again,...typical sidewalk "loaded" with pedestrians as you can see (NOT!).
I'm a practical sort, and as long as the sidewalks along my route are rarely used by pedestrians, AND the busy road has NO designated bicycle lanes incorporated, i'll ride high and SAFE.
I often wondered why the city couldn't re-purpose the central section now used for left crossing traffic to a bike only lane. Traffic wanting to get to the other side could still do so when clear of the occasional biker.
BTW,.....i passed 3 pedestrians along this 2 mile commute to grab a bite to eat. (2 were walking together) I tried to count the cars, trucks, and buses passing in just the right hand lane over the same distance, but lost track after about 155 vehicles. This in just 13 minutes for the ride. (3 minutes more than usual with the picture taking)
Anyway, you're welcome to come up here and ride on this road at your 25 mph speed! Hope you make it longterm,......but don't offer your lame representation that riding in the road "here" is "much safer than riding the sidewalk!
Your high-vis jersey idea may help,......but i'm still not riding the road here. It might as well be a high-vis jersey with a "Bullseye" on the back!