Not knowing where you ride on the sidewalk is I'm not going to argue with whether or not you're right or wrong, but riding on sidewalks in most areas is a bad and dangerous idea, in fact it's against the law in most states! Here is a site from the state of Georgia that explains the law and why the law is there; see: http://www.atlantabike.org/content/G...ts-ride-street

So I'm not dead wrong in regards to sidewalks in general, and like I said earlier the path in our town goes onto sidewalks in the downtown section and there it is legal for people over 12 years old to ride on the sidewalk, but not on any other sidewalk UNLESS it's part of the bike path system. I would assume, though you need to check with your local government, that the 500 feet that you ride on the sidewalk if it's not designated as a bike path then you are breaking the law, but check with your local authorities before getting mad at me for mentioning that.