Sharing with other travel modes
 

As a cyclist, what do you prefer? Do you prefer riding with motorists, or do you prefer riding with pedestrians? (Don't say you prefer riding with other cyclists. :D ) Or do you have a preference?

(If it's ok with everyone, I want to avoid multiple cross-posting, that is, two or more posters developing a "conversation" with each other. Please try to address the question at hand rather than debate your preference with others here. Thanks in advance, and Peace be unto thee. ;) )

Motorists by a mile.

With motorists because they're in the street with me and peds aren't. Besides, peds are too slow and would get in the way.

Definitely motorists, but I only ride on streets where I can go at or near the same speed as cars, or where there is lots of room for motorists to safely get around me.

I don't understand the question... If you are riding with someone, doesn't that make them a cyclist too? Or do you mean riding 'alongside' motorists or pedestrians?

If I ever found myself riding alongside pedestrians I would probably wonder what I was doing on the sidewalk. Having said that, riding with motorists would be my choice but not really because I enjoy it a hell of a lot.

I am ok with sharing with every one.

Its very funny to hear cyclist complain about pedestrians slowing them down.

Motorists here too, peds would slow me down too much.

It's not surprising that everyone on this board is giving the same answer so far. Maybe the results would be different on another board, such as Recreational & Family or even maybe slightly on Commuting.

Why? If you ride among them, do you slow down for them, or just zip by?

The OP asked us not to get into this.

Cyclist dont mind making motorist slow down, but cant stand to be slowed by anyone.:D

Which is simply to say: nobody enjoys being slowed.

Road

(and if pedestrians are legally using road I am happy sharing with them too)

Al

Not exactly,more like some some cyclist are just as bad as cagers.

I myself dont mind being slowed by cyclist or peds, or dogs turtles lizards.
I do however hate it when Jeff Gordan gets in my way:D

I changed my answer--motorists.

Ditto.

Though if all the motor traffic is Mercedes, BMW and Crotch Rockets it might be close. The biggest thing is cars are a lot more predictable than peds. Even the bad cars have the advantage of usually being identifyable beforehand, with peds you usually have no warning at all when they suddenly decide to do something stupid. For that matter cars don;t have the manuverability to be able to do many of the stupid things peds do.

Wow, you wouldn't go anywhere in my town. Once I leave my tiny neighborhood, I am in 35MPH traffic. If I want to go anywhere beyond the local grocer, I will be in 45 and 50 MPH traffic. That is just the way the streets are.

The only "same speed traffic" is right in my tiny neighborhood... less than a mile in length, and maybe a 1/2 mile wide.

I tend to agree. What I want is enough room to work with whomever is there... a wide lane to work with flowing motorists and a wide path to work with slower peds.

My honest preference is an isolated country road where I am the only one on the road. Bit of overhanging trees... giving me shade and dappled light. A touch of a breeze, off of a river, with the breeze blowing across the path, so it is neither head nor tail wind. A beautiful view... gentle rolling hills and a promise of a good wine and meal at the end of the ride... followed by a nap on a soft pillow...

OOPs did I go too far :o

Methinks you have your priority in order:)

Riding with motorists? Too "dangerous", they zip pass you at 50 to 100 km/hr.

Riding with pedestrians? Too slow and unpredictable.

So, after some thought, I would prefer riding with horses. Horses probably show me a lot of respect.:lol:

Too much methane for me.:)

:lol: You forgot the beautiful female feeding you grapes... :D

<ahem>

:D

I prefer motorists, but like Gene, give me a quiet road all to myself... I really don't like the stuff coming from their tailpipes, but it's not a perfect world.

Actually, the worst crash I had was due to a pedestrian attacking me in broad daylight. Going over the bars headfirst can be pretty bad, no cars around.

At least motorists have to pass a nominal test of rules of the road before getting a license. If pedestrians could be "trained" similarly to share an MUP (such as: don't walk 3 abreast across the path, stay to the right, expect to be passed by bicyclists on the left, don't let dogs wander all over the path, etc.), I might be swayed. I'd feel safer because a collision wouldn't be as likely to result in death. However, since peds aren't trained, and since it's chaotic out there on sidewalks and MUPs, I'll go with riding with automobiles any day.

I don't think it's really too much to do with pedestrian SPEEDS per se, but the fact that they are completely unpredictable and do not "share the sidewalk". Honestly, I often hate dealing with pedestrians when I am a pedestrian myself: too often a large group of them, for example, will try to block the whole sidewalk and not give a hoot. Now when was the last time you saw cyclists block all lanes in all directions (CMs don't count :D)? If pedestrians would at least more or less keep to the right and "compactify" large groups a bit to give some passing room to faster/opposite-direction traffic, I would much prefer them to motor vehicles even if they are much slower. But as of now - cars all the way.

My response depends on the situation.

Example: The San Luis Rey river MUP runs roughly parallel to the Highway 76 expressway. Eastbound, I prefer the MUP, to avoid high-speed free right turns and merges at the access ramps. Westbound, blissfully free of fast diverges and merges, I prefer the 76 shoulder.

I love country roads
( Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
)
I would love more ubiquitous terms such a RFP/Z this is a ****** Free Path or Zone. I don't care who it is that I am passing or is passing me as long as they don't endager me. I like peds they are cool to talk to can't do it when you lock your self in a cage.