jungovox

Hi all,

Wife and I (50 something) are back cycling after a 40 year break -

curious as to your preference related to which is safer and more typically embraced -

Riding on the Street ?
or
Riding on the Sidewalk?

What do most of you prefer. ?

Fritz Jung

aidy

riding on the street, riding on the sidewalk is not allowed in most places (if any)

jakub.ner

Hey Fritz,

Check out the sticky: https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-safety/100823-sidewalk-bicycling.html

Riding on the sidewalk is illegal where I live. It's also quite dangerous visibility wise: shrubs, trees, etc.. The Police here urges cyclist to obey this one important law, for their own safety.

xenologer

Street

but if you do end up chickening out and ride the sidewalks, for the love of gawd please ride the same direction as traffic

jungovox

I just saw that sticky and feel like a bonehead - thanks MUCH.

Pat

There are good reasons for not riding on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are narrow. Negotiating sidewalks with pedestrians walking dogs or with baby carriages is problematic.

Another thing is even a SLOOOW cyclist is much faster than a pedestrian. Motorists pulling into driveways really do not expect a cyclist to come blazing across at 15 mph. Remember the normal pedestrian goes about 3 mph.

Sure riding on the streets is intimidating. If it is too much so, you might see if you can find local bike trails. But there are usually roads that have light traffic and good sight lines in most areas that make good cycling routes.

genec

Just ride on the streets and act as if you are driving a slow vehicle, the other drivers will treat you as if you are driving a slow vehicle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicular_cycling

Should be no problem.

Yaktizzle417

Riding on sidewalks is illegal and extremely scary where I live. You have to watch for more than just traffic and potholes on the sidewalk. Bushes, turning cars, pedestrians, pretty much everything.

RobertHurst

Riding on the sidewalk may be safer in some situations, and may also be legal depending on location. There are no blanket answers to this question that will work for everybody all the time. If you do choose the sidewalk option remember that pedestrians have the right of way, in more ways than one. We must avoid hitting them, and we must avoid scaring them as well. A lot of novices get nailed riding sidewalks because they don't take the proper precautions where the sidewalk meets roads and driveways.

CB HI

I ride on the roads.

You should also read:

https://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm

caloso

Generally speaking, the only time you should be riding on the sidewalk is when your dad has just taken off your training wheels and is running along behind you holding your saddle.

But your situation may differ.

ChipSeal

jungovox, welcome back to our sport and to BikeForums!

Streets are safer when you ride where motorists expect to see traffic. Bicycles have all the rights and responsibilities as any other vehicle on the road. So ride in the direction of traffic and not against it. Don't ride in a turn lane if you are going straight and the like.

Riding in traffic and on many streets can be intimidating at first. If there is a bike club in your area, see if someone would ride with you two to give you tips and confidence. In no time at all you will feel right at home on the street.

Tailwinds!

David13

My dad has just taken off my training wheels. Well, 50+ years ago.
I say both. Police here pay no attention to bicycles. Too many murders, armed robberies, chases, etc. No time for bikes.
In some areas sidewalks are 10 feet wide, and the road is way too narrow. Some areas here the sidewalk is designated as a bike path.
Where there is a road bike lane, yes. Road. But they end, or don't begin til after a narrow stretch of road.
But there are special precautions for sidewalks. Watch for driveways and cars pulling in and out who don't see or don't look.
Some areas here where you won't live for 10 minutes in the road, AND the sidewalk is wide open and very wide. I use it.
So, I think it all depends.
dc

longbeachgary

As dangerous as riding in the street in the direction of traffic is, riding on the sidewalk is even more dangerous and illegal. To start, try to find bike lanes in you area to get your feet wet.

cudak888 

Huh?

-Kurt

buzzman

jungovox- the above post is the most lucid and reliable answer thus far IMO. Much of it depends on where you live. The preferred place to ride is usually in the road, as others have pointed out, with the direction of traffic and obeying the common sense rules of the road. However, there are times when riding on the sidewalk may be appropriate in which case keep your speed at a minimum and if the sidewalk has lots of pedestrians and you do not feel comfortable or safe on the road then dismount and walk your bike until conditions are more favorable. And you may want to check the laws in your area about riding on the sidewalk.

powerhouse

I prefer to ride in the street.

* It's illegal to ride on the sidewalk.
* Bicycles are considered vehicles.
* It's the law to ride in the street with the flow of vehicular traffic.
* It's more difficult riding on the sidewalk as one will have more difficulty riding around pedestrians and obstacles such as grates, street signs, street corners, bushes, etc.

Jim from Boston

I posted this reply to a similar thread, "What is with riding on the sidewalk"

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/467667-what-riding-sidewalk.html

Ajenkins

Good lord, get some cojones and ride where you're supposed to. Riding on the sidewalk is illegal, stupid and dangerous.

cudak888 

<RealCyclist™rant>

As much as I do not believe in sidewalk cycling, I will say one thing in regards to sidewalk cycling for leisure cyclists:

If the individual in question cannot keep a reasonably straight line within a maximum allowance of two feet per each side of the bike from center, nor feels that his/her cycling should exceed speeds of 2 mph, then they should ride on the sidewalk.

In fact, such a rider should ride in their driveway exclusively and learn how to handle a bike in the first place before becoming a two-wheeled version of a moonwalking pedestrian.

</rant>

-Kurt

macteacher

Im going to go against the grain here. I think it all depends on where you live and the conditions. I live in suburbia and one is MUCH safer riding on the sidewalk compared to the roads.

a) the sidewalks never have pedestrians in suburbia (at least where I live)
b) the cars are racing by at 70km/hr
c) it is illegal, but not enforced
d) the police ride on the sidewalk.

You have to assess the situation for yourself and make the call.

ghettocruiser

But this is A&S.

A panel of anonymous posters are happy to tell you exactly what to do with no assessment at all... They'll even throw in preemptive insults in case someone later disagrees.


Let's see what the Toronto Police think about this.


And can someone please merge this into the sticky?

genec

Actually in suburbia, sidewalk riding may not be illegal. In most jurisdictions the legality of sidewalk cycling is often determined by the presence of nearby businesses.

In areas where there are no such businesses, and long long stretches of intersection free wide sidewalk, I tend to agree; sidewalk cycling will be safer. This situation does tend to occur in western states where there are such long distances in and around suburbs. (this may be difficult for some of our eastern inner-city brethren to imagine though)

gcottay

I almost always ride on the street on a dedicated path, lane or MUP. Sidewalks, with one exception, are a last resort.

When riding on the sidewalk, I keep speed very low, give pedestrians a wide berth, and consider every curb cut a potential accident scene.

The only exception is a particular wide, always-deserted sidewalk with good sight lines and only a very few curb cuts. I ride this one at speed.

Eclectus

In my city the police departments recommends sidwalk riding over street riding, except downtown, where cyclists are required to use the street.

Where we have some broad MUP promenades running next to our streets. I sometimes ride them.

1. When there are no pedestrians.
2. When car traffic is heavy.
3. When there are long, clear unobstructed sightlines for driveways and intersections.

We have many sidewalks with overgrown bushes and low branches that obstruct vision and can clip your bike and head. Thank you city officials for creating this double bind, "We suggest that you ride on the sidewalk, but we're going to make it difficult and dangerous for you to follow our advisement..."

Cars exiting parking lots and approaching intersections ignore the stop-before-the-sidwalk and crosswalk line laws. They do stop before hitting the street line, or at least they look left before entering the street. So being amidst cars is safer here.

We have a lot of Walk/Wait signs that only activate "Walk" if you push a button. If you're in the street and have a green light you can go thru. But if you are on the sidewalk, you either have to wait a full signal cycle to proceed legally with a "Walk" signal, or cross against the red "Wait". We also have timed Walk/Wait lights that flash "Wait" thirty seconds before the street signal light turns yellow. These things put you in a crappy double bind, it's just more convenient to ride with the cars.. unless you enjoy stopping at nearly every signal intersection.

Since I got a DiNotte taillight, bar and helmet light, and set them to rapid flash, I've noticed a phenomenal decrease in people trying to pass me in the same lane (we don't have many ridable shoulders), or making rolling right turns in front of me thru red lights. Haven't had a potential right or left hook in months. In fact, I often see right and left turners wait for me, even when they can turn safely in front of me. I give them a friendy "Thank You" waive and a smile as I pass them. I haven't been honked at by an impatient commuter since October. I think she wanted me to move into the parking lane. Forget it. She then moved into the left lane, which was what everybody else was doing without being a silly twit about it.

In towns and cities with a lot of cyclists, which is to say with cyclist-aware drivers, these lights aren't necessary, but here in the Great Plains winter months, I can ride three hours and see no other rider, or one or two, and our drivers really benefit from extra early-alerting measures that give them more time to consciously deal with my presence.

For night riding, I've already invested a wad, including a MonkeyLectric spinner, but I've been eying a Rockthebike Down Low green neon tube. I think it's possible for cyclists to make drivers look at cyclists as entertaining and think more about joining us to have some fun. It's happening on the West Coast, why not here?