Road vs Sidewalk?
 

I live in the burbs on Minneapolis and want to start commuting to work. But the sidewalks are almost unrideable for width and care. Does anyone recommend riding the road and letting the traffic pattern pass you? How many road rages do you incur as you stall the traffic doing your 15 - 20 mph speeds rather than their posted 30 mph?

I don't see many other riders so I have no model(s)

Oh my. Careful about asking that in here - you may get an earful!

In short: stay off of the sidewalks. It may be counter-intuitive, but you are much safer on the road - and I do mean safer from accidents with cars. Ride on the road. Keep right, sure, but not TOO right. About the right tire track is good - staying out of the gutter means that people will give you respect and distance when passing, instead of buzzing by with inches of clearance. There are pages and pages of advice on riding with traffic on this forum - definitely run a search.

If you're unused to dealing with traffic and afraid to jump right in, it can be a very good idea to plan a route to take you out of the way of the busier streets. Heck, I'm perfectly capable of riding with traffic, and I usually prefer to go a couple of miles out of my way rather than deal with the way people drive on the short route. It's just better for my nerves. Good luck!

Bout the only time I touch a sidewalk is if there ain't no other way to get where I want to go or if I have to jump the curb to get out of the way of a moron. You ain't gonna do 15-20mph on no sidewalk, at least not safely.

Yeah, there are morons now and then, but the route I have chosen bypasses many of the main arteries, except for short stretches of less than a mile. Much of it is on a parkway that has bike path running next to it. I ride the road, not the path, though I will jump on the path from time to time for shortcuts, when it is the safest route and sometimes to just move out of traffic when folks want to pass. Drivers seem to appreciate when you show that you are courteous enough to get out of their path when you have an obvious alternative just a white line away. Anyway, the parkway has it's own dangers, blind curves, deep darkness, lotsa critters running around, including deer and of course cagers that are busy yaking on a cell phone. I really don't worry much about the morons, it's the other folks that just don't pay attention that you gotta watch...so ya gotta watch everyone, always know what is going on around you and always plan for Murphy's Law. I have a cynical saying that has done me well for a lot of years - always assume the other person is going to do the stupidest thing possible, and have an escape plan ready for if and when they do it. I'm not going to tell you how many times I have been hit by a motorist, because it is so low after almost 40 years riding that I don't want to jinx myself. Ride safe, ride predictably, ride competently and most importantly, always be aware of what is going on around you and you'll be fine.

This is usually a hornet's nest. My advice is to stay off the sidewalk if you possibly can. If you must use the sidewalk. slow way down.

I live in the 'burbs of Minneapolis too - nordwest. I ride 6 miles each way between my house and the Park & Ride. I first carefully planned my route and drove it to become used to it. The bottom line is: When I started, I put part of it - where I had to use a busy street - on the sidewalk. Encountering broken glass, poor pedestrians who had to put up with me, bushes growing way out over the sidewalk, etc., I'm on the street, and happy to be there. You may want to do some reading about cycling, vehicular cycling, etc. in addition to the info here on Bike Forums. The Art of Urban Cycling: Lessons from the Street by Robert Hurst is a book title I picked up from this forum. Read, become informed, smart, aware, stay safe,and enjoy the ride!

Ride on the street and wear a helmet. And since it's probably winter there, make sure you're lit up like a Christmas tree. And no, I'm not kidding. Read the Total Geekiness thread to get lighting ideas like amber strobes and red blinkies in the back, and at least two bright lights up front. Also check the Winter Cycling forum for tips on riding in snow, ice, etc.

Read up on the best ways to ride in traffic. There are many things that help make it safer. There can be a lot to it.

Suggestions from others about more books to read ?

And here is a secondary complication to my question:

I am a recumbent rider; it is a trike so my 'wingspan' is 30 inches rather than a single tire span. And my profile is lower. Yup, I do use a flag to enhance the visibility; agreed about lighting up with flashing rear lights and headlamps.

But whereas most of you DF'ers, I ride at about 13 - 15 mph rather than the 15 - 20 mph that you can maintain.

So any modifications to the comments?

Thanks for the first round of responses.

The Art of Urban Cycling is a fun read and delves a bit more into the actuality of riding in the city.

For a quick intro to street cycling, John Allen's Bicycling Street Smarts is a good way to go. And it's free online. Beat that.

Cars passing you usually wouldn't be a problem, although there are people out there who either don't care, or don't realize, that they drive by way too fast at too close of a distance.

Just be sure you can ride in a relatively straight path. If you happen to swerve, you can potentially get clipped if you do it as the wrong driver is passing.

Avoiding debris on the road can also cause this. Just be sure you can look over your shoulder comfortable while riding to make sure that it is safe to maneuver more into the road.

You should more so be worried about corners/driveways. Drivers don't usually look for pedestrians/cyclists specifically. You should always be ready to slow down before corners/driveways if you feel that a driver does not notice you coming.

Like people have mentioned earlier, the sidewalk is usually more dangerous. There are more obstacles to avoid, such as sign poles, telephone poles, light posts, electric boxes, whatever it is they put on sidewalks.

I usually only go on the sidewalk when after waiting for a red light, because I don't think cars also taking off will expect me to be on the road, and may potentially clip me. As soon as there is a safe opening, I get back on the road.

Best advice I ever heard, with the possible exception of this:

Yup.

Its illegal to ride on the sidewalks in Mass. Are you sure its legal in Minn.? Maybe you don't have a choice and will have to get onto the road, and why not, its your road too.

I second the comments about Hurst's, The Art of Urban Cycling, as well as John Allen's Street Smarts. Hurst is fun to read and Street Smarts is concise. John Forester's Effective Cycling is good if you can get by Forester's obnoxious personality. He also has a video that you might be able to get from your library. It's dated (1970's, I think), but according to Bicycling Magazine, at least one school that trains bike cops still uses it as an intro.

With the exception of Street Smarts (which is free), I'd suggest checking books out from the library. There's no need to fork over the cash until you know you like the book.

You might want to go the way of some Amish groups and put plenty of reflective tape and a "slow moving vehicle" triangle on the back of your recumbent. Are there any flashing beacons that can be added to a flag (sort of like the kind on radio towers near airports)?

You still need to ride the roads. Sidewalks are only safe if you travel < 6mph and are very attentive. Plan your route to avoid busy, narrow streets, and also with a low vehicle like yours be very careful at any intersection. It is easy for cars or other obstructions to hide vehicles behind them. On a taller bike you can see these cars early but on a trike you have to clear the obstruction before they are visible. Rural roads with long site lines should provide no problem. I would make sure you wear bright colors and have plently of lights.
Craig

I live in Mpls- as far southwest as possible, and ride 20 miles to as far east in St. Paul (almost to 3M). The key is finding safe routes. It might not be the most direct route- but I also like to get a workout in.

Where are you riding from and where are you headed... there is always a way.

As a relative newbie to commuting I was hesitant to ride on roads at first, but after a little practive it doesn't bother me much at all. I only use one section of sidewalk to cross a narrow overpass with heavy traffic. You will quickly find that the road is just so much easier than navigating all of the oddities you find on the sidewalk.

I agree with the lots of lights and reflective stuff on your bike -- both from the rear and the side. You might try adding Tireflys. They screw onto your valve stem and supply a bright blinking light. Since you've got three wheels with 2 sets you'll have one left over to mount on top of your flag pole. That should make you very visible. My guess is that a recumbent trike will be such an oddity that most drivers will give youa wide berth and you may be safer than your two wheel colleagues.

I would recommend you try attending the following in your area:
http://www.bikeped.org/Calendar/report.php?report_id=2

or contact a LAB instructor in your area to see what programs are available: http://www.bikeleague.org/instructors/byState.cfm?s=MN

LAB's education program on effective cycling produces high results in making adults overcome their fear of riding in busy traffic.

visit maps.google.com -- find some nice side streets. find the best "thru street" (meaning minimal amount of stop signs) yes slow traffic

visit maps.google.com -- find some nice side streets. find the best "thru street" (meaning minimal amount of stop signs) yet slow traffic

I used this method and I help me work out my route. Just for FYI, I also use a bike path that isn't the most direct way home, but it does cut out some really bad traffic areas. So, check and see if you can do that? A couple of extra miles might make things easier....

Kevin

I ride the Road (85%) mostly...but I also ride the Sidewalk/Bike Path (15%)

Depends on what you feel safe at riding.

I have one stretch of road (maybe 2 miles) that is so frickin narrow I wish there was a sidewalk... but I just keep on pedaling on that piece of road.

Bike Paths usually are much safer and easier to ride than sidewalks as they usually do not have many intersections with cars. Some sidewalks in less urban areas can resemble bike paths with light pedistrian traffic and few intersections, but with these exceptions the best place to ride is the road. Taking the sidewalk even if only occasionally give motorist the wrong idea about whether you are traffic or pedestrian. And reentering the traffic becomes dangerous and surprises the motorists. Riding on the road and following traffic laws makes you predictable and obvious to other vehicles.
Craig

Certain roads in my area simply are not safe. Then I opt for the sidewalk.
That being said, I mostly ride in the road. You do not loose speed going up and down sidewalks, less sore, less bike wear, and more.
Bike lanes are wonderfull also.
I periodically replace parts of my route with street riding as I find more options and get more comfortable. Recently I replaced a beat up bike path with a nice side street.

I am duly impressed; SW Mpls to 3M area. That is quite a route but then you have the Greenway etc. correct?

I am coming up from Burnsville, so the first obstacle is 35W - bikes are not allowed of course. ;(
and going into Bloomington Towers area. So there are plenty of back streets across Bloomington; but that will be more prone to conflicts with the early morning commuters that back-out of the driveway never looking for traffic. Hence the question about bike routes and streets.

I concede that I will need to transport my bike from Burnsville to a parking spot on the north side of the river and then ride from that point to work. That would give me about an 8 mile commute; not too bad for an old fart. ;)

I ride from Uptown to NW Plymouth, I say stay on the road and ride a bit away from the curb so people know you are there and do not try and zoom past you.

This is a good MPLS/STPL spot to look for routes or ask others for suggestions:

http://www.bikeped.org/cgi-bin/forum/forum_show.pl

I'm not familiar with the Bloomington Towers area... but there is a way to stay on your bike and get over the river by going east on BlackDog road. You can actually get across right next to 77 and the route isn't tough. I actually just checked it out last weekend... unfortunately, I was riding at night and my lights went out so my trip pretty much ended right across the river. I'm hoping to take that route to the MOA on Sunday.

On some suburban sidewalks, you're more likely to see a Martian than a pedestrian. The "no bikes on sidewalks" laws are done out of respect for pedestrians, but in some municipalities with no pedestrians, this would be a meaningless law.

A few summers ago, I had a consulting project in the NW Chicago suburbs. At the end of my morning Metra commute, I had a bicycle locked up at the Metra station. The only problem was that to get the remaining distance between the Metra station and the job site was a long suburban collector road where cars travelled at highway speeds. Although I normally avoid sidewalks, I made an exception that summer. In three months of daily commutes, I never once encountered a single pedestrian on that sidewalk. Neither did I see a bicycle on the road.

I'm an experienceed cyclist -- I can cycle in Chicago's financial district during Friday afternoon rush hour and I can cycle in the Loop in the middle of winter. But cycling on some suburban collector roads feels far too much like riding on a highway....

I had lived in Minneapolis the past four years and did a fair amount of commuting there (Uptown to UMN, Uptown to Mendota Heights), but I will say this, some of the burbs are really laid out terrible for biking. St.Louis Park comes to mind where the streets are laid out like the branches on a tree trunk. The secondary streets branch off and eventually dead end and there is one main artery, which is way to busy and fast for a bike. In these cases you are forced to take the high traffic route and I rode on the side-walk because I thought it was absolutely insane to ride in that traffic. But I had to slow it way done when I did that.

I live in a small city in Virginia. I always ride on street and have several times seen inexperienced cyclists almost get themselves run over by riding on sidewalks. For the last week I've been in Tokyo on business and cyclists on sidewalks are everywhere. There are also many cyclists who ride with traffic. I have seen some cyclist pedestrian conflicts but not nearly as many as you'd expect given the number of peds on the sidewalks. The crosswalks (at least in the Tamachi section of Tokyo) have a separate section painted with a bike icon. That tells me that cycling on sidewalks is legal and it reminds drivers to be alert for cyclists crossing side streets on the sidewalks. I still don't like cycling on the sidewalks. But it seems to work well here. Perhaps that's because cars, cyclists, and pedestrians all seem to be more alert for and more tolerant of the presence of others. As crowded as the streets are (especially during rush hour) I hear almost no horn blowing or engine gunning and see almost no impatient lane shifting. A real change from how things are back home.