Pridedog

That would be like me calling you out because you might have knobby tires and I think all bicyclists should ride skinny tires. If they are riding a bike and it isn't illegal to ride on the sidewalk in your community (which I believe to be the case) then they are just bicyclists like you and I. Why do we always want to put our value system on others. Just accept them as bicyclist, give them a hello and a wave. Who knows, maybe by example you will get them off the sidewalk.

BarracksSi

Some questions you don't want to know the answers to.

canyoneagle

As one who has commuted in SLC, I'm hard pressed to see any reason why anyone would feel compelled to ride on the sidewalk. The city has some of the best bike lanes/routes I've encountered, and riding on sidewalks there is completely unnecessary, IMO.
I wouldn't worry about notifying the sidewalk riders, though. If they are riding with any speed, they are pretty likely to get their own wake up call.

I occasionally ride on low-pedestrian sidewalks here in Calgary (a much less bike friendly city), albeit at a very slow pace, in order to connect between more bike friendly streets or paths. That said, I will typically dismount as soon as I get on a sidewalk if pedestrians are present. I see it as common courtesy and a responsibility.
On the flip side (as a pedestrian), I've nearly been nailed by sidewalk riding speedsters on crowded city sidewalks. Not cool.

o0adam0o

I can see where you are coming from.. i get irritated when i see people ridding bikes on sidewalks, but i dont say anything and dont plan to. To me it feels like they are cheating and not tuffin' it out in the streets with the cars... lol.. so i cant blame them for that.

I actually take a shortcut on a sidewalk since im only on the sidewalk for 1minute and it shaves about 10min off my trip.

JReade

I live in a not-so-great area of town, with many transient, uninsured drivers. The road I commute on was recently "improved" by adding a median with crosswalks, since people kept dying when they rode across the street (4 lanes 2 each way). Originally, the road was 2 each way with a long center turn lane, but with the median, you have no room to get over if need be. Do I trust that people will move over? Nope. Not at all. If I get hit, I have pretty good odds they aren't stopping. I'm not losing my life to prove a point. I'll be on the side walk with about 50 other cyclists.

Leisesturm

I would never call out a sidewalk rider myself but I do wonder sometimes. I am on other boards besides this one and I can tell you that in non-cycling specific forums cyclists don't get much love, to wit: "Bikes DO have an effect on the roads they are on. They take up space and make it unsafe for both motorists and cyclists. Cyclists should not be asked to "pony up some dough to use the road." They should not be on the roads at all. If it is cheap and easy to build and maintain bicycle lanes, then build them separate from the roads. Putting a narrow strip on the side of the road is not a safe alternative. Driving on the main roadway is worse." This was in a discussion that turned into a "cyclists should pay something to ride on the roads just like motorists do. I have also seen the argument that the money spent creating bike lanes is wasted because cyclists don't use them. Do you see where I am going? Yah, I get the "none of my business", "live, let live" but there is also a coming backlash against bicycles and what resources are being spent on them that they are not using.

H

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Leisesturm

??Why are you anywhere near the median? I am not understanding your scenario...

nelson249

I can see your point but cyclists, I fear, often have good reason to be suspicious of bike lanes that are designed by people that may not ride themselves. Recently near my workplace a cyclist was killed after being hit from behind by a car driver. On one stretch of my commute, the bike lanes shift in and out of parking spaces on the side of the road and often placing cyclists in the situation where they pop out into traffic like marlins. It has also been posted in these forums repeatedly, bike lanes are notorious for being full of glass, debris, pot holes and nasty sewer grates. Low speed cyclists like my grandfather (who was also very respectful of peds) who used to get his mail and his daily paper on his old CCM 3 speed feel more secure on the sidewalk than being in traffic. Either he was going to be on the sidewalk with his bike or he would have used his car instead.

bhop

From the sounds of it, it does seem like there's no need to ride the sidewalk there, but, most people seem to agree, unless you're a cop and it's illegal to ride on the sidewalk there, then it's not your job to 'call them out'.

Also, i'm of the opinion that sidewalk riding is not any more dangerous than riding in the street, IF you adjust your riding style to suit.. for example... When i'm moving at, or near traffic speed, I wouldn't even think of riding on the sidewalk. However, if i'm tired and only want to move at most, a jogger's speed, I have no qualms with riding on the sidewalk, however, I slow down and cover my brakes at driveways and intersections and scan around for different things than I would if I were in the street. I also slow down when pedestrians are around and yield to them if necessary. Yes, it's a slower way to go, but that's the whole point of being on the sidewalk as opposed to the road for me. If I were to go that slow in the streets of L.A. I would be super uncomfortable, and probably eventually get hit.

JReade

I'm not, but they put in a median without expanding the road, so drivers cannot move over if someone is on the side of the road. This place is full of seniors that cant drive anyway....we are racked as the 23rd most dangers metro area for pedestrians and cyclists

alan s 

Call out others only if you are directly endangered by their behavior. Otherwise, it's not your concern.

jsmonet

sidewalk riding -is- illegal

mikeybikes

Where?

It varies largely by municipality.

I can ride on the sidewalks here in Golden (not that I do).
I cannot ride on the sidewalks in Denver, unless it's less than a block and is for the purpose of parking.
Most other places I've lived in Colorado it's perfectly legal to do so.

Note, I'm not endorsing sidewalk riding, just noting that it's not always illegal and in the majority of places in Colorado, it is legal.

jsmonet

it's def. not legal in california. I've seen plenty of posts from folks in other states showing vehicle code banning sidewalk riding as well.

most of all, it's both unsafe and rude. perhaps it isn't such a big deal in places with less crowded sidewalks, but sidewalk riding in metro areas means you'll either hit, or near miss a lot of people. short romps on sidewalks shouldn't be an issue if there's nobody on the sidewalk and you take it upon yourself to stop at driveways where you see cars coming--they won't see you. it's just not happening.

when I get to work it's usually early enough that I can softpedal the half block of sidewalk up to the entrance. if there are walkers, i hop off and walk.

DX-MAN

One of the funniest oxymorons to me is the idea that people in cars constantly holler at cyclists to get on the sidewalk, then I hear someone say it's not safe because drivers don't expect to see us there.

What BOTHERS me about sidewalk riding (legal here unless in a prohibited area, like the "business district", which they define as 'no residences within 500 feet'), is when I approach an intersection, no matter where the sidewalk is in relation to the street -- adjacent or 20+ feet separated by easements -- drivers stop across crosswalks! When I see huge amounts of space in front of a car, and they block the crosswalk, they generally get a few choice words directed at them. (Most of the time, I catch this on a ride with the kids or on a commute in disagreeable weather... something I've had a lot of this year.)

There are now 3 main arterials in town that have bike lanes; 2, I've ridden (one just opened less than 2 weeks ago, and I've been busy). They seem to help, so far. A local news team did a quick little story last week about the changes to the 3rd, and how drivers have reacted -- one vehicle was caught on camera using the center turn lane as a straight-through, but there has only been one accident. The news report failed to refer AT ALL to the bike lanes that were added, the REASON for the re-laning. (Cowards! LOL!) Other than these areas, my street riding is on secondaries and residential streets. Very few places in town can't be easily reached this way, and the few that can't are accessible with a little creativity, and the use of sidewalks.

But, hey -- it's like this: call me out for it, and I'll buzz your back with my knobbies. (LOL again!)

mikeybikes

Actually, the CVC doesn't expressly prohibit sidewalk riding and leaves it to the local municipalities to make laws against it.

If it is expressly prohibited in all of California, I leave you to find the law... as it's not there.

bhop

Not everywhere. It's left up to the cities, and most here in L.A. county are legal.