I mostly use the lane, but if needed to I use the side walk.

Agreed, as commuters (and as cyclists in general) we have a right to be on the road. If drivers don't like it they need to get over it. And learn how to share the roads.

Well, I also don't drive down the road in my car doing 10 mph at rush hour hogging a lane on a major commuter road. Part of being a bike commuter is being a good ambassador to the community; he is dealing bike commuters a huge PR blow.

It is dangerous and stupid if you make it so. It is possible to ride on the sidewalk and yield to all pedestrians, if, indeed, there even are any on that particular sidewalk. It is possible to check all driveways for cars coming in or out. You can ride stupid or dangerous on the street or sidewalk both. Depends on the street or sidewalk, depends on the rider.

When enough people are fuming behind you, you run a risk that somebody will pass you in a very unfriendly and dangerous manner. Road rage and safety to cyclists do not go hand in hand.

Don in Austin


Don in Austin

For sure this is one of the more reasonable responses on this topic.

In other words, "depends?" Depends on how ugly the street traffic is? Depends on how packed the sidewalk is with pedestrians? Depends how many driveways intersect the sidewalk? etc. etc. Wonder why that is so hard for some people to get?

Don in Austin

Here's the deal I make with my fellow road users: I will conduct my vehicle safely, efficiently, predictably, and legally; it is up to others to do the same. I am very little concerned whether they are offended or annoyed by my presence.

+1

The cyclist was not causing the huge backup, the infrastructure was, don't blame the cyclist who was behaving as the law instructed him to do, blame the city engineers who created that situation.

Cars are rude to each other all the time. Don't sweat it. And even if you think they perceive it as rude, it is legal.

This is what you really need to do. If you aren't comfortable taking the lane and want to ride the sidewalk, that's your choice. The other guy made his choice. Respect that.

I think the OP is in the wrong forum... perhaps "carforums.net" is the place to complain about a cyclist riding in the traffic lane, going slower than cars, and making cars slow down!

Seriously, just take the lane, and don't sweat that a motorist might be slightly delayed getting to Starbucks!

+1 also for taking the lane.

Here where I live, it's against City Ordinance to ride on the sidewalk UNLESS:

a) the sidewalk is part of an established Bicycle Route and is marked as such, or

b) when within 250 ft. of your destination where you can DISMOUNT and walk the bicycle to your destination.

Here it's a ticket-able offense... a case in point:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...n-the-sidewalk

It's impossible for a vehicle to hog a lane.

Lanes are there for vehicles.

The logical extension of that is that you are very little concerned with your own safety. Motorists who are offended by cyclists are the motorists who typically pass cyclists way too close or much worse. You can be in the right and be more likely to get hit by a car -- it only takes once to make you a paraplegic. Or you can be pragmatic. While it is "up to others to do the same" in the real world they often don't. Concern for your personal safety dictates that you don't provoke those situations -- the right or wrong of it won't protect you. In Utopia your deal would be honored, in the real world it is not.

Don in Austin

Hey Don,

Sorry, I can't respond to your PM until I hit 50 posts. Have you tried a route up through Lost Creek and over through Westlake? Stay safe!

I'm plenty concerned with my own safety. And I've found that the safest place, as counterintuitive as may be to many drivers (and a shockingly large number of cyclists), is to be in the lane out of the doorzone. If there's a bike lane, great. If there's a wide shoulder, great. If not, I'll take the lane. Especially if it's just for a half mile.

Now, if it's a much longer section, I'd probably just try to find a different route. And I don't want to be completely dogmatic. If you're not comfortable taking the lane, then don't. But personally, I would much rather be in the lane, off the sidewalk, out of the doorzone.

1. Is riding on the sidewalk in your county legal?

2. It is a judgement call on your part. Do what you feel safe with. Don't risk your safety.

3. Is there a safe way to get on/off the sidewalk? Or would you have to slow way down to get up there and maybe get unpredictable and confuse the drivers? You don't want to do that.

If it is 4 lanes you should be able to take lane without too much trouble. On my return route from when I escort my wife to her work on bike, there is a 2 lane ~.25 mile section of roadway. It is 35mph posted, no shoulder, but sidewalk available.

I take the lane because it is faster than the sidewalk, and, as I understand, all counties in Maryland have outlawed riding bikes on sidewalks, except for Montgomery county.

It seems to work fine for me. Remember, the cars have 3 other lanes to use. Unless the mph is high, I just take the lane.

Around here, although not advisable, it is legal to take the sidewalk. But, you are required to ride at 8mph or less.

I see so many bikes barreling down the sidewalk and looks to me like they are cruising for a bruising.

How often do bikes ride at 8mph? Answer = not many.

Which is why we suggest taking the lane. Legal and do-able in most circumstances.

I am comfortable taking the lane in many situations. But I have found there are areas of Austin where drivers are used to, and accept, cyclists taking the lane and there are areas where the opposite is true and they will pass you with very little clearance, because they are annoyed and resentful. If the demographic really sucks and the sidewalk is empty I might use the sidewalk. Agreed the door zone is not a good place to be. I try to weigh all the factors and make the best decision for my safety, and the prevailing attitude of the drivers on a given road is a big factor. There is one road I ride, only one lane in either direction, limited shoulder, but drivers by and large respect me taking the lane. Try it at 1:00 PM Sunday when the old people are getting out of one of the churches there and its suicide!

We are not really that much in disagreement, I think. Just saying it DOES make a difference what the prevailing attitude of the motorists you are surrounded by is.

Don in Austin

I have not. I don't really have a clue how that would work. Can you elaborate? I live off Circle Drive past the "Y." Check the "MapMyRide" links for how I do it. Pretty clever if I may say so. The trick is coming through the neighborhoods to the service road that comes in the back of ACC Pinnacle Campus. (You have to go around a closed gate, no big deal.) You can come straight down the hill from ACC Pinnacle Campus and directly across 290 to Convict Hill Rd. I can leave the house at 5:50 AM and be sitting at Once Over Coffee on South First St. well before they open at 7:00 AM. Its 15 miles and I don't see but maybe 10-15 cars the whole way. Before I figured that out I told people there was no way I could ride to work because I'm damn sure not going to ride on 290!

Don in Austin

This is such a strange topic. There are those in the middle; they approve of doing one or the other based on circumstances. And then there are the die-hards with the 'no quarter asked, no quarter given' attitude.

Though I have my opinions, I'm not pointing this out in order to judge. It just seems curious to me that there's so much rigidity in this area. It's a lot like politics.

Me? I do believe in taking the lane. But only when I have no other choice. Or where traffic is light enough that it doesn't matter. But I get out of traffic when I can. Sometimes that means taking the sidewalk. But around here pedestrians are about as common as bicyclists. If there were no cars, then I'd be alone on the roads. So pedestrian/bicycle safety issues are non-existent. The heart of a big city would clearly be a different matter.

In your case, the sidewalk/lane question would be decided over the matter of pedestrians plus driveways or other motor vehicle-type impediments. You'll have to evaluate, and keep on evaluating, those things yourself.

As another poster suggested, he made his choice and you're making yours. That's okay. And if you change your mind in the future, then that's fine too.

I take the sidewalk. Our sidewalks are wide, well maintained and empty most of the time. If I have a choice along busy streets, especially at rush hour, I'll be on the walkway. My reasoning is this: my safety is my first priority, always. Why compete with drivers texting, cell phoning, putting on makeup, boozing when the sidewalk is clear.

Very well said.

Those who say riding on the sidewalk is stupid/dangerous, or where it's supposedly illegal: what do you say about little kids riding their bikes on sidewalks, or what does the law say? Would you have them ride out in the street in traffic? At what age does it become stupid, dangerous, or illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk?

I'm not saying everyone should always ride on the sidewalk, not at all. I ride in the road pretty much 100% of the time, but I have no problem with using a sidewalk in a heavy traffic situation.

Actually I was on a group ride a few weeks ago and was in the road the whole way, but was quite surprised about how many hipster fixie riders were all up and down, on and off the sidewalks, in the roads, back and forth, etc. Seemed very unsafe to me.

Depends on the situation. I ride on the sidewalk only where there is no safe spot on the street. Taking the lane on a street where the flow is over 35 mph is not something I would do lightly, and not with out being damn sure the car behind sees me.

Sidewalks have their own inherent dangers, but if you are aware of them, and ride accordingly, it is manageable, but if done safely, usually much slower. If they are heavily traveled by pedestrians, riding the sidewalk is also rude, but this is Southern California, and there are more joggers on the MUP's than walkers on sidewalks.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=T...&z=13&lci=bike

Lost Creek has some pretty amazing hills, so be prepared

Dunno if it is any shorter, but it is a gorgeous ride and Westlake is really bike friendly. And of course Zilker is always a pleasure.