I should say I certainly agree with your points most of the time. Let me be clear about that. There are select places where I'm quite glad I have a sidewalk available. But usually I avoid them. I'm only saying they can be the safest option. You can't make absolute rules if safety is your primary concern.

Again...
Side"walk"...
Simple as that.
MUP's are dangerous enough, & pedestrians know to expect cyclists.
Just as there are many variables to riding on the road, there are equal if not more variables when you choose to ride on the sidewalk.
Its funny that you call out rekmeyata, all his/her points are credible, yet you claim one reason, & its for your "own" safety.

The "Me 1st" attitude is what's wrong with our society, not only with cyclist, drivers, & pedestrians. Its not surprising why they pit us against each other in the media.
How can we live in harmony when we often choose to cross borders/live on the edge.
If it takes such an effort to ride up a hill for you on your bike, how much more if an effort does it take for you dismount, & walk up the sidewalk like the rest of the pedestrains.

Again not trying to sway your choice, I just don't see where you guys are coming from.
Not singling you out Walter S, this is geared to the people who ride on sidewalks.

Like I say, when I ride on a clear and EMPTY OF ANY PEDESTRIANS/OTHER sidewalk I'm not impacting ANYBODY. There is not an issue here where I'm failing to "live in harmony" with others. The concept of harmony involves more than one entity. In the cases where I get on the "sidewalk" the only entity involved is me.

Several people here are hung up by the term "sidewalk" like the name itself dictates some invariant purpose to it. To me it's a flat slab of concrete that I can ride my bicycle on without being in the road with the cars. I refuse to let the term "walk" in the name force me into compliance with norms that go against my better judgment of appropriate behavior at that moment in time.

In my daily commute I ride several miles of busy roads out there with the cars and abstain from riding on the available sidewalks because of reasons stated on this thread that I accept as valid. But where the sidewalk is safer than the road I do ride on it. The sidewalk amounts to about 5% of my ride each day.

"If a tree falls in a forest, & no one is around does it make a sound?" ;)

If the road is busy, how does this make you the only "entity"?
Concrete slabs are also present in the foundations of many buildings, would you consider riding your bike in the supermarket, or the mall perhaps?


No need to get your panties in a bunch, I stated I wasn't singling you out, & am clearly not trying to change your "view". Its clearly not going to happen along with the many that share your opinion.
I'm just sharing my "view"/voicing my opinion on a public forum.
This topic is part of an open discussion, that's what we're here to do.
There no need for me the "get over it", I ride in compliance with our laws, so do you.

The street is what I favor unless there is a reason that the street is especially unsafe. The only place I have used sidewalks is for a few block stretches in Clearwater, Florida where the bike lane disappeared and the street was busy with crazy Florida drivers. Clearwater did not have many back streets that went through to where you wanted to go. It probably is the worst place I have ever ridden a bicycle despite the fact that it had a couple of lovely bike paths. It was illegal but I did it anyway because it was the only somewhat safe thing to do. Or I took the bus. Which I also did quite a bit to get to bike paths.

I'm an old fart and I love tatoos. And what they look like when you get old? They will look like the rest of you: old. Just my opinion, I know these things are a matter of taste and in large part cultural.

Not knowing where you ride on the sidewalk is I'm not going to argue with whether or not you're right or wrong, but riding on sidewalks in most areas is a bad and dangerous idea, in fact it's against the law in most states! Here is a site from the state of Georgia that explains the law and why the law is there; see: http://www.atlantabike.org/content/G...ts-ride-street

So I'm not dead wrong in regards to sidewalks in general, and like I said earlier the path in our town goes onto sidewalks in the downtown section and there it is legal for people over 12 years old to ride on the sidewalk, but not on any other sidewalk UNLESS it's part of the bike path system. I would assume, though you need to check with your local government, that the 500 feet that you ride on the sidewalk if it's not designated as a bike path then you are breaking the law, but check with your local authorities before getting mad at me for mentioning that.

Like you say, you don't know where I ride on the sidewalk. You're not qualified to judge. But feel free to judge away. I know safety from danger and I'll keep doing what I do. And I really could not care less about the law.

Again the whole "Me 1st" mentality, @ its best/worst...

You do realize laws are put in place as a form of safety for all.
If you feel unsafe, contact your local authorities, or find another route to travel.
If I find a route I take to dangerous, I simply just find another.

I'm not interfering with anybody else on the planet. So I think only control freaks need care what I'm doing to protect myself.

I can't believe how heated this thread is.

State laws vary, sidewalks vary, roads vary, and speeds and conditions vary. While it's generally a bad idea to ride on sidewalks, there's plenty of gray areas where it might make sense.

Can't we agree that there are situations where it's fine, or even sensible, provided speeds are sensible, and due courtesy is given the the rightful users of sidewalks.

Sounds like you're the control freak.
Living in such a sheltered world, not open to others opinions.
I'd hate to see you in a car, by the way your describe the way you ride your bike.
If you don't enjoy cycling, drive, or take public transit.
I love cycling, & never really feel the need to be hostile while on any of my bikes.
My vehicles hate my bikes!

Here's to you, & your closed mine/sheltered life!
:beer:

I couldn't love cycling more. I do it every day of my life. I just do it my way, not yours. Sorry.

Again your lack of reading comprehension showing.
I've stated many times, I am in non way trying to tell anyone that they have to follow what I say.
I'm just voicing my opinion like I've already stated earlier as well.
Calm down, take a breath, & read what's posted instead of making heated comments out of nothing.

Well said.

I'm open to them. I just don't agree with a policy of never riding on the sidewalk. There's nothing more to it.

As I've said several times I generally avoid sidewalks because of all the valid objections raised here. But you apparently won't be satisfied by anything other than me staying off of them entirely and respecting the letter of the law.

Yup. I commute on a drop bar MTB with 1.75 Panaracer Tservs on it. It can go just about anywhere and does. At one point on my commute, I have the choice of riding on the shoulder on a long steep uphill grade, into the setting sun, with traffic whizzing by me at 50-70 mph. Nothing between me and a texting teenager but a white line. Or, I can cross the road at the light and ride up the sidewalk, protected from oncoming traffic by a double guard rail. Pedestrians are few and far between. It took me all of 10 seconds to decide what to do when I first rode the route. Farther up the hill, I make a left turn into a parking lot (the business is closed by this hour), ride through to the end, cross a grassy stretch into a cul-de-sac, ride down the street, cross another grassy area into the back end of another parking lot, ride out to an intersection and turn left onto the bike path leading to home. And so it goes. Once you ride some single track, the definition of a navigable path becomes somewhat plastic.

Agreed.

I agree.

I try and avoid the sidewalk but there is two spots on my commute that I don't have a choice. I asked the local PD what I should do and they said walk my bike while in those situations. Balls to that! Several Cops have passed me while I was riding "illegally" and usually they just wave or nod.

Sometimes there isn't another route and the local authorities don't give a rip.

Not only did I not say I don't know where you ride on the sidewalk, but I also said I wasn't going to argue with you about it so how is that judging? All I did was post a site that discusses it, and you have to decide, which you have, which is best for you. Again there wasn't one ounce of judgement there. You need to read with understanding and not with anger.

And as far as you not caring about the law...well that's a whole different can of worms.

This doesn't make it legal to do it, it just proves you have incompetent/lazy police officers.

You got to be kidding me, are you living in a 3rd/4th world country? Or are you stuck in the 1800's?
Only 1 road for everyone, give me a break.
I just turn over to the next block/street over.
:rolleyes:
Much faster than walking with your bike on the sidewalk.

:thumb:
No use wasting anymore time on that one..
Hey stuck in his old school ways. :lol:
Walter Matheau is a more appropriate name for our friend Walt.
:D ;)

Completely illegal to ride on the sidewalk here, and it's cycling enforcement week. I don't really want a $70 ticket!

Back to Clearwater, Florida. The are only a few streets that are through streets, many go no where, are just locked into their own neighborhoods. There is no street one block over. It can be very difficult to get around if you are not off of one of the bike paths. I am from the north, I had never seen cities set up like this where I am from.

So, in Clearwater I:

Take the bike paths if I am near the path.
Take the very few bike lanes until they disappear.
Take the sidewalk if the street is dangerous until I can get to a safe route; or
Take the bus to a safe route.

Just to be clear I never said that makes it legal, I fully admit to breaking the law when I ride on the sidewalk. I also break it if I am 1 MPH over the speed limit or don't come to a complete stop at stop signs while driving. Sometimes I don't even wait for the "walk" sign to flash before crossing the street.

As far as "my" police officers being incompetent/lazy. I actually respect them a lot more for having basic common sense in the situation when I am on the side walk. Common sense is so refreshing to see. Unfortunately I am not seeing a lot of it in this thread.

Exactly!

I guess our cops have no common sense.
Our cops are like ninjas! They camp out, & pop out of now where to catch you without a helmet, or violating any other laws.
Its funny, our mayor is an avid cyclist/ advocate. He's trying to make our city more bike friendly in general. Our cops not so much. They're just out to get their monthly quotas.

this picture is posted as another vote for "street."

http://costumefail.com/wordpress/wp-...Girls-Bike.jpg

That's funny!
This is the type I see riding on the sidewalks.
:lol:

Oh, you're just sharing ideas. You're not being judgemental of others. You're benevolent soul that just wants to share some of your ideas with the bicycling community. I get it.

you: sidewalks are for walking
me: My safety comes first. I could care less about arbitrary rules. Especially when the sidewalk is very rideable, safe, and empty.
you: Sidewalks are NOT the safest place to ride much to your disappointment and disbelief.
(that's not an argument against my behavior?)
me: There are select places where I'm quite glad I have a sidewalk available. But usually I avoid them. I'm only saying they can be the safest option.
you: it's against the law in most states!
(giving up on the safety issue and diving into the law now? still not arguing? I already said to you, and in other posts that I don't care about rules)
me: I really could not care less about the law.
(to emphasize points I've already stated)
you: as far as you not caring about the law...well that's a whole different can of worms.
(a can you've already opened in multiple posts but persist in restating. for what? not to change people's behavior apparently)

The banter really went back and forth several more times if you include redundant comments by others alongside me and you specifically. Each of our positions were stated multiple times in various ways. Need we say more?

That's true here in Atlanta also. Atlanta has a history of poor bicycling options. In recent years they've been trying to make that much better. I pretty much never hear about the police hassling bicyclists here with regard to traffic laws. I suspect that's because they know or have been told to leave the cyclists alone as they try to make the best of a bad situation.