Should bicycles mix with automobile traffic? (speed, best, ride, better)

[OngletNYC]

Originally Posted by ZT1911

Pedestrians have died from getting hit by cyclists, but it's very rare. Cyclists who can't keep up with the normal flow of traffic when there's no bike lanes, shouldn't be on the road with cars. It will cause crazy traffic jams, especially during rush hour. A cyclist doing 20mph in a 40mph road is being an a-hole. In larger cities, I don't see a problem as traffic is slow, stop and go. Especially with the pretty amazing bike messengers.

I usually take the sidewalk because I don't have the skills nor balls to take such risks on the road with cars. Don't need to tempt roadragers, because I will fight (although I won't throw the first punch....due to jail and I'm that good as a counterfighter). It's usually illegal to bike on the sidewalks, but no cops will fine you for this. They really want you off the roadways, especially during rush hour, because cyclists will clog it up.

On the sidewalks, I have to slow down and stop often for pedestrians (even take the grass to get by), which is annoying. But this is how cars feels when they encounter cyclists on the road. The big difference being, a slow pedestrian won't cause a major jam on the sidewalk for miles and miles of cyclists behind them trying to get through on the sidewalk. There's thousands of cars to that 1 cyclist.

If you are older than 12, you have no business riding on the sidewalk. A grown man biking on the sidewalk?


You will find me on a road doing 20 when the cars are doing 40 quite often - as a taxpayer that is well within my rights. I take bike lanes when they are available to me, and if not, I ride on the road (and yes I will claim the lane if need be). I treat my bike as a vehicle which means obeying traffic laws. My one "crime" is to treat red lights as a stop sign, but I feel that is best for my safety. If ever we began to ticket cyclists for disobeying traffic laws, I would gladly pay the fine for my behavior at red lights.

[fibonacci]

It's illegal and dangerous to ride the bike on the sidewalk. Period. If you are going to fast you won't be able to stop for someone that comes right out in front of you around a corner.

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by OngletNYC

If you are older than 12, you have no business riding on the sidewalk. A grown man biking on the sidewalk?


You will find me on a road doing 20 when the cars are doing 40 quite often - as a taxpayer that is well within my rights. I take bike lanes when they are available to me, and if not, I ride on the road (and yes I will claim the lane if need be). I treat my bike as a vehicle which means obeying traffic laws. My one "crime" is to treat red lights as a stop sign, but I feel that is best for my safety. If ever we began to ticket cyclists for disobeying traffic laws, I would gladly pay the fine for my behavior at red lights.

We get tickets in Dallas.

[88txaggie]

As others have said, it is illegal and unsafe to ride a bike on sidewalks.

If the road is narrow, cars should pass cyclists by moving over into the other lane, as they would for another car or a motorcycle. If there is oncoming traffic then the car should wait to pass.

If the cyclist isn't obeying the law then the cyclist deserves a ticket.

[SATX56]

Laws can be changed/made to accommodate any situation.

bicyclinginfo.org: How many bicyclists are killed and injured each year?

Same as a bike but with a motor...
List of motorcycle deaths in U.S. by year - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/bikesafe/crash_factors.cfm
One might claim to have the right as a taxpayer to ride their bike where ever they wish. That like everything else depends on the laws regarding such. Are you required to have license plates and inspection of your bike each year where you live?
Regardless of ones ability to keep up with the flow of traffic the road is dangerous to bicyclists and pedestrians. You don't stand a chance against 2-5000 lbs of steel. I doubt anyone would seek to keep bicyclists off the roads completely.

[LeftyTrav]

Originally Posted by fibonacci

Pedestrians have died resulting from being hit by people riding a bike. You also can not go as fast on the sidewalk as you can on the road where there is more space and less pedestrians. Simply put: people need to quit being such selfish aholes when driving and need to quit acting like own the road. Agressive driving probably only saves you 1 minute of commute time.

Keep up with the flow of traffic, and you'll have no problem. Otherwise, get the **** out of the way!

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by LeftyTrav

Keep up with the flow of traffic, and you'll have no problem. Otherwise, get the **** out of the way!

Thanks for being a prime example. It's great when someone steps up to help clarify what someone else is talking about.

[LeftyTrav]

Originally Posted by PanTerra

Thanks for being an example.

Better than YOU being an unfortunate example of a grease spot on the highway!

I can't tell you how many damn times the traffic around here on the coast is snarled because some ***hole is riding his/her bike at 15-20mph on a 40-50mph limit here on HWY1....with a minimum of 20-30 cars stacked up behind him/her/them. You finally get past them, and the look on their face is one of defiance. Furthermore, they are typically not riding in order to get from A to B, they are there pleasure riding because the view from the road is a wonderful one. Well, most of us in our cars, ARE trying to get from A to B, and don't wish for it to take all day.

When you are sharing the road with motor vehicles, you are required to observe the same rules/laws of the road as we are forced to. That includes making a reasonable attempt to keep up with the flow of traffic....or pull over and stop to allow the faster motorists to pass....it's just that simple.

[PanTerra]

Originally Posted by LeftyTrav

Better than YOU being an unfortunate example of a grease spot on the highway!

I can't tell you how many damn times the traffic around here on the coast is snarled because some ***hole is riding his/her bike at 15-20mph on a 40-50mph limit here on HWY1....with a minimum of 20-30 cars stacked up behind him/her/them. You finally get past them, and the look on their face is one of defiance. Furthermore, they are typically not riding in order to get from A to B, they are there pleasure riding because the view from the road is a wonderful one. Well, most of us in our cars, ARE trying to get from A to B, and don't wish for it to take all day.

When you are sharing the road with motor vehicles, you are required to observe the same rules/laws of the road as we are forced to. That includes making a reasonable attempt to keep up with the flow of traffic....or pull over and stop to allow the faster motorists to pass....it's just that simple.

I get you, I can't defend those cyclists, that's horrible. On HWY 1? This HWY !? Holy crap! That's just nuts! Is that even legal? I doubt that would be legal in Dallas. Oh man how distracting is that scenery! We just have to worry about drivers distracted on their phones, no scenery to speak of to worry about. But be careful out there, the thing with aholes, there's always a bigger one than you out there and some of them are packing, especially in Texas. Translation of share the road is not, "Get the **** out of the way." That's very understandable considering your example, where there should not be sharing even if it is legal. I understand that you are trying to get somewhere while I am most likely just recreating, and I do my best to accommodate drivers. In fact if I am riding in the right lane as prescribed by law, and coming up to an intersection to stop, before going straight across and you are coming up behind us, also in the right lane but wanting to turn right on red, if you turn your blinker on early enough, you will see us pull over into the next lane to accommodate you in making your turn, expediting the overall flow of traffic.

In Dallas, we stay off of the major grid roads - that is just nuts, when there are plenty of alternatives. And you have people on a highway - that's insane.

A friend of mine (a new to the sport - Triathlons - these can be the worst cyclists) called me and wanted me to calculate the mileage of the route she had just ridden. She gave me those very same major grid roads. After chiding her profusely for riding on roads that while legal to ride on them, are strictly for cars as we don't want to debate rights from a gurny or someone saying that I was well within my rights during my eulogy. I plotted a training route that would be much more accommodating, and less aggravating for all. She finally realized how smart sharing of the road worked.

[pvande55]

The automobile routes are sometimes a monopoly because they never bothered to add bike lanes to a certain bridge. In many cases they are faster because they are straighter. For trips over ten miles (16 km) I don't even consider bike trails.