San Diego is NOT bike friendly! (Orange: legal, stats, safe)

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by bloom

The city is very bike-friendly in terms of weather as one can bike comfortable all year round.
The city is not bike friendly in terms of safe designated bike lanes including bike-only lanes.
I'm sure there is a list the best and safest cities for biking, someone can post.
I think Portland or Minnesota may be the best in the 2nd category but suffer from not year-round favorable weather.

You know I often wondered just how many serious bike injuries there are here in San Diego. I see TONS of bicyclists here in my area all the time. The thing is I'd feel like it was a death trap on some of these roads that I see bicyclists on here. Many of these roads like Camino del Sur and San Dieguito in Rancho Santa Fe have designated bike lanes but the traffic is going so fast (often times up to 70 to 80 miles per hour). And so many people aren't paying attention. In fact, a nanny crossing the street got killed on Camino del Sur by someone that ran a red light a few months ago.

So I figure if there are people like this that run red lights, some of these bicyclist don't have a chance with some of these people I've seen driving on some of these busy roads.

I agree you shouldn't judge the city by one afternoon riding your bike around. But I do understand your point about the hesitation to ride your bike on one of these lanes on roads where the posted limit might be 55 where people are going up to 80.

[JohnAlt]

Originally Posted by vegankris

I came here and rode all over the city, la jolla and many different neighborhoods and was constantly honked at and cars did not seem to know what to do with cyclists.

Maybe they've seen too many bicyclists not obeying the rules of the road. The one I see a lot is running red lights after the coast is clear. I don't get to do that with my car. Seems like I have to negotiate the same bike rider over and over because they get a head start at every red light after catching up while I'm stuck at the intersection.

And why do so many have to ride two abreast? A lot of them bring this hostility on themselves.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by earlyretirement

... The thing is I'd feel like it was a death trap on some of these roads that I see bicyclists on here. Many of these roads like Camino del Sur and San Dieguito in Rancho Santa Fe have designated bike lanes but the traffic is going so fast (often times up to 70 to 80 miles per hour). And so many people aren't paying attention. ...

I drive a ten-minute (at most) commute to go to work. I'd love to bicycle that instead of driving, but age and health intrude. So I investigated getting an electric-assist bike.

One of our friends who has electric-assist bikes rode my commute. He reported that he would strongly oppose his wife or daughter ever trying that commute. The problem wasn't the presence of bike lanes or the capability of the bike. It was ...

... the horrible drivers who threaten bicyclists WHO ARE DRIVING IN THEIR DESIGNATED BIKE LANES.

Sorry. I don't usually yell. But is San Diego bike friendly? In some ways, yes. In some ways, not only 'no' but Hell.No.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by JohnAlt

...

And why do so many have to ride two abreast? A lot of them bring this hostility on themselves.

Depends. If there's a bike lane and they're overflowing the bike lane, then I agree with you. But otherwise not. This is to claim their legally appropriate space in a shared road that doesn't have a bike lane.

(Motorcycle riders have a similar issue whenever they drive in car traffic, and use the same claim pattern.)

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by oddstray

I drive a ten-minute (at most) commute to go to work. I'd love to bicycle that instead of driving, but age and health intrude. So I investigated getting an electric-assist bike.

One of our friends who has electric-assist bikes rode my commute. He reported that he would strongly oppose his wife or daughter ever trying that commute. The problem wasn't the presence of bike lanes or the capability of the bike. It was ...

... the horrible drivers who threaten bicyclists WHO ARE DRIVING IN THEIR DESIGNATED BIKE LANES.

Sorry. I don't usually yell. But is San Diego bike friendly? In some ways, yes. In some ways, not only 'no' but Hell.No.

Exactly oddstray! This is what I was referring to. And I totally agree with your friend about not wanting his wife or kids to ride that commute. Some of these roads I've seen are really treacherous and I've seen first hand that cars aren't paying attention and driving very quickly. Many are driving past the boundaries of the bike lane and will move over when they don't see a bicyclist but it's all very dangerous.

I would think bicyclists that don't have those flashing red lights on their clothes are really taking a gamble on some of these paths.

I do get that some bicyclists are doing silly things as well. For example, yesterday on Camino del Sur I saw some bicyclists that were grouped 2 or even 3 next to one another. Right now they are doing construction on Camino del Sur and the bicycle lane is closed while they are adding another lane. Well, there are still MANY bicyclists on this path even though there is no bike lane. It's VERY tight in parts of it with the construction but here yesterday there was 3 riders next to one another talking and laughing. A truck couldn't get past them.

He didn't even honk or being rude to them but probably one of those cases when he should have as they should have seen it was causing a back up in traffic as no one could pass them as they were taking up much of the road and no one wanted to hit them.

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by earlyretirement

Exactly oddstray! This is what I was referring to. And I totally agree with your friend about not wanting his wife or kids to ride that commute. Some of these roads I've seen are really treacherous and I've seen first hand that cars aren't paying attention and driving very quickly. Many are driving past the boundaries of the bike lane and will move over when they don't see a bicyclist but it's all very dangerous.

I would think bicyclists that don't have those flashing red lights on their clothes are really taking a gamble on some of these paths.

I do get that some bicyclists are doing silly things as well. For example, yesterday on Camino del Sur I saw some bicyclists that were grouped 2 or even 3 next to one another. Right now they are doing construction on Camino del Sur and the bicycle lane is closed while they are adding another lane. Well, there are still MANY bicyclists on this path even though there is no bike lane. It's VERY tight in parts of it with the construction but here yesterday there was 3 riders next to one another talking and laughing. A truck couldn't get past them.

He didn't even honk or being rude to them but probably one of those cases when he should have as they should have seen it was causing a back up in traffic as no one could pass them as they were taking up much of the road and no one wanted to hit them.

No bike lane = bikes have every right to take the lane (the WHOLE LANE) and will often ride 2 abreast to keep the lane. This is legal and expected. It's what they're SUPPOSED to do. It's not safe for a bike and a car to share a single lane, and it's often really not safe to be riding far enough to the right to have people passing you in the same lane. Why do you think those "sharrows" are painted on the road in parts of San Diego? It's to remind people that the bicyclists have every right, as a vehicle, to take the lane when there's no bike path.

Just because you're in a car and they're on a bike doesn't mean you have any more right to the road than they do.

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

No bike lane = bikes have every right to take the lane (the WHOLE LANE) and will often ride 2 abreast to keep the lane. This is legal and expected. It's what they're SUPPOSED to do. It's not safe for a bike and a car to share a single lane, and it's often really not safe to be riding far enough to the right to have people passing you in the same lane. Why do you think those "sharrows" are painted on the road in parts of San Diego? It's to remind people that the bicyclists have every right, as a vehicle, to take the lane when there's no bike path.

Just because you're in a car and they're on a bike doesn't mean you have any more right to the road than they do.

I totally agree it's not safe for a car and bike to share a single lane, especially on a high traffic street. Especially where there is construction and the lane is fairly narrow. Oh no doubt the bicycle riders have the right to share the lane. In fact, in the construction zone there are "Share the lane" signs. But the reality is that cars are going to pass bicyclists in this kind of scenario. So it's dangerous and I wouldn't do it.

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by earlyretirement

I totally agree it's not safe for a car and bike to share a single lane, especially on a high traffic street. Especially where there is construction and the lane is fairly narrow. Oh no doubt the bicycle riders have the right to share the lane. In fact, in the construction zone there are "Share the lane" signs. But the reality is that cars are going to pass bicyclists in this kind of scenario. So it's dangerous and I wouldn't do it.

I try to avoid situations like that as well, find another route if I can. Regardless, though, the fault lies with the drivers in this example.

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

I try to avoid situations like that as well, find another route if I can. Regardless, though, the fault lies with the drivers in this example.

Yep. Exactly. Until they are done, I've just changed routes and avoided those kinds of situations. Sure, the fault lies with the driver but that won't help me if they hit me and I end up dying.

The OP does have a point that many drivers drive really aggressively here. At least downtown I'm sure many of the speed limits are fairly low. The problem out there in North County is there are lots of bicycle lanes on high traffic streets. The type of situation if a car hits you that isn't paying attention, it could be a deadly situation.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Wow, where to start here. First off, I don't know how some people got a DL without passing the questions about cycling. Next, the roads themselves are a bigger concern to me than the usual horrible drivers. I can at least pick routes that have less traffic. I hit a pothole so hard last week my strapped down pump flew off. Last, some riders ride like complete idiots and that seems to be the ones everyone remembers. I'm going to guess they drive the same way.

My point being there are just as many idiots in cars as there are on bikes the difference being the bicyclist can't kill you if they run into you.