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Hi, I am moving to Charleston in a couple of months or so. I will be working at MUSC and was thinking about living somewhere close so that I could bike to work. Is it safe to ride your bike at peak hour (or non-peak hour) from James Island, West Ashley or Mt Pleasant? Can you ride your bike on the sidewalk, and if not, what is the traffic like on the road, will you get run over? How about on the peninsula? Thanks in advance for any info.
Hi Bturt, As a fellow biking/cycling-lover who lives in downtown Charleston, I can tell you that it is very easy to get anywhere on the Peninsula. From end to end it is only about 3.5 miles with lots of different neighborhoods to choose from and MUSC smack dab in the middle. Many people who work at MUSC live in the Wagener Terrace area which is north of MUSC and has great homes/bungalows built in the 40s and 50s. I have ridden from downtown to all the other areas in Charleston and don't find it to be too difficult, particularly with the great new bridge and bike lane into Mt. Pleasant. Going to West Ashley and James Island is a bit more difficult but definitely doable. They have a bike lane in the works connecting the West Ashley Greenway to downtown, but it will be awhile before it is complete. I think it mostly depends on your comfort level. Where are you moving from? I'd be happy to help you find a neighborhood with a bike-friendly way to work.
The bridge to Mt Pleasant was built with bike and running/walking lanes separated from auto traffic- however that puts you on the opposite side of the peninsula from Mt Pleasant. Most of the housing in Mt Pleasant is also a good ditance frome the bridge.
I've seen people running/biking the draw bridge that goes from downtown to West Ashley (there are two one way bridges) but that strip of raised sidewalk is a little narrow. People constantly run/bike the James Island connector but there is absolutely no separation between cars and cyclists/runners. On James Island you'll also want to watch for which bridges you'd need to cross to get to the connector.
The point about the Wagner Terrace/Hampton Park area is pretty true. Someone is always running/biking in that area.
If you live on the peninsula you could probably bike to work at any time once you learned the roads and neighbor hoods not to bike on/through.
The Connector and hwy 17 are not bike friendly.
I disagree.
If your a avid cyclist, then you'll find the James Island connector like any major road ridden before. It has a really large sholder, and the traffic is just fast traffic. Though as I came to learn here in Charleston, you need fatter touring tires on your commuite bike, or you'll get flats all the time.
As for ridding downtown, there is no neighboorhood to worry to much about, this isn't NYC.
I've done many epic rides all around charleston. I've ridden every major road in town, Rivers, Dochester, meeting, 17, ALL of them. You have to get far more agressive as a ridder when you ride around here, but other than that, its very do-a-ble. I would do Mount-P just over the bridge, or downtown if you want to ride your bike to school, James Island would be my third pick. good luck!!
[quote=OleTomCat;7361477][quote=airman_verde04;7359033]As for ridding downtown, there is no neighboorhood to worry to much about, this isn't NYC.
Quote:
Now this I disagree with, lets see you go ride you bike down America Street in your skintight bicycle shorts, you had better not have to stop...
well, if your commuting, your spandex usually stays at home, and I guess I will clarify myself to the person who assumes you always wear spandex when cycling, "as for ridding downtown, there is no neighborhood to worry to much about during the day." but really, ever. If your like me, I don't waist to much time at stop signs or red lights on my bike anyways, so you'll roll right through the ghetto long before anyone notices.
anyways, bturt, what you'll also find downtown, and from what I'm getting from pretty much all my biking buddies who live else where, old school road frames are becoming super popular in the urban areas, and single speed fixed bikes are the trend for all the young cool cats of the cycling world. You'll see a good deal of them downtown, I've sold some parts to guys needed to fix up there track bike for the morning commute to school. Good luck!
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How about on the peninsula? Thanks in advance for any info.
