Let me open a can of worms-Dont get me wrong,I love bicycles. Should bicycles be allowed on busy roads with trucks and cars or should trails and bike paths be the routes for this mode of transport?-Kevin
I ride a bicycle to work every day. There are no bike trails anywhere near the route. There are major avenues I avoid and I take side streets that make my trip slightly longer. It’s a matter of self preservation. When I’m driving the car I see plenty of fools riding bikes on those major streets with no helmet and challenging the cars and trucks.
The real problem is too many people see the roads as a place of competition, not cooperation. Drivers and pedestrians also need to get along.
Though some of the pedestrians like to challenge vehicles as well as the cyclists. How many times have you seen pedestrians look right at you coming down the road, yet take a leisurely stroll across the busy intersection when the light is green for you. I know I’ve seen several people who are old enough to know better that don’t even bother to look either way before strolling into the road.
Bicycles should have their own lanes. Where they don’t, they are supposed to be afforded the same regard as a motorized vehicle.
What does this have to do with repair and maintenance?
Not a thing,this is where this post was placed.Yesterday I saw a guy stomping on his pedals in a crosswalk,maybe He needs a query in repair and maintenence in “Bicycle Talk”.
Anyway a Lady was killed on her bike by a truck-on the news this morning,thats what got me thinking about this subject.I really get uneasy now riding on a public road-Kevin
The instincts that are making you feel uneasy are spot on. Right, wrong, legal illegal, competing with cars is just dumb. You may be entirely within your rights to ride on the same roads as cars but its not a real smart thing to do.
Chime in SMB.-Kevin
It should be noted again that at least in my state and others that I know of, require the bike rider to ride in the street and obey the same laws as do automobile drivers. As an adult, I am not allowed to ride my bicycle on a sidewalk.
I favor bike trails and where not available bike lanes. The simple fact is there are few bike trains and bike lanes.
Bike trails would be great, even those that are beside or are a part of existing roads. But that requires billions of dollars for any state to institute fully. Fat Chance. Bikes should not be allowed on limited access roads, but are OK on any other road. The bicyclist must obey the state’s motor vehicle laws (except driving too slow) and must also wear a helmet. Remember, it’s not a question of if you will be hit, just when.
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I bike to work and drive to work and deal with bicycles. I have a friend who spent 6 months recovering from a severe hematoma when a car turned right into her. Bikes can be on the road with cars but there are stupid bicyclists and stupid motorists.
Cyclists - Ride single file do not take up a lane with side by side riding.
do not ride down the center of a lane and make me go 15mph.
Use hand signals to indicate your intentions.
Listen look and observe to know when cars are around.
Stay to the right so I can encroach on the oncoming traffic lane to pass you if desired.
Motorists
Watch your mirrors and be aware where bicycles may be in your potential path.
Check 360 degrees before making any turns.
Give cyclists space whenever possible.
Check for cyclists before opening your door after parallel parking.
Don’t throw your empties at cyclists please.
Cyclists belong wherever they want to ride and motorists need to respect that. LA has just passed a law that says that motorists must give cyclists 3 feet when they pass them. It is a great advance and it is spreading to many states. LA is not the first, but we are early.
Cyclists must take up a lot of space to ride safely. If there are two lanes, one is theirs. If drivers are not forced to slow down and evaluate if and when it is safe to pass, they will careen by without considering the presence of cyclists. Far too often, I have been forced to the curb by drivers who don’t know how fast I am going and move over before they are really past. This is especially so on turns where we can negociate them faster than automobiles. We must ride at least one car door length away from parked cars.
Bicycle lanes foster, among motorists, the attitude that bicyclists do not belong on any street they want to be on. There is usually nothing that restricts motorists from driving in the bicycle lanes. Separate trails might be a good idea.
The bicycles are here to stay. What really gets me is the joggers running in the roadway when there is a perfectly good sidewalk next to them. Sidewalks were made for pedestrians, the roadway is for vehicular traffic. My subdivision is up in arms over cars exceeding the speed limit in the subdivision. At the same time, you have mothers pushing baby strollers, people walking their dogs and people jogging in the roadway all day long. If you are not in a crosswalk and you get hit by a car, plain and simple, Its YOUR FAULT. The vehicle is where its supposed to be, YOU ARE NOT. Thats my rant on the subject…
transman
I run in the road, usually facing oncoming traffic. There are a few reasons:
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The sidewalk is concrete and is somewhat harder on the joints than asphalt. There is a lot of discussion about this whether your body notices the difference between two hard substances, but it is an often given reason.
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Low hanging branches on the sidewalk are a big pain to duck under, and we often end up in the road anyway.
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Children riding bikes are often on the sidewalk. I don’t want to dodge them, so I run in the road.
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Sidewalks are only in the newer neighborhoods near me, so I have to spend a lot of time on the road anyway. Sometimes they end on one side of the street and I have to cross the street just to stay on the sidewalk. How safe is that?
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Running is hard enough work without having to constantly step down off the curb and then back up after crossing the street. The step up can also be dangerous. It is yet another opportunity to trip and fall. The step down is an opportunity to twist your ankle. I’ve done both.
If I’m running in a busy area, I always run on the sidewalk. Cars going 40 MPH are not something that I want to mess with. Also, I will cross the street and run with traffic of there is a blind curve where I can’t see oncoming cars and they can’t see me. I have plenty of time to check traffic and can do this safely.
Too bad, generally if there is a sidewalk pedestrians are required not to be on the road/street.