Bicycles are vehicles and have as much right to public streets as any van or car, period. The exception is freeways and other streets that legally bar cyclists. And because bicyclists and motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than people in cars, they should be given additional courtesy. It is more dangerous to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk than in the street, so that is not an answer.

Of course most motorists would deny this in their righteous and selfish world. Illegally tinting windows is part of that selfish righteousness.

 

How many times have you stopped at a stop sign on a bicycle?

 

Many, many times, Vettex. Absolutely every time that a car deserves the right of way--and I wave them thru because they don't expect me to stop. There are times when I'll roll thru a stop sign after carefully looking both ways and seeing no cars, but typically far slower than our local motorists roll thru them. (There are progressive states that specifically allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs.) And I signal turns, which the majority of our local motorists seem unable to do (too busy on their cell phones).

But you are changing the subject. The dumbest and rudest and most dangerous cyclists are people like your son or nephew or neighbor who are not trained to follow traffic laws and do really dumb stuff including riding on the wrong side of the road, blowing every stop sign and red light, etc. They still don't deserve the death penalty but I would be the first to ask a cop to ticket them.

I've got >50k miles on my bicycling *** with no accidents involving vehicles. And maybe a few more years of life because my heart is in decent shape. And good personal relationships with our local police departments. My club runs cycling safety classes for local youth, and I helped the boys in my son's Boy Scout troop earn their cycling merit badges and we rode across Michigan as a High Adventure trip.

 

YoGeorge I like you and I hope you know that. You're the most respectable and reasonable guy on this forum.

I agree that bikes "have a right" to be on the roads just as much as cars- I completely agree.... But common sense adds a big caveat- minority rights just don't work.
Bicyclists are smaller and more vulnerable AND far far far far far far far far far far less numerous than motor vehicles.

How can you ignore my elephant/rabbit illustration?

 

Might as well give it up, George. I have tried 'splainin' it to people but they won't ever get it. And that is driving a 2 wheel motor vehicle. 4 always beats 2 in their book.
jim

 

And no way in tar-nation do I agree that "riding bikes on sidewalks is more dangerous than streets"... You're fooling yourself kid.

How many of those yearly funerals you've visited are due to sidewalk accidents? If you can prove ONE I'll buy you a Silver membership to this forum.

Sidewalks are PERFECT for bicycles. They are mini roads. And therefore should be used by mini-vehicles as such.

 

The numbers don't lie! Size matters and quantity matters.

I am wide open to learn something new here gentlemen. Honestly: please teach me something because I'm looking at the same sentences you guys are, and your side doesn't add up.

 

So, you get your van sideswiped by a semi and you are cool with that?

Rhetorical question. jim

 

Here's a quick and very basic video about riding a bike on sidewalks. I ride at 15-20 mph and do 20-40 mile long rides. Think of riding 20 miles on sidewalks in residential areas with driveways every 50 feet, shopping districts, little kids playing, women pushing strollers, people walking dogs, etc. Many of our local municipalities outlaw riding bikes on the sidewalk, especially in business areas. Our group rides will go out with 20-60 bicyclists. How perfect is a sidewalk for a group ride like this?

If you are physically able to do it, go ride a quick 10 miler on the sidewalk, and then again on the street, and tell me which created more danger and obstacles for you and which ride put other people into more danger. I'm assuming you rode your bike as a child and not since then, and not in any kind of athletic fashion.

The chances of your backing your van across a sidewalk while I'm riding down it are far greater than if I'm riding in the street in the direction of traffic. Think of landscaping and other obstructions. Imagine that I'm approaching you from your driver's side on my bike while you are looking to your right for auto traffic. Are you gonna see me as easily if I cross a street on a sidewalk going 15 mph? Nope.

If I have access to a wide bike path as in rural areas, or a rail trail kind of thing, I would certainly use that BUT in many of our local parks, even the paved paths are often full of people with kids, walking dogs, walking 4 abreast, wearing headphones, etc, and the paths have a posted speed limit of 10 mph, and in that case I am back on the road. Again, bicycles are vehicles; they are not pedestrians. More riders are killed on the roads because that is where the huge miles are ridden.

We have guys in our club who have 500,000 and more lifetime bicycle miles. Although I do most of my miles in my residential area, doing long rides with a group generally puts us out onto country roads where there are no sidewalks anyway. So just be careful. Killing a cyclist is not gonna be easy on you either if you have any kind of morality or scruples. Here's the vid:

Riding on the Sidewalk | League of American Bicyclists

Now just go get yer windshield and if you need to research or think some more, go for it. For your paradigm shift, just think of going out for a 20, 30, or 40 mile ride on a $3000 bicycle as a norm instead of you on training wheels when you were a kid.

 

$3000 bike? 20mph? 60 bikes in a group?
That's not at all what I thought we were talking about.

I fully concede YoGeorge. You win the sidewalk argument. I appreciate the details and examples.

Here's what I thought we were talking about:

 

I think I mentioned that I have ridden 50,000 miles on my bike in the last 30 years...you don't think I did it in dorky sidewalk mode, do you? I have bikes with over 10,000 miles on them. I wear lycra and always a helmet. My club dates back to 1888 and has produced bicycle racers and speedskaters who have medaled in the Olympics and won scores of world and national championships as well as sending riders to the Tour de France before doping really wrecked stuff.

My son was junior state champ racing for our club 2 years in a row and the top points scorer for the U of Mich bicycle racing team for a couple years. I have owned vans for 30 years to carry bikes and stuff. I'm a fat old tourist (not a racer) in comparison, but it keeps me alive and I do OK for having 8 screws and 3 rods in my spine.

Still a cheap hobby compared to racing cars or owning a boat or vacation home.
George

 

many times ?
You should be stopping EVERY time if you are following the law.
stopping some of the time is hypocritical
Your state ?
No, I'm pointing out hypocrisy
I surmise you have NEVER done that ?

 

It sure does in a crash

BTW, I'm an EARNED Lifetime Member of the AMA , not one of those I just paid the cash up front ones.

 

I don't drive on sidewalks no matter what mode of transportation.

BTW , I raced BMX and was the first guy doing 180's off a jump and bunnyhoppin'

 

What's AMA?