Bike Noob takes a look at the issue of riding on sidewalks:
So, the other day when I was on the last leg of our club ride to Kyle, I had a decision to make: Do I ride on Slaughter by myself, or do I take the sidewalk for the last mile and a half?
I thought back to the Road I course I took in April. The instructors told us that if we were uncomfortable doing something out on the road, don’t do it.
So I took the sidewalk. I make no apologies.
The photo he published shows a 4-lane road in an area that appears to be a suburban strip. I recognize this street because nearly every suburb in America has one. And I don’t like riding on them because there’s just no room. And take an extra careful look at the road. See those square gutters? Nowhere to go if you need to take evasive action.
Is it dangerous to ride on sidewalks? It certainly can be. The danger can be mitigated, however, by riding slowly and following pedestrian rules (this mean getting off your bike and walking across intersections).
Bike Noob certainly doesn’t need to make apologies. Hard-and-fast “rules” misapplied can get you killed, too. Despite the claims of the Effective Cycling crowd (much of their advice is truly excellent), a bike does not equal a car–that is until they come up with a 4,000-pound bicycle.
Comments 5
Is it dangerous to ride on sidewalks? It certainly can be. The danger can be mitigated, however, by riding slowly and following pedestrian rules (this mean getting off your bike and walking across intersections).
I only walk my bike across dangerous intersections. There is a popular bike path intersection nearby that pretty much requires one to pedal across, or be stranded in the middle of the road. My view on sidewalk biking is to use common sense and be courteous (up to and including pulling over and stopping in the grass to let oncoming traffic pass by on narrow walkways). Every carelessly flung cigarette butt you’ve ever seen suggests that courtesy might be at a premium. Police yourself, I say.
[A] bike does not equal a car–that is until they come up with a 4,000-pound bicycle.
No joke! I almost got broadsided in my quiet subdivision by a guy who couldn’t be bothered with stopping at a stop sign (I had the right of way, allegedly). Fortunately, I was able to swing out of the way and avoid calamity, but ca-mon!
I grok that bike = car in the eyes of the law, but that’s small comfort when you’re dead.
Posted 19 Aug 2008 at 7:37 pm ¶Thanks for that comment, Ethan.
Here’s a bit more of what I believe re: sidewalks:
The stats say sidewalks are dangerous. I think that’s true for people who:
1. go fast
2. don’t act like walkers
3. ride against traffic
4. fail to pay attention
5. ride bikes that can’t handle rough pavement
Proposition 1: If a biker acts like a walker, then the sidewalk shouldn’t be any more dangerous for the biker than for the walker. (Acknowledging that sidewalks may certainly be dangerous for walkers. Anyone have stats?)
The key to most biking problems for me can be reduced to SPEED. Proposition 2 (confined to adult riders): Those who go fast have the most biking problems–everything from sweating to dying.
Posted 20 Aug 2008 at 8:49 am ¶Austin is my hometown, and so I know Slaughter Lane well. The posted speed limit on it is 40 mph., but with few roads from neighborhoods intersecting it traffic is often considerably faster than that. It’s also hilly, which means a motorist can come up suddenly on a cyclist on the opposite side of said hill that s/he can’t see. Plus, those gutters. I don’t blame him for using the sidewalk.
All that said, after having biked around for coming up on 2 months now, I do agree in the abstract that cycling on the street–assuming the cyclist is obeying traffic laws–is not only safer but a bit faster than riding on sidewalks would be. Just as you say, Andrew, the trick for cyclists is not to force matters–the car, sooner or later, will win those arguments. The cyclist’s patience with traffic and at lights will prevent far more problems than it causes.
Posted 20 Aug 2008 at 5:20 pm ¶“The cyclist’s patience with traffic and at lights will prevent far more problems than it causes.”
You bet!
Posted 20 Aug 2008 at 7:51 pm ¶[...] 3. ride against traffic
I’m no authority on this, but I wonder if women/girls are applying the “walk against traffic” advisement when they bike. I just saw a teen riding against the grain today and remembered to make mention. I guess we should keep an eye out to see who is riding against traffic on the sidewalks.
FYI, sidewalks here (Plano TX) tend to have a buffer zone, so riding against traffic is not the same as doing it on the curb/shoulder. I bike against traffic in certain stretches to/from the gym. Doesn’t seem to cause any sort of traffic-related calamities.
Posted 21 Aug 2008 at 6:40 pm ¶