Do bicyclists belong on the roads or on the sidewalks?

[Samwise137]

A few years back I got hit by a car whilst riding my bike on the sidewalk. As awkward as that sounds, I got cited for riding my bike on the sidewalk and the driver had to deal with damages to me (in retrospect, I probably could have snagged a good chunk of money out of it but being the honest guy I am, I didn't). The biggest problem these days is that people just don't pay attention to where they are going. The reason I was hit at all is the person pulling out of the parking lot only looked in one direction. It's not like it's a one-way road, lady! As much as I'd love wider roads with cycling lanes, the reality is that in a lot of areas, it just can't happen. With that in mind, cyclists belong, and deserve, the roads.

 

[Raddra]

Bicycles really should be allowed on the sidewalk / path.

Its just too dangerous for them on the road. A bike is incredibly easy to control and adjust the speed of, if there are people on the pathways its easy to slow down to pass them.

Also, most pathways are empty around where I am 95% of the time. Roads however are not.

 

[JoJo]

I ride on either, I generally prefer the road as once you get used to it it isn't that dangerous and the cars usually give you a wide berth.

 

[Psykoma]

Here (montreal) it's illegal for a bicycle to be on a sidewalk unless it's ridden by a small child, if an older parent or guardian or sibling are riding with the child, the older person still has to be on the road.
Bicycles are treated as vehicles, the problem is that bicyclists have no idea what they are required to do, or think they're above it. They have to obey all traffic laws that a car does, I've seen tickets being given out for a bicycle running a red, going the wrong way on a one way street, being on the sidewalk. I've also seen bicyclists cornered and ordered to dismount while riding on a sidewalk, and I agree wholeheartedly with that action.

 

[Ickorus]

Go on the road when you can but if you get to a particularly congested area just get on the sidewalk and be mindful of pedestrians, dismount if needs be.

The lack of care motorists exhibit towards cyclists is disgusting, you just have to take a lot of care when cycling.

I've actually had drivers accelerate and swerve towards me before in attempts to run me down, only one of these attempts has actually ended with me coming off my bike but thankfully that was because I managed to get out of her way and crash into a bush. The woman didn't even stop to see if I was OK, if I knew where her car was I would totally slash the tyres and key the car.

Every time this has happened it's been a 4x4, those cars should be banned.

 

[fodderoh]

As an avid cyclist, I would say it depends.

Of course, if there is a bike lane, that is the best solution and more cities should put them in place. If there were sufficient bike lanes, discussions like this would become moot.

That being said, I think whether or not a bike belongs on the road depends on the person doing the riding. If it is someone like me, an avid cyclist who is generally going to be riding 20+ MPH, then I belong on the road. There's no way I could do the kind of riding I like to do on a sidewalk. It just doesn't work. Anyone who has been cycling long, or bikes seriously, has learned the tips and tricks that help to keep us safe (or at least as safe as we can be) on the roads.

But if I'm like my girlfriend, whose idea of a bike ride is tooling along at a few MPH enjoying the weather and the scenery, then I should be on a sidewalk where I am out of harms way and not really a danger to others.

 

[thechaostheory]

I think it was last year, in London a teenage girl was hit and killed by a cyclist on the pavement (sidewalk), the law here also says that cyclists should be on the road

 

[Arehexes]

I don't ride past 25 miles but I mostly ride with my hand on the brakes so I prefer the side walk because

A)I've almost been hit crossing the street (by walking) and I had the right away

B)I see people don't care about others around them in cars (a group of guys in advertcars where serving down a hill and could have hit someone crossing the street).

C)I can easy pop on the side walk at my school and just ride on the grass

D)Most people will move out of your way if your on a bike

E)People driving cars are to damn impatient even though they can get from point A to B faster then I can.

F)There is one bike lane in my town that I found and it's behind my college away from my dorms going parrlal to the school.

To all you people and drive acting like you are above people I say we should ban cars because I can walk or drive without some idiot almost hitting me to get ahead or to some place faster. It's not those on bikes it's those in cars

 

[mjc0961]

You belong on the sidewalk. If there's no bike lane, you're a danger to me and other drivers because we have to try and dodge you and worry if you're doing to do something batshit stupid like swerve out in front of us randomly (this has happened to me many times when driving in this one town full of idiots; one time I almost got rear-ended by some douchebag who was already tailgating me because I had the audacity to drive at the posted speed limit instead of 10 MPH over it when I had to slam on my brakes to avoid sending some dipshit bicycle rider who swerved in front of me through my windshield). Take your bike on the sidewalk where it belongs, please.

Same to joggers: There's a sidewalk RIGHT THERE. Stop jogging in the street you dunces!

 

[EisBaron]

If Bikes are going to be ridden on roads they should have to follow the same laws. Minimum speed limits, plates or some pay to ride system, possible insurance.

 

[mjc0961]

But if I'm like my girlfriend, whose idea of a bike ride is tooling along at a few MPH enjoying the weather and the scenery, then I should be on a sidewalk where I am out of harms way and not really a danger to others.

But you're still a danger to others riding around at a piddly 20 MPH on a street with a posted limit of 35 MPH (and most douchebags are doing 40 MPH or 45 MPH because following the speed limit is for squares daddy-o). If there's no bike lane, you should realize that you can't safely do the riding you want to do in that area and ride slowly on the sidewalk for the sake of everyone's safety.

 

[EisBaron]

But if I'm like my girlfriend, whose idea of a bike ride is tooling along at a few MPH enjoying the weather and the scenery, then I should be on a sidewalk where I am out of harms way and not really a danger to others.

But you're still a danger to others riding around at a piddly 20 MPH on a street with a posted limit of 35 MPH (and most douchebags are doing 40 MPH or 45 MPH because following the speed limit is for squares daddy-o). If there's no bike lane, you should realize that you can't safely do the riding you want to do in that area and ride slowly on the sidewalk for the sake of everyone's safety.

Then get a moped.

 

[Mike Laserbeam]

Having been a pedestrian, then a cyclist and now a driver. I think bikes deserve a place off the road.

It can be really terrifying being a cyclist on the road, a lot of car drivers always seemed to have very little respect for my safety when I would cycle to and from school. As a result, I would usually try to stick to the pavements (sidewalks for you 'mericans) because I hated having a huge hunk of metal following me down the road when it just wasn't wide enough for them to overtake me. Or when the road was wide enough, but the driver would simply decide that I was being too greedy taking up a foot or so of road space, and come so close I would almost be clipped by their wing mirror.

However now that my primary form of transport is by car, I realise that it is difficult for drivers to get along with cyclists on the road. It's not really practical to have vehicles caught behind something powered by somebody's legs alone, so I now think that cyclists should be able to go off the road from the opposite perspective.

I have of course been a pedestrian longer than a cyclist or driver, but I think a lot more people are put in danger because cyclists are on the road, than would be if they weren't.

Although, it's possible that what I've just written simply doesn't make any sense...

 

[Ranorak]

Seeing as bikes are as common here in the Netherlands as cars and people. We have separate bike lanes on some roads.

The roads that don't they have to ride on the road.
But cars are used to it, here.

 

[fodderoh]

If there's no bike lane, you should realize that you can't safely do the riding you want to do in that area and ride slowly on the sidewalk for the sake of everyone's safety.

Who says I can't ride safely? I have 15 years experience that says otherwise.

Let's not confuse "safe" with "no possibility for serious injury ever." If the latter is the standard we are trying to achieve, then we'd get a lot closer to it by banning cars from the roads rather than bikes. Last I checked there were a lot more car-on-car accidents than car-on-bike accidents.

And no, I'm not suggesting we ban cars from the roads. I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy of wanting to relegate bikes to sidewalks for "safety" reasons.

To be fair, I will acknowledge there are a lot of idiot bikers out there. Just like there are a lot of idiot drivers. I don't like idiot bikers either. They just make those of us who do try to follow the rules of the road and be respectful of cars look bad.