Think you're invisible on your bike?

[Fred]

Try a bicycle! I rode five miles to school and the same home. In those ten miles I was almost hit twice, and had at least ten other cars who didn't appear to see me. I saw them and was ready.

And the bike rack at ACC was full for the first time ever, thanks to increasing gas prices. People need to start watching the sidewalks a lot more, or we're going to have a lot of bicycle-auto fatalities.

ok, rant over.

Fred

 

[Rushiku]

Sidewalk? I don't know about anyone else but, I, for one, am not looking (as in: 'I don't', not 'I won't') on the sidewalk for 15 mph vehicles that should be on the street. I don't check overhead for cars falling from the sky either...

Anyway, ride on the street, where you're supposed to be. I can't promise people will see you, but there's a much better chance that they will if you are riding where they expect to see you riding.

 

[SueMc]

I ride my bicycle about 32 miles round-trip to work 3 times a week. I'm lucky in that most of my route is on bicycle paths (Calgary has a good bike path system), but the sections where I have to ride on the road can be alarming at times.

It's not so bad going in, it's early enough, but coming home I've lost count of the number of times I've nearly become a hood ornament!

It's almost like some drivers deliberately try to run you off the road.

 

[Fred]

Sidewalk? I don't know about anyone else but, I, for one, am not looking (as in: 'I don't', not 'I won't') on the sidewalk for 15 mph vehicles that should be on the street. I don't check overhead for cars falling from the sky either...

Anyway, ride on the street, where you're supposed to be. I can't promise people will see you, but there's a much better chance that they will if you are riding where they expect to see you riding.

You are right, at least from a legal standpoint. By law, I should be on the street.

However, the streets that I have to take to school are not the average city street. The speed limit is 45 on them. They are two or three lanes. Traffic regularly moves at 70.

The law wants me to get out there with the cars, doing at most 25mph on a downhill and as slow as 3mph on an uphill.

On the sidewalk I pass an average of two pedestrians in a roundtrip. So the sidewalks are empty.

I'll be staying on the sidewalk.

If you want to see where I ride, look at Parmer Lane and Metric in Austin, TX.

 

[JohnTex]

The above replies are correct. If you can find a safe route, ride in the street and not on the sidewalk. I know that many of Austin's roads are not designed for bikes (or the traffic that they now carry!) and things are exacerbated by the steep pitches & turns of the old roads near downtown. You may find the safest way is not the shortest. Year-round for over 15 years, I have been making a 40-50 mile bicycle commute to my jobs, and my bicycle route averages 3-4 miles longer than my cage/motorcycle route.

From a a practicality point, I have never justified the bike commutes in terms of gas/monetary savings. Even keeping the same bike for years, the cost of tires, lights, clothes, & other equipment add up. For instance, a recent double flat w/cut tires at a railroad crossing was a $80 fix. For what it is worth, the same holds true for the motorcycle. My math on it shows a full recoup of the purchase price & insurance in 9 years, if I average 7500mi/year.

Good luck. Be safe and always assume you are invisible, whether on a bike or motorcycle.

 

[mglowe]

I hope I'm not sounding like this is an attack but simply a different view.

While many states define bicycles as vehicles, with the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicles there are many roads that prohibit bicycles. Often bicycles, rode by children or not, create hazards on the road. I cannot count how many times a bicycle has dangerously congested traffic.

Many as do I feel small children have no business on the road with today's vehicle traffic. These riders may not have the skills required to stay alive.
The sidewalk on the other-hand has other challenges. People walking dogs, traffic moving in opposite direction... and yes the vehicle backing out.

It can be argued in many ways both good and bad but really we have the responsibility to look for it to be clear before proceeding.

 

[Rushiku]

However, the streets that I have to take to school are not the average city street. The speed limit is 45 on them. They are two or three lanes. Traffic regularly moves at 70.

Yikes!

I do, as you guessed, do tend to think of city streets for riding. Something between 25 and 40 mph.

That's exactly why I don't ride my bike anymore...I've already worn a groove into the roads in my subdivision and it's too dangerous to leave (55+ on all roads surrounding me) There will, someday, be a bike path that hooks into the Prairie Path (some 450 miles of converted railway), but until that day comes...

Sure, I could pack up the bike and drive the 20 minutes to the nearest place to park with bike path access, but if I want to ride for an hour, I want to ride - not spend an hour packing, unpacking and driving.

Once last complaint, there's a grocery store an easy five minute ride away, but as I am 'kitty corner' from it, I would have to cross 2 streets consisting of 12 lanes of traffic with no crosswalks or sidewalks, I think I'll pass.

 

[Hellgate]

Ah, you'll get used to it Fred. I ride 360 pretty often. Ride paranoid, check your "6" all the time and always assume they don't see you. Wear a good lid too.

I've only been hit three times! :cheer: Oh, all in bike lanes BTW.

 

[teeter]

On my pedal power Fazer I'm always on the road with traffic. I ride on mostly 45mph roads with a few miles of 55mph. I ride defensively and I always know what stupid move that person ahead of me, beside me and behind me is going to pull. (Just like I do when I'm on the motorized mount)

Two things that have helped me a lot....
-Use a bar mount mirror of some sort.
-If there isn't room for cages to pass you MOVE TO MIDDLE OF THE LANE so they can't. They may get pissed, but they rarely actually run you down. Sucks when they do of course.

Keep riding your own ride. If the sidewalk is where you are comfortable then I guess that's your ride. Enjoy it!



Something I've been pondering....
It's funny, we (mostly) all agree with ATGATT, but when it's pedal power time we think nothing of going downhill at 45mph with a thin film of fabric covering our hides. I don't plan on wearing full leathers on my bicycle any time soon though.
:squid::Flip::squid:

 

[cv_rider]

Teeter, you're right as far as the double standard on safety gear for riding a motorcycle vs a bike, at least it applies to me. I almost never feel any fear riding a bicycle and wear no protection beyond a helmet and gloves. I'm constantly paranoid on a motorcycle, even though it is far safer in town as you can keep up with the flow of traffic. That's probably partly because I don't hang out on internet forums for bicylists constantly talking about crashing.

 

[Fred]

I randomly found this link tonight while perusing livejournals.

It turns out I'm not breaking the law by riding on the sidewalk!

alienscooters.com - FAQ Answers | Riding On Sidewalks In Austin, Texas