First time biking. Is it okay to go on the sidewalk on the more busy streets?
 

This will be my first time biking with a road bike. Is it okay for me to ride on the sidewalk instead of riding in the bike lane?

No

In a lot of places, it's technically illegal. In Dallas, I've seen the cops do it. Generally, it's a sign that you need to find a different street.

Around here, you see two kinds of cyclists: Those that ride bikes, generally road bikes, in the street, and those that ride Walmart bikes at 8 mph the wrong way on the sidewalk.

In general, it's inadvisable because:

(1) Turning vehicles tend to not see you as well as they would if you were on the road, and

(2) You have to contend with pedestrians and other obstacles.

There are exceptions, of course. I might opt for a short stretch of sidewalk if it's the only alternative to a crazy traffic road.

We had a long discussion about this on another thread about two weeks ago. According to the stuff I found and others cite as well, you are about 2X more at risk on the sidewalk as on the road. The reason is that driveways and at intersections, moving cars are not looking for a fast mover like a bike. Just almost happened to me today, I was riding on a sidewalk, too lazy to walk my bike to the intersection, and almost got taken out by a car coming out of a parking ramp.

If the road is super busy and you ate not comfortable on it, find a different road if at all possible.

J.

Illegal in some places, just plain stupid in all.

If you are going to get on the sidewalk because the streets are too busy...walk. Hence the name side"walk".

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No. If a bike lane is present, riding on the sidewalk is foolish and dangerous. In other cases, it is generally not a good idea (or illegal) for the reasons others have mentioned.
If the road is too busy for your taste, consider altering your route. A simple shift of 1-2 blocks in either direction can provide a better route for your taste, in some cases.

A good starting point is to map your start and finish point on google maps, then click the little bicycle icon (available for most cities now) - the suggested bike routes will be shown in green. Try those out and find the route that suits you best.
Otherwise, your local bicycle advocacy group or city government should offer a bike map of your city.

In general, stay off of sidewalks on your bicycle. If the sidewalk is the only safe option for certain areas, dismount and walk. :D

I live on a hill that is >15% grade. With 4 busy lanes and no shoulders, there is no way I am going up the hill 'taking the lane'. That is the only sidewalk I use. Going down the hill, I use the road. I would rather be a jail bird than a dead one. It's only for .32 miles and then I turn left. I could not imagine going 6mph turning left and crossing 4 lanes without causing issues.

I used to live in Japan. While riding in Japan I never used the sidewalks even with Tokyo's crowded/narrow streets.

what happens if the streetlight doesn't trigger because theres no cars around? Get on the sidewalk to press the crosswalk then get back on the street?

Anyone who tells you not to ride on the sidewalk in all situations is an idiot. In major cities there are alot of times riding on the sidewalk is the only way to go. Hard and fast rules don't apply to real life. I do agree that if you need to ride on the sidewalk, there is probably a better route that you could take. If you have to ride on the sidewalk due to traffic, do it. Just ride slow and don't run people over.

Sometimes I go on the sidewalk but at jogging pace. Look out for what you encounter in a sidewalk, including pedestrians coming out doors, cars pulling out driveways, and of course look back for turning cars at intersections. I make a point never to exceed about 10mph no matter how empty a sidewalk looks, downhill or not.

Go on the sidewalk if it seems safer. Don't get killed because you listened to some idiots online.

I have a 23 mile loop I like to do, and there's about a quarter of a mile that I stay on the sidewalk, because the road is just so incredibly busy and fast. I asked a cop if I would a ticket for riding on the sidewalk because of this, and she said while technically illegal, she couldn't imagine any cop in their right mind giving me a ticket for that. She said to ride on the sidewalk.

Ride somewhere else? Not an option. This road is right out of the front of my neighborhood. And I'm not driving a quarter of a mile.

In Alaska?

At the moment, I'm where your location is (TN). But I've had too many comments about the Alaska joke haha...

i'm in san fran and there are a couple of areas where I hop on the sidewalk...climbing up hill I'm going 8 mph on a sidewalk that is rarely used by peds. most of the time I find routes around busy areas, but there are area where its the only way without a long detour.

Many states have laws that basically require you to wait through one complete cycle of the lights. If it doesn't change, you can carefully go as long as you don't interfere with cross traffic. It's an acknowledgement of exactly that problem - the smart stoplights with sensors in the pavement that don't get triggered by bicycles and other non automobile vehicles. Check with where you ride to be sure.

J

Nice. :rolleyes:

The main risks to you are not running over people but getting nailed at driveways, garage exits, alleys and at intersections of the sidewalk with the street by cars. With few exceptions, it's just not a good idea to ride on sidewalks.

J.

Read this thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...r-never-hit%29

And "seems safer" is an utter illusion if there is any kind of vehicle traffic crossing that sidewalk - from alleys, driveways, cross streets - ANTHING.

Because none of the drivers will expect anything other than walking pace - 4-5 MPH - from anything on a sideWALK.

:rolleyes:

If you think you need to be riding on the sidewalk, you really need to be riding somewhere else. To do it even vaguely safely, you won't experience anything that could reasonably be called exercise or fun.

There is a reason why this question is asked exclusively by newbies. With very few exceptions, it's a rotten idea for a lot of reasons (which mostly boil down to being dangerous and illegal)

Special circumstance exist, of course, but generally speaking it is far, far safer to ride in the street.

Exactly. I wouldn't ever suggest riding on the sidewalk at full speed or for a long period of time, but there are certain sections of busy roads or bridges that make riding in the street with cars flying by pretty dangerous. Trying to avoid those routes is a good idea, but sometimes you end up in one of those situations.

If it is your first time biking you're better off in an empty parking lot.

I'm not quite as green as you are but I'm relatively new compared to most posting here. A lot of the fun of road biking, at least for me in these early stages, revolves around the planning of my route. Go early in the morning. Pick streets without minimal traffic. Plan routes that don't have lots of traffic and stop signs.

Gain confidence by riding on the street early on Sunday morning.