Originally Posted by
Snow Dog
What's the proper etiquette for riding a bicycle on sidewalks?
The reason I ask is because I generally try to stay on the road but there are certain stretches of roads that are busy and have cars parked on the side of the road. I use the sidewalk in those cases but fortunately, where I ride I only need to use sidewalks for a short distance.
Yesterday I was using the sidewalk for about a 1/8 mile stretch. A young lady walked out of an alley about 50 feet in front of me and walked toward me. I didn't have anywhere to go or time to get out of her way. We ended up passing each other in opposite directions on the sidewalk.
I felt like I was in the wrong.
I don't want to be that guy that gives cyclists a bad name. Was I out of line here?
In some locations riding on the sidewalks might be prohibited by statute. When on a sidewalk I ride next to the "land edge" unless passing pedestrians. When approaching I ring my bell and will pass using the street side whether it be a face to face OR coming up from behind interaction. I also slow down.