Wow, everyone starts somewhere.

Http://www.stlbikeworks.com

Hey, if people want to or can ride their bikes to work, I say more power to them. That said, I doubt many people work within a short enough distance from home to make it worth their while. For a brief period years ago I cycled to work and around town, but I was 19 and lived less than 7 miles from work.

” If you’re a recreational cyclist, don’t ride on the sidewalk or in the opposite direction of motor traffic.” As I recall, I believe I was taught as a child (during a school sponsored bike saftey class) that it was better to ride the opposite direction of traffic, though I never have nor have I ever seen anyone do that.

There are enough idiots on the road driving vehicles for me to be overly upset by cyclists. Most who’d dare major roads I’ve found to be quite aware and obliging on the roads. They don’t want to get hit just as much as you don’t want to hit them… and many roads do offer a large enough shoulder to let them ride. And if there’s no shoulder but a sidewalk and no pedestrians, I’m going to take the sidewalk out of saftey as a cyclist. Riding in the city where traffic is a little slower would be different.

Ride if you got it and can!

Logus,

You were taught incorrectly. Bicyclists are to follow traffic laws. Ride in the same direction as vehicular traffic. Obey stop signs and traffic signals. Yield to pedestrians.

My biggest concern with cyclists on the roadway is the same one for motorcyclists. I believe that since the vast majority of other occupants of the traffic lanes are automobiles, it’s easy to not be on the lookout for someone on two wheels. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m constantly amazed by how easy it is to lose sight of a bicycle/motorcycle in traffic.

7dez7, heh, yeah, I’m not surprised. It didn’t make sense to my eight year old brain either. Thus I never followed that particular “rule”. My father taught me how to ride a bike, and he taught me to follow traffic and road rules.

As for pedestrians, yes I agree they have the right of way, but in certain circumstances I think riding on a sidewalk is safer and if I had to, I veered into the grass or stopped altogther to allow pedestrians to pass. I rode on sidewalks moreso as a child/young adult cyclist.

In Missouri, it is illegal to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk in a business district. Sidewalk riding is legal in residential areas, but generally is less safe than riding on the roadway. Certain circumstances may make riding on a sidewalk more desirable, though. While Mr. Patrick’s concerns are well intentioned, I’d love to see a huge number of cyclists on the roads this week. More people on bicycles makes drivers much more aware of the need to watch for bicycles & take necessary precautions. Lord knows that the St. Louis area needs more awareness of cyclists safety concerns.

Mombo,

Why is it illegal to ride a bike on a sidewalk in a business district, particularly if it is legal in residential areas? That’s just asking for accidents to happen.

sej- I can only assume that business district sidewalks are presumed to be more crowded, with pedestrians also entering & exiting buildings which may open right onto the sidewalk. Here are the rules:

http://mobikefed.org/files/modot-bicycle-statutes-flyer-8-2005.pdf

There are some roads around here that are totally unsafe for riding. Except for these, I’d rather not ever venture onto a sidewalk.