Quote:
Originally Posted by fflint
^Adult cyclists cannot legally use sidewalks in many cities, including New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
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^ I didn't know that, fflint.
I would never ride my bicycle on a sidewalk if there were pedestrians also present. I usually either dismount and walk or move into the street if there are any people on the sidewalk whatsoever. For example, I would never bicycle on the sidwalk downtown Seattle. On most non-downtown city streets though, you can go for a long time without encountering any pedestrians.
Downtown Seattle, most or all cyclists ride in the street, but that works fine, as the traffic doesn't go very fast anyway. What I don't like is when I'm bicycling at the edge of a road with a 35-40 MPH speed limit, there is a ditch on the side of the road, and no shoulder at all. In that case you're bicycling right on the white line and cars pretty much have to see and navigate around you. It is risky.
In any case, don't get me wrong - I certainly appreciate bicycle lanes when they are available. One reason why I never have a problem personally is that I use a mountain bike, so bouncing up into some dirt, grass, or gravel on the side of the road doesn't bother me. Cyclists who use street bikes really need smooth pavement, so they naturally rely much more heavily on bicycle lanes more than mountain bikers.