Quote:
Originally Posted by cabasse
i feel like i should bike this short portion on the sidewalk, but is this ever appropriate? (i know it's not legal, but that seems to be unenforced) |
i just google streetviewed that route and only saw one pedestrian on the sidewalk for that entire half-mile. if that's typical and if motorists on the 6 lane street without shoulders are fast and aggressive (as they often are around expressway entrances/exits), then yeah, i might sidewalk ride that stretch for my own safety.
sidewalk riding is typically illegal for adults in most cities, but there are always certain situations where it can still be the better call. slow way down and be very courteous to any pedestrians you may encounter, and if johnny law ever gives you any guff for it, just give him a reasonable explanation for why you're riding on the sidewalk in that particular situation and that you understand that sidewalk riding is technically illegal and best avoided where practical. if you get a reasonable cop, you'll be fine. if you get one of the assholes, well, not much you can do about that.
alternatively, i would try to look for a side-street get-around, but i know atlanta is a bit different than chicago in terms of side-street street-grid integration, so that might not be a very practical option for your route.
it looks like you got an expressway, a rail ROW, and a river all to get across, which can be a very tough trifecta for alternate routes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cabasse
also - how do you guys feel about helmets in general? i picked up a couple of cheap retrospec helmets but they look incredibly dorky - something much more low profile would be preferred, i dont think they need to be 2" thick...
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i always ride with a helmet because i have twice been struck by motor vehicles while bike commuting where my head has hit the pavement with enough force to crack the helmets that i was wearing.
were it not for the helmet cracking, it likely would have been my skull, and that's never a good thing.
i'm decidedly not a fashion guy, so looking dorky has never been an issue for me; hell, it's my default.
and best of luck to you on the new bike commute tommorow!