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Do you ride on the right side of the road?

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I would also prefer riding on the sidewalk, if my city did not have the brilliant idea to plant one million trees in the middle of the sidewalk, and also did not choose the high-maintenance tree variety (e.g., ficus) with large surface roots that raise and break-up the sidewalk.
 
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We have some incredible country two-laners out here. They seemingly go on forever;gorgeous scenery, lots of elevation challenges. Only one problem...bicyclists and pedestrians are the enemy. You're a nuisance or bother to motorists. What I've found living all over the country is that the cops have to enforce bicyclist and pedestrian right-a-ways against motorists. If they don't, you might as well paint a bullseye on your chest and back.

Most smaller town that have a big college or two support bicyclists & pedestrians and the fines are steep to motorists who don't yield to them. That's still not a 100% foolproof system, but it makes the danger a lot more manageable. On these two-laners, I've had people deliberately run me off the road, throw bottles at me, spit at me etc, etc. I finally found one segment that I feel safe on....only one. I even know a lot of the people who live way out on that road.

I ride with traffic and I use a mirror on the bike. I use many bikes though and they're not all fitted with mirrors. I'll probably come to regret that someday.

Riding against traffic, if the unthinkable should happen, you're dust. Riding with traffic, you can be clipped and possibly survive. I'll take my chances riding with traffic any day over against.

Kevin
 
It's the law! Well, in New Jersey anyway. I will ride on a sidewalk occasionally when it seems safer and doesn't endanger any pedestrians. One of the complaints that drivers have about cyclists is that they do whatever they want and aren't predictable. While some drivers are probably beyond redemption, it would probably help with others if cyclists obeyed the rules more consistently. What can be nasty is a cyclist on the right encountering a cyclist on the left for a headlong collision.
 
Just wondering.....when I can I'm always on the sidewalk but if I'm on the street I tend to ride on the wrong side of the road( going towards traffic) I know that is not what we were as kids...but maybe cause I'm getting older but I find it very nerve racking when a car comes up behind me and I'm wondering if its some teenager checking his phone or a drunk loser that is going to take me out...at least on the wrong side I can see them coming!
I had a peace officer stop me and ask why I was on the wrong side of the road...I told him and he seemed to get it.

Does this piss you off if someone is on the wrong side when your driving in your car?...I really don't see the difference to the driver as we can then make eye contact.
When i was a kid i always rode against traffic until i was warned by a cop not to do this so i rode with the traffic from then on. I don't see a problem with this, but the cops will cite you for this in my town.
 
See what happens when you ride on the wrong side of the road in the classic bike safety film, One Got Fat:
I ride on the right and use hand signals. I'm too old to legally ride on the sidewalk.
I did a Nel on my Columbia Rambler Junker bike and ran a stop sign when i was 8 or 9 yo, and ran into the side of a car at 25+ and damn near took out the car and my bike at the same time. the cops were called and they called my mom who thought i was dead but luckly escaped with only scracthes and bruises and a soiled pair of tidy whities. Lesson learned always watch the road ahead.
 
When I was 15 years old, I was giving a bicycle ride to a friend, with mini bike parts, in hand. We just came from the VanTech mini bike shop.
An old guy turned into us and pushed us with the broadside of his car, without us wrecking into the pavement. We stayed upright. He acted like it was our fault for riding on the street! Luckily no one was injured or bicycle damaged.
 
I pass by 5 schools on the way to work every day and I see kids of all ages riding their bikes to school and riding only on the sidewalks. Thank God! I pass a crosswalk with the signs out saying 15 MPH .... No Passing, and some idiots blow by me not even slowing down. There's been countless times where there is a school bus on the side of the road with the lights flashing and the STOP sign out and people blow right by the bus not even slowing down. I'll be sitting at a red light and when the light turns green I'll take off, but the car next to me is still sitting there until they finish their text. People are looking at their devices and driving all over the road like a drunk almost side swiping the car in the next lane. I'll ride my bike were ever and however I like to cut my chances down from being mowed down by some idiot. If I lived where the traffic wasn't as bad as it is here, I'm sure my riding practices would change to fit the location.
 
Ja Ja! Wir tragen immer einen stahl helm und bleiben auf der rechten seite der strasse dumm kopf!
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