I had my first encounter with a jerk with an automobile the other day. I
was riding on the main 4-lane road going through town, as far to the
right as I could without going into the gutter, when from behind me I
hear the belligerent shout of "Get off the road!" I look back to see a
college punk in a black SUV. The traffic was light, and he had plenty of
room to pass me. I just ignored him and biked on.

But the incident brought to mind a question. I'm a fairly new cyclist,
having gotten my bike for Christmas last year. I've learned all the
rules of riding on the road and sharing the road with cars, and I follow
those rules religiously. I've never had a problem with a motorist until
the above mentioned incident. I see lot of cyclists riding on that same
road, and I also see a lot of cyclists riding on the sidewalks
paralleling that road.

My question is, should I be riding on the road when sidewalks are
available? I prefer riding on the road, and the sidewalks, while not
crammed with pedestrians, are never free of them either. What are ya'lls
thoughts? TIA!

Ken