K-Man wrote:

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?

Sidewalk riding is a no-no in virtually all situations. Here's John
Forester's ("Effective Cycling" author's) recommendations:

http://kba.tripod.com/ecbasic.htm

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/