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Bicycle statistics
On Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 4:25:03 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 6/2/2019 1:54 PM, Andy wrote: Just go on the sidewalk for a while. Riding on sidewalks can be OK occasionally. Unless there are pedestrians, of course. Then you should not. And unless there are signs, telephone poles or other close obstructions. Don't let your handlebar clip those. And don't let your tires come close to the side edge of the sidewalk. Many of them feature sharp dropoffs. If you slip off, you're likely to crash because the edge prevents you from maintaining balance. Also watch for bumps caused by tree roots, cracks or heaves in the pavement. It's common for concrete sidewalks to have sections that lift up exposing sharp edges that can cause pinch flats or worse. And watch for bumps or curbs at intersections. These days, many sidewalks have ADA approved ramps, but many don't. Even if the ramps are present, there can be edges from things like gutter pans. Above all, be _extremely_ careful entering an intersection. Motorists are not looking for someone entering the street from a sidewalk, especially at any speed above 3 mph. Look _all_ directions for cars. Stop and wait, or at least yield, if they're approaching. And the same goes for driveways. You even need to watch over your shoulder for turning motorists. They will cut across the sidewalk to enter the driveway without noticing you. Also, motorists exiting will probably not stop before crossing the sidewalk as they hurry to reach the edge of the street. Those latter two problems are much worse if you're traveling "wrong way" on the sidewalk. Motorists expect all traffic to flow in the same direction. If you're headed the opposite direction, they won't look and won't notice you. Other than that, sure, sidewalks are fine. Assuming you're not going much faster than a pedestrian. I'm not saying never use a sidewalk. There are about 100 feet of sidewalk near me I ride pretty frequently because they eliminate lots of delay and complication with a five lane highway. But you'd better be knowledgeable and careful. Really careful. -- - Frank Krygowski A friend of mine was riding on the sidewalk in the dark early in the morning because someone stole his light. A cop gave him a ticket for riding on the sidewalk on a quiet main street/regional road in town even though there were no pedestrians around at all. Unlucky? Perhaps. What gets me is that I had another cop tell me that they preferred people to ride on the sidewalks.. I guess when it comes to enforcing the law it depends on whether the cop is a hawk or a dove. Cheers |
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