"Women who ride"... on the sidewalk...

[KnottedYet]

She was my favorite. Glinda and Dorothy just irritated me.

[three]

Not to be too harsh, but I feel like cyclists who ride on the sidewalk do a great disservice to the rest of us - for a number of reasons. And, it is also horribly ironic behavior, since those who do it often do so under the guise that it is safer - when, in fact, a substantially greater percentage of bicycle accidents happen as a result of pedestrian traffic than automobile traffic.

Sorry, but I cringe when I see cyclists on the sidewalks in town. It bothers me that Trek would allow one of their 'Women Who Ride' representatives to ride in this manner. This is what I would call a prime opportunity for education.

[OakLeaf]

+1 Three.

I particularly hate the multi-use paths we have in Florida that are built alongside through streets, sometimes crossing from one side to the other. It really blurs the distinction between sidewalks and multi-use trails, encourages drivers (and riders!) to believe that bikes don't belong on the road, and creates extremely unsafe crossings. It's a particular problem for roadies using the same streets, avoiding the trails for all the same reasons roadies usually avoid them (unpredictable animals and pedestrians, very slow speed, lots of broken glass). I sure don't have the energy to become an activist, but I wish someone would do something to raise cycling safety around here.

[KnottedYet]

Do you have a Critical Manners ride near you? (kind of the opposite of a Critical Mass)

A bunch of polite cyclists on the road, following every rule and signalling every move, can do quite a lot to raise safety awareness among drivers and riders.

[Geonz]

Welp, I got a good response from my comment on the blog, and from the beginning she didn't say she rode on the sidewalk; that she rode on bike paths, but just that she *felt* safer on the sidewalk... and that the whole thing was counterintuitive since it was the opposite for running. I got the feeling she was simply being honest about her qualms about what experts had told her - perhaps experts from Trek

[Zen]

She was my favorite. Glinda and Dorothy just irritated me.

Yeah, they irritate me too. I'm a big fan of those flying monkeys.

[redrhodie]

Those monkeys are creepy.

Last time we saw the movie, BF said "Look, she's riding an Eddy Merckx!"

Ummmm, I don't look that much like her ! Well, maybe a little

[SouthernBelle]

Ya know, that is a nice looking bike. Wish it would turn up like Peewee's did.

[la bicicleta]

What is everyones pet peeve about riding a bicycle on the sidewalk? Why is it frowned upon?

[KnottedYet]

What is everyones pet peeve about riding a bicycle on the sidewalk? Why is it frowned upon?

Because statistically it is the most dangerous place for bikes.

[Trek420]

Problem is that sidewalks don't go one forever. Sooner or later you're a bike where a ped should be.

Cyclists on the sidewalk cross driveways and parking lot entrances where drivers exiting or entering don't expect cyclists to be .... and we get hit.

Riders on sidewalks get to intersections and zwoop onto the crosswalk where drivers expect a pedestrian ....and we get hit.

Cyclists on sidewalks encounter pedestrians and decide zwoop off the sidewalk like a pedestrian jaywalking out between parked cars .... we get hit.

Attentive drivers scan the sidewalk at turns and driveways for pedestrians. I've had it happen where I'm looking for foot traffic, see someone on the sidewalk and make a turn with the conditioned reaction "they are on the sidewalk, they are going ____ speed" It's a cyclist

And equally important bikes on the sidewalk are to pedestrians what cars are to us. We should be sensitive to how difficult it can be for elderly, disabled, people with kids or strollers or dogs or cats on a leash .... it can be hard on them when bikes are on the sidewalk.