Comments on: Where Do Bikes Belong?

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:42:50 +0000

I think what it is that you are missing when you say ” I still don’t get it” is that, you do not own the road. In this go fast world of cell phones and giant gas guzzler SUVs more and more it seems that people drive as if they are the only ones that have somewhere to be. They hate motorcyclist as well as bicycles and pedestrians because of no other reason than the belief that their journey is more important, and everyone else should get out of their way. I’m ok that you don’t get it. All I ask is that you try not to run me down while you blast along, talking on your cell phone in your giant pollution spewing iron box.

By: Benjamin Jones

Benjamin Jones — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:14:14 +0000

Having spent time cycling in a place where most people cycle on the sidewalk (Japan), I greatly prefer the road. Why? Less transitions from sidewalk to road, more consistent pavement, my speed is closer to that of a car than a pedestrian, cars travel in predictable ways, pedestrians do not, always traveling in the same direction with traffic, never against.

In all the time I have spent cycling, the 5% on sidewalks has resulted in more crashes and near crashes than the 95% on roads.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:23:31 +0000

I still don’t get it. Bikes have FAR more in common with pedestrians than they do automobiles – (a) speed, (b) size, and (c) mass. Put another way, if I were to drive my car at a speed of a typical cyclist in a 35+ MPH zone, I could get a ticket for obstructing traffic.

I honestly don’t understand the rationale behind keeping cyclists on the roads. Reasons number 4 & 5 above are extremely selfish and aren’t going to win any hearts and minds in your efforts to promote cycling.