Where am I supposed to ride a bicycle?

Beat up by the police for being on the sidewalk? I'll pass on commenting... Where a bicycle belongs? Here comes a detailed answer. In most states, it is technically illegal to ride on sidewalks, especially in a business district with heavy pedestrian traffic. You will need to Google your own state's laws & possibly local laws too. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. Streets are for "vehicles". In all 50 states, Canada, England, the rest of Europe & most of the world, a bicycle is designated by law as a "vehicle". The first paved roads in America were designed & built for bicycles!

You stated, "There isn't really room between the road and sidewalk for a bike,..." If that's the case - DON'T hug the curb. Take the lane! I'm serious as a heart attack. Take the lane. Missouri state law (1st link below) states word for word a cyclist should ride, "...as near to the right side of the roadway as safe,..." The two key words being "as safe". When it's not safe, a cyclist should & can "take the lane". Exceptions are, "...except when making a left turn, when avoiding hazardous conditions, when the lane is too narrow to share with another vehicle or when on a one-way street. Bicyclists may ride abreast when not impeding other vehicles." Did you note the part where it stated, "...when the lane is too narrow to share with another vehicle..."? You have every right to TAKE the lane.

Not safe is riding in the gutter or next to the curb. Don't be a "gutter bunny"!! Riding safe is ALWAYS riding at least 3 feet from the curb where 1) You can be SEEN by motorists. 2) You avoid road debris - broken glass, nails, screws, etc. Riding next to the curb or in the gutter is NOT safe. Always leave 4 ft. of room between your bicycle & parked cars. This keeps you out of the "door zone" should some idiot not look before opening his/her car door. When cars are parked sporadically alongside the curb, do NOT go around one car, back to the curb & then back out around another parked car. In essence you will be playing "hide 'n go seek" with traffic. Ride in a straight line as if there is a solid line of parked cars. Again...be SEEN! If they (motorists) see you, they won't hit you. They might honk their horn if they don't know the law. Which is better, someone honking their horn or someone hitting you because they didn't see you until it was too late?

The "Holy Bible" to riding on the streets is an on-line pamphlet entitled Bicycling Street Smarts by John S. Allen. 2nd link below. This goes into more detail than I can here. Another decent site is on 3rd link. Read both.

Pages 61 & 62 of the Missouri Driver's Guide states the following...

Some things you should know when sharing the road with mopeds or

bicycles:

• Most collisions with bicycles and mopeds happen at intersections, where

smaller, slower bicycles and mopeds are especially easy to overlook.

Scan carefully for bicycles and mopeds before proceeding through an

intersection, giving them the same consideration you would any other

vehicle.

• Bicycles are often overlooked by motorists.

• It is not always easy to judge the speed or distance of a bicycle.

• Accidents with wrong-way bicyclists frequently occur when a motorist

wants to turn right onto a main road and is only looking left for

approaching traffic. Be sure to look right and check for wrong-way

bicyclists on the road or sidewalk before proceeding.

• On residential streets, especially those with parked cars, travel at or

below the speed limit.

• If you are following a bicyclist and need to make a right turn, slow down

and remain behind the cyclist until you are able to turn.

• Cyclists often travel at surprisingly fast speeds. If you need to make a left

turn, yield to oncoming bicyclists unless you are absolutely sure you can

make the turn before the cyclist reaches the intersection.

• Bicyclists change speed and lane position when encountering bad road

conditions, such as manhole covers, diagonal railroad tracks, drain

grates, road debris, or in strong winds. Be ready to react.

• When you are passing, give bicycles and mopeds a full lane width. Do

not squeeze past these road users. The bicycle is generally a slower

moving vehicle and this may require you to slow down. Wait for a clear

stretch of road before passing a cyclist in a lane too narrow to share.

• Check for passing bicyclists before opening your car door into a traffic

lane or bicycle lane.

• A bicycle lane is a portion of a roadway designated by striping to be

used by bicycles. You may cross a bicycle lane when turning or when

entering or leaving the roadway. You must yield to bicyclists in a bicycle

lane.

Member - St. Louis Bicycle Federation

Member - Trailnet - http://www.trailnet.org/

Member - Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation http://mobikefed.org/

And oh yeah...I have NO car. 99.9% of my transportation needs are on a bicycle.

Bicycles should be ridden in the road. See my references for ways to learn to do that safely. Bicycle safety is not obvious. You have to study it to understand it.

Most states leave the laws about sidewalk riding to local governments, despite what some people here keep incorrectly asserting. It varies quite a lot.

That said, riding on the sidewalk has other risks. You actually make yourself less visible to motorists which increases your risk of collisions at intersections and driveways. This gets even worse if you are riding against the traffic on the adjacent road. You also have to deal with dodging pedestrians who tend to be oblivious to your presence and move in random directions without warning. It's actually a lot safer in the road.

Where did you see this video? I find it hard to believe that a beat down was delivered simply for riding on the sidewalk. There has to be more to that story.

Most of the more detailed answers here are good, so I won't spend time reiterating what's been said well. What I should impress on you is the following...

A bicycle is a vehicle, not a toy. You ride vehicles on the road. Ride well into the lane so you can be seen by other drivers. Approaching intersections, a rule of thumb is to ALWAYS take a position in the middle of the rightmost lane that serves your destination - that way you'll be visible and drivers won't attempt to squeeze by you.

You are supposed to ride your bike in the road, about 3 feet from the curb. There is plenty of room for cars to pass on most streets. If you ride on the sidewalks, you face the same dangers you would walking because it is dangerous to ride fast on a sidewalk. Learn to ride properly, you must have seen bicycles going past you on the street.

It is illegal to ride on the sidewalk and dangerous. You need to ride on the road about 3 feet from the edge so they can see you. I use a mirror and as they get closer I move over. If it's on a curve or another car is coming the other way say out in the road so they don't try to pass you when it's dangerous. When it's clear and safe move over.

You will need a good set of lights and a reflective vest to ride at night.

Believe it or not, it's actually safer to ride on the road than it is on the sidewalk.

Cars pull out of parking lots and driveways, and across the sidewalk without any warning. Cyclists get hit all the time because of this ~ especially if they're riding against the flow of traffic.

Riding on the road makes you more visible to motorists because it places you in their field of vision.

If this woman on the video really got beat up by the police, you can almost bet that it was because of her mouth and her belligerence.

if you can keep up with traffic or if there is very little get to the side of the road so the car can pass you can just ride in the street just like a car. i strongly recommend a light for your bike so riding your new bike doesn't get you attacked by a car XD

Bikes go in the street or designated cycle paths. Bikes follow the same rules as cars. You will need to get lights for your bike as well. Your state's DMV will have driving manuals and many have specific ones for cyclists.

google 'vehicular cycling'

wle