Bicyclists - Do you ride with or against traffic?

[AccruedExpenditure]

It's morning rush hour, what do you do? Are there laws that govern this. Thanks
-AE

 

[Newbian]

There are laws where you are supposed to ride with them.

 

[Aikouka]

Couldn't you be fined for "driving" the wrong way on a road if you're going against traffic or does that truly count only against motorized vehicles? I know cyclists have to follow traffic rules, but I don't know if that's just limited to signals/signs and such.

 

[ggnl]

I don't think it matters if you're on the sidewalk, but if you're on the street you always go with the flow of traffic.

 

[Crusty]

With traffic.... always.....

 

[Ramma2]

With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

this

 

[Newbian]

And just a quick reminder... cars weigh a bit more then you so don't get in their way and then get ran over. 😉

 

[Patt]

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

Yep.

 

[speg]

Why would you want to ride against traffic? Sounds like a good way to get hurt.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

I see them ride through red light signals all the time here.

 

[JulesMaximus]

With.

It's also the law.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: speg
Why would you want to ride against traffic? Sounds like a good way to get killed.

Fixed

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

I see them ride through red light signals all the time here.

I blow through lights all the time, but I have the mindset that I KNOW I am taking my life into my own hands. <shrug> I am okay with that.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: GasX

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

I see them ride through red light signals all the time here.

I blow through lights all the time, but I have the mindset that I KNOW I am taking my life into my own hands. <shrug> I am okay with that.

I don't blow lights unless I'm at a signal and it won't change because there is no car traffic to trip the light. In those cases I will proceed when it is safe to do so. I generally just slow down for stop signs and stop to yield to car traffic when they have right of way...if there is no car or pedestrian traffic I don't come to a complete stop at stop signs.

 

[LS21]

riding a bike in morning rush traffic will get you killed ,regardless of which direction you go, in most cities in the world (and especially in the US)

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: LS21
riding a bike in morning rush traffic will get you killed ,regardless of which direction you go, in most cities in the world (and especially in the US)

Bullshit. I've been doing it for years.

 

[RaiderJ]

I'll never understand why bikers aren't allowed (legally) on the sidewalks. Seems dumb to have them in traffic when there's a perfectly empty sidewalk.

 

[thescreensavers]

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

this

On cops, a bicyclist got stopped because he did not stop at the stop signs, so this ^^

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
I'll never understand why bikers aren't allowed (legally) on the sidewalks. Seems dumb to have them in traffic when there's a perfectly empty sidewalk.

Totally depends on the locality. In Austin you can ride on the sidewalks unless there are signs specifically saying you can't.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
I'll never understand why bikers aren't allowed (legally) on the sidewalks. Seems dumb to have them in traffic when there's a perfectly empty sidewalk.

I've hit speeds of almost 50mph on my bicycle going downhill and I can sustain speeds in the low 20s on flat ground.

There is a multi-use paved trail (bike/pedestrian) near my house and I've had more close calls with pedestrians on that than I have with cars on the roadways and I've ridden 100 times more miles on the roads than I have on that path. Honestly, I think the sidewalk is a horrible place to ride a bike. Sidewalks and parking lots are really the most dangerous places for a cyclist.

 

[theeedude]

Most bikers I know would not ride on sidewalk even if it was empty. It's just not smooth riding, plus it's not very safe, because most people look when entering a street, but don't look when entering a sidewalk.

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: GasX

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

I see them ride through red light signals all the time here.

I blow through lights all the time, but I have the mindset that I KNOW I am taking my life into my own hands. <shrug> I am okay with that.

I don't blow lights unless I'm at a signal and it won't change because there is no car traffic to trip the light. In those cases I will proceed when it is safe to do so. I generally just slow down for stop signs and stop to yield to car traffic when they have right of way...if there is no car or pedestrian traffic I don't come to a complete stop at stop signs.

Gain some weight and trigger them. 😉

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: GasX

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

I see them ride through red light signals all the time here.

I blow through lights all the time, but I have the mindset that I KNOW I am taking my life into my own hands. <shrug> I am okay with that.

I don't blow lights unless I'm at a signal and it won't change because there is no car traffic to trip the light. In those cases I will proceed when it is safe to do so. I generally just slow down for stop signs and stop to yield to car traffic when they have right of way...if there is no car or pedestrian traffic I don't come to a complete stop at stop signs.

Gain some weight and trigger them. 😉

They work by induction... not weight. All you gotta do is lay your bike close enough to it to get the metal frame near the sensors.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: GasX

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Ramma2
With traffic, and you obey all signals and signs as if you were a car.

I see them ride through red light signals all the time here.

I blow through lights all the time, but I have the mindset that I KNOW I am taking my life into my own hands. <shrug> I am okay with that.

I don't blow lights unless I'm at a signal and it won't change because there is no car traffic to trip the light. In those cases I will proceed when it is safe to do so. I generally just slow down for stop signs and stop to yield to car traffic when they have right of way...if there is no car or pedestrian traffic I don't come to a complete stop at stop signs.

Gain some weight and trigger them. 😉

It's not weight that triggers the lights. Sometimes I have difficulty triggering them on my motorcycle and that weighs about 400lbs not including my weight.