Bike riding on the street vs sidewalk

[KrisM]

I didn't want to veer way off the topic on the bike seat/trailer thread.

We live in a small town. Our subdivision doesn't get a lot of traffic, and it doesn't have sidewalks, so we of course ride on the road. Many places we can ride to by use of a walk/bike trail. But, if we ride to school, we have been on the sidewalks. Now, I'm reading I should have us on the road. The reasons do make sense, but I'm trying to figure out the how.

How do you handle this? DD is a good rider, but I'm not sure I want her riding when a car is passing. When they're riding just outside the house, the rule is they stop for a car passing. The road we'd be on has curbs and no shoulder and is 1 lane in each direction.

So, how do I do this safely? Do we still stop and just hug the curb? Or just assume she'll stay riding in a straight line? Or just not ride to school until they're 8 or 9 and can easily go in a 100% straight line all the time? (DS1 is a great rider, but still doesn't have the attention to be 100% straight all the time).

[MontrealMum]

You should check your municipality's bylaws. They usually stipulate which bikes are supposed to be where based on frame size (ie - adult bikes are required to be in the road - or on designated a bike path - unless there are specifics excepted areas). So, generally speaking, you should be in the road as you're on an adult bike, but your kids can be on the sidewalk.

[wellyes]

You should check your municipality's bylaws. They usually stipulate which bikes are supposed to be where based on frame size (ie - adult bikes are required to be in the road - or on designated a bike path - unless there are specifics excepted areas). So, generally speaking, you should be in the road as you're on an adult bike, but your kids can be on the sidewalk.
:yeahthat: Young kids are fine on the sidewalk.

[brittone2]

I'm right there with you. DS1 is a great cyclist and uses appropriate hand signals, etc. I get too nervous on somewhat busy roads to have him ride on the actual road and last year we used the sidewalk if I was walking and he was riding his bike. I don't know how/when to transition over. He knows you are supposed to ride on the road as a general rule. I also have DD with us and she's not aware enough yet IMO to move off the sidewalk. OUr neighborhood is just two little cul de sac streets, no sidewalk, so they ride on the road around the neighborhood. But if we are going somewhere else, I think we're still going to stick to sidewalks for a bit. Tough call.

[Green_Tea]

I think it's fine for kids to be on the sidewalk as long as they understand that pedestrians have the right of way.

[KrisM]

So do I ride in the street with the trailer and have DD on the sidewalk next to me then?

I'll call and see if there are rules. I know there are skateboarding and rollerblading rules, but am not sure on the biking.

ETA: If they're on the sidewalk and fall, I'd hate to think I have to ride to the next corner to get up the curb to get back to them. Is that what you'd do?

[crl]

Some places allow an adult to ride on the sidewalk if they are with a child. So I'd call and check. And I'm a pretty big rule follower, but this is the sort of situation where I might just do what I felt was safest even if it wasn't within the rules. (And I'd be prepared to pay the fine if called on it.)

Catherine

[Mrs.Skeeter]

I believe riding on the sidewalk is more dangerous than riding on the street, even with a young child. Here are some reasons why I believe this:

1. there is a greater risk of minor accidents with other cyclists or pedestrians due to lack of room (narrow path) and a greater risk of falling down
2. you will probably have to cross driveways, and impaired visibility of the driver may not allow them to see you or your child in time
3. a 1994 study shows that riding on the sidewalk is 2x as dangerous as riding on the road
4. the same 1994 study shows that riding against traffic on the sidewalk is 4x as dangerous as riding on the road with traffic

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/children.htm
This is an excellent article about teaching kids how to bicycle safely and I highly recommend it.

Take care and I hope all goes well. Kudos for riding the bikes! It's great exercise and awesome for the environment.

[Penny's Pappa]

When I ride on the road, I avoid the curb. In Ohio, the law basically says I need to ride as far to the right as possible while still maintaining my safety. Riding close to the curb has several disadvantages: 1.) It minimizes my route of escape on the right should I need to avoid something, 2.) there is often road debris along the curb that needs to be avoided, and 3.) it does not give much incentive to drivers to switch lanes in order to pass me. The third one is HUGE. Since you're so close to the curb, drivers think they can easily pass you by driving normally. Well that's WAYYYY to close for comfort for my tastes.

Instead, I normally ride where a car's passenger side tires would normally travel. This gives me room to maneuver and it takes up enough of the lane to force drivers to wait for a passing opportunity and to switch lanes when they pass. The key to riding on the road is to own the lane. Don't let cars squeeze you in any way. If this means you have to ride in the middle of the road, so be it.

When I ride with my wife, who is afraid of riding on the street, we ride in a staggered formation -- I ride about a bike's length or two behind and to the left of her. I figured this provided visibility, did not hide our numbers (riding directly behind her would have kept her from view allowing a passing motorist to inadvertently merge near or into her), and protected her a little should a car not notice us and hit me. But, when it comes to kids riding their own bikes? Now that's tricky. The NHTSA suggests that since kids aren't mature enough to make safe decisions when riding in the street, they should stay on the sidewalk:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/kidsandbikesafetyweb/index.htm

I would just be sure to caution your kids about the dangers sidewalk riding presents and how to behave when riding on them. Perhaps they should behave as though they were a pedestrian -- stop at each corner, cross only at corners, watch the driveways, etc.

[Pear]

If you are riding to school on the sidewalk, aren't there a bunch of pedestrians? It's one thing for a little kid to ride on a deserted sidewalk, quite another to do it with people around. We have had some run-ins recently with kids on sidewalks while we are trying to walk with our toddler. The parents riding in the street or on the sidewalk behind were clearly not in control of the situation.

[deborah_r]

You should check your municipality's bylaws. They usually stipulate which bikes are supposed to be where based on frame size (ie - adult bikes are required to be in the road - or on designated a bike path - unless there are specifics excepted areas). So, generally speaking, you should be in the road as you're on an adult bike, but your kids can be on the sidewalk.

So glad to read this because there is no way I would let my kids ride on the street near our house. It is very busy and people drive way too fast, especially because we are pretty close to some freeway on/off ramps. DS1 has finally mastered the bike without training wheels in the last couple weeks, and now I don't know where to have him ride! There is a park down the street with a big sidewalk loop all the way around, so that is what we have been doing, but I know he will get bored with that.

[KrisM]

If you are riding to school on the sidewalk, aren't there a bunch of pedestrians? It's one thing for a little kid to ride on a deserted sidewalk, quite another to do it with people around. We have had some run-ins recently with kids on sidewalks while we are trying to walk with our toddler. The parents riding in the street or on the sidewalk behind were clearly not in control of the situation.

No, most kids ride the bus. A few walk and those are typically well ahead of us by the time we get DS's gear in the trailer, DS2 in the trailer, all of us in helmets, bikes unlocked, etc. We ride home, not there (not organized enough :) )., so it works.

[TwinFoxes]

ETA: If they're on the sidewalk and fall, I'd hate to think I have to ride to the next corner to get up the curb to get back to them. Is that what you'd do?

Why not get off your bike and walk it over to them?

[KrisM]

I called the Village and there are no laws or ordanances against bikes on the sidewalk.

If I 'own the lane', which makes sense, I'd have a line of cars behind me. The road speed limit is 25 mph and we don't go that fast and there is no passing there. So, they'd be behind us for the entire .5 miles. Not the end of the world, but I think it would rattle DD and DS1.

Last time we rode home, we went another way with no sidewalks and no curbs and out of the Village, so cars could go around us easily. But, it was nearly impossible to cross the 1 main-ish road at the cross-walk. It took about 7 minutes and then I more-or-less forced the issue by going and making the cars stop for us. I don't mind that for just me, but it's harder with 3 kids. Riding the other way, with the sidewalks, puts us in the Village and we can just cross at the stop sign.

We always stop at corners when we ride, whether on sidewalks or the street. We always stop at stop signs as well.

There is another, much longer route we could take home that woudl send us through another subdivision and out to the bike path along the main road. We should give that a try next time.