Biking downtown - streets vs sidewalks

Blackshirts007 said:
I hate the bikers in the street downtown, I have to cross the bike lanes every so often and once I almost went straight over into a biker. They are hard to see and the blind spot is huge, it's dangerous because most people, including myself, do not look for bikers.
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What do you mean, exactly, by "biker"?

 
Blackshirts007 said:
I hate the bikers in the street downtown, I have to cross the bike lanes every so often and once I almost went straight over into a biker. They are hard to see and the blind spot is huge, it's dangerous because most people, including myself, do not look for bikers.
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I'm a bit confused by this. If you're making a right hand turn, then you will have passed any bikers that might be behind you, so you should be aware that they are there well before checking the blind spot. If you flash your turn signal well in advance of your turn, any bikers behind you will be aware that you are turning and slow down to allow it.

I guess, yeah, you just have to watch out for them and they are rare enough that it isn't something people are typically used to having to do. We watch out for cars too, so I don't think it's very likely for the right hand turn to be a dangerous situation (short of a driver who doesn't like to give turn signals before turning). My biggest annoyance is when I need to make a left-hand turn. If it's crowded enough it's often impossible to get into the left hand turn lane. At least for me.

 
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Zoogies demonstrating safe and lawful bike riding technique. :lol:

 
haha! that is totally me. I like doing that in the middle lane and for some reason it annoys people. Or it could be honks of admiration, I'm not sure.

 
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f#*k everyone that rides bikes. I had two people crash into me as I was walking on campus on the sidewalk. They also are slow as sh#t and annoy the hell out of me on the roads. Die.

 
tschu said:
I had two people crash into me as I was walking on campus on the sidewalk.
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That was you?

(Actually, I did run into someone once. But they were swerving around aimlessly while walking and texting at the same time. And I only hit the side of their arm)

 
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Bikes are vehicles. Why it would even be a question that they should be operated on the roadway (or bike paths) is something I'm still trying to figure out in this thread. Want more security for bicycles in downtown? Talk to local government, talk to the police, etc., and have them help. But riding your bike on the sidewalks, whether or not they're filled with people isn't the answer, and legally in downtown isn't an option.

 
As someone who JUST moved to Lincoln and doesn't own a bicycle but is looking for one, biking downtown intimidates the hell out of me. That's the angle I see the pro-sidewalk side from, because I would literally be terrified biking in the streets. Not out of fear of physical harm necessarily, but of not understanding how things are supposed to work, of not paying attention and angering motor vehicles, etc.

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
As someone who JUST moved to Lincoln and doesn't own a bicycle but is looking for one, biking downtown intimidates the hell out of me. That's the angle I see the pro-sidewalk side from, because I would literally be terrified biking in the streets. Not out of fear of physical harm necessarily, but of not understanding how things are supposed to work, of not paying attention and angering motor vehicles, etc.
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You just have to work into it and learn by observation. It isn't too bad being that most streets downtown are one way. Get accustomed to a route which you know works.

 
Seriously though, as long as a biker doesn't cause an accident I could care less if they are riding on the sidewalk or street. We don't enforce it in the city I work in, if you do cause an accident you better have been abiding by the laws of the road or you'll probably get a ticket. Like running a stop sign causing a car to swerve to miss you striking another car, fixed object, or pedestrian. Don't have much of a choice there.................deal with it.

 
Lincoln is not biker friendly--or at least the downtown section isn't. Especially for a college town. It will take a couple of student bicyclists getting killed before they pull their heads out of their asses and figure out there is a problem.

 
59 years ago I got a 5 Star General for Christmas. I was 7. I learned to ride that bike the next summer and I rode it everywhere. Always in the streets. My Dad taught me hand signals and how to stay safe when riding. Different times. No helmets. Drivers who were more consideret. One thing Dad always said, "You have a right to the road but don't abuse that right.

Evidently in Lincoln its against the law to ride on the ride walks, OBEY THE LAW, ride in the street or walk your bike on the side walk. You have one of two choice, 1) be a grown up and be responsible for your actions, or 2) be a puss cake whinner and cry, 'the law is wrong, the cops are a-holes for enforcing the law (doing their job) and wah, wah, wah all the way home.

T_O_B

 
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