Bike safety

[Hildegard]

The danger is that people will choose that option thinking it's safer, not realizing that drivers entering the road tend to drive onto the curb cut (and into the cyclist) before looking left & right. I wouldn't say it's never OK to ride on the sidewalk, but it's not the sort of thing you want to encourage.

The closest I ever came to a head injury on a bike was riding on the sidewalk. I came upon, rather suddenly because I had turned to look at something off to my side, a signpost and had to duck to avoid getting thwacked in the head and off my ride. Woulda hurt, prolly woulda made me ugly too.

[KO]

(you're a 30 year old lawyer)

It's even worse than you thought: I'm 37.

[Hildegard]

How about if your mind... was attuned to reality(you're a 30 year old lawyer)?

Don't believe his Facebook profile.

[crooked-finger]

It's even worse than you thought: I'm 37.

I was raised to always err in the direction least likely to offend. That is a sweet bike, but those shorts look like they might not be comfortable after 50 or 60 miles....

[KO]

those shorts look like they might not be comfortable after 50 or 60 miles....

I wear my team kit for anything over 45 miles.

[binR Bishop]

The danger is that people will choose that option thinking it's safer, not realizing that drivers entering the road tend to drive onto the curb cut (and into the cyclist) before looking left & right. I wouldn't say it's never OK to ride on the sidewalk, but it's not the sort of thing you want to encourage.

Yup. I know a south Knoxvillian that got a broken hip from a similiar thing - except that it was a driver turning into a driveway who didn't see the cyclist. Or more likely, just didn't process him. People don't expect to see bikes on sidewalks.

[binR Bishop]

The only places I've tried to go are Ijams/greenway and the Vestival. May have done a short hell ride down Chapman to the Book Eddy. It would be nice to ride to the smokies or something if there was a safe way to go, but 20 miles in a day is about all I can enjoy on my current bike.

Ned heads out to Blount County almost every Sunday. He usually rides around 40 miles tho. Let him know if you ever want to go along.

He likes to go bike camping in the Smokies too. One year he rode from here to Smokemont, to Cataloochie (that's spelled wrong, but I can't figure out how), and then to Elkmont, spending one night in each place.

My mom keeps saying "he takes a tent and a sleeping bag on his BIKE???"

[James]

<rant>What about Lance Armstrong wanna-be's on greenways who suddenly appear behind decent walkin' folk in a high-speed six-pack, perhaps casually mentioning -- once they are inches away -- "On your left." Is there a three-feet rule about that?</rant>

I just wish everyone had those little bells on their bike that used to be on bikes when we were kids. That's a lot better than suddenly hearing "on your left" Let's see does that mean I need to move left? or which left? You can hear a bell from further away too.

[samorost]

I use my bell every time I'm on a greenway. It's the handiest piece of safety equipment on my bike.

My obnoxiously bright blinking LED head/tail lights come in second. I wish more cyclists had the chutzpah to use them. Many times I've had oncoming cars in the opposite lane of traffic slow down when they see me coming with the blinking white light on, I'm guessing because they think I'm a cop or other emergency vehicle.

[Michael]

FYI: It is perfectly legal to ride on the sidewalks in Knoxville.
~m.