Bikes on Roads and Sidewalks

I will have many opinions big and small. Today is a small one. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I must state that I am not a bicyclist.

I have seen people ride bikes down busy roads as if they are cars. They get into the left turn lane and wait at the light and hold up cars behind them. They drive down the lane stopping at lights just as cars do. As they drive slowly down the street, cars must change lanes to get around them. Typical bicyclists ride at around 20 MPH (see Wikipedia). There is a minimum speed for public roads for a reason. It is dangerous to have vehicles going too slowly, and changing lanes unnecessarily. It affects traffic and puts the bicyclist in the most danger.

I understand that biking on the sidewalk also presents a sort of danger to pedestrians. But of the two risks, a bike/pedestrian crash is less harmful than a car/bike crash.

Most definitely, I believe bicyclists cannot have it both ways. The other day I saw a bicyclist do just that. He was driving down the lane as if a car. We came to a red light. He got up on the sidewalk and crossed as if a pedestrian, then went back out on the road and drove on!

Of course, it is the driver’s responsibility to watch for bikes and avoid accidents. But when bikes force cars to act dangerously, there is a problem. And my opinion is that bikes should ride on the sidewalk whenever possible.