Why do you still ride a bike on city streets?

[Road Runner]

It is very dangerous.  Plus, you are getting old.  When old people get injured in a crash, the consequences can be far worse than for young people.

If you ride on city streets in traffic as I do, it would be much safer and smarter to stop riding outdoors and limit your cycling to indoors (trainer/exercise bike) only.  Same aerobic benefit without the danger of sustaining massive bodily injuries.  

 

[JerrySTL ★]

Well if exercise is the only reason that you ride your bike, I get your point. Other use bikes as transportation. Some people like to ride bikes for the adventure.

Personally I seldom ride on city streets. In fact I avoid roads that have much traffic at all. I usually ride out in the country or on bike paths.

As far as the old part, get off my lawn!

[Page Turner]

...it's where all the good restaurants and bakeries are.

[bikeman564™]

Not the only reason but, bike paths can be dangerous as well. People riding on wrong side, two or three wide, when I say "on your left" they don't know what that means or they can't hear me because of their ear plugs or butt plugs or whatever. Also, paths aren't everywhere I go.

[Road Runner]

18 minutes ago, JerrySTL said:

I seldom ride on city streets. In fact I avoid roads that have much traffic at all. I usually ride out in the country or on bike paths.

I actually like riding in traffic.  Kind of like playing dodge ball.  But I am an idiot.

I ride for exercise and because I just enjoy riding a bike.  I have had some bad crashes over the years and I am still suffering the painful consequences.  After my last bad crash five years ago, my orthopedic surgeon told me to stop riding a bike.  As I said, I am an idiot. 

[Page Turner]

7 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

Not the only reason but, bike paths can be dangerous as well. People riding on wrong side, two or three wide, when I say "on your left" they don't know what that means or they can't hear me because of their ear plugs or butt plugs or whatever. Also, paths aren't everywhere I go.

...the electric bike thing here has added a whole new degree of dangerous to life out on the bike trail.  Some of those guys can go 30 mph, and those are the ones who seem to have the least experience on bicycles.

[Road Runner]

11 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

they can't hear me because of their butt plugs

I think they need to try using smaller ones.  Big ones can be very distracting.  

[jdc2000]

It depends on the traffic level of the streets.  I don't even drive on the type of "city streets" you are referring to.  However, there are plenty of city streets with little traffic that I do ride on and that can get me to just about anywhere I need to go safely.

[bikeman564™]

7 minutes ago, Page Turner said:

...the electric bike thing here has added a whole new degree of dangerous to life out on the bike trail.  Some of those guys can go 30 mph, and those are the ones who seem to have the least experience on bicycles.

ah, I haven't seen one yet

[dinneR ★]

My bike is my main mode of transportation. It is how I get around town. 

[bikeman564™]

6 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

I think they need to try using smaller ones.  Big ones can be very distracting.  

I always thought the I-Plug was big

[Randomguy]

I don't even have a bike, I am safest of all!

[az_cyclist]

The Phoenix area has many streets with bike lanes and the traffic is generally ok with cyclists. 

[Longjohn ★]

I have never crashed on city streets. I’ve crashed on a bike trail, a country road, and a deserted highway. 

[az_cyclist]

1 minute ago, Longjohn said:

I have never crashed on city streets. I’ve crashed on a bike trail, a country road, and a deserted highway. 

my only crashes in the city have been when I could not get unclipped.

[Page Turner]

...I crashed on the light rail tracks here last year. that was pretty exciting.  

In retrospect, I'm surprised I didn't poop my pants. 

[ChrisL]

1 hour ago, bikeman564™ said:

Not the only reason but, bike paths can be dangerous as well. People riding on wrong side, two or three wide, when I say "on your left" they don't know what that means or they can't hear me because of their ear plugs or butt plugs or whatever. Also, paths aren't everywhere I go.

I ride a heavily travelled MUP often as it links to numerous other trails/roads I ride. I have found it best to not call out as I’d rather startle the pedestrian but be out of harms way when they react than call out and have them move about spastically causing a greater hazard.  

If the group is too large or spread out to pass safely I call out “rider back” and let them figure out where to go and then navigate through them.  It goes without saying I ride very slowly on this section of the MUP due to the high pedestrian traffic.

Maybe try rider back and see if that works better.

[ChrisL]

We are blessed with wide well marked bike lanes and dedicated bike paths in SoCal.  Although traffic volume is high it would take a very distracted driver to hit you.  

But having said that I prefer to ride off road more now.  The chance of injury due to crashing is higher but the chance of death is much lower...

[donkpow]

You know why I ride on the streets so just shut up about that. I'm very careful on MUP. I slow way down for pedestrians and say something like, "I'm coming around you on a bike."  Something like that. If there is a lot of room on the trail by someone who is walking a dog I'll say, "Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle." Mostly for the dog.

[MickinMD ★]

I only do it occasionally to get from one paved bike trail to a nearby paved bike trail.  Of course, living dangerously like that, my single-ear bluetooth phone is playing Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild," while I stain to go as fast as possible on the road.  Two-ear phones are illegal while driving or biking in Maryland except, idiotically, you're allowed to do it on paved, designated bike trails.

[Ralphie ★]

I live near a small town so some of my rides necessitate the city street on the way home.  I ride far enough away from the parked cars to guard against getting doored.

[shootingstar]

I only ride on streets when I have no choice or it's a quiet street.  A lot of my riding locally and in cities where we visit, tends to be away from car road traffic over the past 2 decades. Sure we've done long distance touring on high speed highways, quietr roads etc.  nearly 50% of time during the lst 6 years of cycling.

I bike for transportation, fitness, etc.  and probably have avoided a lot of accidents.  True I have lived in 3 Canadian cities over 1 million people each, but choose to live near a network of extensive bike/MUP paths and road cycletracks.  It is deliberate we chose to live near transit, which means also close to start of bike routes. During non-snowy /icy days, I am cycling nearly 97% of days , even if it might be a simple errand trip or a 30-50 km. ride during the day.

I especially deal with children on MUPs ..by saying to them gently...beep, beep, and thank them when I pass them.  If they hear a human voice, they seem to pay attention better and stop.  I want to reward them for behaving properly.

[Page Turner]

6 hours ago, donkpow said:

If there is a lot of room on the trail by someone who is walking a dog I'll say, "Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle." Mostly for the dog.

...I like to smile and say, "Dawggy !"