Like everywhere else, there are topics that are taboo in the bicycle world.
Luckily, many of them are actually more harmless than they sound.
One of them is sidewalk riding.
In the past, I have freely and gleefully admitted that I had broken this (ever so minor) taboo of riding styles.
While I think that in many cases there are better riding styles, people usually ride in the way that makes them feel the most comfortable and safe. I fully support people’s rights to think for themselves and to make their own decisions.
Sadly, this is often not the case in the cycling world. Much of the cycling literature is littered with stern “thou shall nots”. Where’s the fun in that?
Thus, I think that riding instructions should be like condoms. Instead of telling people not to sidewalk ride, and have them do it anyway and get hurt, why not give them advice that will protect them?
I feel sidewalk riding and salmoning are phases that most of us went through on our way to riding proficiency.
Thus, I have started a book which will fill in the gaps that other “safety” courses leave out: how to ride more safely on the sidewalk, how to use cycle trakcks, and most of all how to have fun!
Since the book is to help people, I’m going to make it available as I write it here:
Cycling Unbound 
September 28, 2011 at 07:57 |
I rode the side walk last week. I believe that it was the safest and most rational choice given the situation. I was leaving work on my wife’s bike that had just been fixed up by our mechanic at REI. The bike is way too small for me, it was dark, and I had no lights. The side walk is a lonely place in the suburban wilderness of Kearny Mesa. I rode 2 miles to the bus stop.