So, things that I love about biking in pittsburgh
- Hills.
- Assholes in SUVs who yell “Sidewalk!” out their window because I’m taking up too much space. Excuse you, moron, have you noticed a) there’s no sidewalk here and b) that your SUV takes up several times as much space as my bike? Hint, you have no greater right to the road than I do. Please go off yourself.
- Pittsburgh’s road maintenance crews which decide that the proper place for three foot wide signs warning of imminent construction is the middle of the fucking sidewalk.
Other than that, it’s been pretty cool. Especially after I remembered that the crippling knee pain I was experiencing was just like the pain I experienced on the bike that was too short for me and raised the seat. 45 minutes, mostly downhill to station square. 1 hour, mostly uphill, back. Very sweaty on the way back. much walking too.
Still, it’s good to be back in the seat. Muchas gracias to
I Grew Up In The Burg And I Agree With You On All Points…Have You “Cruised” Schenley Park?
Nevermind that you’re not supposed to be on the sidewalk, even if there is one.
Pittsburgh drivers are just incredibly confused by bikes. It’s sad.
Glad you’re enjoying the transportation, though. Shame we don’t have better weather for you.
Last I checked, the PA laws forbid riding on the sidewalks only in business districts. Everywhere else it is legal. I do not know if there is a Pittsburgh law that supersedes this, is there one?
I’m not talking about being legally prohibited from riding on sidewalks, Marybeth.
What I mean is that it’s safer for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians if people ride their bikes in the road instead of on the sidewalk.
It’s unfortunate that so few drivers in Pittsburgh understand that.
You may not want to do this, but I find it hugely satisfying.
When poeple yell at me to get off the road etc, I try to chase them down to a red and knock (firmly but politely) on the passenger side, or a parking lot and wait for them to get out (without crowding the car). I usually start with “I need to talk a bit about what just happened.” I explain calmly that legally I’m supposed to be in the road and that it’s safer for everyone if I am. Drivers usually take this well, having probably never heard it stated before. Sometimes they raise specific objections to the idea, but they’re all ones you’ve heard before, and can respond to intelligently. If the drivers respond belligerently I can always say “never mind then” and disengage.
On the whole I find this *immensely* satisfying. I have probably been personally involved in umpteen motorists turning the corner into seeing bikes-on-the-road as legitimate and reasonable, even if sometimes frustrating for them. I also enjoy encouraging them to be critical of unreasonable cycling behavior, without menacing.
There’s certainly some risk, but I don’t think much if you can handle confrontations well.
I have no knowledge nor numbers or studies to know, personally, if it is safer for a person on a bicycle to be on the road or on a sidewalk. I cannot say anything to you believing it is safe or not. I was trying to answer what I seemed to see as a common complaint, that bicycles were prohibited from the sidewalks in all cases, which I did not think was true.
If someone is riding their bicycle at a high rate of speed, then I can logically see it is most likely safer for any pedestrians to not be brushed past, and if the sidewalk is anything but smooth, it is safer for a bicyclist.
However, I still cannot say if it is truly safer for a bicyclist in the road, with the large number of them who do not follow the rules of the road. I have personally watched too many of them run stop signs, red lights, lane split, get on the wrong side of a car turning, and otherwise put themselves at more risk. It’s actually gotten to the point when I am surprised by a bicyclist that does not break the rules.
I do not hate them. I wish they behaved in a less risky manner. I fear accidentally hitting someone who runs a light or stop sign.
Does that make more sense?
seattle! woo!
Regarding maintenance crews and road warning signs, I am pretty hostile to these. My problem is they typically appear to warn motorists that there will be lane reductions, closings, or the need to slow, but often there is NO warning before the bicycle lane I’m using is obstructed by their stupid sign. Sometimes it’s around a corner even and suddenly at 30mph I’m forced to skid out, or swerve around the thing.
I often get off the bike and move each sign to a more appropriate space, say fully in the shoulder, or between the sidewalk and the road. If i’m feeling particularly peeved (eg. in the above example) i just knock them over out of the bike lane as I pass. Maybe I should really develop an assertive strategy to discuss this with road crews.