This is a video someone (I gather from Britain) made while cycling in Ottawa on the sidewalk along Sussex Drive (heading south). When he got to the backside of the Château Laurier he encountered a hidden curb and fell down.
Why sidewalk cycling is bad...
Submitted by dpjames on
not hidden curb
Submitted by ride on
The curb wasn't hidden; it was marked with a visible yellow line which the sidewalk cyclist chose to ignore.
I meant "hidden" in the
Submitted by dpjames on
I meant "hidden" in the sense that it was under the overhang and in shadow so it wouldn't be visible until you were almost right on top of it. That stretch of Sussex is also slightly downhill so that would also tend to make it a little harder to see.
That said, he still could have braked at the last minute and didn't.
sidewalk cycling danger in Bridgeland
Submitted by ride on
I watched a near-miss in Bridgeland on Saturday. A teenager was cycling west on the south-side sidewalk on 1 Ave NE in Bridgeland. At the corner of Edmonton Trail northbound, there's a retail building, so visibility around the corner is not good. The light was green for east-west traffic, so this young person decided to just ride across Edmonton Trail. However, a northbound motorist was simultanaeously approaching the intersection, and after a perfunctory look to his left for traffic, he pulled out to turn right... and had to slam on his brakes to avoid striking the cyclist who at that instant decided to ride out in front of him.
I wonder if the cyclist learned anything from his near miss?
Sidewalk cycling near old folks homes
Submitted by baileysmith6 on
There are areas outside some old folks homes where the elderly go for walks near their home. (ie forest lawn 8 av, Glamorgan Dr, etc.) I have met some of the elderly people who have ostioperosis, and workers at the home tell me that if they were hit by a bicycle on the sidewalk, it would kill them. Some have had numerous bones broken with a simple fall inside the home. Something to think about. I suppport the no riding on sidewalks rules because of this.
osteoporosis
Submitted by ride on
Yep, many young people are unaware that not everyone has as rubbery a skeleton as they do. Your warning is valid, but unfortunately not likely to reach the ears of those that need to hear it (though we can try).
And many uneducated cyclists continue to believe that they're safer on the sidewalk than on the street. Whenever I see one, I always yell "You'd be safer on the street!", and if they reply, I then get into a discussion as to why.