Should I ride my bike on the path or road?

So my dad gave me his old bike, I haven't ridden one in about 10 years. I tested myself out and I was rubbish, I was quite wobbly and could never turn quickly.
My dad told me as I'm an adult I should really ride on the road, what do you think?

You're supposed to ride bikes on the road. They're really annoying on footpaths.

You've got a really generous dad, haven't you?

It's from his other dad.

Unless there's a bike path on the pavement then you should ride on the road, but it's not always the best choice as most people pretend you don't exist, or that their car can magically pass through you.

Where I live basically all the paths are cycle-paths, so I just say fuck it and always ride on a path. Plus, it really pisses me off when I'm driving and there's a motherfucking cyclist in the road next to a cycle path.

@theguy: I know its the law, but should a person who is not confident in doing so and still quite wobbly be on the road?

@theguy said:

You're supposed to ride bikes on the road. They're really annoying on footpaths.

Super annoying for pedestrians. @Hizang: Why not practice on quiet streets at night if you're not confident yet. (and work your way up to talking those stabilisers off :P)

Legally, the road

If it's a sidewalk (IOW, primarily for pedestrians) you should not ride on it -- and, if you are not comfortable with riding you should REALLY not ride on it since wobbling around in ped traffic is not good. If it's a mixed use path (these are much wider and are marked for bikes) then sure...
 
That said, there are exceptions -- there are some roads that do not have an alternate use mixed path near them that you DO NOT want to ride on. In that case you should find an alternate route that limits the time that you spend on the designed for peds path as much as possible.
 
Finally: find a parking lot or other location where you can practice up so that you become comfortable riding. Always wear a helmet. Learn to use the front wheel brake as your primary brake (once you learn this it provides much faster and safer stopping). And know that, as far as cars and trucks are concerned, you are invisible so you need to be hyper aware when riding.

where i live we have cyclepaths almost everywhere. makes cycling so easy and safe. i do 10 miles a day.

just don't go wearing your beats headphones whilst cycling cos a) its really dangerous to cut out the noise of cars, pedestrians etc and b) you'll look like a twat

@RazielCuts said:

@theguy said:

You're supposed to ride bikes on the road. They're really annoying on footpaths.

Super annoying for pedestrians. @Hizang: Why not practice on quiet streets at night if you're not confident yet. (and work your way up to talking those stabilisers off :P)

Yeah, It really doesn't take that long till you are really confident on a bike. I becomes like second nature once you get used to it so practice.

EDIT: Also if there are places with bike lanes in your area try them because they'll be safe and give the experience of riding close to cars.

@Hizang: Until you gain confidence ride on bike paths and stay off the streets. When you're comfortable on the bike then ride on the road out of the way of cars, keeping to wide streets with not a lot of traffic. With time you get used to everything and cars won't freak you out as much although theres a ton of asshole drives who in turn are assholes because theres a ton of asshole cyclists.

Find a little not busy part of the road, like in front of your house or shit, and practice.
 
Why must you constantly ask these kind of menial things? Normally I'd say knock yourself wild but GO FUCKING PRACTICE OUTSIDE instead of making a topic about where you should ride.
Everyone in Holland rides bikes, people learn how to ride a bike in a hour.
 
Rage. Yes.

If it's empty or a wide path, wait with riding on the road until you aren't as rusty.

I will accost bicyclists who use the sidewalk instead of the road.

Wimbledon Stadium appears to be the correct place to ride your bicycle.

Fucking cyclists.

It is a fact that every cyclist is a dick. They always ride in the fucking middle of the road and you can't get around them and they go so slow and I just want to fucking die.

That's my input.

If you are not confident riding it then stay off both until you are. I don't know about the US but in the UK it is illegal for adults to ride on the pavement.

I hate when bikes are ridden on the road.

People who ride on the path suck. As a runner I can attest to that. I don't drive so I'll let the motorists here spout vehemence about cyclists on the road.

I do my biking on trails so as not to annoy people and not get killed by buses.

If you're not confident enough to ride it on the road, find a safe environment to practice until you are confident enough. Pavements are for pedestrians, not bikes.

Move to Europe and use our kickass bikepaths. No problem for either pedestrians or cars!

Seriously though, cycling on the pavement is a dick move, so stay on the road, just be prepared that cars are assholes.

Cyclists are not allowed to be on the sidewalk. You need to take the bike path or be on the side of the road as "practically possible". That means you don't have to be smooshed against the parked cars, and you should have enough space to avoid being hit by someone opening their door.

However, if you're "wobbly", find a park and ride around more. It might be the bike though, it could be old and not tuned.

Be brave on the road, cars will avoid you if you CLAIM YOUR LANE. Cyclists have every right to the roads in the USA (other than highways) as cars do. That also means you have to follow the laws cars do as well. Good luck!

Take the bike path when it's available..

Bike....paths? What the fuck are those?

Seriously though, we have bike paths on, like, two or three roads in my city. The rest of the place is "ride on the side of the road".

@big_jon said:

I hate when bikes are ridden on the road.

Where else am I meant to ride my fucking road bike?

You've got to be careful on roads. Some people are full on fucking pricks. Whether it's people on foot, bike or car. Just don't let people intimidate you. The same people who bitch about people on bikes, are the same idiots who bitch about people in cars... actually idiots like that just like to be cunts and complain about everyone in their immediate area.

I had my first run-in with the law when I was 7 or so because of that!

Well, basically I rode on the sidewalk in front of the police station while they were standing in front of it and they looked at me funny ... :P

Surprised at so many people saying they find it annoying having bikes on the pavement. It's annoying having them on the road when theres a perfectly good path right there with nobody on it.

By all means go on the road if the path is packed with people but I've never understood why they should be on the road. If a bike hits a person on path they might get a bit of a bruse but lets face it unless you're riding like a maniac you're more than likely able to stop. If i go to overtake a bike on the road and misjudge it or he swerves there could be a serious accident.

Alright i admit I'm clutching at straws a bit it's just fucking annoying having them in the way. There i said it.

@J12088 said:

Surprised at so many people saying they find it annoying having bikes on the pavement. It's annoying having them on the road when theres a perfectly good path right there with nobody on it.

By all means go on the road if the path is packed with people but I've never understood why they should be on the road. If a bike hits a person on path they might get a bit of a bruse but lets face it unless you're riding like a maniac you're more than likely able to stop. If i go to overtake a bike on the road and misjudge it or he swerves there could be a serious accident.

Alright i admit I'm clutching at straws a bit it's just fucking annoying having them in the way. There i said it.

It is illegal for bikes to ride on sidewalks/paths that are meant for pedestrian use. Bikes are allowed on roads (not highways) and bike paths. Boardwalks and parks vary on the times you're allowed. You're being silly and whiny by complaining that you can't stay out of the way of a cyclist that is taking up almost no space. Just drive normally.

@Microshock said:

@J12088 said:

Surprised at so many people saying they find it annoying having bikes on the pavement. It's annoying having them on the road when theres a perfectly good path right there with nobody on it.

By all means go on the road if the path is packed with people but I've never understood why they should be on the road. If a bike hits a person on path they might get a bit of a bruse but lets face it unless you're riding like a maniac you're more than likely able to stop. If i go to overtake a bike on the road and misjudge it or he swerves there could be a serious accident.

Alright i admit I'm clutching at straws a bit it's just fucking annoying having them in the way. There i said it.

It is illegal for bikes to ride on sidewalks/paths that are meant for pedestrian use. Bikes are allowed on roads (not highways) and bike paths. Boardwalks and parks vary on the times you're allowed. You're being silly and whiny by complaining that you can't stay out of the way of a cyclist that is taking up almost no space. Just drive normally.

I don't know how it is in America i know you guys tend to have bigger roads but in the UK i can't "drive normally" with a bike in front of me. I've got to go round him and to do that more often than not i have to move out into the middle of the road potentially putting me in the way of oncoming traffic. My point was it's far more dangerous for me to overtake than it is for him to ride on a path. Especially as the majority of the time the path is empty.

I know it's the law and i know why it's done. I'm just venting or being silly as you put it. You are right.

Ride your bike on the road, into incoming traffic.

As a cyclist I feel that I'm protected by no laws, and thus I follow no laws.

I have no idea what the laws are in my area (WA state), but I take the bike lane when it's available, and when there is no bike lane, I take the sidewalk. No matter where I ride, I'm going to be in someone's way. I'm much less in the way of a person on the sidewalk than I am to a car on the road. Also, there are many more cars on the roads then people on sidewalks in my area...I don't encounter very many people on the sidewalk, and I feel much safer. So, sorry.

I can see why this is an issue in more densely populated areas, like inner city or something, but that is not the case for me.

So I road to the gym and back, I was on the road most of the time, but the problem was on either side of the road there was parked cars, so I ended up just quickly going on the path to avoid being in the middle of the road.

It should be illegal to ride bikes on the road when an alternative is available.  Stay off the road, don't get killed.

Sidewalk riding is illegal where I come from, so I only ride on the sidewalks when I wanna make short distances on the wrong side of the road.

Besides, cars ain't shit, I love trying to keep up with the same one on the road.

@face15 said:

It is a fact that every cyclist is a dick. They always ride in the fucking middle of the road and you can't get around them and they go so slow and I just want to fucking die.

That's my input.

I feel the same about cars. They're always slow to react, slow to turn, they turn into bike lanes, and the they keep trying to smack you with their door! That's downtown at least. No one in Toronto knows how to drive though.

fucking scared of riding in the street because people here don't know how to deal with people who ride bikes

Go on the side walk. It is not a big deal for pedestrians to move to the side and let you pass. Bikes on the road always make me nervous while driving.

As a driver, I hate people who bike down the middle of the lane and hold up traffic. So if I bike, I try to stay out of traffic, and I go across the sidewalk if I can. But everybody in my area always does that, and there aren't very many walkers to begin with.

The people around here can't drive worth shit anyways, so, I wouldn't trust my life on a road on a bike anyways.

Bikes annoying on footpaths? Are you serious? BIKES ANNOYING ON ROAD. Any vehicle driver can attest to this. I'll never understand those rules. Bike crash on footpath=scrapes bruises. Bike crash on road=death and stuff. Plus...in most places, how many pedestrians are on foot paths compared to drivers on roads? Not many.

Worst law ever

Ride your bike on the road between the cars and the curb.

@TheHumanDove said:

Bikes annoying on footpaths? Are you serious? BIKES ANNOYING ON ROAD. Any vehicle driver can attest to this. I'll never understand those rules. Bike crash on footpath=scrapes bruises. Bike crash on road=death and stuff. Plus...in most places, how many pedestrians are on foot paths compared to drivers on roads? Not many.

Worst law ever

Exactly. How in the hell did this totally ridiculous law become so universal?

path, but whenever you feel like you wont get killed hit the road it feels great

stay the FUCK off the road. Every time I go out there's some asshole biker who's all 'nyeah I have right of way fuckers' even though there's a fucking bike path RIGHT FUCKING THERE and they make not running them over your problem even though they're the ones that are biking on a fucking highway.

Fucking Lance Armstrong wannabe assholes.

@Hizang: Path, that way you dont get killed. And police dont give a shit. Im in the UK too

IT IS ILLEGAL TO RIDE ON THE SIDEWALK WITH A BIKE. It's either we ride on the road/bike path or we stop riding bikes, and nobody is going to stop for your impatient asses.

Once again, since so many people don't understand, it is ILLEGAL to RIDE A BIKE on the SIDEWALK. It does not matter if you disagree with it, take that up with the government, not with cyclists.

* I should note that this is me speaking for the law in the USA (New York City at the minimum).

@MarkWahlberg said:

stay the FUCK off the road. Every time I go out there's some asshole biker who's all 'nyeah I have right of way fuckers' even though there's a fucking bike path RIGHT FUCKING THERE and they make not running them over your problem even though they're the ones that are biking on a fucking highway.

Fucking Lance Armstrong wannabe assholes.

I'm pretty sure he's talking about a path not specifically set up for bikes. Obviously if there was a bike path he would use the bike path.

@Microshock said:

IT IS ILLEGAL TO RIDE ON THE SIDEWALK WITH A BIKE. It's either we ride on the road/bike path or we stop riding bikes, and nobody is going to stop for your impatient asses.

Once again, since so many people don't understand, it is ILLEGAL to RIDE A BIKE on the SIDEWALK. It does not matter if you disagree with it, take that up with the government, not with cyclists.

Break a law. YOLO!