Discussions

I know i am going to ruffle a few feathers but there has been numerous ocassions where i having been running erands etc. and people ride their bikes on the same lane/part of the road as cars, i understand peoples right to get out get active and all that jazz and that the pavement is much more easier to ride your bike on but i was coming down highway 10 one time and a cyclist was right on the pavement , i was pulling a 7000 lb. camper and there was traffic coming towards me and a curve in the road, i had to slow right down and wait for traffic to clear so i could pass and slowing down everyone behind me, the opposing traffic started to pull over to the shoulder. Today 2 cyclists were travelling down a very busy street and the same thing - i had to slow right down while they just took their time and waited for me to pass, i feel this is dangerous for everyone involved, i only want everyone to have a safe summer, thats my rant.

are exactly were they are legally suppose to be. Bikes are considered vehicles like cars and trucks. You may want to do more research on the topic before ranting!

No helmets! On the highway and here in town!

Though I don't find it at all safe to do this and will stay right or even on the sidewalks along Victoria Ave or Richmond if there is not parking lane or bike path. It's scary when some try to 'share the lane' with you. Some vehicles will force you over.

A cyclist can be fined for riding on the sidewalk.

I still believe they should stay on the sidewalks. Safest place for them. A cyclist has no chance against any type of vehicle. One hit and it could all be over.

https://www.mpi.mb.ca/en/PDFs/AdultsCyclingBooklet.pdf  
 
Page 10  
 
'Cyclist and motorist responsibilities  
 
Cyclists have the same rights as motorists but also have the same responsibilities  
and must follow the same rules. The following are known as the three Rs of  
safe cycling:  
• Same Roads: Vehicles and bicycles share the same roads.  
• Same Rights: When on the road, cyclists have all the same rights and duties  
as motorists and must obey all signs and traffic control devices.  
• Same Rules: Other than the difference in a cyclist’s position on the road,  
cyclists are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists.  
By understanding and practicing the three Rs, you can help ensure your own  
safety and, at the same time, help motorists understand your intentions.  
Motorists should always follow the rules of the road and ensure that cyclists are  
given the courtesy and space required to ride safely.  
Appropriate signalling alerts other  
10 Bike Safely  
Your responsibilities as a cyclist:  
• Ride respectfully. The same traffic laws that apply to motorists also  
apply to you.  
• Use hand signals and eye contact to communicate your actions.  
• Obey traffic control signals and signs.  
• Ride in a straight line and do not weave between parked cars.  
• Do not ride on the sidewalk.  
• Ride single file when riding with other cyclists.  
• Ride as closely as practicable* to the right-hand side of the road.  
• Increase your visibility by wearing brightly coloured clothing.  
• Use a white front light and a red or amber rear light.  
*As close as practicable: The law requires traffic moving at less than the normal speed of traffic to keep  
as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the road. Although The Highway Traffic Act  
does not define as close as practicable, experienced cyclists recommend riding approximately 1 m (3 ft.)  
away from the curb. This will help you maintain a straight line while avoiding hazards such as potholes,  
wide cracks, service covers, debris and puddles. Use your best judgment when determining how far away  
from the curb to ride and when it may be necessary to move closer to the middle of the lane.'

as a motorists  
 
 
'• Reduce your speed when encountering cyclists.  
• Leave a safe following distance should the cyclist need to stop suddenly.  
• Recognize the hazards that cyclists may face and give them plenty of space.  
There may be times when they must ride closer to the middle of the lane.  
Be aware of where a cyclist is and anticipate their actions.  
• Try not to use your horn. The sound of a car horn can be very startling to  
a cyclist.  
• Be cautious and respectful.  
• When turning left, watch for and yield to oncoming cyclists just as you would to  
oncoming motorists.  
• When turning right, yield to any cyclist travelling on your right. Do not try to  
pass a cyclist if you’re planning to turn at the next intersection or driveway.  
• Look for cyclists before opening car doors.  
• Children on bicycles can be unpredictable. Expect the unexpected and  
slow down.'

I absolutely agree with the op. Reagardless of that the law states. Its dangerous for them and the drivers. Especially on the highways. Try driving through Riding Mountain park. I get the whole keep active and save the earth argument, but do they have to ride in the lane of traffic or darn close to? Was following one last week, riding in the driving lane, waering a "gas sucks" shirt. Hmmmmmm.

My biggest pet peeves about cyclists: first of all, if there's a bike path USE IT. Don't ride on the road (especially a busy one) when there is a BIKE path 5 feet away. Second: it's cool your riding on the highway, but PLEASE stop riding 2-3-4 wide, I'm always so paranoid that someone will fall and just so happen to fall in front of my vehicle, if your single file and I move over as much as possible and so do you I'm not going to panic every time I pass hoping you don't fall. Drive 10 wide for all I care, but if you hear a car approaching everyone should move over as much as possible.

RKL said "I still believe they should stay on the sidewalks. Safest place for them. A cyclist has no chance against any type of vehicle. One hit and it could all be over. "

And where are people walking supposed to walk? And what if they have strollers or a few kids with them?

I'd rather take my chances on a sidewalk. The road is full of dangerous and careless drivers.

I would be terrified to ride a motorcycle down the highway due to all of the bad drivers. I'm not sure why bicycle riders would risk their life like that.  
 
All it takes is some loose strapping on a flat deck semi trailer or a person texting.

They are supposed to be on the road. There are actually signs in a lot of roads around Brandon reminding motorists to "share the road". A vehicle is no more entitled than a cyclist on that road. As a parent I would rather children up on sidewalks on their bikes, but it's at a certain wheel size they are to move to the road I believe.  
I do not like it when cyclists use the sidewalks though, and I'm not talking about bike paths, those are awesome, just regular city sidewalks. They seem to think that they are highly visible and have the right of way. I nearly smoked a guy last week at an intersection. He was riding his bike on the sidewalk. I checked for pedestrians, looked the other way and started to turn as it was clear to go. This guy appeared out of no where on his bike (he was going fast)and was starting to ride across the street in front of me. If your going to ride your bikes on sidewalks PLEASE walk it across the streets like a pedestrian! Ticks me off when they ride across the street. Also make sure your noticeable as cars backing out of driveways don't necessarily see you when your zooming down the sidewalk fast. Just my little rant!  
 
Edited by Cheezies, 2015-08-03 23:16:03

It should be law that if there is a bike path adjacent to a road a cyclist MUST use the bike path. What did we build all these paths for anyways if they don't use them, and in many instances, is the safe place for them to be riding. As example the first street curves area is one spot that constantly annoys me with cyclists and NONE should be allowed on the road there. I suppose a person could use it as an intelligence meter as the ones on the road can't be too bright.

Them fine me for riding on the sidewalk. If there isn't a bike/ walking path then I personally use the sidewalk. I'm not about to get killed or injured for trying to get out and be active. There are a lot of ignorant people out there trying to prove to many points. And I mean that both ways. Sad part is the truck or car always wins in that type of accident.

I agree. We live on a very bendy, hilly, two way highway. We have some ladies who ride their bikes on it. The other day, one was in a lane going against the way of traffic. We were coming up to her, and I'm sure she expected us to pull around her. The problem was- we didn't see her until it was almost too late. She blended in with the ashpalt.(sp?) She had nothing reflective on the front of her, to warn people driving directly at her. It shook up my boyfriend as he was driving. Also we had to pull around her on a hill, when we couldn't see if there was someone coming from the other side.

I think we all know about the laws on cyclists on the roadways. Most of those rules you pasted apply to in town which many really don't have a problem with. It is more of the highway bikes. I have been on highway 10 north and south and always encounter side by side riders. This causes me to either slow right down at times due to oncoming traffic, or having me to move into the other lane. I don't mind the other lane when oncoming traffic is slow but during busy times like long weekends it causes more difficulty. Now if I can get a ticket in my vehicle for going too slow on a roadway causing danger to others.....why does the same not apply to a cyclist on a highway?

Yes I know it is the law for them to ride on the street, which I think is a stupid law they are not motorized it is dangerous for them to ride in the city on the busy streets, they should be aloud to ride on sidewalk where there is no bike path, and be courteous if the people using it for walking, as for the highway I can say I have never had a problem they usually move over,i move to other lane if possible if not I reduce speed when passing them

Last time I encountered bicycles on the highway was six guys racing each other in the middle of the road.  
 
Now if it was not for the hill it would not have been so bad but I crested the hill and there they were spread across both lanes. The sound of the tires locking up made them scatter and as it was I was within an inch of hitting one of them.  
 
Best part was them getting mad at me for not sharing the road and the lecture on how they have rights.

Riding on the sidewalk can be pretty dangerous. Cars do not expect cyclists to be there. They are checking for pedestrians walking on the sidewalk at 5 km/h, but don't expect a cyclist to be riding along at 20 km/h. Every time a road or parking lot or driveway crosses a sidewalk, it is a potential T-bone for the cyclist on the sidewalk.

I think some cyclists choose the streets over the bike paths because they are going too fast for the bike paths. People walk their dogs on bike paths and dogs sometimes run out in front of bikes (which is dangerous for both dog and cyclist) and some people on bike paths nearly jump out of their skin when a speeding bike goes past. I know this from experience. So instead of slowing down to every single person on the bike path, you can maintain a steady 35-40 km/h on the street. But yes, there are more risks on the streets and, it seems, many motorists don't know how to act around cyclists. The best thing to do is to slow down and wait for the cyclist to indicate when it's safe to pass. But hey, if you're going 40 km/h in a 50 km/h zone anyway, what's the rush?  
 
Other cities have tried installing bike lanes on streets, but, for the most part, cities are moving away from the bike lanes to separated bike lanes to keep cars away from bikes. Separated bike lanes are the safest route and most suitable for bicycles and motorists, but the city of Brandon is so far behind on that stuff and more focused on patching potholes and expanding the city's size that we'll probably never see it.  
 
Bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure is a lot less expensive that motor vehicle infrastructure and it lasts longer because bikes are much lighter than cars. There's also health benefits and cleaner air. So I think that a commitment to bicycle adequate infrastructure would be a good investment for the city, and perhaps more people would ride bikes to work and around town, then maybe property taxes would decrease.

Should wear helmets. I wish it were law that anyone who rides a bike must wear a helmet. Pisses me off when I have to share the road with someone not wearing a helmet, not respecting the rules of the road.....if you are riding on the road you damn well better stop at that 4 way and red light!  
 

If you think all cyclists should wear helmets and have about 17 minutes, or you're just interest in bicycles, watch this video:  
 
 
 
Yes, cyclists should stop at stop signs and red lights. Some places in Brandon though, like on Queens and 18th, there is a stop light for motorists and a stop sign for bikes.

[i]“I absolutely agree with the op. Reagardless of that the law states. Its dangerous for them and the drivers.” [/i]  
---  
This is something that’s often trotted out as an excuse for getting cyclists out of our way. Burrow a little further under this and you’ll generally find that the emotion driving this kind of comment is not concern for the well-being of a fellow human, but anger or frustration over being delayed in the slightest and having to actually pay attention to keep from having to deal with law enforcement and the autobody shop if a collision occurs (oh, yeah, and someone being injured or killed).  
 
I honestly believe (and have experienced) that the vast majority of drivers are okay with taking some time and making some adjustments in their driving to accommodate people riding bikes. This is especially the case when the riders are polite and respectful of others, and take their needs into account. Do some drivers fume over having the ‘share their road’ with cyclists? Undoubtedly, yet they see most people giving them room, and peer pressure comes into play (not to mention that nagging knowledge that colliding with them would be really, really inconvenient).  
 
When I address drivers, I point out these facts, and remind them that if they are aggressive or operate dangerously around cyclists, they are the ones in the minority. Few people want to be a minority—an outlier. When we act as though the occasional driver who acts stupidly is the norm, we do all of us a disservice."  
 
~A. Dunlop  
http://thecce.org/

and luckily most of where I go has bike paths. But when it doesn't I always feel guilty for slowing up traffic that I ride as close to the curb or ditch that I can. But please don't resent my love for the wind in my hair and the sun at my back while I get some exercise!

I think what would be a great benefit is to get rid of these stupid meridians and make more practical roadway usage in urban areas. Just think if the meridians were removed you would have much more space to allow bike lanes on either side along the road. This would open up the road a lot allowing for shared travel.  
 
Highways would not be as practical. You would have to build roads wider at a much larger cost for the minimal bike traffic.

myview said "Them fine me for riding on the sidewalk. If there isn't a bike/ walking path then I personally use the sidewalk. I'm not about to get killed or injured for trying to get out and be active. There are a lot of ignorant people out there trying to prove to many points. And I mean that both ways. Sad part is the truck or car always wins in that type of accident. "

it seems there are few if any get fined for bike riding on sidewalks. I don't quite understand the need to bike ride on some of the busiest street sidewalks when one block over, there's a quieter street.  
It's very difficult for a pedestrian to hear a bike coming up behind with even the smallest amount of head wind & having a bike whiz by is quite a shock.  
I only hope that people on bikes on sidewalks understand that if they injure someone, they are liable. A relative was injured by a cyclist on a sidewalk: sued re: injuries - won & the cyclist also paid a fine so only something to consider when breaking the law.

Another thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post (and no I'm not against cyclists), if you want to be treated as a vehicle (by riding on the road) please act like one. Don't pull off the road, stay on your bike, and push the crosswalk button. Because then you're just rude. Wait at the stop sign like the rest of the vehicles or at least get off your bike (but I don't believe in that either, you want cars to share the road then you should have to follow the same rules which includes not using crosswalks to cross). And please wear bright colours!

That was my comment and I stand by it. I have no problem Sharing the road but be honest, my job entails me driving everyday on the highway and I see a lot of cyclists. Some are very respectable but some figure it is up to the driver to be responsible amd not them. On the highway a lot of unforeseen can happen. In town as well but on the highway everyone is going faster so reaction time is not as quick. So yes it is dangerous. It isn't a matter of "being held up because of a lack of care for fellow man". Like stated before, all it takes is a loose strap or a blow out then who's as fault. Regardless if it was an accident the guilt of injuring if not killing someone would eat me up. And yes it can happen to a motorist. But a vehicle can take a better blow then a bicycle. Amd like everyone is thinking I pay for my right to be on those highways. Not saying that you should but something to think about.