It's just me and my Cannondale.

“Get out of the street!”

That sentence was one of the first things I heard this morning as I biked in to work.  I was on Broadway, a busy four-lane road that spits you out near downtown Cleveland.  A woman was standing at a bus stop near an intersection and took it upon herself to offer me a bit of advice.  I ignored her, though it took every ounce of willpower to not turn around and harsh her gig with some cold hard facts.  Since I’ll probably never see her again, I’m going to lay down some law for you guys because ignorance, while sometimes blissful, is infuriating to those that take the time to educate themselves and abide by the laws of man (and who exercise common sense).

“Cyclist act like they’re above the law.” So do some motorists. What’s your point? You’re going to have bad apples no matter the mode of transportation.  Some people fail to use their turn signals, run red lights, text while driving, refrain from using seatbelts, operate vehicles under the influence, and the list continues.  Some cyclists disregard traffic signals, cut people off, and don’t use hand signals among other things.  Nobody is above the law but some people think they can get away with stuff.  Not all cyclists act like that so don’t lump me into that category.

“You people bug the hell out of me when you’re riding on the road!”  A coworker said that to me awhile ago.  Let me tell you something; riding a bike to work is no different than driving a car to work in the sense that you’re operating a piece of equipment to get you from point A to point B as safely and efficiently as possible.  Biking has added benefits in that you get exercise, save money on gas and parking, and leave less of a carbon footprint.  Yes, you must exercise more caution while riding a bike simply because it’s you and your bike against a few tons of steel, but my point is that we’re allowed on the road just the same as you are.  Don’t believe me? Check it: http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4511.55v1  Lemme break it down for you in layman’s terms:

4511.55(A) states bike riders should ride to the right as practicable (aka possible, feasible, realistic, other synonyms) and obey the same rules that cars do.

4511.55(B) states side-by-side riding is fine but no more than two people in a single lane, unless it’s a designated bike lane/path.

4511.55(C) is probably one of the most important in terms of bicycle safety.  This part states that a person on a bike is NOT REQUIRED to ride at the edge of the roadway.  Bear in mind section (A) where it says that bikers SHALL (meaning ‘will’ in the future tense) ride as near to the right side of the roadway as possible WHILE obeying all traffic rules.  Simply put, I’m going to ride my bike as close to the side of the road as I can until something obstructs my pathway.  If there’s an obstruction, I’ll do what I need to do in order to avoid it, much like anyone would when swerving to miss a pothole or something.  Don’t like it? Take it up with our representatives and lawmakers.

4511.55(D) goes over what happens when this section (meaning 4511.55 in its entirety) is violated and how a person would be punished. 

“You can’t ride on this street because it’s too busy” or “You can’t ride on the sidewalk because of pedestrians.”   Where in the hell do you propose I ride then?  Again, in case you missed it. Check it:http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4511.55v1  One little addendum: local ordinances.  While I haven’t had a chance to check all the ordinances in my area, I have checked the two main municipalities that I travel through, being the city of Cleveland (where I work) and village of Newburgh Heights (where I reside).  With regard to both municipalities, as far as I can tell from my research, neither one has a specific rule about NOT riding on the sidewalk.  That being said, I follow this: http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4511.711v1 which states that bicycles are allowed on sidewalks unless otherwise directed by a municipality’s local rule. That being said, guess what? I’m allowed to ride on the street OR sidewalk (while exercising caution and obeying all state and local laws of course, and being mindful of pedestrians and cars) so take your quips and shove them.

Keep in mind that most cyclists are very aware of their surroundings and are just trying to get to their destination by their preferred mode of transportation.  I’m one of those cyclists.  I take my safety very seriously and am cautious, courteous, and vigilant.  I don’t quite make enough money to miss work due to being run over by a dump truck full of medical debt so I wear a helmet, obey the laws, and stay aware of my surroundings.  Does that mean I haven’t had some close calls by no fault of my own?  Ha!  Not quite.  Will that deter me from continuing to ride?  Absolutely not. 

Like anything else in life, educate yourselves.  Take the time to learn about things that may be unfamiliar to you.  When everyone is informed, we make better choices and are safer.  If you choose to be an ignorant moron like the bus stop woman, don’t be surprised when I call you out on your shit.  If I ever see her again, I’ve got my printed Ohio Revised Code sections highlighted and in my bike bag, ready to be articulated at a moment’s notice.  You gon’ learn today, son.