Biking on the road

I bought a cheap bike to get myself to school quicker in the morning, but I am worried about getting a ticket from biking on the sidewalk. The problem is I am really afraid of biking on the street. I don't feel comfortable with my ability to control the bike enough to not end up in front of a car. Also I am really bad at paying attention to multiple things at a time, it's pretty much why I never learned to drive, because it's too overwhelming for me to be keeping track of things in all directions. If I need to walk on the street, I walk facing oncoming traffic so I know it's there, but for biking I've read that I need to bike in the same direction as traffic, off to the right.

So any suggestions as to what I should do? Anyone here bike in the street much that could give me some advice?

I've done limited riding on the street... first thing, yeah keep to the right.   Second... stop at the stop signs.   Third, wear a helmet and make sure your bike has some reflectors to give people the added advantage of seeing you.   Also a biking vest with reflective material or just wearing something light colored will help too.

You need to work on just riding around.  Pick a small neighborhood that's quiet and work on it.  Also consider investing in a mirror for your bike.  It may not look cool but it'll give you that added view.

As for traffic.  As long as you aren't on any big roads filled with cars it's pretty easy to stay far to the right.   Everyone will pass you as they can and I've never had anyone say anything negative to me while riding.   On less busy roads if you are biking fast enough you may not even deal with a whole lot of traffic since it'll only be what's going your own direction... and it's not like you'll be standing still waiting for them to all catch up to you.

yes I agree, go out and practice riding where it's quiet and not much traffic.

Also call your local police and ask about riding the sidewalk at first, I know around us they would rather see a new rider on the sidewalk and not out in traffic.

If you ride in the street just obey the traffic laws and be predictable (signal).  Ride to the right but make sure you give yourself enough room, don't crowd over to the side so far that the curb becomes a problem.

I have never seen anyone get a ticket for riding on the sidewalk.  As a matter of fact on my last trip through D.C., I used the sidewalk and I passed at least one police officer.  Quite often, sidewalks double as "bike trails".  Of course, whenever you are sharing a sidewalk or a path with pedestrians, you really have to give them the right of way.

It sounds to me like you just need some practice and confidence-building.  Getting from place to place on a bike really isn' t that much harder than walking the same routes.  True, you should ride with the traffic rather than against it.  The main reason is drivers are not looking for cyclists riding against the traffic.  If a driver is making a turn, especially in traffic, the he/she needs to be worrying about the cars coming from one direction.  If you are on a bike coming from the opposite direction, you are in a blind spot.  Either way you need to take responsibility for avoiding accidents.  Most drivers don't want to hit cyclists or pedestrians but mistakes happen.  You might want to think of it as "Use the same rules for riding as you would for walking -- except that you should walk facing traffic but you should ride with the traffic."

It's actually safer for you to be on the road than on the sidewalk -Here's a great link on how to cycle safely... with more detailed info on why it's not a good idea to ride on sidewalks. 

http://bicyclesafe.com/

Definitely follow all the advice everyone's mentioned. Never ride in the opposite direction of cars - you need to be riding in the same direction as your lane of traffic. Be careful, take your time, and ride defensively by staying out of the way of cars as much as you can.

Do check with local police about riding on sidewalks; the sidewalk has it's own perils, but generally a collision on a sidewalk won't be as deadly as one on the road because speeds are lower & cars aren't involved as often (although cars coming in & out of businesses & driveways are VERY dangerous to bicyclists on the sidewalk, so look both ways when crossing driveways in case a car is coming up from behind & looking to turn in & doesn't see you).

Not to be harsh, but please take your entry into the roadway every bit as seriously as you would take it if you were driving a car. I encourage you to please change your stated notion that, "I am really bad at paying attention to multiple things at a time,..."  If you are going to ride on the street, it's as difficult as driving and you have to be even more engaged, alert, and attentive to what's going on around you than you would be in a car, partly because you are so much more vulnerable on a bike so the consequences of an accident are much more dangerous for you. Practice your bike handling skills in a quiet place without traffic, read up on safety measures, and don't cling to notions like "I'm not good at paying attention" because that's no excuse. LEARN TO PAY ATTENTION. If you're not paying sufficient attention, you should not be on the road in a car, on a bike, or on foot. Not to sound ominous, but it really is a matter of life & death.

All that scary stuff aside, biking to school is a great idea, just be smart & safe about it and it's a wonderful way to get around!

Well moniepenny, it's like this. I've probably ridden about 100,000k in my life and the only injury I've ever had was on a mountain in the middle of a flat grassy field. I've ridden on country roads and city streets, racing, rec riding and commuting and it comes down to this... awarness. It's usually when a person isn't paying attention to what they are doing that bad things happen. Riding on the sidewalk may be good for you but you have to be twice as keen because the lady stepping out of the store that you flaten certainly wasn't expecting to see you there so you have to look out for her. On top of it I'm not saying it's going to happen to you but a predestrian hit by a cyclist is not a pretty sight. They just don't fall over they can get really messed up.

To ride on the road you have the same rights as any other vehicle on the road meaning that you obey the same rules as a car. Get ahold of your state or provincal motor vehicle act. As they say, everything you need to know is in that book (as far as rules go). The biggest part is learned by time and experience. Your eyes do the work ahead. Always be on the lookout ahead. Make eye contact with everyone. The guy turning in front of you the person stepping into the crosswalk, if they are not looking at you they don't see you... danger Will Robinson.

Go with the traffic. Stay to the right but not too close to the curb. If you are going past parked cars watch out for people. moving in cars, they may throw the door open in front of you... hard on helmets, noses and dental work. Now here has what has kept me the safest. My ears. Listen to what is coming up behind you. You can really learn to develope this, it works well everywhere. It's usually whats coming from behind that is going to bite you, not what you can see coming at you from the front. The biggest one is the passing car or truck. To them you seem to be invisible, so if they go by you and want to turn right down a street or such they will do it if you have the right away or not. so listen and when you go through any intersection with a street to the right listen and always take a quick look over your shoulder. It's not scarry, it just takes awareness and common sense.

Also take small blinky lights (red and white) in case you get stuck out at night. Remember be seen. Well so much for that rant. Relax and enjoy it. It's good for you and good for the planet.

I'll explain the mountain bike accident sometime. Everything you wanted to know about what not to do on a moutain bike but was afraid to ask. 6 weeks off work flat in bed. Oh well got to watch the whole Tour De France with major crashes in it which were way worse than mine. Made me feel better anyway.

-jiggles