Ride of Silence

Ride of Silence, a protest designed to raise awareness of bicycle fatalities, is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, starting at 62nd Terrace and Brookside in Kansas City. Organizers, who say they only want to share the road with motorists, say they will not ride faster than 12 mph and plan not to speak during the event. Here's a map of the route.

Several elected officials and victims' families plan to attend, including the family of Robert Osborn, a man who was shot while riding a bike home from work. His family has started a foundation to make the city a safer place.

File photo from last year's Ride of Silence.

Comments

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

If they are lucky there will be fewer then 12 fatalities from this due to the rude and batshit crazy drivers who don't like bikers in this area.

[G]

I see awful bicycle riders on a weekly basis in northern JOCO. Running stop signs, riding in the middle of the street, etc.

I blame Lance Armstrong. 10 years ago you never saw bands of yellow clad dorks going 10 mph in a 30 mph zone, taking up an entire lane.

[G]

I don't like bikers because they are constantly in my way. My car goes faster than 10 mph....the speed limit is 30...get the hell out of the middle of the street.

What's so crazy about that?

[kay]

I'll say it again - if bicyclists share the road they should be required to pass a road safety course. They should be required to get a special license the same as motorcyclists or truckers. I have had them run stop signs and whip out in front of me. A helmet and spandex pants do not protect them from a car - and I don't want to hit anyone. Rules of the road need to be enforced against them just as they are against drivers of motor vehicles.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Well, when they do something stupid like run a light thinking they have the right of way because they are riding on the sidewalk and you have the green light, just do what I do and stop them, yell at their fat spandex covered body and tell them to stop smuggling grapes.

Nobody likes being told that their genetalia is as small as a grape.

[aqua]

I like to sneak up on them and then honk the horn.

It's funny to see them jump off their seats and swerve around. The best is when you see them veer off the road into a ditch or a bush.

[The_Golfer]

As long as they don't block all the lanes and have that smug a$$ look on their faces. I ride a bicycle, but I avoid main roads and constantly look for traffic.

Oh, and forget the iPods so you can hear traffic.

[G]

Amen golfer...what's with the smugness? I love to go on bike rides, and I just know that drivers are looking at me with scorn...and for good reason.

The yellow clad dork hordes have given us all a bad name.

[The_Golfer]

G - and the smuggers, if you are not on a racing bike, bent over flying along, just riding along on your regular bike, they act like you are road kill.

I ride for fun and some exercise, not to see how far I can race in a day. I ride with my daughter, we talk, we laugh, we have fun. I show and teach her the proper way to ride her bike including understanding that the same laws that cover cars also cover bicycles.

[SAW]

I love when I see them pulling the baby rickshaws behind them. Once around the park Jeeves! Chop Chop!!

[Not all cyclers wanna be Lance]

I like to take my bike to the grocery store and try to take as many back roads as possible. This way I get excercise and don't give BP texaco...etc any extra money and do not block traffic. I think as gas prices go up this will be more common.

Most bicyclers are aware that they are slow moving. Are all drivers aware that the roads are public and that is where bikes belong and sidwalks are for pedestrians only?

This is going to continue to be a problem until the cities in the metro are put in bike lanes. The lanes do not have to take up the lane. In cities thate are bicycle friendly the lane lays between the sidewalk and road.

[Diesel]

Muooonnng Muooooonnnng lets go diesel.

[Mark D]

I'm with Kay -- it's not so much that the bikers are on the road (they have a legal right), it's that they constantly break the rules of the road and then get pissed when they're almost ran over.

Once a majority of bikers start showing respect for the cars by learning how to ride correctly, they'll get respect.

[The_Golfer]

Not all cyclers wanna be Lance - Yes, I understand that cars and bikes must share the same rules, but since the bikers that are normally out front on this issue are the ones that ignore stop lights, yield signs, cars coming up from the rear or from the front, bikers will keep a negative name. Sorry, but these are the ones everyone points at and they are the biggest abusers of the law. So how can they possibly be taken for real?

[flug]

"I don't like bikers because they are constantly in my way. My car goes faster than 10 mph....the speed limit is 30...get the hell out of the middle of the street."

Everybody who's moaning about bicycles slowing them down, take 10 minutes to write a complaint to your local public works department.

When they build the roads wide enough (bike lane, shoulder, just an slightly wider lane, whatever you want to call it) then that conflict with bicyclists just disappears.

Like it or not, as gas goes up $3, $4, $5, $6, etc/gallon, you're going to see more people bicycling out on the road. Because those people need to go somewhere and the road is the only way to get there.

Complain all you want, but the bicycle riders aren't going to go away. They are going to multiply.

So you might as well spend your time and energy complaining somewhere it will do some good--your local public works department or city.

[noneposted]

the idea of a silent bike ride is scary...who is going to shout out "LOOK OUT FOR THAT CAR!"

[4wheeldriver]

When you finally pass all of these assh$$$$ riding together in the middle of the street & you get stopped at a light. They all ride in the gutter to get around you so you have to pass these slow moving MFs again. Obey all of the rules or stay off of the road. Not just the one's you agree with.

[The_Golfer]

flug - Got no problems with more bikes, they just need to obey the laws. And 20 of them blocking 2 to 4 lanes of traffic just because is a load of crap.

Like I said, I ride, I stay to the side and I watch to make sure I am out of the way. I even stop at red lights and stop signs.

[John Davis]

Bikes and pedestrians are JUST AS GUILTY as any driver of a car. I work downtown and every week at least it seems that I come across a biker that is being an idiot. I honked at a guy the other day riding his bike the wrong way down the middle of a one way street, and he gave me the finger and started yelling...I promptly stopped and reminded him that it's a one way road, and my vehicle was approximately 100 times as heavy as his...
On a similar note, to pedestrians: Sidewalks are built for a reason...for you to WALK/RUN ON. The street is for cars and bikes and other vehicles. I don't pay taxes to build more sidewalks so you idiots can walk in the middle of the street. Expect the horn when engaging in this behavior.

[Suzie]

I don't mind the bike riders that are aware enough of their surroundings to move the hell over in their little bike lane enough to allow a vehicle driving space. OR, here's a thought... use the damn sidewalk. They're made for that. There's less risk to them and less risk for the drivers. BUT, use the damn cross walks and obey the traffic signals.

[Danica]

I'll be in Kansas City this weekend for the NASCAR time trials at the Kansas City Speedway. I hope the Silent Ride bicycle people stay out of my way. I'm a little gun-shy since running over one of my pit-crew last week in Indianapolis. When ever I see a pedestian or a bicycle in my way I tend to just close my eyes and hope for the best.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Suzie, sidewalks are not built for bikes, they are for pedestrians.

The only case that I would give for those biking on the sidewalk are for those that are along narrow roads that don't get much foot traffic. Also for cases like my mother who is legally blind to ride along to get from place to place when the busses aren't running.

[Ken Cobb]

1. Agreed, everyone should obey traffic laws. Give tickets to all offenders.
2. Most bicyclists do obey, just as most drivers do.
3. Most cities have more cyclists per capita than we do, and accommodate bicycles better. Driver attitudes are more accepting, and the roads contain more bike lanes. We have work to do here.
4. It's not a problem for a group of riders to take up a lane as long as it is a four-lane street. They have a right to be there, just as do farm tractors and other slow-moving vehicles.
5. When a car overtakes a large group of cyclists on a one-lane street, most cyclist groups will scoot over into a single line to let the car pass, as they should.
6. The more cycling we have, the less pressure of cars on the highways there will be, and the healthier we will be as a society. Cycling should be supported, not dissed.

[kay]

i'm not dissing bikers. i am saying they should have to have a "bikers" license if they are going to share the road. They need to know the rules of the road, and obey them.

[The_Golfer]

I have no problems giving them the RIGHT lane of 2 lanes and allowing me to pass on the left. It is when they sprawl across both lanes, look back smuggly, as though they are better than I am that I just want to make them a hood ornament.

I ride, I don't act like a jackass.

[kcdude]

John Davis, you bring up excellent points. Last year I almost hit some joggers jogging down College Blvd on my way to work. It was about 5 a.m. and I was just cresting a hill, doing the speed limit of 45mph, and there they were, jogging right in the middle of the lane. And of course, they were mad at ME! I have also seen parents pushing strollers with babies in them down the middle of our neighborhood streets instead of the sidewalks that were right next to them.

A guy I work with says he jogs down the middle of the street because the sidewalk is harder on his joints. I asked him to figure out how much easier would it be on his joints to be hit by a moving vehicle. He just shrugged and said nothing.

I also ride a bike at times, and I have heard many bike riders complain about how rude and dangerous car drivers are. I then ask them why, with all of the bike trails we have in this area, would you ride for recreation on roads that you deem dangerous for bike riders?

I have seen many bike riders obey the laws and ride with common sense. But I have also seen many who have about as much common sense as the idiots who jog/walk in the middle of the road instead of on the side of the road or a sidewalk.

I understand that some need to ride for transportation purposes and as long as they ride responsibly I have no problem with that. However, I think a lot of them are enviromental nut jobs who are purposefully rude because they don't want the rest of us driving cars and want to push their politics on us instead of co-exist with us.

[please sign your comments]

A FEW THINGS...STAY OUT OF BUSY ROADS AND ON THE SIDEWALKS...SECOND TAKE THAT GOOFY SPANDEX AND DUMB LOOKING HELMET OFF ...YOU ARE NOT LANCE ARMSTRONG NOR WILL YOU EVER BE..CUT IN FRONT OF A CAR AND GET HIT...MORE POWER TO THE DRIVER OF THE CAR..HE SHOULD SUE YOUR DUMB@SS FOR DAMAGES TO HIS CAR!

[Ken Cobb]

Bike "trails" are usually combination biking, walking and jogging trails, in which any bike going more than 10 mph is a hazard to the pedestrians.

Fitness riding and bicycle commuting must be done on streets. That's where it is done in other cities, often in far larger numbers than here.

Every time a motorist decides to bicycle-commute instead of driving he is reducing the congestion on the road. That's the side of cycling that motorists often don't think of when they are complaining about sharing the road with cyclists.

[Ken Cobb]

Last points, to educate those who don't ride:

Riding on sidewalks is very dangerous for fast-moving bicycles, because every driveway is a point where a motorist may turn in without seeing the cyclist in time. Cyclists are safer in bike lanes, or at the right side of a normal 14-foot wide car lane, where they can be readily seen by overtaking cars.

Helmets save lives, and spandex tights are necessary to pedal without getting pants caught in the chain on road bikes. Spandex shorts have special cushioning that makes longer rides tolerable. Those who wear these things aren't trying to be Lance Armstrong; they are being sensible and safe.

[The_Golfer]

Ken Cobb - I have to respectfully disagree with you on the bicycle-commuter instead of driver comment. I have no problems with someone biking and reducing the congestion. Just obey the laws like the cars do and we have no problems.

[kcdude]

Ken, bike/jogging trails and sidewalks are only dangerous to pedestrians if you ride irresponsibly. I ride on them all the time, and there are certain open areas where you can ride "flat out" undisturbed by pedestrians.

Your "every driveway is a point where a motorist may turn in without seeing the cyclist in time" is a red herring. Do these same driveways not extend into the streets? A bike rider or pedestrian has to cross these same points, whether on the sidewalk or side of the street. If a driver can't see you on the sidewalk, he is not going to see you on the side of the street, either. That would be due to inattentive driving. The only exception to that are parked vehicles on the side of the road, and I for one, would not ride in those areas because it would put me towards the middle of the road and not the side. It is also your responsibility as well to be aware of vehicular traffic at these points. You would also be foolish to traverse down a busy street or a street congested with parked cars blocking everyones' visibility.

Best rule of thumb is, pick your spots to ride for recreation. I can't feel sorry for you getting hit in congested areas any more than I can feel sorry for the schmuck trying to cross a highway and getting hit. You can either use common sense now, or find out the hard way. It's your choice. Your ideology won't lessen the risk you take.

[Ken Cobb]

Golfer, riders take up less space on the road than cars. In areas where there is a lot of bicycle commuting, there are many fewer cars.

KCDude, there are spots where you can ride hard on trails, sure, but they usually have enough blind corners that you can't ride much faster than 10-12 mph safely. Multi-use trails are not for serious cycling.

A motorist turning right, into a driveway, is not a comparable situation to a motorist pulling out of a driveway onto the road. In the first instance, he is primarily focused on the road, and if he doesn't see a pedestrian near his driveway, he is likely to just pull in, oblivious to a cyclist coming along on the sidewalk. On the other hand, a motorist pulling out onto the street has to look the street over, and if there are cyclists there, he usually will see them, because he is looking for cars in the same vicinity anyway.

Sidewalks also contain pedestrians and are uneven, which is why major cycling traffic does not belong there. In major bicycle usage cities, here and in other countries, bicycles are in bike lanes or on streets, not on sidewalks.

[Not all cyclers wanna be Lance]

I do not wear spandex. I like to pretend it is 1992 and do the tight roll cuff on one leg. I am still in awe of the time I was on a train going through the Netherlands. The rail went past a business with approx 1,000 bikes and 2 cars parked out front.

[Not all cyclers wanna be Lance]

And it was a corporate office not a bike shop.

"A motorist turning right, into a driveway, is not a comparable situation to a motorist pulling out of a driveway onto the road. In the first instance, he is primarily focused on the road, and if he doesn't see a pedestrian near his driveway, he is likely to just pull in, oblivious to a cyclist coming along on the sidewalk. On the other hand, a motorist pulling out onto the street has to look the street over, and if there are cyclists there, he usually will see them, because he is looking for cars in the same vicinity anyway."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Wrong, a motorist driving attentively and lawfully will look for pedestrians, bicyclists, as well as vehicles in either situation. In fact, it is his responsibility to yield to traffic on the sidewalk, whether entering or leaving the driveway. If not, they are breaking the law. From page 21 #7 of the Kansas Driving Handbook partially explains this, I assume it's about the same in MO...

"The driver of a vehicle within a business or residential district emerging from
an alley, driveway or building, shall stop their vehicle immediately prior to driving
onto a sidewalk or onto the sidewalk area extending across any alleyway or
driveway, and shall yield the right-of-way."

http://www.ksrevenue.org/dmvdlhandbook.htm

Sorry, you're not going to convince me that if I am driving attentively that I'm not going to see sidewalk traffic as well a road traffic, whether I'm entering or exiting a driveway. And if I hit someone on the sidewalk, the cops aren't going to buy any excuses, either. Your scenario only works if a driver is driving irresponsibly, and if he is, why would you want to put yourself closer to him?

I agree we need more bicycle lanes out here. But let's be realistic, this city can't even keep it's bridges and roads repaired much less install more bicycle lanes. And if faced with a choice, which do you think is going to get priority?

If you are a serious rider, you either stay alive by adjusting to the realities of this city, i.e. riding to the side of the road or on trails, or you move to another city that is more bicycle friendly. Riding down the middle of the road either by yourself or in packs isn't going to win you any sympathy around here.

Post at 4:50 p.m. by kcdude.

[Chuck Munson]

I get around town by means of a car, but I've been a pedestrian and cyclist in other cities. As much as I like Kansas City, the anti-cyclist comments in this thread are downright disgusting. The only problems on the roads are caused by drivers. I can't believe that some of you are rally that bothered by cyclists, when there aren't that many of them and given that they rarely, if ever, cause delays or inconvenience for you.

Those of you who whine about cyclists breaking traffic laws should take a long hard look in the mirror. If you never exceed the speed limit and always come to a complete stop at stop signs, then maybe you have a right to complain about the behavior of *some* cyclists. Many of you are whining about cyclists breaking traffic laws when you yourself do it all the time, often putting the live of other *motorists* in danger.

There are different schools of thought about how closely cyclists should adhere to some traffic laws. I've always been of the opinion that cyclists should act like traffic, but veteran cyclists tell me that unpredictable cycling is safer, because it makes dangerous motorists pay more attention to bikes.

Those of you who menace cyclists or honk at them have no business being behind the wheel of a car. You are driving around a dangerous vehicle. A cyclist doesn't have a ton of armor to protect themselves from your irresponsible hostility.

Gas prices will probably double in the next few years, so many of you will be biking more.

[T REX]

Chuck, that is the biggest load of nonsense I've ever heard. So it's okay for you to break the traffic laws because some drivers do? Are you kidding me? And you have the nerve to lecture drivers about arguing basically the same argument you are for bike riders?

Sounds like the "experienced" riders you hang out with ride with their ego in their spandex as opposed with common sense. Driving predictably and lawfully, whether it be car, motorcycle, or bike, decreases the chance of collision. When people fail to act responsibly, no matter what they are driving/riding, it increases the chance of accidents. Try selling your nonsense to a cop or a judge and see how far that gets you.

And what is it with this nonsense that someone is going to hit a bicyclist on a sidewalk, but somehow magically is going to start driving responsibly once they get on the road?

You folks are just making excuses for your arrogant behavior, and then you wonder why you have such opposition from drivers. Your mindset is just par for the course and to be expected.

[Ken Cobb]

KCDude is correct that an attentive motorist will really carefully check the sidewalks before pulling into driveways, but the reality is that this is a more dangerous situation for experienced cyclists than riding to the right hand side of the street is.

The overtaking driver normally has a good look at a 15-20 mph bike rider for awhile before actually overtaking him, so it's not a surprise like the encounter at the sidewalk and driveway often is.

Of course, if a section of street is narrow and dangerous, there are situations where the sidewalk is better. I am just pointing out that the sidewalk is not normally the best place for bicycles to be.

[kcdude]

Ken, I will have to disagree with you. The only time a surprise encounter with someone on a sidewalk will happen is if the sidewalk is blocked by parked cars or something else. Other than that, one should be able to see the sidewalk as clearly as the side of the road. If not, we'd all be running into newspaper machines, mailboxes, and light poles.

You do bring up a good point about the sidewalks sometimes being uneven and poorly maintained.

Unfortunately, we have limited options in this city. My biggest problem when I did ride on the side of the street was with cars coming too close. Too many close calls put me on the trails, instead. If I want a good workout, I use an exer-cycle. Not as scenic, but much safer.

I have enough of a problem feeling safe driving a car in traffic. Riding a bike in it around here is almost suicidal. The speed differences between the two is sometimes just too great.

[Observant]

Lycra -

Gentlemen, for commuting, there are plenty of mountain bike style shorts with chamois padding and a Lycra base layer where you don't have to subject the general public to your juicy bits as you enter the office or 7-11.

Ladies, if you got it, flaunt it. If you got way too much, please hide it.

Traffic Laws -

I'll grant you that too many cyclists violate too many rules of the road. However, percentage wise, I'll bet at any given moment, 10 times as many of motor vehicles are violating traffic laws as cyclists. Not the least of which is speeding. Which by the way is a factor in 30% of all traffic deaths.

Smugness-

I think your confusing smugness with your own guilty conscience.

[magnum]

Riding on sidewalks is for little kids on bikes and pedestrians/strollers. No serious cyclist would ride on them. The trails are okay, but I've heard firsthand accounts of kids darting out onto the trail and colliding with fast moving bikes. I'd leave the trails for use by the kids and walkers/joggers with ipods who can't hear anyone coming from behind.

I ride on secondary thoroughfares, preferably with wide lanes that allow plenty of space to share the road. That takes you on certain routes but still allows for variety. I'm conscious of cars coming up behind me and make an effort to stay far right and allow them to pass easily. I give and receive friendly gestures and everything is good. Pretty simple.

Large groups can be a little hard to pass in a car, but they generally ride on weekends and evenings, so they aren't holding up rush hour traffic. If you're in a blazing hurry in your car on a Sunday morning, my condolences. Plus, you're only out about 10 seconds waiting to pass. Not a big deal.

Hello $4/gallon gas!

[KC-Craig]

There will always be cyclists that don't follow the rules of the roads just as there are plenty of drivers that do the same. It makes no sense to paint a broad brush on all cyclists like that.

Sidwalks are no good for cycling for too many reasons to get into, and they're just not made for it. Maybe that is why they're called SideWALKs.

For anyone that complains about seeing lycra (spandex), the folks you see in them generally ride for several miles. They are designed for long rides and until you have ridden a bike for 30 to 50 miles or more, you could never understand. Mountain bike shorts on long rides are just not as comfortable. They are better than nothing but the extra outer cloth sliding around on top of the inner lyrca is restrictive.

Bottom line, both sides can argue but we all have the same privilege to use the same roads. We just need to get along and drive/ride safe. It is someone's loved one out on each of those bikes that some people here would rather run over. Put the rage and hatred away when behind the wheel people, please!

[T REX]

"Sidwalks are no good for cycling for too many reasons to get into, and they're just not made for it. Maybe that is why they're called SideWALKs."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Wouldn't take sideWALKS literally, since there are roads called PARKways and you park your car in a DRIVEway.

Some of you would do good to put away the hatred and rage behind the handlbars, as well. It works both ways, you know.

[T REX]

According to the Kansas Driver Handbook link from a previous post (page 28 of the pdf and 24 of the handbook), a cyclist is "expected to obey all traffic laws and regulations on the streets, roads, and highways of the State." It goes on to state that motorists should give the cyclist the benefit of the doubt and "expect bicyclists to be two feet from the right edge of the roadway or curb. When passing a bicyclist use extreme caution and pass four feet to the left of the bicyclist."

http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/dlhb.pdf

No where do I see that it is okay for cyclists to ride in packs side by side blocking an entire lane or holding up traffic. This is a fallacy created by those cyclists who feel superior and practice their form of political protest and road rage against the drivers of cars. Protest your political opinions on the sidewalks, with signs in your hands, not by riding in packs blocking entire lanes of traffic. To do so otherwise only creates road rage back in your direction.

And drivers, be careful of cyclists, for not all of them are arrogant holier-than-thous who feel enclined to force their political ideology on you. Some of us who drive and ride understand both arguments and dislike extremists on either side.

[devin]

Wow, it's hard to believe how many people on here are ripping on cyclists. Every cyclist represents one less car you've got to deal in the Grandview triangle, a few less bucks per fillup in the hands of terrorist-supporting regimes, and a slight improvement in the air quality we all breathe.

I didn't realize the KS laws said cyclists should stay 2 feet from the curb. I'm glad I live in Missouri. Here the law says cyclists must only stay as far to the right as safety allows. In many cases, that means I'm pretty much in the middle of the lane because it's a narrow lane and I know if I hug the right side somebody will try to pass me far too close, and that's simply unsafe. I feel bad that I hold up motorists sometimes (except the ones who decide to lay on their horn instead of using the other lane to pass, they're just funny...). Unfortunately, until this area is willing to build enough bike lanes for me to commute and run my errands using the bike lanes, I really have no choice but to ride on whatever road I'm on. I follow the rules of the road of course, just like if I was in a car, but sometimes I wind up slowing cars down. The sidewalk isn't an option because a) I follow the law and riding on the sidewalk is illegal and b) I ride far too fast to be on the sidewalk and would represent a huge danger to anybody there.

On the other hand, cars often slow me down as well. On a downhill, I'm much faster in curves than they are, so I have to slow down for cars in that situation. I live downtown, where cars frequently are driving 25 mph or less as they look for parking, try to figure out where they're going, etc. I'm often riding faster than cars and have to wait for them. Plus there's the whole stop light issue. For one thing, stop lights wouldn't be necessary if it weren't for cars (simply stop/yield signs would suffice, maybe roundabouts at busy intersection), which is something that often occurs to me when I'm stuck at a long light with no traffic. Second, the "intelligent" lights aren't sensitive enough to pick up cyclists, so I have to run those because they will never turn green for me if I'm the only one there. My point is that the inconvenience factor is a two-way street, I'm inconvenienced by cars probably more than I cause them inconvenience. That doesn't mean cars should be banned, it just means we all still need to learn that lesson about sharing that we should have learned in kindergarten.

[T REX]

Devin, you may not ride on a sidewalk in a BUSINESS district in MO. There is no law that states a total ban of riding a bike on sidewalks.

Also, to other commenters on this board. In MO, you are only allowed to ride abreast when you are not impeding other vehicles.

http://mobikefed.org/statutes.html

You are only allowed to ride 2 abreast in Kansas. Sounds like some of the people complaining about drivers need to brush up on their knowledge of Mo and Ks statutes.

http://www.ksdot.org/burRail/bike/biking/KsBicyStatutes.asp

http://www.ksdot.org/burRail/bike/biking/KsBicyGuid.asp

[raj]

People on this board are too addicted to their cars and too addicted to oil. Maybe if actually got on a bike the fresh air would do your minds some good.

Apparently your mind needs a little more fresh air if you think we are able to go grocery shopping for our families, traveling to and from work, ect. in this city spread out as it is with just our bicycles. Ideolists like you spitting out ridiculous and unrealistic garbage like that just makes you look like arrogant fools who did too many drugs in their youth.

Raj, you speak as though you're not addicted to oil. Did you not use a computer to post this? Doesn't that use electricity to either operate or charge the battery? Doesn't the entity that operates this forum rely on oil to operate their business? Aren't a lot of the products you buy oil based? Do you not shop for goods, which are brought to us by boats, planes, trains, and trucks? If you truly believe in this "oil addiction", then you must cut out your own, TOTALLY, before you criticize others. Otherwise, people just see someone like you as the hypocritical, head in the sand to reality ideolog you and your kind truly are.

[Alan]

1. Motorists breaks laws WAY more often than most cyclists, and it's not even close.

2. KS law is basically the same as MO (and most other states) -- cyclists are to ride as near to the right as practicable, except when passing, turning, avoiding obstacles, or when the lane is too narrow for both a bicycle and motor vehicle to fit. The "2 feet from the edge of the roadway" comes from the driver's license handbook, and is not part of the statutes.

Also, 2 feet from the edge, plus 3 feet width of the cyclist, plus 4 feet clearance puts a motor vehicle nine feet from the edge of the roadway, which is why vehicles need to change lanes when passing, not try to "squeeze by" within the same lane.

3. Trails are great, but unless they just happens to go everywhere people need to go -- work, schools, stores, church -- cyclists need to use roadways.

4. Don't blame cyclists for moving slowly - they're going as fast as they can. Blame the inadequately-designed streets for insufficient space to co-exist without inconveniencing with each other.

5. Sidewalks are for pedestrians; adult cyclists should use the roadways, just like any other vehicle.

6. It's not funny to honk at cyclists, rev your engine, squeal you tires, or swerve at cyclists to scare them. That's extremely dangerous and intimidating -- the very definition of a terrorist act.

7. There are scofflaw cyclists, just as there are scofflaw motorists - that's just a fact of life, and both are deserving of tickets.

8. The Ride of Silence is a memorial ride to honor those who have been injured and killed -- show some respect.

"The "2 feet from the edge of the roadway" comes from the driver's license handbook, and is not part of the statutes."

The Drivers Handbook is what motorists are tested on to get their drivers licenses. So, are you telling us that the information that is in there is not always correct, therefore should not be considered a "guideline" for all to follow, including motorcyclists and bicyclists?

"Sidewalks are for pedestrians; adult cyclists should use the roadways, just like any other vehicle."

Just what "statute" states this? The only one I am aware of is no motorized vehicles on the sidewalk. So, you as a bicyclist can pick and choose what guidlines to follow...or not to follow (2 feet) even if they aren't statutes, but we as motorists can't choose ours? And you wonder why people think you folks are arrogant?

"The Ride of Silence is a memorial ride to honor those who have been injured and killed -- show some respect."

Likewise, show a little respect for the motorists who are also killed by bad drivers, be they on two wheels or four. Your momma was wrong, it's NOT all about you.

[luv to pedal]

You can ride on a sidewalk, just not in a business district like a previous poster said. There is no statute statewide totally banning riding on the sidewalk. Certain areas may be banned, but not statewide.

There are also bike/jogging paths where bike riders are separated from jogger and walkers.

I stay away from two lane roads. Even as far right as I go, it isn't always possible for traffic to get in the next lane to pass. I also don't feel comfortable holding up traffic like that. Pick sensable spots riders!

Common sense on both sides, please!!