Newbie - Speed Limits

Short answer is generally "yes", except where specifically prohibited. However, you need to factor your bike handling skills, the width of the shoulder (if any), and your risk-aversion level into the equation. Some roads are quite obviously safer than others. Riding in a group seems to offer a bit of protection (witnesses?). And lights--both front & rear--, even in daylight, are strongly recommended--and mandatory at night. I myself much prefer longer/quieter/safer routes when possible, and I confess it makes me nervous to have cars whisking by a foot off my left elbow (though the law specifies 3 feet). There will always be those drivers, too, who feel incorrectly that you "have no right to be there" and take it upon themselves to teach you that "lesson".

OldGoat said:

Short answer is generally "yes", except where specifically prohibited. However, you need to factor your bike handling skills, the width of the shoulder (if any), and your risk-aversion level into the equation. Some roads are quite obviously safer than others. Riding in a group seems to offer a bit of protection (witnesses?). And lights--both front & rear--, even in daylight, are strongly recommended--and mandatory at night. I myself much prefer longer/quieter/safer routes when possible, and I confess it makes me nervous to have cars whisking by a foot off my left elbow (though the law specifies 3 feet). There will always be those drivers, too, who feel incorrectly that you "have no right to be there" and take it upon themselves to teach you that "lesson".

+1 Absolutely, and it's usually drivers of 18-wheelers that think they need to teach me that lesson....

You can, but I wouldn't unless there's a wide shoulder. Where I live, you almost never see road cyclists on the really narrow 55mph roads.

Thanks for the info guys... one last question though, is it legal to ride on the shoulder of roads I take it? I understand each state is different, I'm from Michigan if anyone is from here. What is the normal law for this in other states? I found bicycle laws for michigan but they don't always go that in detail. 😕

I was looking at google maps a lot and finally figured a way to get around the road I was fearing. I'm not a novice to biking, but I am to biking next to cars. I'm still uneasy about my safety, but tomorrow morning I'll find out if I'm man enough to do this on a normal basis. Wish me luck.

Thanks again for the answers!

gpzj94 said:

Thanks for the info guys... one last question though, is it legal to ride on the shoulder of roads I take it? I understand each state is different, I'm from Michigan if anyone is from here. What is the normal law for this in other states? I found bicycle laws for michigan but they don't always go that in detail.

I'm pretty damn near 100% positive that unless it's a posted freeway, a bike can legally ride ANYWHERE.

The Bike Federation of Wisconsin has an area on their site that explains the law in our state; you may want to google "bike group Michigan" to see if there is a similar group there. ....or I could do so for you.

Quoted post said:

I was looking at google maps a lot and finally figured a way to get around the road I was fearing. I'm not a novice to biking, but I am to biking next to cars. I'm still uneasy about my safety, but tomorrow morning I'll find out if I'm man enough to do this on a normal basis. Wish me luck.

Better safe than splattered, I always say. Personally I'll go out of my way to avoid dangerous roads, but sometimes you have to swallow hard when the risk vs inconvenience factor comes up on the side of "risk."

Best of luck!

In Texas the laws about riding on the shoulders are pretty vague, they more or less state that you cannot ride on the shoulder "unless the conditions warrant it," whatever that means...I take it as a "yes you can" and I have not had any issues.

I would stay away from roads that have a speed limit in excess of 45 mph unless there's a shoulder. It's kind of subjective though and like another poster said, it depends on your level of risk aversion. It's ok to ride on roads that are 50-60mph and no shoulder for short distances, say, if that's the only way to get from one safe road to another. Also, if you're on country backroads that have 60mph limits, but sparse traffic, riding there is alright, too.

It really depends on your judgement. There's always gonna be drivers who don't want you out there and will drive aggressively around you. Especially in the morning commute times when people are in a real big hurry to get to work. If you find yourself consistently holding up traffic I would advise you to find another route. However, if there's plenty of time and room for cars to get around you with no problem I think you should be ok, and just ignore the occasional guy who calls you an idiot, cause hey...you're the one saving gas money.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you say "get to the other side," but whatever you do, make sure the coast is clear and be sure to signal in some way to allow the drivers to know exactly what you're trying to do.

Just remember that these are speed LIMITS, and the drivers who treat them like speed minimums are jackasses. Just remember to obey all the laws of your state regarding stop lights and stop signs. I know that some states allow bikers to treat stop signs like yield signs, but check the state laws...it's a worthwhile investment that just takes an hour or two of your time to get fully acquainted with. In Texas, it's illegal for bikers to blow through stop signs, but I see it all the time and it gets me really angry that bikers would put themselves at risk like that...what if another driver doesn't stop either? So, just try to be safe and your judgment will improve with experience.

Since we are on the topic of speed limits, I had something funny that happened. I obviously live in boston but was visitting my parents in the town of Acton where I grew up. I was biking to the bike repair place that I always went to all my life because my front gears were not shifting into third. I thought it might be that I had to hit a certain speed before it could shift so I cranked it up as high as I could on a street that is pretty straight and downhill but well known for lots of speed traps. I wasn't thinking about the large number of speed traps and cranked it as high as I can. I got pulled over for speeding. The cop said I was doing 35 in a 25 zone. My first reaction was to say to him in a very happy way "WOW I hit 35:-)" As the conversation continued he said he would let it go and give me a verbal warning. I of course reacted by asking if he could make it a written warning. I wanted something to put in a frame. He told me if this is going to be my attitude I will have to choose between a verbal warning or a $70 ticket. Funny thing is at this point I paused and thought about it for a bit. However I went with the verbal warning. :-(. As the cop was heading back to his car he turned back and said "you know what, I think I know you from somewhere", At this point I was nervous as he kept coming up with ideas trying to figure out what it could be. Thankfully it turned out he was the brother of the guy who used to babysit for me. After this close call to a heart attack I got my gear shift fixed then went back to my parents house and told them who I came across.