Bicyclists have same rights on road as vehicles in Mich.

The whole problem is that there are a ton of idiots — some of them ride bikes and some of them drive cars. The idiot cyclist who doesn’t follow the rules is no better than the idiot driver who doesn’t follow the rules. The difference is that there is more of a downside to being an idiot cyclist. Who comes out with fewer injuries in a car-bike accident? Hint: It’s not the cyclist.

I agree with Jerrod. It really is better to be safe than sorry.

IT IS NOT SAFER ON THE SIDEWALK.

I popped a wheelie from Kalamazoo all the way to Taco Bell dude.

I agree with the comments already stated and with the responses posted to the original article of Zack Colman’s column, “Bicyclists need to stay on sidewalk” (SN 4/9) After reading Zach Colman’s column I honestly think he needs to take further driving classes. He is dangerous on the road for a number of reasons:

1)He doesn’t understand Michigan Law. The law allows vehicles (including bicycles to operate on the roads) and he described how he drove recklessly trying to get around a bicycle.

2) These are quotes from Zach about his driving “…with all these things I can do in my car nowadays, such as choose a different song on my iPod, send a text message while driving or fall asleep at the wheel…” If he is doing these things HE is a dangerous driver who could seriously injure someone.
Tip: when you come to an intersection and are turning you (as a driver) need to look over your shoulder to see if a bike or a person is trying to cross. Bikes also need to look out so I understand that part of Zach’s convoluted message.

3)He has apparently never watched the Tour de France since he used the fact that Lance Armstrong’s average speed in the tour was 24.9 mph to prove that bicyclists can’t go the speed limit on campus. As someone pointed out, the Tour de France goes over the Alps and Pyrenees. Armstrong can max out at a speed of over 40 miles an hour on a flat road. Many average people on campus can bike over 20 miles an hour. Even more importantly IT DOESN’T MATTER what speed they bike at, cars have to share the road.

If this is the kind of reporter the State News wants to represent them, then I have lost all respect for the paper. There NEEDS to be an apology from Zach and the Editors. Frankly I feel that the arrogance and negligence that Zach Colman showed in his article is a little disturbing. There should be some repercussions for his actions. This article bordered on criminality; at best it was poor journalism.

There is a protest bike ride today (Friday) 6pm, starting at MSU’s Beaumont Tower. This is just to show how many bikers there are on campus that can share the road peacefully with cars. Anyone is welcome to come.

thank you

Great letter :)

DNA RULES RNA DROOLS

Charles,

On the campus of MSU, it is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk, thus making it just as illegal as NYC.

omg, thank you.

In Mr Colemans article the behavior described by the cyclist is completely legal. Laws defines our rights and responsibilities in society. Michigan bicycling laws not only give the right to take control of the intersection (which is where Mr Coleman described the cyclist to be) but also dictates that it is the cyclist responsibility to take control of the intersection. It is clear the cyclist understood this and it is also clear Mr Coleman did not. Perhaps the next time Mr Coleman (or any motorist for that fact) encounters a cyclist he deems to be behaving erratically he should take a moment to question if he understands his legal rights and responsibilities as they pertain to the cyclist.

MSU bikers, take back the streets! Critical Mass ride tonight (Friday), 6pm, meeting at Beaumont Tower.

What I think it comes down to is although there are laws allowing bicyclists the same road rights as vehicles, drivers are not comfortable with it. Most bikers that I have seen do not ride remotely close to the speed limit and do not use the biking turning signals at all. Ultimately I have found that they slow down traffic and what happens if that person falls off their bike? The difference between getting into a fender bender because someone didn’t stop soon enough and running over someone that fell off their bike is huge.

Places like New York City have no bikes on sidewalk laws because the traffic on sidewalks is vastly more than that of say the MSU campus. There are bike paths off the roads on plenty of places around campus and I don’t think it is accurate to say that people don’t expect bikers on the sidewalk. Sure it takes some maneuvering around pedestrians but that should be expected. A pedestrian-biker crash sounds a lot less detrimental compared to a biker-car crash.

Hey Hoogy, how about you cyclists start obeying the traffic signals and then us people who drive cars will respect you. I’m sick of seeing all the cyclists ignore stop signs or traffic signals.

Count me in for the protest ride!

At least someone knows the laws.

I can trackstand all day.

What many people (including Zack) are unaware of, is that automobiles are the HIGHEST CAUSE OF DEATH in the United States. Children are the most commonly injured and killed due to their more frail bodies.
Automobiles are also the largest consumer of city and rural land (3000 sq. ft. per car at speed). My entire house isn’t that big.
And that’s not even bringing up the issues of air pollution, asthma, or Middle Eastern oil.

This sounds much more reasonable than Nicole Genaw or Zach Colman’s attitude.

I couldn’t resist…

http://bikelemming.blogspot.com/2009/04/zack-colman-needs-to-stay-in-slow-lane.html

You and eveyone else are just jealous. If cars could run lights and stop signs all day and get away with it I know most people would. And I wish cars would obey laws also. They don’t give cyclists the space required by law and they drive over the speed limit which, unlike driving under the speed limit, is illegal.

You bicyclists want it both ways. You want the same rights on the road as cars when it suits you, but as soon as there’s a red light, you feel you can go so long as the coast is clear. You can’t have it both ways.

As soon as bicyclists are subject to the same traffic law enforcement, then you can have my equal respect on the road. In the meantime, stop taking up half of the god damned lane and pull to the side when a car needs to pass.

Me saw no safety da other uh-day. Me saw fat man out in tha traffic with his new bike going the wrong way. I say ‘hey buddy this is no england, and he getta hit by the semi truck.

Why won’t anyone taste the bitter root of reality? That every day frogs are squashed by both motor bikes and re-gu-lar bikes, and this is what we call justice??? What a frog ever done to you or do to you? This is America folks, you can’t be this way and that and expect Mr. Green Jeans to flippy flap!

i saw a hot girl and next thing i know i’m popping a wheelie.