Cycling in the US, A Very General Guide

When I first rode the bike in the US, and that is my bicycle before there is any confusion, I was a little concerned. The US is a car culture, pedestrians are not well catered for. I have stayed in places like LA where it is impossible to walk 200 yards, you can see where you want to go, but getting there using your legs involves crossing a 10 lane highway in an action sequence that would put a Die Hard movie to shame.

It is not like the UK, it is not like France but, that said, it is ok. The hardest challenge is finding out where is good or is safe to ride. A little research helps. Google the city and cycling (e.g. “Boston Cycling”) is usually my first step to see what appears. Normally a link or two to a local cycling club reveals a few suggested rides. The other great source is city authorities (not sure this is the right term for the US). Some are great, Washington DC and the surrounding areas springs to mind as a great example of those that have good info on the web and the local bike shops usually have free leaflets and maps. These give a good feeling for what there is. There is a definite trend on the east coast cities for cycle routes, quite a few based on old railway lines, and the various parks often offer some nice and varied routes.

Having seen what I can find on the web the next thing I want is a map. I always try and find a local map, I hate not knowing where I am, just in case I take a wrong turn etc. Did this in riding around Boston MA once and it right royally pissed me off. Took me 30 minutes to get back on track! Finding the map can sometimes be a challenge but the local petrol (gas) station will usually provide a local county map with reasonable detail. I have yet to discover a nation-wide constant scale map series. In the UK we have the Ordinance Survey at 1 to 25,000 or 1 to 50,000 that are ideal for cycling. Similar maps exist in France and other European countries but have yet to discover anything similar in the US. My other usual source of maps is Border or Barnes & Noble. And again, the local cycle shops also are a good source.

So having determined the ride and got a picture of what is available locally I get out on the bike. Drivers are pretty courteous I find compared to the UK, generally giving you a fair amount of room when passing. I can only think of one incident on all my rides where someone got too close. Riding in cities has been OK as long as you avoid the roads of any size. Obviously avoid highways etc. Getting out of the cities has resulted in some glorious rides, most noticeable to date being Skyline Drive in VA.

As for the laws while riding in the US, they vary by state. I always wear a helmet ever since one saved my life a few years back when I got hit by a car so I don’t worry about if there is a law on that front or not. I try and check things like the need for lights and general conduct on the road. And then, obey the rules of the road. Fairly obvious but I have been stopped by a friendly cop in Arlington, VA who told me very carefully about the need to actually stop at stop signs. That brings me to the annoying feature of riding in the US, traffic lights and stop signs. They are so frequent in some places that they really do interrupt the ride, very start and stop; something to be aware of.

One other issue is the amount crud in the roads. A lot of crap collects by the pavements and as a result I have suffered a couple of punctures. This is frustrating as I have armadillo tires on my road bike back at home and I never suffer from punctures.

And one final thing, I have yet to work out about cycling on the pavement (sidewalk) in the US, really not sure what the law is on this one, but it does appear to be popular!