Riding the road

If you're going to ride very far, the odds are that at some point you're going to ride on the road. Before you do, make sure that you know the local laws for where you will be riding.

In the U.S., national laws have declared that a bicycle is a vehicle giving you the right to ride your bike on the road. That means that when you are riding on the road, you are subject to the same laws as every other vehicle on the road with you. You must stop at stop signs, obey traffic signals and be respectful of your fellow vehicles. It also means that you have a right to be on those roads.

Many municipalities have laws in fact that make it illegal for you to ride on the sidewalk.

I have posted a link on the News page to the OBF's webpage on Ohio Bike Laws to help you get up to speed on the laws in Ohio.

My experience is that the more you follow the rules of the road, the less the cars around you will harass you.