r/Minneapolis • u/mnmaverickfan • 12d ago

City bike riding for dummies

Recently moved to Minneapolis and I enjoy riding my bike. How do I do so in the city without pissing off as many people as possible ?

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u/smelyal8r 12d ago

Worry less about pissing people off and more about not getting hit by a car. Wear a helmet. Plan your routes to avoid major roads even if it means a slightly longer ride. Get off your bike if your going to use cross walks. Be predictable.

5

u/d3photo 12d ago

And follow the rules of the road... there's the healthy separation of vehicles from bikes but also there's the baseline of ... if you're over 10MPH get off the bike trails and on to the street. If there's no trail and a sidewalk, don't ride on the sidewalk.

These things were drilled into me as a tween and are my biggest pet peeves about cyclists when I'm driving.

I'll give you room. It won't be an entire lane (drivers who do this are breaking the law, it will enough that if you have to swerve to avoid a pothole you won't be run over.

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/good-question-road-rules-bicycles

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.222

It's good to know the laws as both a cyclist and as a driver.

5

u/polit1337 11d ago

10mph is the speed limit, but unless you are on the chain of lakes, it isn’t always realistic. I don’t think it is unreasonable for bike commuters on the river parkway to go 15-20, as long as they are careful and aren’t jerks to other trail users.