61.54 miles

[topaz]

61.54 miles, originally uploaded by qwrrty.

The first rule of riding over the Sagamore Bridge is that you DO NOT
RIDE over the Sagamore Bridge.

Comments

[mpacket.livejournal.com]

I bike in California but visit family on Cape Cod each summer. So ummm, why doesn't a person bike over the Sag?

[pancua.livejournal.com]

I'm curious too!

[keyne.livejournal.com]

As the route handout says, it is both "illegal and dangerous" to bike across.

[mpacket.livejournal.com]

Is it really? (No route handouts over here on this coast) I biked over the Bourne Bridge a few times but not as part of any organized race.

[keyne.livejournal.com]

See above. Heavy traffic, no pedestrian walkway....

[keyne.livejournal.com]

You can find the route handout same place I did, at http://www.outriders.org/about/theroute.html :-)

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

It's a high speed bridge with no breakdown lane, so it's not safe for cyclists to share the lane, and there's no protected space for bikes on the roadway. There's a (relatively narrow) sidewalk on only one side. State law doesn't prohibit biking on sidewalks, though, so it's interesting that folks were encouraged to walk their bikes.

[mpacket.livejournal.com]

Well now I get it, thanks. I always rode on the sidewalk when crossing the Bourne Bridge. Wasn't sure why it was considered dangerous but now I see they're talking about the road.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

The ride organizers prohibit (for the purpose of this event) riding on the sidewalk over the Sagamore Bridge because it's a narrow walkway with a very high curb, and the only walkway on the bridge is on the left hand side, ie facing prevailing traffic. A rider on the walkway who slipped off into the road would suddenly find themselves in the middle of extremely busy 40-50mph traffic coming the other direction. In this case it's really a sensible rule.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

See below: the way the sidewalk is arranged makes it a sudden-death proposition if you drop into traffic. It's a restriction that makes sense in this instance. I don't know if it's actually backed up by state law, though.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

There are lots of places where it's illegal to be on the sidewalk, per local ordinances (often squares and such). And whether it's illegal or not, it sounds like a good rule here!