Bike safety
The island is a great place to ride, but paths cross busy roads and up-Island riding means sharing narrow roads with cars.
The rules
- Helmets: cyclists 16 and under must wear one. Everyone should.
- Ride with traffic, to the right, in single file. Never more than two abreast.
- Sidewalks are allowed except in downtown areas where signs say otherwise.
- You can always ride in the road where there's no path.
- Massachusetts traffic laws apply to cyclists.
On the bike paths
- Paths are shared. Walkers have the right of way, so call out or ring before you pass.
- Watch for cars crossing the path at side roads and driveways.
- The Beach Road path between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown can narrow and gets sandy from windblown sand.
- Most down-Island paths run beside roads rather than through separate corridors, and some State Forest paths are unpaved.
On up-Island roads
- West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah have no designated bike paths.
- Roads are narrow, winding, and hilly, often with little or no shoulder.
- Ride early in the morning to beat the traffic.
Most incidents come down to a moment of inattention. Stay alert, especially in summer crowds.