Sharing The Road: Where To Ride
The following is provided by the Warsaw+Winona Ride+Walk Advisory Committee as a reminder to both bicycles and motor vehicles to share the roads:
Where to Ride Your Bike
You could not live in a better community if you want to ride your bike. If you are a recreational rider, there are great short rides around town on lightly traveled streets, as well as special trails set aside for cyclists and pedestrians (and the occasional long-boarder).
If you are an off-road rider, we have 10 miles of beautiful and challenging single track right in our community. If you are a fitness road rider, there are 200 miles of signed bike routes on county roads that are safe and offer great rural Indiana scenery.
The mountain bike trails are located in the old Chicago Boys Club property on the Southeast side of Winona Lake. Helmets are required.
You may have seen new signs in Kosciusko County recently identifying some roads as “Kosciusko County Bikeways.” These and other routes are a result of a collaborative planning effort by the KCV Cycling Club and the Kosciusko County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission
The “Kosciusko County Bikeways” signs notify everyone that certain roads have been deemed Bikeways. This means that local cyclists recommend them because of their safety, connectivity and condition. This also tells automobiles to be aware that bikes will be sharing the road with them. These marked routes are our first recommendation for anyone wanting to ride a bike in our county. If you venture off the beaten trail, we suggest avoiding the state and U.S. highways.
For the recreational rider, you will see various types of signs and road markings around Warsaw and Winona Lake that will help you identify safe routes to use. “Bikes May Use Full Lane” signs remind everyone that bikes have every right and responsibility of a motorist on the road.
“Bike Lane” signs are used to designate a bike lane when one is present. A bike lane is a set aside area on the right side of the roadway exclusively for use by bike riders. It is marked off with a solid line and bike symbols.
“Bike Route” signs are used to identify our recommended routes for biking. There may or may not be road markings to further identity these routes.
“Share The Road” signs are a friendly remind for EVERYONE to be courteous while using the street.
A “Sharrow” is a symbol painted on the roadway in the traffic lane to remind everyone that this is an area where cyclists might be present and that in this area they have the right to use the entire traffic lane, if necessary.
Bicyclists in Indiana have all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of a motorist. These routes do not affect the state laws which are applicable to bicyclists in Indiana. Any routes or facilities do not guarantee safe passage by using the route. Nor does their existence create any remedy or liability which did not otherwise exist under law. Bicyclists assume the dangers inherent in riding bicycles on roads and pathways. These routes are meant to assist in selecting routes for transportation or recreation.