Riding bike -- should sidewalks be off-limits?

I am afraid of riding a bike on roadways. Bikers are supposed to use roads, not sidewalks, when separate trails don't exist. After having a few close calls with cars from within a car, the idea of being hit while on a bike is terrifying. I've read of tragic bike and car collisions recently involving avid, experienced bikers. One blogger wrote a convincing argument that bikes are more like people and that they should share sidewalks (http://ruina.tam.cornell.edu/www_ribs/bikesonsidewalks.html). This argument seems reasonable if bikers navigate slowly around pedestrians when the sidewalks have enough space. However, if pedestrians fear for their safety as bikers whiz past them, sidewalk sharing won't work. Starting next week, I will start riding my bike to work. I will take the Los Gatos Creek Trail until it ends then take streets to downtown San Jose. Last Sunday, I biked downtown to plan my route. I rode on sidewalks when bike lanes weren't available and saw less than 10 pedestrians during the 1-1/2 hour round trip. Granted, weekday walking traffic could increase significantly but maybe not. I am not an experienced biker and my intentions are to be more environmentally friendly and work exercise into my busy schedule. I plan to enjoy the trip riding at a comfortable pace. The only thing that had been holding me back from comuting by bike is my fear of being hit by a car. One could argue that riding on sidewalks gives into this fear. San Jose State University urban planning Professor Earl Bossard told me that he used to enjoy riding bike home after his evening class which ended at 10 p.m. His clothing was covered with reflectors as he peddled away his 45 minute commute. He still rides bike from the train station to campus for the tail end of his commute with no apparent fear. He also rides bike around Davis more than driving his car. Incidentally, Professor Bossard was involved in the conception of planning the Los Gatos Creek Trail. I don't want to be controlled by a fear that is without merit. I will enlighten myself by taking a bicycle safety course with the City of San Jose. Maybe after learning more, I will no longer seek the comfort of sidewalks. But, then, maybe not. Perhaps if bike lanes were designed as a significant part of the road rather than more of an afterthought, I would reconsider any sidewalk riding. Drivers need to be reminded that bicyclists are on the road too. Otherwise, a cell phone, a loud song or a cigarette could get a driver's attention more than the person on the bike wearing the neon jacket. Unfortunately, many bicyclists have learned this the hard way. Bibliography Google Images Blog entry