Better roads, more bikes, less cars

[eric/]

Originally Posted by Ugg

There are so many good bikes out there for less than $750, it's really a matter of what you plan to use it for. My advise is to find the best bike shop where you live and talk to them especially since you're just starting.

Ah yeah. We have a few good bike shops where I live because we have a comparatively large biking community. So I'll have to stop there. Thanks!

[Squadleader]

Originally Posted by Ugg

Only ~35% of state and local road construction is paid for by motorists in the US, the remainder comes from state and federal general funds according to the http://taxfoundation.org/article/gas...-road-spending

ONLY 35%..?? umm, where do you think state & federal general funds comes from...?? Re-read my signature...

[Sydde]

Originally Posted by Squadleader

ONLY 35%..?? umm, where do you think state & federal general funds comes from...?? Re-read my signature...

Like, umm, everybody? Including the people who do not use cars?

[eric/]

Originally Posted by Sydde

Like, umm, everybody? Including the people who do not use cars?

Well you get benefits, semi trucks and commerce travel the roads. So

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

Originally Posted by Squadleader

Then stop collecting registration fee's or paying fuel tax, or massive road tax's for trucks....The roads are paved from these revenues or how about paying bicycle road fees and registrations....

So, stop using my property and sales taxes to build and maintain roads for trucks, thank you.

[Ugg]

Originally Posted by Squadleader

ONLY 35%..?? umm, where do you think state & federal general funds comes from...?? Re-read my signature...

I'm not sure what your point is. Mine is that gas taxes and user fees fund only a third of state and local road building. In other words, car drivers continue to get the bulk of general fund dollars while those who don't drive continue to see cuts to pedestrian safety and bicycle infrastructure.

Since miles driven continues to go down, while transit, cycling and simple common sense pedestrianism continues to grow, I demand that gas taxes go up so as to even the playing field. There's no war on cars in this country, only a war on common sense .

[Puevlo]

Cyclists are a hazard on the road and slow down decent people trying to get to work on time. I can tell by the odor when someone bikes to work and I let their manager know that I will not be shopping at their business again until their employees clean up their hygiene.

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by Puevlo

Cyclists are a hazard on the road and slow down decent people trying to get to work on time. I can tell by the odor when someone bikes to work and I let their manager know that I will not be shopping at their business again until their employees clean up their hygiene.

LOL Are you serious?

[thekev]

Originally Posted by ericrwalker

LOL Are you serious?

You can safely ignore anything by Puevlo. He words things specifically to get a reaction. It's just trolling. It was kind of funny though.

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by thekev

You can safely ignore anything by Puevlo. He words things specifically to get a reaction. It's just trolling. It was kind of funny though.

It was funny, but I have a feeling there really is someone out there that would do something like that.

[citizenzen]

Originally Posted by Puevlo

Cyclists are a hazard on the road and slow down decent people trying to get to work on time. I can tell by the odor when someone bikes to work and I let their manager know that I will not be shopping at their business again until their employees clean up their hygiene.

How can you tell the difference between "biked to work" vs. "didn't shower for two days" vs. "really needs to do some laundry"?

Do you consider yourself an expert on bad body odor and its sources?

What credentials can you provide to substantiate your qualifications?

[Eraserhead]

Sorry as (mostly) a cyclist it is quite clear that the main baddies are on two wheels and not four.

Sure cars sometimes do stupid things - but not anywhere near as often as cyclists do.

Some roads probably need cycle lanes - but generally if you actually make an effort to follow the Highway Code on a bike you are reasonably OK.

----------

Originally Posted by Puevlo

Cyclists are a hazard on the road and slow down decent people trying to get to work on time. I can tell by the odor when someone bikes to work and I let their manager know that I will not be shopping at their business again until their employees clean up their hygiene.

Offices could put in showers - and I really don't see how you could possibly have a serious issue overtaking bikes on your drive to work.

[Sydde]

Originally Posted by Eraserhead

Some roads probably need cycle lanes ...

Sorry, but the practical reality does not agree with you. Dedicated lanes tend to be more dangerous for cyclists, odd as it sounds. Motorists look at the road, so when it comes to crossing the path of a cyclist, because the lane does not fall within their primary sight lines, the cyclist becomes imperiled. Sometimes the motorist will notice the bicycle as they pass, turn right across their path, then wonder what that thump was. The same holds true for intersections, and it is the same set of hazards as sidewalk-riding.

On top of this, a veteran cyclist will know the shoulder and most bike lanes by their proper name "the garbage lane", which presents a real problem: hit a piece of stuff just wrong and it could well throw the bike right into the traffic it is trying to avoid.

Counter-intuitive as it sounds, the traffic lane is very often the safest place to ride, except on very fast roads. Motorists, much as they may complain about inconvenience, really prefer not to run into bicycles, because they can scratch the paint.

[niuniu]

Originally Posted by Eraserhead

Sorry as (mostly) a cyclist it is quite clear that the main baddies are on two wheels and not four.

Sure cars sometimes do stupid things - but not anywhere near as often as cyclists do.

Some roads probably need cycle lanes - but generally if you actually make an effort to follow the Highway Code on a bike you are reasonably OK.

This is what happens when you listen to Boris too often The most common reason for a cyclist accident or death is drivers suddenly turning into the path of a cyclist without looking or indicating.

Originally Posted by Guardian

I asked TfL what their answer was. Astonishingly, their figures show that in accidents were a cyclist was killed or badly hurt the cyclist was presumed to have committed an offence in just 6% of cases. The vehicle driver was assumed to have done so 56% of the time while 39% of the time it wasn't clear. This information was passed to Johnson before the Olympics, TfL said.

----------

Originally Posted by Puevlo

Cyclists are a hazard on the road and slow down decent people trying to get to work on time. I can tell by the odor when someone bikes to work and I let their manager know that I will not be shopping at their business again until their employees clean up their hygiene.

Hmm

[Eraserhead]

Originally Posted by niuniu

This is what happens when you listen to Boris too often

No, I'm basing it on my own experience.

Originally Posted by niuniu

The most common reason for a cyclist accident or death is drivers suddenly turning into the path of a cyclist without looking or indicating.

I wonder how many red lights the cyclists jumped before this happened?

[niuniu]

Originally Posted by Eraserhead

No, I'm basing it on my own experience.



I wonder how many red lights the cyclists jumped before this happened?

Well that's the problem with personal anecdotes, they can seem disproportionate against the wider picture. In Edinburgh the cycling community is really well behaved. Bad tempered as you'd expect with Scots (no offence to any), but they're definitely example setters for the most part.

You might live in an area where you have some red runners, but motoring offense statistics for speeding, red running, DUI, dangerous driving and killing people are undeniably staggering.

[Eraserhead]

Originally Posted by niuniu

Well that's the problem with personal anecdotes, they can seem disproportionate against the wider picture.

True enough, but my feeling is that once cyclists start respecting the traffic they run into less issues with cars.

Originally Posted by niuniu

red running

Admittedly cars sometimes drive through reds a little after they have changed, cyclists wander through well after that point has passed though - even drivers in India show more respect for traffic lights than many cyclists do.

Originally Posted by niuniu

dangerous driving

I've seen way more dangerous cycling than I've ever seen driving, including cyclists driving on the wrong side of the road. And vastly more cyclists ride without lights than cars.

Originally Posted by niuniu

killing people are undeniably staggering.

Sure, if you have a large car you are more likely to kill someone than on a bike, but just because of that shouldn't excuse people from following the basic road rules.

[Ugg]

Originally Posted by Sydde

Sorry, but the practical reality does not agree with you. Dedicated lanes tend to be more dangerous for cyclists, odd as it sounds. Motorists look at the road, so when it comes to crossing the path of a cyclist, because the lane does not fall within their primary sight lines, the cyclist becomes imperiled. Sometimes the motorist will notice the bicycle as they pass, turn right across their path, then wonder what that thump was. The same holds true for intersections, and it is the same set of hazards as sidewalk-riding.

On top of this, a veteran cyclist will know the shoulder and most bike lanes by their proper name "the garbage lane", which presents a real problem: hit a piece of stuff just wrong and it could well throw the bike right into the traffic it is trying to avoid.

Counter-intuitive as it sounds, the traffic lane is very often the safest place to ride, except on very fast roads. Motorists, much as they may complain about inconvenience, really prefer not to run into bicycles, because they can scratch the paint.

I disagree. It may have made sense back in the 70s and 80s when the only cyclists on the road were young men, but now that cycling has matured and expanded its base, separated lanes are the safest for all involved. We'll continue to see more separated lanes, more green bike boxes at intersections and most importantly, more awareness that bicycles are here to stay.

I don't know where you cycle but around here, there are a lot of big pickups with oversized mirrors. Taking the lane is a very bad idea when one of those comes up behind you.

[Eraserhead]

Originally Posted by Ugg

I don't know where you cycle but around here, there are a lot of big pickups with oversized mirrors. Taking the lane is a very bad idea when one of those comes up behind you.

If a truck comes up behind you it will have seen you. Truck drivers don't go out of their way to kill cyclists.

The only way to get hit by a truck is when you try and undertake them so they don't see you - and regardless of the rules of the road the simple solution for cyclists is to just not do that.

[calderone]

On the subject of dedicated bike lanes, many cities in the US (Chicago, New York, Portland) are putting in protected bike lanes. Typically this means placing the bike lane between the sidewalk and parked cars.

[Ugg]

Originally Posted by Eraserhead

If a truck comes up behind you it will have seen you. Truck drivers don't go out of their way to kill cyclists.

The only way to get hit by a truck is when you try and undertake them so they don't see you - and regardless of the rules of the road the simple solution for cyclists is to just not do that.

I'm not talking about commercial trucks, rather the monster pickup trucks that have become the new normal in the US. Many are so high off the ground that a short driver has little chance of seeing me on the road. Couple that with their extra long side mirrors and you have a recipe for disaster.

Originally Posted by calderone

On the subject of dedicated bike lanes, many cities in the US (Chicago, New York, Portland) are putting in protected bike lanes. Typically this means placing the bike lane between the sidewalk and parked cars.

Bicycle lanes are definitely evolving in the US and I think the type of lane you mention has great promise. If you couple them with green or blue bike "boxes" at intersections, along with bicycle only lights at busy, wide intersections, safety is maintained for all and autos are spared having to watch out for bikes on busy roads. I believe that Minneapolis has its own bicycle highways. Of course, in a place where it snows heavily, you also need dedicated snow removal equipment and path sweepers.

Obviously separated paths can't be used everywhere, but on certain busy streets or roads, they make sense.

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

Originally Posted by niuniu

The most common reason for a cyclist accident or death is drivers suddenly turning into the path of a cyclist without looking or indicating.

That is actually why I quit riding my bike to work. After about 9 near-death experiences with people passing me at speed and then turning right, right in front of me, I just decided that this cat's extra lives had run out. In my case, there was no way to avoid a heavy-traffic route to work that had numerous no-light right turns and ramps. If I waited at each of these until there was no traffic, it would have added an hour of standing to my commute.

[Eraserhead]

Originally Posted by Ugg

I'm not talking about commercial trucks, rather the monster pickup trucks that have become the new normal in the US. Many are so high off the ground that a short driver has little chance of seeing me on the road. Couple that with their extra long side mirrors and you have a recipe for disaster.

Fair enough, we don't have those over here.

----------

Originally Posted by jnpy!$4g3cwk

That is actually why I quit riding my bike to work. After about 9 near-death experiences with people passing me at speed and then turning right, right in front of me, I just decided that this cat's extra lives had run out.

That sounds like an awareness issue .

[Happybunny]

Bradley Wiggins crash:

Bradley Wiggins suffered a bruised hand and ribs
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
GB cycling coach recovering well
A woman has been reported for summons for driving without due care and attention after cyclist Bradley Wiggins was knocked off his bike.

The Tour de France winner, 32, was in a collision with a van pulling out of a garage forecourt in Wrightington, Lancashire, on Wednesday evening.

Lancashire Police said the 44-year-old woman had voluntarily attended an interview.

Olympic gold medallist Wiggins suffered a dislocated finger and fractured rib.

'A little bit sore'
He also suffered bruising to the hand and lungs.

He spent the night at the Royal Preston Hospital following the incident on Crow Orchard Road, but returned to his home in Eccleston the following day.

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

I'm looking forward to getting back on the bike soon and continuing my preparations for the 2013 season”



Safety call
The morning after Wiggins' accident, British Cycling head coach Shane Sutton was diagnosed with bleeding on the brain after he had a bike crash on the A6 Stockport Road in Levenshulme, Greater Manchester.

Mr Sutton, 55, was in collision with a blue Peugeot 206 driven by a 61-year-old man.

British Cycling director Martin Gibbs told BBC Sport: "[Shane's] had a severe knock but he should be fine."

Following the two separate incidents, British Cycling has called on the government "to put cycling at the heart of transport policy to ensure cycle safety".

A spokesman said it wanted cycle safety to be "built into the design of all new roads, junctions and transport projects, rather than being an afterthought".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-20271788

It can happen to the best cyclist.

[AlphaDogg]

Originally Posted by jnpy!$4g3cwk

That is actually why I quit riding my bike to work. After about 9 near-death experiences with people passing me at speed and then turning right, right in front of me, I just decided that this cat's extra lives had run out. In my case, there was no way to avoid a heavy-traffic route to work that had numerous no-light right turns and ramps. If I waited at each of these until there was no traffic, it would have added an hour of standing to my commute.

Right hooks are scary, but luckily I haven't had any of my own. I ride at 25mph on busy streets, so cars are less encouraged to pass me at speed.