My favourite… Lincoln UK. Another local authority hell bent on ruining roads for cyclists one lorry load of stone-chips and tar at a time.

I live in a souless concrete ‘new’ town, built to alleviate the slums of London after ww2. It has purpose built cycle paths. Unfortunately only a small percentage of the towns population use them, as the town was also too well designed for cars. Traffic flows relatively well due to not having many traffic lights, and more roundabouts, as the article below explains. Also they have not been maintained properly since built, so not that pleasant to ride on.

http://www.roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/stevenage/

@VirenqueForever

I don’t live in NJ anymore but the comments section as usual sums up the idiocy and ignorance of the masses…

http://newjersey.news12.com/news/nj-assembly-passes-bill-requiring-4-foot-buffer-between-drivers-cyclists-1.8471920

I think people who post comments on websites are usually the lowest of people…

Agreed – challenge is that they also drive.

@Souleur

@frank

@frank

@Souleur

This article makes me really admire those who live in urban areas, it really takes a different commitment to ride when so populus dense. Chapeau for you all

Conversely, living in a rural town of 12k, there are no bike lanes. I have had to educate/enlighten the mayor and council on what bike lanes even are, and still we have none these years later, as they see it a waste of time…I mean who even rides a bike when you can drive a car…right??? So much for city admin and planning

But, I’ll take it, the trade off from population density, to just a few drunks in ford pickemups, once in a blue moon. The roads are shit, but there is no traffic either, so all in all, a fair trade

I think in Utopia/Merckx in the sky, there is the marriage of both no traffic and all bike lanes, er…open roads

So……….Velomitopia is in Southwestern Wisconsin?

central Mis-ow-ree, which is prob same as Wisc cheese country

Not sure I would call it Velomitropia, as having been in Washington and the great NW which is where my lost soul really belongs….just saying if you like lone wolf riding with one run in car incident per year such as the flip of a finger, the toss of a beer can or the less than nice hillbilly road rage…its not a bad place as literally 99% are amazed that someone even rides and they go around you like your a freak of nature and are spreading herpes with each stroke. Then again, if you like pack riding, there are very few here. I have to go to St Louis or thereabouts to get in with others, and thats 2hr drives each time.

I just can’t imagine riding like you dudes do in the jam packed city, perhaps I would get use to that tho

Whoa! Go easy on the Wisconsin/Mizzoura comparisons there! My city (30,000 in SE WI) doesn’t do bike lanes. I think the city expects everyone to ride on the “rail-to-trail” that runs through the city. “If you’re foolish enough to ride on the road, that’s at your risk” seems to be the attitude. Fortunately, there are tons of nice, quiet, almost traffic free roads to ride on and drivers are overwhelmingly polite and give a wide berth. For example, I hit a stop sign in Campbellsport on Saturday at the same time as a lady driver. Who was to go first? I did, mouthed “thank you” with a nod of the head and a smile. She mouthed back, with a smile, “you’re welcome.” Made my day that did. Wouldn’t have happened in Indiana where I used to live . . .

now now, nothing intended there but to clarify, afterall I didn’t want to put you all in the same cat as ‘we-uns’. yet, well, we are sorta neighbors living in fly over country here, and sounds like cut from the same cloth in city admin’s

people…well, maybe you got me beat on ‘nice’ ones there.  my wife and I love that area and all.  nonetheless, good for you and the people there, I have been meaning to run to Madison and make a weekend of it riding and seeing waterford

Now I simply seek out the lowest traffic routes and time my rides to be low volume/low aggression times. Can’t ride Friday morning (tomorrow) so I’m going to ride late in the evening, after the Cubicle Crazies have fled work and are safely positioned at the bar and before the leave the bar to steer home drunkenly. Perfect! And gives me something to look forward to.

I know my cycling situation/infrastructure could be much, much worse. Now I just have to land at job at the uni. down the block so I can bike commute 5 minutes and get paid. The KT ’15 ain’t gonna pay for itself!

Seriously, if you’re in that big a hurry, leave sooner. Le facque?

YEP! This is exactly how I feel. Years ago now I had a very aggressive driver try to run me into parked cars on my commute. He then got stuck in long line of traffic. His windows were down.

I rolled up and said that exact thing. “It’s not my fucking fault you are late. Leave earlier you cunt. I’m commuting to work, just like you.” I continued on my way, leaving him to sit in traffic.

Yep, gotta love the angry honks and zooming past when you cost them a few seconds. I do laugh to myself and wonder why more people DON’T think/say…”Holy fack, that guy is going 40km on a bike, with a backpack, up a hill, at 7:15 in the morning. I barely was able to work the toaster oven.” My dream is to take that driver who did that to you, chain them to a chair, set them on fire…No, I’m kidding. Chain them to a chair and give them a long lecture on why cyclists belong, why they are wrong, and why they need to change their fucking behavior. I don’t want to shoot them, I don’t want to torture them, I just want to have a nice, long, one-sided talk with them.

But, I’m trying to just roll with it at this point. I think most drivers just simply cannot see around ME BIG, you small, YOU MOVE! It is sad, but that is how it is, I think. Still, on the roads where you have to put up with numerous close calls and multiple jerks, it is hard to just smile and be happy you are on a bike.

Good on ya though, KW. Keep up the commuting, keep up the riding.

For the sins of my father, we lived in a friendly little community called Dyer, basically a suburb of Hammond if that tells you anything.

@frank

@Fausto Crapiz

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Hey, someone’s gotta risk life and limb for the sake of making a point. And don’t worry, I was economizing my activities by also taking a few selfies while I was at it.

Don’t feel bad that despite spending years on a bike you’ve still got the physique of a 12 year old girl. You’ll get there one day.

Are you kidding? That’s the biggest compliment I’ve been paid this month.

@Triathlete

Do you have a stylist to get everything colour coded just so , I can never seem to achieve this.

No, I just use my OCD to get it done.

I don’t live in NJ anymore but the comments section as usual sums up the idiocy and ignorance of the masses…

http://newjersey.news12.com/news/nj-assembly-passes-bill-requiring-4-foot-buffer-between-drivers-cyclists-1.8471920

I think people who post comments on websites are usually the lowest of people…

@frank A moment’s inattention and our fortunes could shift dramatically.

Man, how true.  Especially in the stop and go out urban riding. There is no “relaxing ” when riding in much of Philly.  

@VirenqueForever

Bike lanes best avoided whenever possible.

I like this much better…

I have read elsewhere that this is true and safest idea.

@Weldertron

@Teocalli

The internet is loaded with great examples………………..

Ultimate cyclocross training route!

I don’t even understand.

Frank – Yeah, I do wonder if other states will pick up the new signage. Here is a report on it that is kind of interesting, if you’d like to read more.

http://www.bikede.org/2014/04/07/why-share-the-road-is-gone/

I really have shifted my mindset of late on how I ride. Like I wrote, I used to ride and think, “Oh, I’ll be nice and kind and move as far right as possible for this driver, even if there is the anti-shoulder here.” That is what a pal and I termed roads where the white line edges up to a sharp, harsh drop off of the pavement. “Drivers will love me for moving over.” Yeah, maybe some did, but I also got buzzed a lot and nearly run off into ditches and such. Then I’d come back from what should have been fun all fucking pissed off at the world.

Now I take the lane or ride far enough into it that drivers MUST cross the center yellow to pass. If there is a nice shoulder, I’ll ride it. If not, I’m going to give myself enough room. Instead of riding in this “courteous mindset” I’m now riding in “I have no steel cage around me, I’ll ride where I feel safe riding.” I’m still not trying to be a dick, but I am simply making myself less likely to be smashed.

When riding like this I often peek to watch behind me and I also peek when I now a car is there. Kinda telling them, “Yes, I know you are there, I’m going as fast as I can, there is no shoulder, I’ll move over when there is room.” When out in the country I always wave drivers through when it is safe.

Seems like this marking of territory is really working. Sure, I still get the wild pass now and again, but instead of a stream of close passes, I get one or two nuts a ride, and the rest of the people backing off a lot more. I guess it is kind of asserting my right to be there and showing that I am in fact part of traffic. Before I really tried to be too courteous, I think. Now I ride thinking, “If you want to pass me on a blind curve, go ahead, but I am actually going the posted speed limit and I’m not moving over.”

I feel a lot better and safer on rides of late. Kind of like being the padron of the autopeloton.

I’m with you on this one. I ride to work as often as I can, and my route has few bike lanes or wide shoulders. I have learned to be much more defensively aggressive for my own personal safety. Mrs. KW misunderstands this as just plain aggressive, and is convinced that I’m going to get hit. I am still trying to convince her that the way that I ride is a) perfectly legal, and b) designed specifically to reduce the chances of me getting hit by a car.

Just have to pass along this incident from my commute earlier this week. There is a section where some road construction is going on (it is summer in WI after all), and two lanes reduce to one (right lane ends) for maybe 100 meters. I looked, and there was a gap to the next car, so I signaled and moved over. I also kicked up the pace to get through the zone quicker. For this bit of courteous and safe riding, I was greeted with a honk, and not a nice one. Once past the construction, the right lane opens back up and this snooty bitch flies past me into the turn lane for the freeway, laying on the horn the whole time. I wished that I could have come up beside her and apologized for going 35kph, on a bike, uphill,  in a construction zone, and costing her 10 seconds of her precious life.

Seriously, if you’re in that big a hurry, leave sooner. Le facque?

@Jamie

You should try riding past the exits no-hands while making “devil horns” and screaming “ALL HAIL THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS, MASTER OF EVIL AND SUGGESTOR OF ANAL SEX!”

Great, now the whole office knows I’m surfing the web due to my snickering. Could do that past the driveway of our church, but we’re Lutherans so we’d probably laugh and buy you a beer.

Note to self: If anyone ever rides past the parking lot doing this, I’ll know a fellow Velominatus.

http://newjersey.news12.com/news/nj-assembly-passes-bill-requiring-4-foot-buffer-between-drivers-cyclists-1.8471920

Also, I was laughing during my June 17th V:4V morning ride. Here I am riding with the Eye of Sauron on the front of my bike…and driver after driver thinks it’s a good idea to ride without their headlights on. What the fuck? Are you trying to be incognito? You think they’d see my shockingly bright light and think, “Oh fuck, maybe I should turn on my lights!”

What really made me shake my head was that I saw two sheriffs and one city cop…without their lights on. Fack.

http://www.bikede.org/2014/04/07/why-share-the-road-is-gone/

I really have shifted my mindset of late on how I ride. Like I wrote, I used to ride and think, “Oh, I’ll be nice and kind and move as far right as possible for this driver, even if there is the anti-shoulder here.” That is what a pal and I termed roads where the white line edges up to a sharp, harsh drop off of the pavement. “Drivers will love me for moving over.” Yeah, maybe some did, but I also got buzzed a lot and nearly run off into ditches and such. Then I’d come back from what should have been fun all fucking pissed off at the world.

Now I take the lane or ride far enough into it that drivers MUST cross the center yellow to pass. If there is a nice shoulder, I’ll ride it. If not, I’m going to give myself enough room. Instead of riding in this “courteous mindset” I’m now riding in “I have no steel cage around me, I’ll ride where I feel safe riding.” I’m still not trying to be a dick, but I am simply making myself less likely to be smashed.

When riding like this I often peek to watch behind me and I also peek when I now a car is there. Kinda telling them, “Yes, I know you are there, I’m going as fast as I can, there is no shoulder, I’ll move over when there is room.” When out in the country I always wave drivers through when it is safe.

Seems like this marking of territory is really working. Sure, I still get the wild pass now and again, but instead of a stream of close passes, I get one or two nuts a ride, and the rest of the people backing off a lot more. I guess it is kind of asserting my right to be there and showing that I am in fact part of traffic. Before I really tried to be too courteous, I think. Now I ride thinking, “If you want to pass me on a blind curve, go ahead, but I am actually going the posted speed limit and I’m not moving over.”

I feel a lot better and safer on rides of late. Kind of like being the padron of the autopeloton.

@wiscot

Wouldn’t have happened in Indiana where I used to live . . .

In Indiana, you would likely have been shot for the sport of it.

(I lived there for a few years growing up, and the physical and psychological scars remain.)

I know, but it’s hard to steer, drink beer AND shoot a rifle at the same time. Gun racks are standard base-model equipment in IN pick-ups.

Where did you live in IN? I was in Terre Haute and Lafayette. Could have been worse I suppose . . . I could have been in Muncie or Rensselaer.

You should try riding past the exits no-hands while making “devil horns” and screaming “ALL HAIL THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS, MASTER OF EVIL AND SUGGESTOR OF ANAL SEX!”

Wouldn’t have happened in Indiana where I used to live . . .

In Indiana, you would likely have been shot for the sport of it.

(I lived there for a few years growing up, and the physical and psychological scars remain.)

Okay Frank, you’ve done it – I’ve finally seen a s**fie that doesn’t piss me off. And, that one actually makes me smile. Strong work! Thank you!!

There is a church down the block from me. Not only do perpetually late parents use my block as a cut through zone for drag racing at 7:56 weekday mornings, en route to drop off their little fuckers BUT every Sunday they use the bike lanes on the main street for parking. No joke. A mile in either direction and across a bridge, they fill up the entire bike lane, pushing cyclists into traffic. It’s insane. The police station is also across the road, but I think they let this slide.

Do unto others, eh…goddamn Catholics. (relax, I was raised and confirmed Catholic, I’ve just come to my senses.)

Cafeteria Christianity. Oh the hypocrisy of it all. Also raised and confirmed Catholic, and come to some sense…

@frank

@frank

@Souleur

This article makes me really admire those who live in urban areas, it really takes a different commitment to ride when so populus dense. Chapeau for you all

Conversely, living in a rural town of 12k, there are no bike lanes. I have had to educate/enlighten the mayor and council on what bike lanes even are, and still we have none these years later, as they see it a waste of time…I mean who even rides a bike when you can drive a car…right??? So much for city admin and planning

But, I’ll take it, the trade off from population density, to just a few drunks in ford pickemups, once in a blue moon. The roads are shit, but there is no traffic either, so all in all, a fair trade

I think in Utopia/Merckx in the sky, there is the marriage of both no traffic and all bike lanes, er…open roads

So……….Velomitopia is in Southwestern Wisconsin?

central Mis-ow-ree, which is prob same as Wisc cheese country

Not sure I would call it Velomitropia, as having been in Washington and the great NW which is where my lost soul really belongs….just saying if you like lone wolf riding with one run in car incident per year such as the flip of a finger, the toss of a beer can or the less than nice hillbilly road rage…its not a bad place as literally 99% are amazed that someone even rides and they go around you like your a freak of nature and are spreading herpes with each stroke. Then again, if you like pack riding, there are very few here. I have to go to St Louis or thereabouts to get in with others, and thats 2hr drives each time.

I just can’t imagine riding like you dudes do in the jam packed city, perhaps I would get use to that tho

Whoa! Go easy on the Wisconsin/Mizzoura comparisons there! My city (30,000 in SE WI) doesn’t do bike lanes. I think the city expects everyone to ride on the “rail-to-trail” that runs through the city. “If you’re foolish enough to ride on the road, that’s at your risk” seems to be the attitude. Fortunately, there are tons of nice, quiet, almost traffic free roads to ride on and drivers are overwhelmingly polite and give a wide berth. For example, I hit a stop sign in Campbellsport on Saturday at the same time as a lady driver. Who was to go first? I did, mouthed “thank you” with a nod of the head and a smile. She mouthed back, with a smile, “you’re welcome.” Made my day that did. Wouldn’t have happened in Indiana where I used to live . . .

@VbyV

@ChrisO

@VbyV

@Ron @Ron I have a similar issue with a church near me. When I go South on Sunday morning, I am regularly accosted by a stream of cars speeding down one of my local roads because they’re late for church. They blast by 3 inches from my left drop at double the 35mph speed limit , then right-hook into the parking lot of the church right in front of me. Somehow killing a cyclist is less a sin than parking your ass in a pew 30 sec late.

Just remind them “Blessed are the wheelmakers; for they will be called children of Merckx”.

A-Mercx.

Thought you guys might get a kick out of why I call myself VbyV…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_by_five

Tom

I have the same experience with the mega church near me. However, I don’t know which is worse; the hurrying not to be late before services ones, or the after church ones, on the way out of the parking lot with their souls redeemed and heads in the clouds, not to be bothered by things of this earth, (like my fragile pink self on 17 pounds of aluminum and carbon trying to ride past the exits).

funny guys, its amazing, buddy of mine has had the same experience.  he tells me the worst is after church, the redeemed thousands at this mega-cult gets let out, redeemed and are forthwith allowed to go out and get more sinnin done, as they speed by him at double the speed limit, within inches, they have literally cussed him out flipping the bird at him for daring to…well i suppose ride and not have gone?   funny, really…

@frank

@Souleur

This article makes me really admire those who live in urban areas, it really takes a different commitment to ride when so populus dense. Chapeau for you all

Conversely, living in a rural town of 12k, there are no bike lanes. I have had to educate/enlighten the mayor and council on what bike lanes even are, and still we have none these years later, as they see it a waste of time…I mean who even rides a bike when you can drive a car…right??? So much for city admin and planning

But, I’ll take it, the trade off from population density, to just a few drunks in ford pickemups, once in a blue moon. The roads are shit, but there is no traffic either, so all in all, a fair trade

I think in Utopia/Merckx in the sky, there is the marriage of both no traffic and all bike lanes, er…open roads

So……….Velomitopia is in Southwestern Wisconsin?

central Mis-ow-ree, which is prob same as Wisc cheese country

Not sure I would call it Velomitropia, as having been in Washington and the great NW which is where my lost soul really belongs….just saying if you like lone wolf riding with one run in car incident per year such as the flip of a finger, the toss of a beer can or the less than nice hillbilly road rage…its not a bad place as literally 99% are amazed that someone even rides and they go around you like your a freak of nature and are spreading herpes with each stroke.  Then again, if you like pack riding, there are very few here.  I have to go to St Louis or thereabouts to get in with others, and thats 2hr drives each time.

I just can’t imagine riding like you dudes do in the jam packed city, perhaps I would get use to that tho

@ChrisO

@VbyV

@Ron @Ron I have a similar issue with a church near me. When I go South on Sunday morning, I am regularly accosted by a stream of cars speeding down one of my local roads because they’re late for church. They blast by 3 inches from my left drop at double the 35mph speed limit , then right-hook into the parking lot of the church right in front of me. Somehow killing a cyclist is less a sin than parking your ass in a pew 30 sec late.

Just remind them “Blessed are the wheelmakers; for they will be called children of Merckx”.

A-Mercx.

Thought you guys might get a kick out of why I call myself VbyV…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_by_five

Tom

I have the same experience with the mega church near me.  However, I don’t know which is worse; the hurrying not to be late before services ones, or the after church ones, on the way out of the parking lot with their souls redeemed and heads in the clouds, not to be bothered by things of this earth, (like my fragile pink self on 17 pounds of aluminum and carbon trying to ride past the exits).

@VbyV

@Ron @Ron I have a similar issue with a church near me. When I go South on Sunday morning, I am regularly accosted by a stream of cars speeding down one of my local roads because they’re late for church. They blast by 3 inches from my left drop at double the 35mph speed limit , then right-hook into the parking lot of the church right in front of me. Somehow killing a cyclist is less a sin than parking your ass in a pew 30 sec late.

Just remind them “Blessed are the wheelmakers; for they will be called children of Merckx”.

A-Mercx.

Thought you guys might get a kick out of why I call myself VbyV…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_by_five

Tom

Here in England, councils seem to have an obsession with putting bike lanes on the pavement (sidewalk) to share with pedestrians, and then when (and only when) the road is wide enough for a bike lane to be superfluous, they move it onto the road. The only time I have found this helpful is when I’ve been stuck in rush-hour traffic, but dodging pedestrians is never fun.

Chris Boardman did a video for British Cycling about it a while back:

I think the message it sends is that the local council is paying lip service to catering to cyclists. Admittedly, the cycle lane is being retrofitted to an existing road, but clearly it is not designed to encourage cycling. Can you imagine being an inexperienced rider contemplating riding on this road? I can’t. “But” says the local cooncil, “we’ve provided a cycle lane – to encourage and promote cycling!” Make the councillors ride it and then see what they say.

http://vimeo.com/92380820

I like this much better…

Chris Boardman did a video for British Cycling about it a while back:

@frank

@Fausto Crapiz

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Hey, someone’s gotta risk life and limb for the sake of making a point. And don’t worry, I was economizing my activities by also taking a few selfies while I was at it.

Don’t feel bad that despite spending years on a bike you’ve still got the physique of a 12 year old girl. You’ll get there one day

Do you have a stylist to get everything colour coded just so ,  I can never seem to achieve this.

@Fausto Crapiz

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Hey, someone’s gotta risk life and limb for the sake of making a point. And don’t worry, I was economizing my activities by also taking a few selfies while I was at it.

Don’t feel bad that despite spending years on a bike you’ve still got the physique of a 12 year old girl. You’ll get there one day.

I dunno. I reckon I’ve nearly been on the receiving end of some ill intent. Usually driven (‘scuse the pun)   usually driven by a crushed ego. I guess some people just can’t handle my awesome :-)

@Gianni

@xyxax

NYC is the wild west of bike lanes. And now with the city bikes, every clueless person can head down a bike lane in the wrong direction, just because. It might be safer riding in traffic, at least most of it is going in the same direction. I do admire NYC for carving out all those bike lanes though, it’s like outlawing smoking in Irish pubs, one would never, ever think it would happen, then it does, and people get used to it.

No part of the world is immune to this absurdity. Joggers, bicyclists (not Cyclists) riding the wrong fucking way. Holy fucking Merckx, its hard enough to try to steal glimpses of myself in the shop windows without crashing, I can’t also be dodging oncoming riders!

I ride down one stretch of road with a shitload of windows that in the afternoon lighting during the commute give me a great look at myself looking fantastic.  Almost rear ended a BMW while checking myself out at 40km/h the other day…  it is hard because I really do look fucking fantastic when I ride, not sure show great I would look with a tacoed front wheel and a bloody nose standing on the sidewalk though …

@Ron @Ron I have a similar issue with a church near me. When I go South on Sunday morning, I am regularly accosted by a stream of cars speeding down one of my local roads because they’re late for church. They blast by 3 inches from my left drop at double the 35mph speed limit , then right-hook into the parking lot of the church right in front of me. Somehow killing a cyclist is less a sin than parking your ass in a pew 30 sec late.

Just remind them “Blessed are the wheelmakers; for they will be called children of Merckx”.

I asked for that, didn’t I?

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Chapeau to @teocalli for the  assist.

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Speaking of the photo @Frank, the bar tape is is well done.  Makes me want to take a razor to mine, and start over

The internet is loaded with great examples………………..

Ultimate cyclocross training route!

I think its a lack of imagination and a general lack of contemplation of what its like to be on a bike moreso than it is any kind of ill intent.

But it will still kill you.

Yeah, there are people out there who will enjoy putting your life at risk, but I think they’re a very small minority; I’ve run into quite few of them. Mostly it’s just people not registering phenomena that don’t appear to their reptilian back-brains to represent a clear danger to them.

First point to the individual that thinks riding in London isn’t dangerous. I appreciate there are plenty of bad bicycle users out there. I add those to the list of numerous hazards I should be wary of every second of the circa 2 hours I spend commuting in and out of our great city every day. There should be greater education and stiffer penalties for those caught riding badly. However the ineptitude by motorists or the simple lack of the value of life by motorists can ultimately result in a life changing event for a cyclist, or pedestrian for that matter. How on earth do you begin to justify:

Passing a cyclist at way beyond the legal limit just inches from me.

Passing at high speed just to then make a turn right in front of me.

Pulling in to my path, whether I’m in a cycle lane or not, because the car in front of you is making a right turn. Indicating optional (obviously!)

Speeding past me to the traffic at standstill in front only then to close the gap so you know I can’t pass you.

Driving, at speed, with your bumper just inches from my side or my rear wheel because your life is soooo important and you MUST get passed.

Rant over.

That’s a beauty right there.

I think its a lack of imagination and a general lack of contemplation of what its like to be on a bike moreso than it is any kind of ill intent.

But it will still kill you.

This article makes me really admire those who live in urban areas, it really takes a different commitment to ride when so populus dense. Chapeau for you all

Conversely, living in a rural town of 12k, there are no bike lanes. I have had to educate/enlighten the mayor and council on what bike lanes even are, and still we have none these years later, as they see it a waste of time…I mean who even rides a bike when you can drive a car…right??? So much for city admin and planning

But, I’ll take it, the trade off from population density, to just a few drunks in ford pickemups, once in a blue moon. The roads are shit, but there is no traffic either, so all in all, a fair trade

I think in Utopia/Merckx in the sky, there is the marriage of both no traffic and all bike lanes, er…open roads

So……….Velomitopia is in Southwestern Wisconsin?

@Nate

I asked for that, didn’t I?

@Cogfather

Having been a hood ornament with a taco’d front wheel to show for it, as well as crashed by a foolish non-cyclist riding on the wrong side of my local bike trail, I can say, unequivocally: the only truly safe road is one that’s closed, generally for a race. Bike lanes, bike trails, whatever, if there are other people, on bikes or in cars, danger lurks…constantly

Racer pose their own threat. The only safe place is on your sofa.

In Bath there are a few metres of bike lane on one of the busiest stretches of road , the bit used by lorries passing through , once in the bike lane the biggest problem is you have to soon re enter the main part of the road either by coming to a complete stop and waiting for a gap or attempting to keep up with traffic flow and slide out amongst the cars lorries etc , after a while you realise they are best avoided altogether.

This boulevard in town has the bike lanes in the middle, along the nice grassy bit. You have to cross the lane of traffic on your way in and out. I appreciate them trying to make it nice and pretty but fuck me if that doesn’t cause a load of problems of its own!

@Ccos

@Fausto Crapiz

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Fausto: since you are a junior (reportedly) several points: 1. I suspect that the photo has been taken by Frahnk and was done quickly and without a web search for the nearest douche. 2. The photo shows the classic hand position when riding one handed for greatest stability, such as when drinking from your bidon (assuming one does not need to touch the brakes abruptly) 3. if one does need to brake abruptly, the phone’s getting ejected tout suite because you should always assume the philosophy of “fuck everyone and everything” of staying upright in an emergency and 4. Rule #43.

Why thank you, good sir.

@sinikl

The worst “salmoning” event that ever happened to me was a drunk, possibly homeless, guy with a REAR blinky light (red) on the FRONT of his bike heading towards me. At first glance I thought I was closing on him super fast because I was actually fast (not true), followed by a sh*tshow of swerving.

The fact that he was on a semi legit Trek full-sus MTB and drinking a King Cobra 40 made more sense when I realized our local bike coop is drowning in parts from “i’ll ride this year! oh hell, donate that thing” people from the burbs.

Quite enough to make anyone shit, I believe.

One interesting development to note: the entire state of Delaware has replaced “Share the Road” signs with “Cyclists My Take Full Lane.” They’ve conducted studies that the “Share” signs tell drivers, “Right, you fucking douche in Lycra, outta my way.”

Interesting! I have share the road plates and Velominati stickers on my car; I always feel extra foolish after I disrespect a Cyclist in my gas guzzler.

Will be interesting to see how many states follow. I’ve always tried to share with drivers. But yep, this doesn’t seem to work that well. Lately I’ve been taking the lane more and more, or taking up enough when in the country that drivers MUST cross the center double yellow (why don’t more drivers understand what a double yellow means?!) and it seems to have been working. I’ve been buzzed a lot less.

I take the lane a lot; any time I feel uncertain about the shoulder, the path, or whether a driver will have the insight to judge when it is safe to pass me, I take the lane.

Passing a cyclist at way beyond the legal limit just inches from me.

Passing at high speed just to then make a turn right in front of me.

Pulling in to my path, whether I’m in a cycle lane or not, because the car in front of you is making a right turn. Indicating optional (obviously!)

Speeding past me  to the traffic at standstill in front only then to close the gap so you know I can’t pass you.

Driving, at speed, with your bumper just inches from my side or my rear wheel because your life is soooo important and you MUST get passed.

Rant over.

http://whosblockinglsttoday.tumblr.com/

I like the cop cars in the lane the best…

@frank

@Fausto Crapiz

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Hey, someone’s gotta risk life and limb for the sake of making a point. And don’t worry, I was economizing my activities by also taking a few selfies while I was at it.

Is this the start of a “who can make their helmet look the biggest in a selfie” competition?

@Fausto Crapiz

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Hey, someone’s gotta risk life and limb for the sake of making a point. And don’t worry, I was economizing my activities by also taking a few selfies while I was at it.

Is this the start of a “who can make their helmet look the biggest in a selfie” competition?

Conversely, living in a rural town of 12k, there are no bike lanes.  I have had to educate/enlighten the mayor and council on what bike lanes even are, and still we have none these years later, as they see it a waste of time…I mean who even rides a bike when you can drive a car…right???   So much for city admin and planning

But, I’ll take it, the trade off from population density, to just a few drunks in ford pickemups, once in a blue moon.  The roads are shit, but there is no traffic either, so all in all, a fair trade

I think in Utopia/Merckx in the sky, there is the marriage of both no traffic and all bike lanes, er…open roads

There is a church down the block from me. Not only do perpetually late parents use my block as a cut through zone for drag racing at 7:56 weekday mornings, en route to drop off their little fuckers BUT every Sunday they use the bike lanes on the main street for parking. No joke. A mile in either direction and across a bridge, they fill up the entire bike lane, pushing cyclists into traffic. It’s insane. The police station is also across the road, but I think they let this slide.

Do unto others, eh…goddamn Catholics. (relax, I was raised and confirmed Catholic, I’ve just come to my senses.)

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Hey, someone’s gotta risk life and limb for the sake of making a point. And don’t worry, I was economizing my activities by also taking a few selfies while I was at it.

Well worth a look as lots of examples of bad cycle planning, and how campaigning can make a difference.

London isn’t so bad but I’m with Puffy on the “first world problems” point of view.

In the lovely UAE they build fantastic bike paths. There’s 85km of perfectly-surfaced traffic-free biking out in the desert with the occasional view of a herd of oryx, which is great if you want to ride 85km in the desert with oryx but crap if you want to ride to work or down to the supermarket.

I was once riding to the off-road cycle path near where I live  when I was stopped by a police car and told I wasn’t allowed to ride on the road to get to the cycle track, I should drive there with my bike.

Happily mostly the police ignore us and the drivers don’t go out of their way to endanger us – that comes through inattention and not expecting to see people on bikes.

But in general this is a place where cycling is for training or on dedicated circuits. The idea of taking the bike just to go somewhere, let alone doing it in a bike lane of good, bad or indifferent quality, is simply not feasible.

Reading this is kinda of like a the starving african kid reading a whine about the quality of food someone in the west has. Just saying…

However, I regularly see riders doing stupid things – jumping red lights (where they clearly haven’t been watching the phasing, so head straight into traffic) and riding up on the inside of ‘big things’ at junctions.

Frankly, my view is that London drivers are doing a pretty good job of not hitting many of the idiots-on-bikes that I see on a regular basis!

The fact that he was on a semi legit Trek full-sus MTB and drinking a King Cobra 40 made more sense when I realized our local bike coop is drowning in parts from “i’ll ride this year! oh hell, donate that thing” people from the burbs.

Most grateful, and I beg you to consider attending the Hurricane Cogal on 23 August, the announcement of which is in @Gianni’s hands presently.

As a humble redneck I am content to ride in locales sans bike paths and to accept the inherent dangers. However, on visiting some friends in Qubec City I was floored by the infrastructure devoted to bikes. Hundreds of kilometers of bike paths so busy they have freakin traffic lights and many separated nicely from regular traffic. Of course the locals were treated to the hazards of me and my ginned up buddies zipping around on our racing rigs like we were on some Belgian farm road.

Sounds like the Netherlands.

Including the Ginned up twats on racing rigs. I.e. me.

@GogglesPizano

I think they need to change the signage on my routes downtown from “bike lane” to Bike Lane / Snow Storage lane” as our city council although they have great intentions of building $20million worth of separated pathways in the next while still can’t get their act together and clear to the curb where painted lanes exist… I think the grader operator goes out of his way to completely fill the bike lane nice windrow of snow when he is plowing …..

Classic example of cluelessness with no ill-intent.

@PeakInTwoYears

Living in the boonies, every spring I am in high dudgeon-it gets my dander right up-when the road shoulders on every climb and descent are covered with the gravel that is unnecessarily layered over the dry, ice-free roads so that retirees, who make up 90% of the local population, can feel safe when they careen about the area towing goose-neck camper trailers behind their Ford F-350s and that is then swept cursorily into what the county workers no doubt refer to as the “breakdown lane.”

A class post. Perfectection, in fact. +1 badge to you, my good man.

I need about 2.5 km of bike lane to make riding out of my front door suitable. My “no outlet” neighborhood, dumps my on a shoulder-less, narrow even for motorized vehicles, two lane bit of pot hole riddled tarmac, where the motorists push the 100 km/h mark. It might be the only bit of bike lane I ever use in this town, but it would be my sanctum pathway to happiness.

Otherwise, the location of our “bike lanes” (using the term loosly) are somewhat of a head scratcher….

By and large, I consider roads with bike lanes no safer that roads without. On some of the big urban roads they are a life saver, but the best routes in town lean lightly on them; most of the roads used have no such thing and I might argue they are safer without the riders and car telling each other a lie about where they should live and just working it out like civilized beings.

Back when I was growing up, though, the general consensus was that if it was marked as a “Bike Route”, you should stay the fuck away. City planners by and large appear to have little in the way of an understanding of what it means to ride a bike alongside traffic that moves at 100-150kmph.

@Gianni

It’s Dustin Hoffman pounding on the hood of a taxi, “HEY, I’m WALKING here!!” You gotta love it even when you don’t.

Funny thing about Citi Bikes is it’s losing money because it is TOO popular with the locals (who can pay a relatively cheap year-round fee) instead of with visitors buying expensive short term passes.

Down by one of the ferry terminals here in Seattle, a car pulled out and hit a pedestrian who appeared to be Andre The Giant’s big-boned brother.

The car hit him, and the giant did a full fucking somersault over the hood and slid lazily off the side before jumping up and exclaiming, “HOW DID YOU NOT SEE ME???? I’M THE SIZE OF A SMALL BUILDING!!!”

He wasn’t wrong.

@xyxax

NYC is the wild west of bike lanes. And now with the city bikes, every clueless person can head down a bike lane in the wrong direction, just because. It might be safer riding in traffic, at least most of it is going in the same direction. I do admire NYC for carving out all those bike lanes though, it’s like outlawing smoking in Irish pubs, one would never, ever think it would happen, then it does, and people get used to it.

No part of the world is immune to this absurdity. Joggers, bicyclists (not Cyclists) riding the wrong fucking way. Holy fucking Merckx, its hard enough to try to steal glimpses of myself in the shop windows without crashing, I can’t also be dodging oncoming riders!

Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?

Fausto: since you are a junior (reportedly) several points: 1. I suspect that the photo has been taken by Frahnk and was done quickly and without a web search for the nearest douche. 2. The photo shows the classic hand position when riding one handed for greatest stability, such as when drinking from your bidon (assuming one does not need to touch the brakes abruptly) 3. if one does need to brake abruptly, the phone’s getting ejected tout suite because you should always assume the philosophy of “fuck everyone and everything” of staying upright in an emergency and 4. Rule #43.

I also have been aging in dog years in terms of cycling lately. Not that long ago I didn’t mind screaming it out with drivers. Now, I can’t be goddamn bothered. I ride loops with the lowest amount of traffic, the biggest shoulders, and go at times when traffic is light. If I can’t road ride at a good time, I hit the woods or park on the cx bike. Most Saturdays and Sundays I’m heading in when I see groups just heading out, to deal with the late-yet-early weekend go-getters or the church goers. The dogs get me up early anyway, so I just head out at 6 or 7, beat the heat, beat the crazy drivers.

And us Followers are like PROs in at least one other way – one second of inattention can spell doom. No matter how skilled or how long you’ve been at it, you have to assume the worst and be prepared.

And, I always remember what Turtle told Rick Kane when I see a driver or bus driver thinking about right hooking me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6spBu2XAk4A

My city is booming as I write. Five high rise condos are going up within spitting distance of where I live. Life is about to get much more dangerous for cyclists. Adding to the problem is that many folks are moving from bigger, more established U.S. cities and think they’ll get similar respect (I use that lightly!) from drivers. Ugh uh. I see more and more cyclists daily, but most of them are helmetless, wearing ear buds, and pedaling a creaky bike in flip flops.

I’m actually part of a local cycling advocacy group but I find myself torn. Do I encourage new cyclists when I see so many dangerous cyclists? Heck, even a fellow board member rides without lights, choses the worst/busiest roads, has awful handling skills…and has already been hit!

One interesting development to note: the entire state of Delaware has replaced “Share the Road” signs with “Cyclists My Take Full Lane.” They’ve conducted studies that the “Share” signs tell drivers, “Right, you fucking douche in Lycra, outta my way.”

Will be interesting to see how many states follow. I’ve always tried to share with drivers. But yep, this doesn’t seem to work that well. Lately I’ve been taking the lane more and more, or taking up enough when in the country that drivers MUST cross the center double yellow (why don’t more drivers understand what a double yellow means?!) and it seems to have been working. I’ve been buzzed a lot less.

Defensively aggressive is definitely the way to go. Ride safely and definitely assert your right to be on those roads. I’ve found it works better than trying to be overly courteous.

The roads in London are so dangerous it’s a wonder more people aren’t killed cycling on a daily basis.

Otherwise, the location of our “bike lanes” (using the term loosly) are somewhat of a head scratcher….

I was in NYC a few weeks ago and I got to ride around on a rental bike. I didnt think it was all that bad. I had a blast.

It’s Dustin Hoffman pounding on the hood of a taxi, “HEY, I’m WALKING here!!” You gotta love it even when you don’t.

Funny thing about Citi Bikes is it’s losing money because it is TOO popular with the locals (who can pay a relatively cheap year-round fee) instead of with visitors buying expensive short term passes.

NYC is the wild west of bike lanes. And now with the city bikes, every clueless person can head down a bike lane in the wrong direction, just because. It might be safer riding in traffic, at least most of it is going in the same direction. I do admire NYC for carving out all those bike lanes though, it’s like outlawing smoking in Irish pubs, one would never, ever think it would happen, then it does, and people get used to it.

We are truly not alone.

Frank I’m away from home and you brought me back.  Thanks for that.