Comments on: Hey, I’m cycling here? http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/ a community of green voices Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:25:13 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: myflathasmould http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-193 myflathasmould Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:13:16 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-193 The Boston road map certainly looks good as for owning the road I totally agree. Nothing annoys me more than the current initiatives with regards to cycle lanes in NZ. They make the existing lanes ever so slightly narrower and paint a line on the road demarking the cycle lane. Unfortunately due to the ratio of Cars to Bikes and that bikes take up less space there is not usually a cyclist there so Cars often pull into them without looking, even worse will use as a temporary parking zone. Buses are often to wide for the narrow lanes. The end result from drivers is often that's their (cyclists) lane this is mine I will drive as fast as I like past you. Which sucks especially when the driver is behind the wheel of a truck. I feel much more comfortable if I have to cycle on the road the less concrete the rules are. Then people have to think instead of blindly follow and that leads to more intelligent choices that fit the situation. I would link those EU cities - Switzerland I think but have to go. The Boston road map certainly looks good as for owning the road I totally agree. Nothing annoys me more than the current initiatives with regards to cycle lanes in NZ. They make the existing lanes ever so slightly narrower and paint a line on the road demarking the cycle lane. Unfortunately due to the ratio of Cars to Bikes and that bikes take up less space there is not usually a cyclist there so Cars often pull into them without looking, even worse will use as a temporary parking zone. Buses are often to wide for the narrow lanes. The end result from drivers is often that’s their (cyclists) lane this is mine I will drive as fast as I like past you. Which sucks especially when the driver is behind the wheel of a truck.
I feel much more comfortable if I have to cycle on the road the less concrete the rules are. Then people have to think instead of blindly follow and that leads to more intelligent choices that fit the situation.
I would link those EU cities – Switzerland I think but have to go.

]]> By: sunfighter http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-192 sunfighter Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:08:15 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-192 I ride in Boston streets all the time. Some think I'm crazy, but I have never had an accident involving a vehicle in over 30 years. One of my guiding rules for crazy congested streets (and we have a lot of them) is not to get out of the way. They need to see you clearly, so take up the room a car would take, Get right in the middle of the lane. You have the right as long as you aren't an ass about it. If you have strong legs, most of the time you can go as fast as a car anyway. In Boston, we've been fortunate for over 20 years to have the "Boston Bike Map", produced by Rubel BikeMaps. It shows everything about suggested routes and elevations and contains wonderful advice about city biking. I ride in Boston streets all the time. Some think I’m crazy, but I have never had an accident involving a vehicle in over 30 years. One of my guiding rules for crazy congested streets (and we have a lot of them) is not to get out of the way. They need to see you clearly, so take up the room a car would take, Get right in the middle of the lane. You have the right as long as you aren’t an ass about it. If you have strong legs, most of the time you can go as fast as a car anyway.

In Boston, we’ve been fortunate for over 20 years to have the “Boston Bike Map”, produced by Rubel BikeMaps. It shows everything about suggested routes and elevations and contains wonderful advice about city biking.

]]> By: primoseto http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-189 primoseto Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:05:33 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-189 i know what your feeling bro, coz i'm cycling too, esp. to go working, daily, but i live in a little town named mataram in Lombok Indonesia, the motorist and car still not aware of the existence of bicycler like us, but, the good things is, it;'s (once again) a small town indeed, which mean, they arent so many of them, so i still can ride my bike easier than when i did in the bigger city one.. that's my opinion.. i know what your feeling bro, coz i’m cycling too, esp. to go working, daily, but i live in a little town named mataram in Lombok Indonesia, the motorist and car still not aware of the existence of bicycler like us, but, the good things is, it;’s (once again) a small town indeed, which mean, they arent so many of them, so i still can ride my bike easier than when i did in the bigger city one..

that’s my opinion..

]]> By: Anthony http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-186 Anthony Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:41:09 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-186 I second the mapmyride recommendation- you can view an elevation profile of your mapped route. The only drawback is that it's a little slow. As for the joys of cycling with cars, I feel you. I had a lovely encounter with some dump trucks near a quarry the other day. Apparently their policy is to hit the (scary loud) horn and then keep right on driving whether I end up alongside or underneath. I think it comes with the territory. I second the mapmyride recommendation- you can view an elevation profile of your mapped route. The only drawback is that it’s a little slow.

As for the joys of cycling with cars, I feel you. I had a lovely encounter with some dump trucks near a quarry the other day. Apparently their policy is to hit the (scary loud) horn and then keep right on driving whether I end up alongside or underneath. I think it comes with the territory.

]]> By: gotea http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-185 gotea Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:03:52 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-185 I would say I have the same isues. Motorist are horrible at looking out for people on bikes. I bike everywhere(no car). The worst offenders seem to be women. I honestly believe that there is a difference in how men and women drive. With men driving , I am afraid they don't care about my safety, women don't seem to know I am there. Women bike in much the same manner..scary I would say I have the same isues. Motorist are horrible at looking out for people on bikes. I bike everywhere(no car). The worst offenders seem to be women. I honestly believe that there is a difference in how men and women drive. With men driving , I am afraid they don’t care about my safety, women don’t seem to know I am there. Women bike in much the same manner..scary

]]> By: Digital Dame http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-182 Digital Dame Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:15:24 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-182 Cyclists everywhere feel your pain. Motorists just aren't trained to see bicycles, half the time they don't even see eachother! Even when they see us they don't want to concede an inch of road space to us. Cyclists everywhere feel your pain. Motorists just aren’t trained to see bicycles, half the time they don’t even see eachother! Even when they see us they don’t want to concede an inch of road space to us.

]]> By: myflathasmould http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-170 myflathasmould Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:44:26 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-170 But still isn't that pretty cool! But still isn’t that pretty cool!

]]> By: myflathasmould http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-169 myflathasmould Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:44:06 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-169 Yeah seen a few like that before I was thinking more I'm I want to go what's the best route to take... Would be an interesting search. You would have to plot some routes and then score. Interesting challenge for after the election maybe... Yeah seen a few like that before

I was thinking more I’m I want to go what’s the best route to take…

Would be an interesting search. You would have to plot some routes and then score. Interesting challenge for after the election maybe…

]]> By: Chris McGiffen http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/hey-im-cycling-here/#comment-168 Chris McGiffen Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:32:04 +0000 http://greenvoices.wordpress.com/?p=282#comment-168 Have you checked out www.mapmyride.com? It allows you to plot a course and gives an elevation profile, also allows the data to be exported. Have you checked out http://www.mapmyride.com? It allows you to plot a course and gives an elevation profile, also allows the data to be exported.

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