Critical Mass....NOT COOL.

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Did you miss the part where I said, "I don't agree that cyclists should go out of their way to impede traffic (quite the opposite, actually)"?

Let's try and work on that reading comprehension thing, mmkay?

Reading comprehension works both ways. I don't think the guy riding 10 mph on a busy highway is intentionally going out of his way to impede traffic...he is pedaling as fast as he can. What he is intentionally doing is riding his cycle on a 45bmph highway in rush hour when he can only pedal 10 mph. If I can't get my car out of 1st gear...i would never drive it to work that way every day...would you?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Actually I completely disagree with this. Many roads (for cars) were built with public money to accommodate what then was considered the way of the future. Same logic can apply here. If we want to encourage people to get out of their cars, get off of foreign oil and what-not, I actually don't have a problem seeing public money used to do this as it's clearly more in the public interest than building more roads for more foreign-oil-powered cars & SUVs is (that's why we have gas taxes too - to pay for roads for vehicle use). Actually a lot of rails-to-trails projects are funded wholly or in part by private groups too, but that's a separate issue.

As a person who drives and spends a fair amount of $$$ in gas taxes, vehicle taxes, fees, etc. I actually would feel GOOD about some of that "slush fund" money going towards bike lanes, public transportation projects, rails-to-trails initiatives, bike path construction, etc. Every person that uses those things is one less car and less (more expensive) infrastructure that has to ultimately be built to accommodate it.

Liability insurance? No way. What's that going to accomplish other than giving you the satisfaction of "getting even" with some cyclists who are one-upping you and outsmarting you? Seriously. In an accident, the bicyclist does virtually NO damage. The car does almost ALL the damage. Not that half the cars out there don't drive around with no coverage anyway, but again - separate issue.

Who's saying bikes should be on "major highways"? You mean like interstates? I don't think I've ever seen that one - it'd be suicidal.

[island911]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

... I see a ton of inattentive drivers out there. Not too many inattentive cyclists...

I often turn my head to hear behind me (wind while biking, you know) So tell me how these spandex-clad dorks with earbuds and iTunes are being attentive. ...is it that aero tuck as they focus on their 'spin' efficiency that makes them so attentive?

[dd74]

Originally Posted by island911

I usually bike my commute, 28-30 miles RT, thru Seattle. I have never had anything thrown at me, or any passes meant to intimidate. (not saying it doesn't happen to others) The thing is, I have the same attitude Fintstone does... Bikes are slow, and don't have some right to be impeding traffic.

As to tires... most problem bicyclist run on tires designed for a closed course . ..a nice swept track (like their spandex-clad heros ride) The ROAD, however, demands real tires. Not some 120 psi lambskin hoop condom. I ride a mountain bike with tires that can handle urban reality. The roadies . . .look like hikers in pink ballet slippers. --but hey, at least they're wearing spandex.

So you ride 150 miles a week? Very good. Do you shower when you get to work, or do you not ride hard enough to make that necessary? I'm just wondering.

As to tires, it depends upon what bike you ride. Mountain bikes have thick tires, road bikes have thin tires. Most are designed for road use. Sew-up tires that are made of cloth (I think) are rarely used these days. Few manufacturers build wheels for them.

[fintstone]

I had one turn right in front me last week because he was talking on the cell phone and couldn't be bothered to look first. I guess he thought the colorful spandex longjohns would have protected him if I had not been able to do the panic avoidance procedure. I had to slam on the brakes and swerve since I was going about 40 mph. Not that I was much concerned with his safety...but rather the time and money it would have cost me to wait for the people to come and peel him off my bumper to take him to the morgue.

[9dreizig]

hey it goes both ways, I can't tell you how often some idiot lays on his horn, ,startling the ***** out of anyone on a bike,, idiots can easily causing a law abiding biker to swerve and get hit.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

<----cyclist.
I've worked in the cycling biz for all but 1 year of my adult life.

Some of the items that I've pulled out of bicycle tires have been large fish hooks, sewing needles, and drywall screws that have destroyed $400 wheels.

please go out of your way and give 3 feet of way for ANY living thing on the road.
you wouldn't buzz a deer for fun would you?

Jim, you remember Gerald Mulrooney? He owned Cerritos bike shop, Fullerton bike shop, Huntington beach bike shop, etc. IIRC he has 6 shops, all had a pro section.
I worked for him. In college I also worked with Monty Pettus who was and still is a big part of the paramount cycling team organization.

I've done some serious racing and have never owned a $400 wheel. I've never seen a $400 wheel.
I used to build up pro racing wheels, campy wide or narrow flange, double butted stainless spokes, any configuration you can imagine as far as number of spokes, number of crosses, radials, etc. None of em ever cost $400. Most were closer to $100 and if they got a boo boo from something on the road I'd straighten it or re-lace in a new rim for $35. I built a few pairs of custom wheels for Eric Heiden when he left Olympic skating and went into cycling. He could twist wheels at will, I built him a 72 spoke rear wheel with 2.0 mm spokes and a 4 cross pattern. Looked like a cheese grater but it was strong enough for even him.
I ran sew-ups for years and never ruined a wheel because of debris on the road. Guess I was just lucky.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Ya can blow almost a grand on a wheelset these days.

Well, I don't, but I suppose I COULD if someone gave me a grand and told me to. . .

It's absurd what some of the new CF stuff goes for. I'm with sammy - I buy decent metal wheels and if they go out of whack, I true 'em up.

[rouxroux]

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1217137491163050.xml&coll=1

..."She said she saw the squad car approaching but thought she could cross in time, Calato said".

brilliant, simply brilliant! Bring those "Critical Massers" down here...They'll make a nice long greasy spot.

[island911]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

...

Who's saying bikes should be on "major highways"? You mean like interstates? I don't think I've ever seen that one - it'd be suicidal.

I took this pic earlier this month (the 7th)...




This is the I-90 floating bridge out of Seattle. (yes, there is a nice wide ped/bike path on the other side.)

[dd74]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Ya can blow almost a grand on a wheelset these days.

Well, I don't, but I suppose I COULD if someone gave me a grand and told me to. . .

A grand? Try $2,250 for these Reynolds carbons.

At least one can get four Fuchs for two Reynolds carbons.

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by dd74

A grand? Try $2,250 for these Reynolds carbons.

At least one can get four Fuchs for two Reynolds carbons.

Always a market (albeit small) for those with a radically inverted ratio of money to sense.

[Jim Bremner]

Sammy,

Yes, Geralds a great guy.

as for the $400 rims, yup back in the day that you're working then the most expensive rim was a Mavic ssc for about $120

things have changes a bit.

Do you remeber a tall guy that sold you prioducts named Tom Hall? I bought his Company after working for him for 10 years.

www.tomhallent.com is my little company.

[Flatbutt1]

The attitudes displayed here are precisely what fuels the nager on both sides. Sammy has a biker ounk him on the road so he ounks the next biker hesees who goes out andpunks another car driver and so on....

The NJ state traffic laws expressly state that bicycles will obey all laws or the operator of the bike will be ticketed. And yes it happens. We had a guy out here get his drivers license suspended for riding his bike intoxicated. I personally saw a biker ticketed for running st stop sign.

And finally..yes there are times when it is safer to ride in the lane FORCING cars to watch my butt. I've had far to many people violate the bike lane even when I was well off to the right. Many (not all) car drivers are as guilty as the CM nazis in thinking their right to the road exceeds everyone else's. I pay road taxes too.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

In response, some of the bikers smashed the windshield and rear window.

That is precisely when I would have exited the car and started shooting. Anyone with a weapon in his hand that was capable of breaking the windshield or the rear window would have been shot. Anyone taking a step towards me, my wife, or my vehicle would have been shot. Outnumbered and surrounded like that, there would be no warning given. I would retreat to any sort of defensible cover (with my wife) and would have continued to shoot anyone from the mob who tried to approach.

[mossguy]

Attaboy, Jeff!

Tom

+1

[jyl]

Lots of chest-thumping incipient road rage here, I think. And some unwillingness to recognize that bicycles are permitted on most roads, no matter what drivers think about it. Don't like it? Sorry, but that is the law. Bicyclists inconvenience cars and cars inconvenience bicycles, everyone has to find a way to co-exist.

As for where bicycles should ride in the lane, here's my practical approach to co-existence.
- When there is a bicycle lane, I ride in the lane, except when preparing for a turn.
- Suppose there is no such dedicated bicycle lane, so that you have to ride in the road. If there is room for a car to move a few feet to the left and pass safely without squeezing me off the road, then I will ride as far to the right as possible. Its up to me to watch the parked cars and anticipate when someone may open a door. Riding two-abreast is not acceptable, except in the special case that I'll mention below.
- Suppose there is no such room, for example a dangerously narrow two lane road with lots of oncoming traffic. Then I have the unpleasant choice of being squeezed off the road, or taking up enough of the lane that I won't be squeezed off but then I am holding up traffic. In that case I will take up the lane, pedal as hard as I can, hold up traffic for as short a period as I can, and move back to the right as soon as the lane widens up. If the road is dangerously narrow for too long, I'll remember it and will do everything I can not to take that route again.
- Okay, when do I think riding two-abreast is acceptable? In some areas the prevailing speed is so slow that bicycles moving at 15-20 MPH are going no slower than the general flow of traffic. E.g. congested urban areas with red lights every block. In that case, I don't see the big deal if bicycles ride two-abreast. Yes, that inconveniences the driver who wants to blast off from the light and hit 40 MPH in the 1/2 block before he has to stop for the next light, but he's being a putz anyway. Also, there are occasionally some streets here in Portland that are essentially meant for bicycles, cars seldom drive those streets anyway.

[island911]

Originally Posted by jyl

... In that case, I don't see the big deal if bicycles ride two-abreast. ....

Even though it's illegal...

Originally Posted by jyl

... Don't like it? Sorry, but that is the law....

[Jim Bremner]

In Kalifornia, if a BICYCLE is going greater than 25mph. it's LEGAL to use the entire lane.



In my younger days I passed a chp car in the rain on the left WAY over the speed limit.

He had told me to slow down, after not heeding his instructions he decided to get in front of me and BRAKE hard to slow me down. I passed him on the left and kept going.

I was well over 50mph downhill in the rain. yes, not the smartest thing that I've done.

That was in 1986 riding the Solvang century.

[Jim Bremner]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cyclists27-2008jul27,0,2445730.story