Why, bikes should get off the road doesn't seem to need context?
It is a scenic road along a river front, cars cruise along there super slow looking out the window, talking, etc. If another car comes up behind them they speed up, if a cyclist does the same then the cyclist is expected to wait.
Not all drivers do it, same as not all cyclists do the things listed in this thread...but it happens often
Ever thought of a career in politics 3pp?
I went on my first ride for a little while today. I was going to post before the ride, but I was afraid 3puttpete would jump in his car and hunt me down if he got advance notice.
Anyway, I decided to keep score. My ride is a bit over 35k's, about 22 on shared with pedestrians paths, and about 10 on wide backstreets and the rest on short stretches of industrial area roads with some traffic.
I had a total of three interactions with cars who wanted to be in the same place as me, all were vehicles turning across the line of traffic but they had to wait for me to pass. Total time of inconvenience to the drivers, about 5 seconds each. No abuse from any driver. Any driver going in the same direction was able to get past me easily.
I had one interaction with a driver who couldn't see any cars and therefore didn't bother to slow down when turning into the road I was on. But I saw him and wouldn't have hit him or been hit anyway, so no harm done.
I was inconvenienced three times by drivers pulling out of their driveways. One was blocking the entire road trying to reverse his caravan into his driveway. No time lost by me, but if I was a car driver, I would have been inconvenienced, particularly by the caravan guy.
I had three slow down and proceed with caution interactions with pedestrians while on the shared path. One had dogs on leads, but controlled them, another had kids on bikes, but the kids saw me (the adult didn't even look up) and the other was a girl talking on her mobile and walking. She was a good looker, so she was forgiven.
I also had one proceed with caution interaction with a cyclist coming in the other direction with head down and therefore not looking forward at me, but no harm done.
In general though, this was a pretty dull ride in terms of incidents with other road and path users. Usually the pedestrians are a lot worse, particularly the tourists who walk as a group and block the entire path. I didn't have to ring the bell in warning once, which is a pleasant change.
"There are 50 things to remember in the golf swing. Trouble is that I can only remember 49 of them" - Bob Hope.
Jim, it shows that you are not a true cyclist, because you have and use a bell.
Why do you need a bell?
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Golflucky
There's a 2 hour discussion in itself.
Yes the law states you must have a working bell and I would suggest 90% of the "TDF Wannabe" crew don't have them. However it only seems to be policed on or in the vicinity of shared pedestrian/cycle ways.
What I have always found hilarious is that it's not against the law (or common sense it would seem) for ether pedestrians or cyclists to wear headphones while using these paths so that while you're riding your bike and ringing your bell the people around you generally can't even hear you.
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I don't have a bell, but I figure the playing card in the spokes makes more than enough noise.
Still not playing enough GolfLink | Slightly less terrible stats brought to you by Golfshot - F: 57%, GIR: 23%, UD: 14%, P: 34. Wow, improvement! | Nickent brand ho or tightarse? You be the judge!
[img]http://i.imgur.com/4Y4Q0jZ.jpg[/img]
Ping G10 Project X S
TM V-Steel 16.5* w Speeder 57s at 3 wood length
Ping G10 21* Hybrid Reg
Ping i3+ 4-W CS Lite S
Ping Tour 54* and 60* (ground) CS Lite S
SC Pro Platinum Mid Sur Counterbalanced
Ping Hoofer Vantage
NB 574 Greens (yes, no more Crocs)
Golflucky
Here is the serious answer: I ride on a shared path, but the cyclists are the only ones who think it should be a shared path. Other users will not get out of your way unless you ring your bell, even if they are looking right at you. It is the courteous thing to do when approaching a group walking in the same direction. Most of the time they will clear the path for you if you ring the bell. Sometimes people get stroppy if you don't ring the bell.
Strangely, I had an airhorn before the bell, and people used to either ignore it or jump away in fright. It seems people are sort of expecting a bell sound, and know that means a bike is approaching, but they panic when hearing a horn sound.
Besides, ringing the bell can be done in a few different ways, and you can make it sound angry if you ring it a few times when people refuse to get out of the way (and some do).
To answer the fashion question. I wear black lycra knicks, but a regular cheapo polo shirt (and a fluoro yellow small backpack). Sorry, I'm not a full lycra guy, and probably never will be.
"There are 50 things to remember in the golf swing. Trouble is that I can only remember 49 of them" - Bob Hope.
So much hate
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It seems to have come to the surface in the last week or two. I'll have to work out what caused it
Wow, it really is illegal to ride without a bell in Victoria. I had no idea (and no bell). You also must give way to pedestrians on shared paths, and you're allowed to do hook turns at any intersection unless there's a sign to say you can't.
Still not playing enough GolfLink | Slightly less terrible stats brought to you by Golfshot - F: 57%, GIR: 23%, UD: 14%, P: 34. Wow, improvement! | Nickent brand ho or tightarse? You be the judge!
[img]http://i.imgur.com/4Y4Q0jZ.jpg[/img]
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