[Yak] Roads and bikes

[Onno Kluyt]

Lovely.

The response reminds of a book I read many years ago situated in the  
Dutch province of Zeeland where the son says to the father that  
Zeeland is not Zeeland if not once in a while some Zeelanders drown  
because of a flood.

So if you choose to volunteer to ride on obviously dangerous roads   
and encourage others so that maybe after enough accidents eventually  
some improvements are made then please go right ahead. I'll be on the  
safer roads, thank you.

Onno, who also actually has used and uses his cycles for transportation.

PS

I'm going to unsubscribe from this forum. With the helmet debate and  
this one I am not getting any BikeFriday or general folding bike  
information and value from this list. I agree with Jim's posting  
earlier that these debates are endless, nobody changes the opinion of  
nobody, but at the same time the temptation to keep poking is great.  
Better to save me the eventual irritation.

On Apr 4, 2009, at 7:22 PM, Doug Faunt N6TQS +1-510-655-8604 wrote:

> High speed roundabouts, and the common US equivalent, high speed
> merging lanes (especially on an overpass) are MUCH more dangerous than
> freeway riding. And the obvious answer for motorists "not expecting
> slow-moving cyclists" is to get more cyclists out there so we're
> expected.  Not fun, but sometimes necessary.
>
> But marginalizing cyclists by requiring, or even encouraging, them to
> stay off "dangerous" roads is not useful.  And if the only route for
> cyclists is three or four times as long as that for motorists, that's
> not useful, either.
>
> Some of us actually use our cycles for transportation.
>
> 73, doug
>
>   Date: Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:52:28 +0100
>   From: Andy Heath <cycling at axelrod.plus.com>
>
>
>> What you are worrying about, being hit from behind, is in fact very
>> rare.  Almost all cyclist-car collisions occur at junctions not on  
>> the
>> straight bits in-between.
>
>   Well yes that's true, but I can appreciate Winter's feelings
>   on this.  I do cycle on roads everywhere and that includes
>   any roads that its legal to cycle on in many cities all over
>   the world (I'm lucky with my work and travel a lot).
>   But there are places where I feel very nervous even though
>   I do it.  For example Milton Keynes in the UK, where I have
>   an office.  The roads are all dual carriageways and there
>   are no speed limits and there are large multi-laned
>   traffic islands (US translation: traffic circles) everywhere.
>   All kinds of vehicles tend to drive at at least 70 mph
>   on those roads and approach the islands very fast.
>   Being out there in the centre or middle lane approaching
>   an island with traffic coming up behind you at 70mph,
>   sometimes racing other vehicles - this is not fun, its
>   really scary.  In such circumstances what is scary is
>   the knowledge that if a car hits you at that speed
>   then its the next world for you.  Its also very obvious
>   that they are not taking the care needed for your safety
>   and are not expecting slow-moving cyclists.
>
>   In that town, there are dedicated paths for cyclists
>   and pedestrians but they are complete rubbish because
>   they are not designed for cycle use - blind corners,
>   bad cambers, slippery leaves and so on - amazingly, statistics
>   show they are actually more dangerous than the roads.
>
>   I choose the roads but it aint fun there.
>
>   andy
>>
>>> Message: 5
>>> Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2009 08:20:32 +1200
>>> From: Winter Green <wintergreen at birthingbetter.com>
>>> Subject: [Yak] Roads and bikes
>>>
>>> Just because you can doesn't mean you either should or that it's
>>> pleasant. Yes, most roads I could bike on but I don't like to. I
>>> shouldn't say that exclusively. I don't like to bike on roads where
>>> every few seconds I have to be aware that a car is coming up my  
>>> back.
>>>
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