Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? ;)

WHY THE BANANA REVOLUTION?
http://webspawner.com/users/bananarevolution

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

Where I live, Long Island, New York, you'd barely get out of your garage on
the trike without someone trying to run you off the road. When I ran my
bike recycling program a few years ago, I had the opportunities to test ride
a few trikes AND a quad. I thought riding the quad on the main street
running through my town might raise some awareness of alternate
transportation options, so off I went...only to return ten minutes later
having been honked off the road and forced onto the sidewalk more than a
dozen times.

I guess the answer to your question is largely dependent on where you live
and what the attitude toward cyclists is in that area.

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

On Mar 31, 1:41*pm, "Papa Tom" wrote:
Where I live, Long Island, New York, you'd barely get out of your garage on
the trike without someone trying to run you off the road. *When I ran my
bike recycling program a few years ago, I had the opportunities to test ride
a few trikes AND a quad. *I thought riding the quad on the main street
running through my town might raise some awareness of alternate
transportation options, so off I went...only to return ten minutes later
having been honked off the road and forced onto the sidewalk more than a
dozen times.

I guess the answer to your question is largely dependent on where you live
and what the attitude toward cyclists is in that area.

It sounds like where I live...

But what would happen if I step off my door and into the three lane
road, where the marked speed is 30MPH, but the real speeds are closer
to 50MPH? Would I be able to stand my ground or just give in to the
law of the jungle?

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message
...
Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? ;)

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

Would I be able to stand my ground or just give in to the law of the
jungle?

The speed limit on the road I described is 30mph. It has two schools and a
20mph speed limit in front of each. It also has a huge curve and a
grade-level railroad crossing at the end of a mile-long straightaway.
Still, the average speed driven on that road is 45, regardless of who is
walking or biking along the shoulder. If your town is like mine, my guess
is that you'd have to move AT LEAST 30mph on your trike (yeah, RIGHT!) or be
physically driven off the road.

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

On Mar 31, 2:26*pm, "Roger Zoul" wrote:
"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message

...

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? ;)

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. *I take the lane when needed, too.

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
enemy...

Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
with their clemency.

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

On Mar 31, 2:51*pm, "Papa Tom" wrote:
Would I be able to stand my ground or just give in to the law of the
jungle?

The speed limit on the road I described is 30mph. *It has two schools and a
20mph speed limit in front of each. *It also has a huge curve and a
grade-level railroad crossing at the end of a mile-long straightaway.
Still, the average speed driven on that road is 45, regardless of who is
walking or biking along the shoulder. *If your town is like mine, my guess
is that you'd have to move AT LEAST 30mph on your trike (yeah, RIGHT!) or be
physically driven off the road.

It sounds like a good reason for NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE. They push me
and I won't budge.

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

I'm not one who believes "resistance" will ever work.

There's something about bicyclists that people just don't like. Perhaps
it's just jealousy. When the road was ruled by horse-drawn wagons, they
cursed at us and threw sticks at our spokes because we were moving too fast.
Now they do the same thing because we move too slowly.

Perhaps when gas is $10 a gallon, drivers will start to see us in a
different light. Right now, keep your trike off the road - or face having
to pry it out of the grill of some jerk's Hummer.

"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message
...
On Mar 31, 2:26 pm, "Roger Zoul" wrote:
"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message

...

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? ;)

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
enemy...

Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
with their clemency.

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

On Mar 31, 4:03*pm, "Papa Tom" wrote:
I'm not one who believes "resistance" will ever work.

There's something about bicyclists that people just don't like. *Perhaps
it's just jealousy. *When the road was ruled by horse-drawn wagons, they
cursed at us and threw sticks at our spokes because we were moving too fast.

Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?
 

"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message
...
On Mar 31, 2:26 pm, "Roger Zoul" wrote:
"ComandanteBanana" wrote in message

...

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? ;)

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

:Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
:enemy...

:Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
:with their clemency.

I think it's clearly about your attitude toward what you think may happen
vs. what will happen. You're assuming drivers will run you down. Perhaps
you live some place where cyclists get run down as a matter of sport, on a
daily basis, anytime they share the road with traffic. Why don't you tell
us about where you live and how many cyclists are killed there per year?