Thread: rim notation
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Old March 16th 18, 05:26 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_4_]
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Default SF Topology: was: rim notation

On 3/16/2018 12:50 AM, Joy Beeson wrote:
On Tue, 13 Mar 2018 21:07:19 -0700 (PDT), Frank Krygowski
wrote:

The reason it's impossible to build a complete separate system is not just selfishness by motorists and shopkeepers. There are many issues that
should be obvious: Expense; Property rights, as related to right-of-way
acquisition; Road geometry; Politics; Ineffectiveness; Emergency vehicle
response; Maintenance...


speaking of geometry:

Anne McCaffrey's Pern includes a caste of messengers who have built a
network of moss-paved footpaths that connect every Hold and Weyr.
These same points are also connected by dirt paths beaten by
travellers on horseback. (Pardon me, "runner-beast"back.)

A messenger running from point A to point B never, ever crosses a
horse trail connecting point C to point D. Not so much as a cowpath!

Please draw me a map of how this works.


For fans of McCaffrey, the obvious answer is that at the intersections,
one path "goes between." ;-)

But more seriously: I doubt any of the segregation proponents will
accept your challenge to draw the map.

In "Imperial Earth", Arthur C. Clarke manages better: Since cars are
self-driving, roads are no wider than railroad tracks, and there is
only one lane in each direction. Intersections with other roads
aren't mentioned, but while being driven to his host's home, the
protagonist passes under an overpass carrying a much wider road. The
host explains to him that bicycles require more room because humans
are steering them.


That's slightly more realistic.

Back to the first point: Way, way back in time, I was a member of a
committee charged with finding a way to connect our village to a
riverside MUP about 7 miles away. We started with the assumption that
the MUP could be extended closer along the riverside, which in itself
would be a difficult, decade-long project. So we concentrated on finding
a route up the side of the river valley.

Briefly, there was no way. Terrain, commercial property, roadways,
freeways, private property, etc. showed it was just impossible. Besides,
there were relatively low-traffic roads that were fine for any minimally
competent cyclist. All that meant it was silly to even try.

There were times that same committee, with slightly different
objectives, looked longingly at power line rights of way or gas line
rights of way. I suppose in some ideal society, one might be able to get
a MUP along those. But they (especially the gas lines) tended to be
nowhere-to-nowhere lines. If a gas line ROW got a paved path, I'm sure
it would generate some riding; but it would be entirely by the crew that
parks the car and rides the bike out and back to the car.

--
- Frank Krygowski
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