On 25/09/2018 6:20 AM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Monday, September 24, 2018 at 7:10:18 PM UTC-4, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 24 Sep 2018 17:42:27 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:
On 9/24/2018 1:54 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
This might be amusing|disgusting|informative:
"Single Bicycle Crashes at Skewed Rail Crossing"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfeQvbIFBks (3:57)
(Note that the video is 2X faster than reality).
ISTM that almost all the cyclists who fell made it safely across the
first track, but fell when their front wheel hit the second rail. I
don't know why that is. Do you?
Good observation. My guess(tm) is that the heavier ground loading on
the rear wheel would tend to force the tire into the funnel cross
section rail channel far more than the lighter ground load on the
front wheel.
Maybe:
https://www.ilovebicycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/angled-railroad-tracks1.jpg
Of course! "Ye Magicke Greene Paint" solves all problems, doesn't it?
Yep. Anything painted green is owned by the cyclists. Anything
painted black belongs to the cars, buses, and trucks. Anything
painted white belongs to parked cars or pedestrians. Or, something
like that.
"How to Properly Cross Rail Tracks on your Bike"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSogGOjEDnI (1:12)
Notice how the two riders in the video both cut across the corners.
The two final cyclists shown in the overhead view don't come close to
"90 degree angle" but they came close enough, at least when it was dry.
When it's wet, closer to perpendicular would be better.
Yep, that what I meant by cutting across the (inside) corner.
I notice the speaker said "... taking a lane like a cyclist should..."
but of course, those are fighting words in some quarters.
Careful. The color code of the road, as I previously mumbled,
indicates that anything black belongs to the automobile. In order to
take the lane, a cyclist would need to carry a can of green spray
paint.
Drivel: Duz this mean that I should wear a Pickelhaube helmet?
https://www.phoenix.gov/streetssite/MediaAssets/Understanding%20Symbols%20-%20Bike%20Lane%201.jpg
https://www.google.com/search?q=pickelhaube&tbm=isch
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
I learned how to cross railway/streetcar tracks at a very early age in Toronto Canada. The intersection of King, Queen and Roncesvale is one of many intersections with streetcar tracks going every which way and are especially hazardous if you're making a left turn onto another street. I found that the trick was to lift the front wheel as it approached the rail or if going fast enough to bunny hop over them. Most of the time it was better to just lift the front wheel as I rode towards the rail. If the angle of approach is good the rear wheel won't slip into or along the rail even when it's wet.
Some of those people in the linked video about crashes at the railway crossing are really lucky they didn't get run over. A couple of them were pretty close to having that run down feeling.
Cheers
It's one of those bad places. Bottom of a downhill with a railroad
crossing that mostly requires you to go into the traffic lane to take it
at 90 degrees. On top of that, if you're not expecting it you can be at
speed coming down. You mostly have two choices. One is to be slow
enough to deal with the tracks and the other is to be in the lane. Hard
to say which is best without knowing the area.
We have a set of tracks going from Pincourt into Terrace Vaudreuil where
there isn't any bike path and you are in the lane. But in order to take
them at a right angle, you need to move into the oncoming lane. This is
at the top of a hill and there are two sets of tracks. It's not easy to
see oncoming traffic. There have been several accidents there and the
railroad did repair the tracks so that the ruts are now less pronounced.
But it's still tracks. There's not really anything you can do except
to be careful.
In the case shown in the video, the bypass that the city put in seems to
make sense as long as it's well indicated.