Cheap bright tail light

jbeattie wrote:

:While you're at it, practice the panic sprint -- something I used this
morning as the bus driving abreast of me dove toward the curb. It was
like squeezing through a closing elevator door, although one without a
safety switch. Gotta love those buses. If I had locked up my brakes on
the wet pavement, I would have ended up under the front wheels.

I smash the mirrors of buses that do that. The driver clearly doesn't
need it, and he gets to explain to the boss what happened to it.


--
sig 20

jbeattie wrote:
On Wednesday, September 24, 2014 5:10:50 PM UTC-7, JoeRiel wrote:
James writes:



On 25/09/14 09:22, Joe Riel wrote:
Frank Krygowski writes:
One question, though, is how much of that is attainable
during a panic stop. As I said, I think few riders would
shift their hand position to the drops at the start of a true
panic stop; they'd just squeeze the levers from the hoods
(especially since cantilevers and dual-pivots give very hard
braking from that position.) Similarly, I think very few
riders will get their belly to the saddle as I did. It was
difficult for me to do stationary in the basement, and
probably much more difficult in a "right now!!" emergency
situation.
At 20 mph = 30 ft/sec, the stopping distance is 23.4 ft at 0.6g
and 17.6 ft at 0.8g. The difference is 5.8 ft. So you'd
need to make the switch in 5.8/30 = 0.2 seconds to save
distance. Not going to happen. For a real emergency
situation, with no time to prepare, the time required to move
off the saddle, unless you can do it while also braking, is
counterproductive.
Sliding backward while braking and getting the back wheel to
hover is a skill that you learn. It is certainly possible. You
also rarely hit the brakes and attain maximum braking effort
instantaneously. You squeeze the brake and shift back and the
back wheel comes up while you're doing it.


A lot of thinkgs are possible. When bored I occasionally practice
a

nose wheelie. I'm not particularly adept at it, generally limiting
the

practice from a low enough speed that if I screwed up I'd probably
not

got over. However, I doubt that that occasional practice will help
much

in a real panic stop. Maybe if I had spent some serious time
mastering

the skill in my youth I'd have more confidence.

While you're at it, practice the panic sprint -- something I used
this morning as the bus driving abreast of me dove toward the curb.
It was like squeezing through a closing elevator door, although one
without a safety switch. Gotta love those buses. If I had locked up
my brakes on the wet pavement, I would have ended up under the front
wheels.

A much more benign example of lovely TriMet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c61gtJ_Lo0 Imagine that at
20-30mph.


Hopefully you and the rider in the Youtube movie reported the incident
properly. It's usually the only way drivers learn what they should have
learned many years ago. If they still keep doing it then numerous such
reports will get hazardous drivers out of the driver's seat and fired,
as it should.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Thursday, September 25, 2014 7:23:51 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Wednesday, September 24, 2014 9:14:14 PM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:



While you're at it, practice the panic sprint -- something I used this

morning as the bus driving abreast of me dove toward the curb.



Back when I was teaching cycling classes, one thing I added to the syllabus was

"drag racing," or a standing start sprint. I think it's handy to be

consciously aware of your best starting gear plus how to get going really

quickly. Not quite the same as your panic sprint, but similar.



It was like squeezing through a closing elevator door, although one without a

safety switch. Gotta love those buses. If I had locked up my brakes on the wet

pavement, I would have ended up under the front wheels.



One of my good friends (and perhaps our area's most dedicated utility

cyclists) was once run to the curb by a bus. She phoned the transit

authority, and was told "Well, they have to stay on schedule."



Honestly, I don't remember the final result, but knowing her, she didn't

settle for that response!

By the way, I didn't want to mention this because it fuels the anti-facilities fire, but this is one problem with bike lanes. This is an odd area with a bunch of different traffic features (staggered stops between lights, right turn light in a through lane, multiple bus lines and buses, lots of traffic), but if possible, I get in the traffic lane in front of the buses and stay there until I'm through the intersection and past the stop. Staying in the bike lane sets me up for every conceivable type of right hook. OTOH, getting in traffic causes noticeable upset and is not easy because of all the commotion.

This morning was a broken field run around right turning traffic and a bunch of bicyclists. We're in the middle of the BTA bike commute challenge. I was looking forward to the rain washing away the sunny weather riders, but instead, the challenge has brought them out in droves. I hate coping with other cyclists -- I would last for about a day commuting in China or Netherlands. I can't wait for the challenge to end. They should run it in January and see who is serious.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 9/25/2014 11:56 AM, jbeattie wrote:

snip

By the way, I didn't want to mention this because it fuels the anti-facilities fire, but this is one problem with bike lanes. This is an odd area with a bunch of different traffic features (staggered stops between lights, right turn light in a through lane, multiple bus lines and buses, lots of traffic), but if possible, I get in the traffic lane in front of the buses and stay there until I'm through the intersection and past the stop. Staying in the bike lane sets me up for every conceivable type of right hook. OTOH, getting in traffic causes noticeable upset and is not easy because of all the commotion.

This morning was a broken field run around right turning traffic and a bunch of bicyclists. We're in the middle of the BTA bike commute challenge. I was looking forward to the rain washing away the sunny weather riders, but instead, the challenge has brought them out in droves. I hate coping with other cyclists -- I would last for about a day commuting in China or Netherlands. I can't wait for the challenge to end. They should run it in January and see who is serious.




There is a big push in the city of Montreal to improve public
transportation. The traffic glut is horrible with the city basically
being on an island and most of the workers living off island.

Part of this is fueling cycling infrastructure but there are other
pushes. One is dedicated express lanes for buses. The interesting
thing is that an express lane for buses precludes any other vehicles
from using the lane. Bikes are vehicles. But the law says that bikes
must ride to the extreme right.

Cops are ticketing bikes for not riding to the right when they stay out
of the bus express lane. (I know Frank has been here once, somewhere in
Quebec and saw no problems with not riding to the right but ...) But
the bus drivers are complaining that they can't keep to their schedules
with bikes in their way. (I think this has something to do also with
the more stringent regs placed on bus drivers after they flattened a
couple cyclists not too long ago - as I've never seen bus drivers
complain about not keeping their schedules before)

Anyway, now there is a big mess with the bureaucrats trying to figure
out what to do what to do... For me, I stay off roads with express bus
lanes when I commute but I know cyclists are also complaining through
Velo Quebec. It will be interesting to see what the result it.

On Thursday, September 25, 2014 11:56:29 AM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:

By the way, I didn't want to mention this because it fuels the
anti-facilities fire, but this is one problem with bike lanes.

Gosh, a problem with bike lanes??? How can that be??? ;-)

This is an odd area with a bunch of different traffic features (staggered
stops between lights, right turn light in a through lane, multiple bus lines
and buses, lots of traffic),

Kind of like this? https://www.flickr.com/photos/16972296@N08/7804552998/

but if possible, I get in the traffic lane in front of the buses and stay there until I'm through the intersection and past the stop. Staying in the bike lane sets me up for every conceivable type of right hook. OTOH, getting in traffic causes noticeable upset and is not easy because of all the commotion.

I think much of the "noticeable upset" is due to the presence of the bike
lanes. IOW, I think that if there are no markings saying where a bicyclist
is "supposed to" ride, there are fewer objections when a bicyclist moves
leftward. We're pretty free of bike lanes, and I get very few hassles in
those situations.

- Frank Krygowski

On Thursday, September 25, 2014 11:38:20 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Thursday, September 25, 2014 11:56:29 AM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:



By the way, I didn't want to mention this because it fuels the

anti-facilities fire, but this is one problem with bike lanes.



Gosh, a problem with bike lanes??? How can that be??? ;-)



This is an odd area with a bunch of different traffic features (staggered

stops between lights, right turn light in a through lane, multiple bus lines

and buses, lots of traffic),



Kind of like this? https://www.flickr.com/photos/16972296@N08/7804552998/



but if possible, I get in the traffic lane in front of the buses and stay there until I'm through the intersection and past the stop. Staying in the bike lane sets me up for every conceivable type of right hook. OTOH, getting in traffic causes noticeable upset and is not easy because of all the commotion.



I think much of the "noticeable upset" is due to the presence of the bike

lanes. IOW, I think that if there are no markings saying where a bicyclist

is "supposed to" ride, there are fewer objections when a bicyclist moves

leftward. We're pretty free of bike lanes, and I get very few hassles in

those situations.



- Frank Krygowski

This is the area just after the intersection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNtbwGIX8Io -- the passing buses didn't stop, but you can see the stop. I jump in to traffic right at the end of the video. After the video ends, the far right lane exits down a ramp (there are three lanes), and drivers in the middle lane over can either exit or go straight. I sprint across traffic and get into the middle lane.

The weather was a slightly worse version of this morning. Take out the UPS truck and throw in some slow moving cyclists, some of whom simply stop at the off ramp, get off their bikes and take a cross-walk over to the through lane. Because of the hyper-compliance with the pedestrian laws, that means that I have to slam on my brakes while getting in to the middle lane because the turning cars in that lane come to a halt for the cyclist. I have to jump around them by getting in to the fast lane until I can get over to the continuation of the bike lane -- where the erstwhile pedestrian cyclist is now rolling off the curb without looking. It's a hoot. Sort of like a video game, but with more consequence. Don't get me going on the facilities on SW 5th headed out of town.


-- Jay Beattie.

On 9/25/2014 3:45 PM, Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Wed, 24 Sep 2014
09:50:07 -0700 the perfect time to write:

wrote:
SLIDING BACK is more dirt motion than road grip.


It is about not going over the bars when you have to reach into the
front brake hard.


... With road contact
motion to side, inside best but go with the flow. Adding a sideways
weight vector should stay a trip over bars into at worst a fly by.


A sideways slide? That sure would be impressive, coming to a stop in a
plume of blue smoke on the road, but I wouldn't dare. Plus a tire might
come off. On mountain bikes it may be needed, like with a friend whose
front brake faded out during the last 100ft of a steep downhill section.
He set it sideways and came to a stop in an impressive dust plume.

If you meant while still going in a straight line that would just make
you sail off the bike a few inches lower but you'd still go off and the
bike will likely endo as well. You can't get much of a CG shift this way.


Last endo on asphalt was at speed after a fine day cycling up and
down a canyon, with cliff, from inexperience with the setup grabbing
brake levers to lift front wheel over a speed bump.


Some European bikes had (have?) the front brake on the right. That can
scare the daylights out of a rider not used to it.

Why on earth would you want it anywhere else?
It's a universal standard for two wheelers, that is only broken in a
very few countries for bicycles, and in none at all for motorcycles.

Switch your brake cables to the correct sides, get used to it now, and
stop using dangerous brake setups.
That way you'll never need to re-learn again.


I'm agnostic for preference but I admonish riders to stay
with what they know. Yes, an active/experienced motorcyclist
new to bicycles ought to use right front braking. Changing
capriciously is dangerous because when push comes to shove
we act without thinking.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Wed, 24 Sep 2014
09:50:07 -0700 the perfect time to write:

wrote:
SLIDING BACK is more dirt motion than road grip.

It is about not going over the bars when you have to reach into the
front brake hard.


... With road contact
motion to side, inside best but go with the flow. Adding a sideways
weight vector should stay a trip over bars into at worst a fly by.

A sideways slide? That sure would be impressive, coming to a stop in a
plume of blue smoke on the road, but I wouldn't dare. Plus a tire might
come off. On mountain bikes it may be needed, like with a friend whose
front brake faded out during the last 100ft of a steep downhill section.
He set it sideways and came to a stop in an impressive dust plume.

If you meant while still going in a straight line that would just make
you sail off the bike a few inches lower but you'd still go off and the
bike will likely endo as well. You can't get much of a CG shift this way.


Last endo on asphalt was at speed after a fine day cycling up and
down a canyon, with cliff, from inexperience with the setup grabbing
brake levers to lift front wheel over a speed bump.

Some European bikes had (have?) the front brake on the right. That can
scare the daylights out of a rider not used to it.

Why on earth would you want it anywhere else?
It's a universal standard for two wheelers, that is only broken in a
very few countries for bicycles, and in none at all for motorcycles.

Switch your brake cables to the correct sides, get used to it now, and
stop using dangerous brake setups.
That way you'll never need to re-learn again.


Ever ridden a mountain bike? 100% of the MTB I rode have the front brake
on the left. Same for other bikes and that includes non-American ones.
Not being used to that can get you killed dead, as John Wayne would have
put it.

BTW, I have a road bike custom built in Europe (Germany), early 80's,
all high-end stuff back then. It has the front brake on the left.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Tue, 23 Sep 2014
17:56:16 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Mon, 22 Sep 2014
07:57:29 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Saturday, September 20, 2014 11:23:57 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
[...]

The (very experienced) cyclists who died in Folsom (California) in a
scenario like in the above movie, four-lane road, died because the
driver behind her was drunk. Had there been a bike path she would not
have died. It's as simple as that.
Correction: It's as simplistic as that.

So should we all stop riding until there are bike paths wherever we want
to go?

No, but it is prudent to avoid major thoroughfares and for some trips
take the car instead of bicycle. Fact is, if bike paths are built people
begin using their bikes for more of their errands. If no bike paths are
built then people don't. It's as simple as that.

See Stevenage, Basingstoke, Milton Keynes, Telford, or Harlow, versus
Cambridge or Oxford for examples of how this just is not true.

In fact, it seems to be rather the reverse.
Put bicycles on the road, and the road becomes safer for cyclists, so
more people cycle.
It's as simple as that.

That has never worked anywhere I lived. The contrary has.

We've already established that your perceptions are at odds with
reality, established by considerable quantities of research.


What research? Care to quote?


Was there something new you wanted to add to that?


Please quote the research.


--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Wednesday, September 24, 2014 4:31:32 PM UTC+1, Radey Shouman wrote:

Exactly. 8:00 is not 9:30, Monday is not Saturday, September is not

August, the quickest way to work is not the nicest route across the

state, Mount Pilot is not Mayberry, and the working stiff punching a

clock is not the college professor rolling in to office hours a few

minutes late.



Failing to recognize one's personal blindness before the traffic

elephant sets some people off.

Reality is individual servings of cold porridge. Not many people know that.

Andre Jute