Motorbikes and "bike lanes" or I took stupid pills when?

In aus.bicycle on Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:20:36 +1000
Ricardo wrote:

Perhaps I am getting cross for no good reason (I don't think so, but then I
am cross) but why is it that motorbike riders feel it is in their right to
use the bike lane?

Bikes is bikes mostly.

If there's a pushbike in the cycle lane on the city west then I give
them right of way and tuck in behind until I can safely pass. If
there isn't one, then there's no problem in using it I can see.

Zebee

On my rides in / out of the city I take Nepean Highway from Glen Eira Rd.
Some days I have the pleasure of sharing the "bike lane" with all kinds of
people, some with 2 wheels others with 4.

Take today for instance when I was happily treddaling away when I felt the
breath of some a$$ on a motorbike behind me - I did politely suggest he get
out of the lane and was told to ****-off and mind my own business... at
which point I became a very slow and unpredictable rider - too hard to pass
on a motorbike at least.

Perhaps I am getting cross for no good reason (I don't think so, but then I
am cross) but why is it that motorbike riders feel it is in their right to
use the bike lane?

Rich

Ricardo wrote:

On my rides in / out of the city I take Nepean Highway from Glen Eira Rd.
Some days I have the pleasure of sharing the "bike lane" with all kinds of
people, some with 2 wheels others with 4.

Take today for instance when I was happily treddaling away when I felt the
breath of some a$$ on a motorbike behind me - I did politely suggest he
get out of the lane and was told to ****-off and mind my own business...
at which point I became a very slow and unpredictable rider - too hard to
pass on a motorbike at least.

Perhaps I am getting cross for no good reason (I don't think so, but then
I am cross) but why is it that motorbike riders feel it is in their right
to use the bike lane?

Rich


Some of the worst cases on my usual route seem to be mopeds. My guess is
that they don't really want to mix it with the big bad cars. I don't mind
them using the lane when its free, but do object to the buggers whizzing
past me at car speeds, leaving only a 30 cm gap.

Vince

Zebee Johnstone Wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:20:36 +1000
Ricardo wrote:

Perhaps I am getting cross for no good reason (I don't think so, but
then I
am cross) but why is it that motorbike riders feel it is in their
right to
use the bike lane?

Bikes is bikes mostly.

If there's a pushbike in the cycle lane on the city west then I give
them right of way and tuck in behind until I can safely pass. If
there isn't one, then there's no problem in using it I can see.

Zebee
I thought I had read that the bike lanes excluded motorbikes (at least
in Vic), except for the 50m turning part, as with cars. But I could
have read it wrong, hallucinated, dreamed it etcetc

Ash


--
a5hi5m

On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 22:34:42 +1100, a5hi5m
wrote:


Zebee Johnstone Wrote:

Bikes is bikes mostly.

If there's a pushbike in the cycle lane on the city west then I give
them right of way and tuck in behind until I can safely pass. If
there isn't one, then there's no problem in using it I can see.

Zebee
I thought I had read that the bike lanes excluded motorbikes (at least
in Vic), except for the 50m turning part, as with cars. But I could
have read it wrong, hallucinated, dreamed it etcetc

Ash

Bikes is bikes. Who am I to complain about a bit of grey riding?
The one who bothered me was slowly/sensibly passing the cars.
The trouble was I was fanging downhill, wondering how to alert them
that they were about to be passed by a bicycle.
Fortunately, they merged back into the traffic before the crunch.

Wrongway cyclist in the bike lanes bother me more.

In aus.bicycle on Tue, 28 Mar 2006 23:56:42 +1100
Aeek wrote:
Bikes is bikes. Who am I to complain about a bit of grey riding?
The one who bothered me was slowly/sensibly passing the cars.
The trouble was I was fanging downhill, wondering how to alert them
that they were about to be passed by a bicycle.

That's a problem

Probably a yell of "behind you!" will work[1] or maybe "gangway!"

Wrongway cyclist in the bike lanes bother me more.

Never met that.

But then bike lanes are not that common in Sydney.

Zebee

[1] unless they are a Pommy, who are trained from a young age to react
oddly to such things.

Motorbikes are excluded from using bike lanes. I have seen police often
waiting on Alexandra Pde for Motorbikes coming off the Eastern Freeway in
peak hour and booking them for using the bike lane.

"a5hi5m" wrote in message
...

Zebee Johnstone Wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:20:36 +1000
Ricardo wrote:

Perhaps I am getting cross for no good reason (I don't think so, but
then I
am cross) but why is it that motorbike riders feel it is in their
right to
use the bike lane?

Bikes is bikes mostly.

If there's a pushbike in the cycle lane on the city west then I give
them right of way and tuck in behind until I can safely pass. If
there isn't one, then there's no problem in using it I can see.

Zebee
I thought I had read that the bike lanes excluded motorbikes (at least
in Vic), except for the 50m turning part, as with cars. But I could
have read it wrong, hallucinated, dreamed it etcetc

Ash


--
a5hi5m

JoeD Wrote:
Motorbikes are excluded from using bike lanes. I have seen police often
waiting on Alexandra Pde for Motorbikes coming off the Eastern Freeway
in
peak hour and booking them for using the bike lane.




Happens in town too. look for Mr plod sitting on a chair near town
hall, westbound Collins St

Personally i think mbike should be able to use em ,as long as pushies
have priority. the congestion alleviated outweighs us-them rhubarb


--
flyingdutch

I agree. I can't see why mbikes shouldn't be able to use them when roads are
choked with these metal human containers. But should be travelling at a
similar speed to bikes and not 60kph just because they can.


"flyingdutch" wrote in
message ...

JoeD Wrote:
Motorbikes are excluded from using bike lanes. I have seen police often
waiting on Alexandra Pde for Motorbikes coming off the Eastern Freeway
in
peak hour and booking them for using the bike lane.




Happens in town too. look for Mr plod sitting on a chair near town
hall, westbound Collins St

Personally i think mbike should be able to use em ,as long as pushies
have priority. the congestion alleviated outweighs us-them rhubarb


--
flyingdutch

JoeD wrote:
I agree. I can't see why mbikes shouldn't be able to use them when roads are
choked with these metal human containers. But should be travelling at a
similar speed to bikes and not 60kph just because they can.


No I disagree. I used to ride motorbike in bicycle lanes but stopped
because the bike lanes are just not wide enough for larger mbikes (like
mine) to fit comfortably past a cyclist. Hell, the way some cyclists
ride, it's enough of a challenge passing them on a bicycle (not that I
get to pass too many). The other issue is that lane splitting is best
when you can get to the front of the lane at the lights and accelerate
away. But if you go up a bicycle lane you are either stuck behind the
cyclists, in the middle of them, or have to push your way through, none
of which are very good options.

As for scooters, well they're just dangerous no matter what lane they're
in (dons protective gear and runs away).

DaveB