salsa
Senior Member
That sounds pretty neat. Can you post a picture of it?
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General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)
- Thread starter rp07
- Start date
That sounds pretty neat. Can you post a picture of it?
steveintoronto
Superstar
Only after I get the seat off...
Here's a pic of it sleeping with a car in the UK: (Since rebuilt twice. ARGOS Racing did major rebuild in '74)
Argos Racing Cycles
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LNahid2000
Senior Member
Took this route today to get back downtown from Queensway/Royal York because I saw this post yesterday, and because the amount of aggressive drivers on the Queensway due to the Gardiner closure was insane. Nothing has been done as of today.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Yeah...sometimes every sense, sixth and more, in your mind tells you to get off a street when it becomes like that. There's been times where I had no parallel option to the road, and just walked for miles on the sidewalk. Common sense just tells you "it ain't worth it"...not to mention the incredible tension from looking over your shoulder constantly, and dreading every time you hear an engine approaching over your left shoulder.
I can just imagine how crazy that would have been.
44 North
Senior Member
Exactly. I've never had a rearview mirror for my bike/s, but I'd like to get one. Granted in situations like you and LNahid describe I'd still hop off and walk it. I currently ride a mountain bike with slightly disproportionately wide handlebars (originally a quasi-trials bike that I added a third chain ring to), so I feel I'm more susceptible to getting clipped. Even when in the gutter strafing the curb I stick too far out at times. I know people who ride slow and are meandering all over that will say 'so, I can ride wherever I want'. But I think ultimately too many people (drivers especially included) know f all about basic physics. A cyclists gets rear ended, or even grazed, at a speed like 40 and everyone involved is gonna have a bad time.
steveintoronto
Superstar
To take that even further, sometimes you feel good about yourself making a sensible and rational decision. It's a bitch having to push a bike because the road is so dangerous, but once you realize you've made the right decision, as incredibly inconvenient as it is, you can relax, and then glance at all the uptight vicious drivers who've just ripped you off, and yet you get the better bargain out of it. You're happy and safe, and they're just fugged!
Btw: Think carefully before putting a mirror on your bike. If you have a stiff neck, it can makes sense, if you don't, then don't use a mirror on the bike, it'll be trouble. Not that I've ever used a helmet save for a few weeks decades back, and it almost got me killed (throws off the audio ambient field, my ears, being a sound tech, are much better than my eyes) but if you wear a helmet, those mirrors that attach to the helmet might be much better.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
I found this an interesting read http://bicyclesafe.com/
I see cyclists every day doing almost all of these dangerous moves. The website makes no suggestions of fault, but instead focuses on how to survive.
I see cyclists every day doing almost all of these dangerous moves. The website makes no suggestions of fault, but instead focuses on how to survive.
smuncky
Senior Member
Thanks for the update.
LNahid2000
Senior Member
Yep, I was done when I almost got sideswiped by an impatient driver before Park Lawn, who was trying to beat me to the next red light.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Isn't it absurd? I've seen this, we've all seen this, time and again. If anything underlines the manic attitude of many drivers, it's racing a bike to a red light. For what possible reason?
But it gets even more absurd, when slower cyclists find it necessary to pull in front of you when you're stopped fully legally at the solid white line. As if that isn't bad enough, besides being illegal, invariably they're in a tall gear and haven't a hope of out-accelerating you from the light once it turns green.
Can you imagine doing this in a car? Why is it any more acceptable to do it on a bike? Again: "For what possible reason?" I make a point of blasting past them, sometimes doing an unintended wheelie, to leave them sitting there before they have more of a chance to block my passage. It's bad enough dealing with idiot drivers, we also have to deal with idiot cyclists.
Dear cyclists riding at night without a light: Do you have a death wish?
[Too many cyclists are riding around a dark city in dark clothing – why can’t they slap on a cheap bike light?]
steveintoronto
Superstar
Just reading that now. Bingo!
[But consider this for a moment: Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car. Sure, helmets might help you if you get hit, but your #1 goal should be to avoid getting hit in the first place. ]
Absolutely....and when people start to lecture me on "you should be wearing a helmet, yada, yada, yada" I immediately make this point. Often the most ridiculous things done on bikes are by people wearing helmets.
Excellent link, more comment later...
W. K. Lis
Superstar
salsa
Senior Member
I'm puzzled by your post. I've been using a mirror for years now. It's mounted on the end of my handlebar and I can see literally everything going on behind me. I can't live without it.
As for helmet-mounted mirrors, I have no experience with them but cyclists that I've talked to who use them are quite happy with those too. I guess the choice depends on what you prefer.
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Admiral Beez
Superstar
As a motorcyclist who rides ATGATT, statistically we will all have an "off" in our riding career. Notably for motorcyclists, 75% of all accidents are either fully or in part the motorcyclist's fault. Eliminate the 75% of the time you're either partially or entirely at fault and you'd be fine.
I imagine similar stats exist for cyclists. The three instances I've seen cyclists get door all involved riders passing stopped traffic on the right, filtering an otherwise occupied lane, and traveling at a speed that exceeded their ability to anticipate, identify, assess, react and avoid such risks.
We don't wear seat belts to only save us from others, but to save us from ourselves. Look at these folks....
Riding up the curb, to the left of traffic
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Totally oblivious to a huge truck in the lane, proceeds at speed into danger http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=943523
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amnesiajune
Senior Member
The point of helmets is to mitigate injuries in the case of an accident, not to prevent accidents from happening. I don't think a single accident has been prevented by seat belts or motorcycle helmets, but those are mandatory and subject to fines of $200 and $85. You also have to wear a helmet if you use a power-assisted bike or if you're under 16 and riding a bike. It doesn't make much sense why we don't have a similar requirement for regular adult bike users.