Cyclists on pavement

"Euan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Riding home from work down Blackburn Road, Mulgrave, Victoria (specific
enough?) and passed no less than 6 cyclists, all on the bloody pavement!

What is this aversion to using this road?

One of my colleagues got a bruise on his behind from a car side mirror.
Other colleagues will ride on Blackburn Road the shortest
possible distance until they can get off it onto a safer route.
I ride 100m on the footpath until I can leave Blackburn Rd.
Cars seem to pass you way too close.

Almost specific enough. Blackburn Road misses Mulgrave by a mile :-)

I think we need the road regulations changed to allow adult cyclist
to ride on the footpath (giving way to pedestrians of course).
In some places it is much safer on the footpath than the road,
for example in front of factories where there are few driveways
and clear sight. In other places such as residential streets,
the roads can be safer.

what time?

Blackburn Road is very narrow, very busy, and therefore very dangerous.

If I found myself down there, I'd probably get on the footpath too, but then I'd look for an alternate route. I really think riders shouldn't be on Blackburn Road during busy times -- I definitely wouldn't

I ride my sister's 20" BMX on the footpath, only on short trips, only around the inner city. Its about as fast as walking ...

till

till! said:

I ride my sister's 20" BMX on the footpath, only on short trips, only around the inner city. Its about as fast as walking ...

I know!
I sometimes look at the speedo when I'm on the footpath, and think: "geez, I used to jog faster than this"🙂

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>> "531Aussie" == 531Aussie 1qnwtz <531Aussie> writes:

531Aussie> what time?

Peak hour, both ways.

531Aussie> Blackburn Road is very narrow, very busy, and therefore
531Aussie> very dangerous.

Not if you claim the lane. It's not that hard and I've not had ONE car
come close to me.

531Aussie> If I found myself down there, I'd probably get on the
531Aussie> footpath too, but then I'd look for an alternate route. I
531Aussie> really think riders shouldn't be on Blackburn Road during
531Aussie> busy times.

Why? I pay proportionally much more to use the road than a motorist
does. I've as much right to Blackburn road as a motorist and, provided
you know what you're doing, it's perfectly safe.
--
Cheers
Euan

"Euan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Riding home from work down Blackburn Road, Mulgrave, Victoria (specific
enough?) and passed no less than 6 cyclists, all on the bloody pavement!

What is this aversion to using this road?

I take the 'footpath' for a few meters on Doncaster/Blackburn Rd when
crossing at the lights, it is the ONLY way to get to the other side at that
time of day from work..

cheers,
GPL

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>> "Russell" == Russell Lang <[email hidden]> writes:

Russell> "Euan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
Russell> news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Riding home from work down Blackburn Road, Mulgrave, Victoria
(specific enough?) and passed no less than 6 cyclists, all on the
bloody pavement!

What is this aversion to using this road?

Russell> One of my colleagues got a bruise on his behind from a car
Russell> side mirror.

That's unfortunate. How far out from the kerb was he riding?

Russell> Other colleagues will ride on Blackburn Road the shortest
Russell> possible distance until they can get off it onto a safer
Russell> route.

What's unsafe about Blackburn Road?

Russell> I ride 100m on the footpath until I can leave Blackburn Rd.
Russell> Cars seem to pass you way too close.

Only if you ride in the gutter. I ride a meter to a meter and a half
out from the kerb and have no problems. Princes Highway to Burwood
Highway for info.

Russell> Almost specific enough. Blackburn Road misses Mulgrave by
Russell> a mile :-)

My wife works in Dunlop Road, Mulgrave which is two minutes from
Blackburn Road. I couldn't be bothered getting out the Melways ;-)

Russell> I think we need the road regulations changed to allow adult
Russell> cyclist to ride on the footpath (giving way to pedestrians
Russell> of course).

I've mixed feelings about this. I see where you're coming from but from
my point of view the last thing we need is more ammunition for the ``get
off the road'' brigade.

Russell> In some places it is much safer on the footpath than the
Russell> road, for example in front of factories where there are few
Russell> driveways and clear sight.

That's why cyclists need to cycle in the middle of the road in such
circumstances. Motorists can just wait.

Russell> In other places such as residential streets, the roads can
Russell> be safer.

Residential streets are the worst in my opinion. I feel much safer on
Nepean Highway than on any residential street.
--
Cheers
Euan

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>> "GPLama" == GPLama <[email hidden]> writes:

GPLama> I take the 'footpath' for a few meters on
GPLama> Doncaster/Blackburn Rd when crossing at the lights, it is
GPLama> the ONLY way to get to the other side at that time of day
GPLama> from work..

Hear that! I do the same getting across Princes Highway to Westall Road
Extension. Basically I push the button, wait for the green man, then
walk the bike out to the right turn lane and get on ready for the off.

Not sure what the motorists think, but then I don't care :-)
--
Cheers
Euan

Russell Lang said:

One of my colleagues got a bruise on his behind from a car side mirror.

A crash occurred - personal injury resulting. Did he report it? It's
legally required. And did the other vehicle stop? A serious crime committed.
It's up to you to be proactive.

Quoted message said:

Other colleagues will ride on Blackburn Road the shortest
possible distance until they can get off it onto a safer route.
I ride 100m on the footpath until I can leave Blackburn Rd.
Cars seem to pass you way too close.

I used to ride Blackburn Rd in another life, many years ago. It was pretty
full at peak hour then. Now I'd imagine it's mostly a log-jam ie. very slow
traffic speeds. So you should be able to claim road space much easier, and
legally lane-split past the staitonery queues.

Quoted message said:

I think we need the road regulations changed to allow adult cyclist
to ride on the footpath (giving way to pedestrians of course).
In some places it is much safer on the footpath than the road,
for example in front of factories where there are few driveways
and clear sight.

The thin edge of the wedge.

Adults allowed to ride the footpath ---> "Get of the f#$&*#g road, you
should be riding the path" ---> campaign by RACV to reduce traffic
congestion ----> Government legislates to compel all cyclist to ride on the
footpath on all main roads in peak hour ---> Cyclists banned from the roads.

Is this a good solution to a bit of 'traffic timidity' by cyclists with
limited traffic experience? You are riding a legitimate road vehicle, claim
your necessary space and let the drivers give way where required (including
the metre when overtaking)

Cheers
Peter

Euan said:

Hear that! I do the same getting across Princes Highway to Westall Road
Extension. Basically I push the button, wait for the green man, then
walk the bike out to the right turn lane and get on ready for the off.

Just for info. - the legally correct way to do this is to do a hook turn,
like cars have to do in the city centre. Cyclists can do a hook turn to
turn right, at any intersection.

Cheers
Peter

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>> "Peter" == Peter Signorini <[email hidden]> writes:

Peter 'Euan said:

Quoted message said:

Hear that! I do the same getting across Princes Highway to
Westall Road Extension. Basically I push the button, wait for
the green man, then walk the bike out to the right turn lane and
get on ready for the off.

Peter> Just for info. - the legally correct way to do this is to do
Peter> a hook turn, like cars have to do in the city
Peter> centre. Cyclists can do a hook turn to turn right, at any
Peter> intersection.

It's a T junction and the lights pattern doesn't allow for a hook turn
(well not that I've managed to figure out anyway).

Is there anything illegal about what I'm doing? Like to see someone
bring a case against me ;-)
--
Cheers
Euan

Perhaps the states could follow the example of the ACT. It's legal to ride
on the footpath- except within 10m of any shop.

Euan said:

It's a T junction and the lights pattern doesn't allow for a hook turn
(well not that I've managed to figure out anyway).

Yes, a bit tricky if you're on the cross street in a T-junction, stopped
with traffic racing by.

Quoted message said:

Is there anything illegal about what I'm doing? Like to see someone
bring a case against me ;-)

Not as far as I'm aware, as long as you walk across the ped crossing (which
I am terrible at, often ride across them slowly). Do you use Blackburn Rd to
commute now, rather than the back route through Vermont South and Camelot
Drive?

Cheers
Peter

Peter Signorini said:

Euan said:

Hear that! I do the same getting across Princes Highway to Westall Road
Extension. Basically I push the button, wait for the green man, then
walk the bike out to the right turn lane and get on ready for the off.

Just for info. - the legally correct way to do this is to do a hook turn,
like cars have to do in the city centre. Cyclists can do a hook turn to
turn right, at any intersection.

Cheers
Peter

If he's walking his bike across the crossing, there's nothing legally
incorrect with that, is there? It's easier than pulling up and then
turning your bike 90 deg in the turning lane.

Tam

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>> "Book" == Book <[email hidden]> writes:

Book> Perhaps the states could follow the example of the ACT. It's
Book> legal to ride on the footpath- except within 10m of any shop.

What is this fetish that some cyclists have with riding on the pavement?
Dunno about the rest of you but I'm normally pushing 30km/h plus on the
road, can't do that on a pavement without serious risk to peds. What's
the point?

Stop being scaredy cats and get out on the road where you belong.
--
Cheers
Euan

Tamyka Bell said:

If he's walking his bike across the crossing, there's nothing legally
incorrect with that, is there? It's easier than pulling up and then
turning your bike 90 deg in the turning lane.

Hook turns are a Melbourne peculiarity. Cyclists can do them at virtually
all intersections.
www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/vrpdf/randl/part_04.pdf
scroll down to Division 3, section 35

Basically you enter the intersection, pull up at the opposite LH corner in
front of stopped traffic, line up for the turn then proceed across on the
new road when clear. If there are traffic lights you only proceed when the
lights are green. This is usually quite smooth and includes no more akward
manoevreing than you'd need to do to walk the ped crossing. Very handy in
heavy, fast moving traffic.

Cheers
Peter

IDEA: look at this post..add your local IDIOT to the list!, then we can all ride on the ride, all the time!!!!🙂

cyclingforums.comt250694 shame file near misses road rage vic.htmlOpen ↗

On 2005-06-15, Peter Signorini (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Tamyka Bell said:

If he's walking his bike across the crossing, there's nothing legally
incorrect with that, is there? It's easier than pulling up and then
turning your bike 90 deg in the turning lane.

Hook turns are a Melbourne peculiarity. Cyclists can do them at virtually
all intersections.
www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/vrpdf/randl/part_04.pdf
scroll down to Division 3, section 35

Part 4, division 1, 26(2) note 3:

"For the meaning of left, see rule 351(1)."

Wheeeee!

--
TimC

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Imagine what a tipped over tractor-trailer formerly
full of potatoes looks like.

Not half as messy as a truckload of oranges.

Or a hovercraft full of eels. -- Tanuki on ASR

Book said:

Perhaps the states could follow the example of the ACT. It's legal to ride
on the footpath- except within 10m of any shop.

Heya all,

I was going to reply to this thread a few hours ago, with a huuuge rant
about how, hjhghjgh, and then some...

Cancel-moose that.

My 5 cents:
* Some roads are scarey for both cyclist and motorists.
* laws should say "A person of any age is may ride a bicycle along a
footpath (as defined in section * of the * Act) as long as they ride in
a reasonably safe manner".

[censored]
p