Does a trike put me on a collision course with traffic?

Where I live, Long Island, New York, you'd barely get out of your garage on
the trike without someone trying to run you off the road. When I ran my
bike recycling program a few years ago, I had the opportunities to test ride
a few trikes AND a quad. I thought riding the quad on the main street
running through my town might raise some awareness of alternate
transportation options, so off I went...only to return ten minutes later
having been honked off the road and forced onto the sidewalk more than a
dozen times.

I guess the answer to your question is largely dependent on where you live
and what the attitude toward cyclists is in that area.

Papa Tom said:

Where I live, Long Island, New York, you'd barely get out of your garage on
the trike without someone trying to run you off the road.  When I ran my
bike recycling program a few years ago, I had the opportunities to test ride
a few trikes AND a quad.  I thought riding the quad on the main street
running through my town might raise some awareness of alternate
transportation options, so off I went...only to return ten minutes later
having been honked off the road and forced onto the sidewalk more than a
dozen times.

I guess the answer to your question is largely dependent on where you live
and what the attitude toward cyclists is in that area.

It sounds like where I live...

But what would happen if I step off my door and into the three lane
road, where the marked speed is 30MPH, but the real speeds are closer
to 50MPH? Would I be able to stand my ground or just give in to the
law of the jungle?

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

Quoted message said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>Would I be able to stand my ground or just give in to the law of the
>jungle?<<<<

The speed limit on the road I described is 30mph. It has two schools and a
20mph speed limit in front of each. It also has a huge curve and a
grade-level railroad crossing at the end of a mile-long straightaway.
Still, the average speed driven on that road is 45, regardless of who is
walking or biking along the shoulder. If your town is like mine, my guess
is that you'd have to move AT LEAST 30mph on your trike (yeah, RIGHT!) or be
physically driven off the road.

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

Quoted message said:

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it.  I take the lane when needed, too.

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
enemy...

Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
with their clemency.

Papa Tom said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>Would I be able to stand my ground or just give in to the law of the
>>jungle?<<<<

The speed limit on the road I described is 30mph.  It has two schools and a
20mph speed limit in front of each.  It also has a huge curve and a
grade-level railroad crossing at the end of a mile-long straightaway.
Still, the average speed driven on that road is 45, regardless of who is
walking or biking along the shoulder.  If your town is like mine, my guess
is that you'd have to move AT LEAST 30mph on your trike (yeah, RIGHT!) or be
physically driven off the road.

It sounds like a good reason for NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE. They push me
and I won't budge.

I'm not one who believes "resistance" will ever work.

There's something about bicyclists that people just don't like. Perhaps
it's just jealousy. When the road was ruled by horse-drawn wagons, they
cursed at us and threw sticks at our spokes because we were moving too fast.
Now they do the same thing because we move too slowly.

Perhaps when gas is $10 a gallon, drivers will start to see us in a
different light. Right now, keep your trike off the road - or face having
to pry it out of the grill of some jerk's Hummer.

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

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

Quoted message said:

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
enemy...

Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
with their clemency.

Papa Tom said:

I'm not one who believes "resistance" will ever work.

There's something about bicyclists that people just don't like.  Perhaps
it's just jealousy.  When the road was ruled by horse-drawn wagons, they
cursed at us and threw sticks at our spokes because we were moving too fast.
Now they do the same thing because we move too slowly.

Perhaps when gas is $10 a gallon, drivers will start to see us in a
different light.  Right now, keep your trike off the road - or face having
to pry it out of the grill of some jerk's Hummer.

Man, this is eerie. That's exactly what I thought.

But I think it also has to do with HATE. Yeah, they hate that other
people remain free and healthy while they remain enslaved to their
thirsty vehicles. They think, "Hey, if I paid 50 grands for my Hummer,
no one on a bike will slow me down." And they just try to squeeze that
oversized vehicle and a bike on the same lane...

One day, though, the stupid dinosaurs will become extinct, and the
small furry animals will reclaim the earth. Brain is better than size,
right?

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

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

Quoted message said:

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

:>Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
:>enemy...

:>Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
:>with their clemency.

I think it's clearly about your attitude toward what you think may happen
vs. what will happen. You're assuming drivers will run you down. Perhaps
you live some place where cyclists get run down as a matter of sport, on a
daily basis, anytime they share the road with traffic. Why don't you tell
us about where you live and how many cyclists are killed there per year?

Quoted message said:

Perhaps when gas is $10 a gallon, drivers will start to see us in a
different light.

Don't hold your breath on that. It's up to $8.50/gallon equivalent here
(UK) and it hasn't made any real difference to attitudes. The vast majority
of drivers are as careful as they ever were and there's a very small, but
persistent, number of complete idiots.

--

Nigel

On Mar 31, 12:00 pm, ComandanteBanana <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

WHY THE BANANA REVOLUTION?http://webspawner.com/users/bananarevolution

I've never had this happen when I rode a bicycle. It seems as though
riding a trike is such a dangerous thing. I wonder why this is?

Are people easily distracted by it?

Cullen

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

Quoted message said:

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

Quoted message said:

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

:>Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
:>enemy...

:>Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
:>with their clemency.

I think it's clearly about your attitude toward what you think may happen
vs. what will happen.  You're assuming drivers will run you down.  Perhaps
you live some place where cyclists get run down as a matter of sport, on a
daily basis, anytime they share the road with traffic.  Why don't you tell
us about where you live and how many cyclists are killed there per year?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't know how many are killed a year, but I've seen a beautiful
lady on a scooter get crushed by a car running a red light right
before my eyes. And out of the few cyclists who dare ride this road,
never ever seen a trike. All you see is a few hardcore riders ride it
early on weekends.

By the way I do live in Miami Beach, USA.

Quoted post said:

On Mar 31, 12:00 pm, ComandanteBanana <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

Quoted message said:

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

Quoted message said:

WHY THE BANANA REVOLUTION?http://webspawner.com/users/bananarevolution

I've never had this happen when I rode a bicycle. It seems as though
riding a trike is such a dangerous thing. I wonder why this is?

Are people easily distracted by it?

Cullen

I think the cute factor may actually deter people from aggressive
behavior, but I'd be worried about the SPEED DIFFERENTIAL being too
great, particularly when they are on the phone.

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

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

Quoted message said:

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

Quoted message said:

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

:>Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
:>enemy...

:>Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
:>with their clemency.

I think it's clearly about your attitude toward what you think may happen
vs. what will happen. You're assuming drivers will run you down. Perhaps
you live some place where cyclists get run down as a matter of sport, on a
daily basis, anytime they share the road with traffic. Why don't you tell
us about where you live and how many cyclists are killed there per year?-
Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

:>I don't know how many are killed a year, but I've seen a beautiful
:>lady on a scooter get crushed by a car running a red light right
:>before my eyes. And out of the few cyclists who dare ride this road,
:>never ever seen a trike. All you see is a few hardcore riders ride it
:>early on weekends.

:>By the way I do live in Miami Beach, USA.

Sad about the lady...

Even here, there are roads that I choose not to ride on. But at the same
time, there seem to be plenty roads that I can ride on. If your view of
cycling means you go everywhere you need or want to go by trike/bike, then
perhaps that is a serious concern. As a recreational rider, I look at
cycling from a different POV.

Nigel Randell' nigel_randell@_1.web said:

Quoted message said:

Perhaps when gas is $10 a gallon, drivers will start to see us in a
different light.

Don't hold your breath on that. It's up to $8.50/gallon equivalent here
(UK) and it hasn't made any real difference to attitudes. The vast majority
of drivers are as careful as they ever were and there's a very small, but
persistent, number of complete idiots.

--

Nigel

I've been there. It was my observation that on the whole the freaking
idiots over there are much nicer than the freaking idiots over here,
but I was pretty much just about town and not out in the country.
Freaking idiots abound, to paraphrase a long dead leader of the
USofAliens; God must love them as he made so many of 'em.

Over there I frequently saw bicyclists wearing normal clothes, over
here the assumption is that unless they're wearing spandex they must
be an undocumented worker. I guess maybe there is a immigration
problem there too? I did note a French language channel on the tele.

Vito said:

Quoted message said:

But I think it also has to do with HATE. Yeah, they hate that other
people remain free and healthy ....

Free and healthy my ass! What we hate is groups of cyclists bored with the
many bikes and trails people like me paid for who ride 3 or 4 abreast at 20
mph blocking a 55mph highway. That's why "jousting" is so popular - y'know
a couple good old boys in the back of a pickup with 2x4s looking for
cyclists to put in the ditch. So much for free and healthy ....

Well, I 'm not talking about those hardcore cyclists, but about the
little guy doing the right thing by riding a bike around. And while
jousting is not done with 2x4s, it can easily be accomplished with the
bumpers.

Drivers envy motorcyclists because they remain free, and hate cyclists
because they are healthy and free --and slow them down.

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Roger Zoul said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...
On Mar 31, 2:26 pm, "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"ComandanteBanana" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]....

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off the
> beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
> TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
> put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
> can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
> the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
> sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
> vehicle.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
> tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've ridden my recumbent trike in real live traffic on many occasions I
always live to tell about it. I take the lane when needed, too.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's about attitude and if you ain't got none, ride something else.

Quoted message said:

:>Yeah, but if I'm riding a bike in traffic, I'm giving my back to the
:>enemy...

Quoted message said:

:>Whether I survive or not has little to with attitude, and a lot to
:>with their clemency.

Quoted message said:

I think it's clearly about your attitude toward what you think may happen
vs. what will happen. You're assuming drivers will run you down. Perhaps
you live some place where cyclists get run down as a matter of sport, ona
daily basis, anytime they share the road with traffic. Why don't you tell
us about where you live and how many cyclists are killed there per year?-
Hide quoted text -

Quoted message said:

- Show quoted text -

:>I don't know how many are killed a year, but I've seen a beautiful
:>lady on a scooter get crushed by a car running a red light right
:>before my eyes. And out of the few cyclists who dare ride this road,
:>never ever seen a trike. All you see is a few hardcore riders ride it
:>early on weekends.

:>By the way I do live in Miami Beach, USA.

Sad about the lady...

I don't know if she died or not, but she won't be as pretty as before
if left with a limping leg.

Quoted message said:

Even here, there are roads that I choose not to ride on. But at the same
time, there seem to be plenty roads that I can ride on. If your view of
cycling means you go everywhere you need or want to go by trike/bike, then
perhaps that is a serious concern.  As a recreational rider, I look at
cycling from a different POV.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

To me FREEDOM TO BIKE is just that. Freedom to ride when you want,
where you want. Otherwise there's no freedom, period. You're just
feeding the beast (wars and environmental destruction).

I'm not opposed to driving, but most trips under 5 miles can be
accomplished by bikes.

http://atom.smasher.org/highway/?l1=You+are+feeding+&l2=the+Beast%21&l3=&l4=

the beauty...

http://www.schwinnbike.com/heritage/attachment.php?attachmentid=38628

and the beast...

http://www.marketingshift.com/images/internationalSUV-7300cxt.gif

In article
<[email hidden]>,

ComandanteBanana said:

Having other types of bikes in my collection, I'm about to get off
the beaten path and get either a ROAD TANDEM BIKE or a FANCY UPRIGHT
TRIKE. Well, I like them both but the road tandem would necessarily
put me on the road AMONG THE BEASTS all the time, while the trike I
can use on the back streets and on a new path being built overlooking
the ocean (cool). But I'd be tempted to ride it on the streets
sometimes, squarely TAKING THE LANE because then I'd be more of a
vehicle.

What's your thought, I'd be safer in the trike than on the road
tandem, or should I start planning my funerals? 😉

I see you've changed your screen name but not your behavior.

A trike is no more of a vehicle than a bicycle. The trike riders I have
met report that drivers give them more room on the road because they are
an unusual veicle. Drivers may assume that the rider is infirm in some
way, too.