A question for Road Users

Why is that, when the RTA (NSW) provides a bicycle lane of anywhere from say 3-5ft in width, the
vast majority of cyclists insist on riding right on the white line closest to the traffic? Its
amazing more of you are'nt getting seriously injured. There doesn't seem much point in these people
protecting their grey matter by wearing helmets when it appears there is little to protect.

 

"Juan Tieu" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Why is that, when the RTA (NSW) provides a bicycle lane of anywhere from
say
> 3-5ft in width, the vast majority of cyclists insist on riding right on
the
> white line closest to the traffic? Its amazing more of you are'nt getting seriously injured. There
> doesn't seem much point in these people
protecting
> their grey matter by wearing helmets when it appears there is little to protect.
>

You're obviously not a cyclist or you'd understand this one. The trusty roads authorities only
manage to sweep our roads on the night of the full moon imediately after snowfalls on Uluru, when
the Bogong moths are migrating to the Snowy Mountains. Due to this high level of service the left
hand lanes of our roads closest to the kerb get filled up with broken glass, strips of metal, old
tools, quarry refuse and assorted lumber. This all gets moved on eventually but the bike lanes only
recieve a sweep every second full moon sweep night. So the 10 cm strip closest to the white line is
the clearest section to ride in.

Not so TIC.

Cheers Peter

 

On Fri, 23 May 2003 19:25:31 +1000, Peter Signorini <[email protected]> gushed forth:
>
>"Juan Tieu" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> Why is that, when the RTA (NSW) provides a bicycle lane of anywhere from
>say
>> 3-5ft in width, the vast majority of cyclists insist on riding right on
>the
>> white line closest to the traffic? Its amazing more of you are'nt getting seriously injured.
>> There doesn't seem much point in these people
>protecting
>> their grey matter by wearing helmets when it appears there is little to protect.
>>
>
>You're obviously not a cyclist or you'd understand this one. The trusty roads authorities only
>manage to sweep our roads on the night of the full moon imediately after snowfalls on Uluru, when
>the Bogong moths are migrating to the Snowy Mountains. Due to this high level of service the left
>hand lanes of our roads closest to the kerb get filled up with broken glass, strips of metal, old
>tools, quarry refuse and assorted lumber. This all gets moved on eventually but the bike lanes only
>recieve a sweep every second full moon sweep night. So the 10 cm strip closest to the white line is
>the clearest section to ride in.

You forgot the car doors. Bike lanes are traditionally narrower than a car door. If you stay in the
bike lane a car door will get you. If you ride near the edge you at least have a fighting chance of
screaming foul abuse or if you're lucky you'll be able to get around it without being collected.

AS Peter says, most bicycle - car door collision zones have an impressive collection of busted car
litter which the owners feel compelled to leave all over the place.

--
Ooroo Mark F...

Another Optus Cable Traffic Monitor. http://www.members.optushome.com.au/forsythm/traff/

Today is Pungenday, the 70th day of Discord in the YOLD 3169

 

In article <[email protected]>, Peter Signorini wrote:
> migrating to the Snowy Mountains. Due to this high level of service the left hand lanes of our
> roads closest to the kerb get filled up with broken glass, strips of metal, old tools, quarry
> refuse and assorted lumber. This all gets moved on eventually but the bike lanes only recieve a
> sweep every second full moon sweep night. So the 10 cm strip closest to the white line is the
> clearest section to ride in.

The law in Victoria (at least) dictates that cyclists must use a bicycle lane unless impractical.
Does this constitute as being impractical? Ever been challenged in the courts?

--
Jeremy Lunn Melbourne, Australia Homepage: http://www.austux.net/ http://www.jabber.org/ - the next
generation of Instant Messaging.

 

On Fri, 23 May 2003 17:46:47 +1000, "Juan Tieu" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Why is that, when the RTA (NSW) provides a bicycle lane of anywhere from say 3-5ft in width, the
>vast majority of cyclists insist on riding right on the white line closest to the traffic? Its
>amazing more of you are'nt getting seriously injured. There doesn't seem much point in these people
>protecting their grey matter by wearing helmets when it appears there is little to protect.

It's not amazing at all.. You can see a cyclist in front of you if you're approaching from behind..
Your eyes are open and you're focused..

Try thinking twice before you open your door into a bike lane whether you actually looked over your
shoulder..

Getting wiped out by a car door is the most common bicycle accident on the road, and riding on the
line or in the traffic lane is usually the safest option, even if motorists sometimes need to change
lanes and get delayed three precious seconds..

PC

 

On 23 May 2003 10:46:48 GMT, Jeremy Lunn <[email protected]> wrote:

>The law in Victoria (at least) dictates that cyclists must use a bicycle lane unless impractical.
>Does this constitute as being impractical? Ever been challenged in the courts?

I think it also includes a bit about if it's unsafe to do so.. That could mean anything, and would
be a great defence if a cyclist ever got pulled over for using a normal lane when there's also a
bike lane..

PC

 

"Juan Tieu" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Why is that, when the RTA (NSW) provides a bicycle lane of anywhere from
say
> 3-5ft in width, the vast majority of cyclists insist on riding right on
the
> white line closest to the traffic? Its amazing more of you are'nt getting seriously injured. There
> doesn't seem much point in these people
protecting
> their grey matter by wearing helmets when it appears there is little to protect.
>
>
>
I ride the just inside the bikelane because the assorted rubbish left behind by vehicles generally
ends up to the left of the lane, this is a source of punctures. It should be noted that drivers are
required to clean up the mess but I have never seen one do it.

Interestingly I don't see too many cyclists riding the line, but plenty just inside. You are
correctly concerned that a cyclist may be injured by riding just inside the bikelane by car drivers
wandering into the lane. I mean all that road rubble did not end up in the left of the bikelane
withour some dopey driver dropping 2 wheels into the bikelane to clean up the right hand edge us.

Kevin

 

Another thing motorists do a lot is use the cycle lane as an extra wide parking space. They're lazy and instead of parking up properly against the kerb, they leave half of the car in the cycle lane.
I also had to complain to Yarra City Council that the refuse bins were being dumped in the cycle lanes on collection day. It was impossible to use the cycle lane because there were bins in it every 20 metres. (Must say tho, they got the problem sorted within a couple of weeks).
Maybe the guy who started this thread should try a stint of cycling, then he could answer his own questions.

 

"Juan Tieu" <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> Why is that, when the RTA (NSW) provides a bicycle lane of anywhere from say 3-5ft in width, the
> vast majority of cyclists insist on riding right on the white line closest to the traffic?

Like Peter stated, you obviously don't ride a bike ? or if you do it is 50m down to the local store
to get the milk.

What I really hate where I live are the so called bike paths that are really concrete walkways
beside the road up on the footpath, at anthing above 15 km/hr they are incredibly dangerous and
nearly impossible to navigate on a road bike, on a montian bike it is a little easier to jump
kerb, navigate tight turns around trees, bush shelters and pedestrians seem as unwilling as cars
to share

> Its amazing more of you are'nt getting seriously injured.

Agreed

>There doesn't seem much point in these people protecting their grey matter by wearing helmets when
>it appears there is little to protect.

Agreed, that's why they don't bother making car drivers wear helmets

Trevor S

 

white line closest to the traffic? Its amazing more of you are'nt getting
: seriously injured.

That's easy. Most people can drive a car and navigate around slower moving legal vehicles with
safety. If you cannot then I suggest it is unsafe for you to be in charge of such a large heavy
piece of machinery. I ride a lot on the roads and find that more than 95% of vehicles don't cause me
any grief or fear at all. Its probably higher than that as I get passed by a lot of cars safely and
I ride in the lane as there are rare places where I live that actually have a lane.

Peter

 

white line closest to the traffic? Its amazing more of you are'nt getting
: seriously injured.

That's easy. Most people can drive a car and navigate around slower moving legal vehicles with
safety. If you cannot then I suggest it is unsafe for you to be in charge of such a large heavy
piece of machinery. I ride a lot on the roads and find that more than 95% of vehicles don't cause me
any grief or fear at all. Its probably higher than that as I get passed by a lot of cars safely and
I ride in the lane as there are rare places where I live that actually have a lane.

Peter

 

[email protected] (PC) wrote ...

>
> Try thinking twice before you open your door into a bike lane whether you actually looked over
> your shoulder..
>
> Getting wiped out by a car door is the most common bicycle accident on the road, and riding on the
> line or in the traffic lane is usually the safest option, even if motorists sometimes need to
> change lanes and get delayed three precious seconds..

Thirty years of commuter cycling tells me this is so.

One further point, it is far safer to cycle out of reach of car doors ALL the time, than to weave in
and out. Almost all cyclists hit from behind are caught weaving out from an empty parking lane into
the traffic lane than are hit when firmly, confidently in the traffic lane (hey-we're traffic too!)
all the time. For safety in traffic, be confident and predictable.

 

Greeting Grey Matter,

I would like to suggest to you to read 'Effective Cycling' by John Forrester...It will open up your
eyes to what really is the issues when riding on the road with traffic.

If you really want to know what those cyclist are doing....search out the book from your State
library you will learn a lot....

Gus

"Juan Tieu" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Why is that, when the RTA (NSW) provides a bicycle lane of anywhere from
say
> 3-5ft in width, the vast majority of cyclists insist on riding right on
the
> white line closest to the traffic? Its amazing more of you are'nt getting seriously injured. There
> doesn't seem much point in these people
protecting
> their grey matter by wearing helmets when it appears there is little to protect.