Bikes on Trams (Blackburn's Velodrome, Melb)

[Hippy]

I just called Yarra Trams who run the tram service along Burwood Hwy. and their official
response to my question about whether or not bikes are allowed on trams was "No, bikes are only
allowed on trains".

So now I have to find some other way of getting from Hawthorn to Blackburn's velodrome.. :-(

Looks like I'll have to train from Hawthorn to Blackburn station and then ride the track bike along
Blackburn Rd. to the velodrome... illegal, given that I haven't fitted brakes to it yet.

Any other alternatives? I prefer the above option to driving to work and then to the 'drome with the
bike in the back.. but it may come to that <sob> peak hour driving <sob>

hippy

 

[Pc]

`On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 00:05:47 GMT, "hippy" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I just called Yarra Trams who run the tram service along Burwood Hwy. and their official
>response to my question about whether or not bikes are allowed on trams was "No, bikes are only
>allowed on trains".

There are good reasons too (beyond the fact that it's illegal).. Trams are fitted with magnetic
track brakes, far more powerful than anything on Melbourne trains.. If the driver needed to activate
them, the bike would likely go flying and could cause serious injuries to anyone in front of it..

>Looks like I'll have to train from Hawthorn to Blackburn station and then ride the track bike along
>Blackburn Rd. to the velodrome... illegal, given that I haven't fitted brakes to it yet.

Then fit brakes to it.. Hey Presto! And the brakes may come in handy at other times too..

PC

 

[PiledHigher]

Remembering you will have to take them off when you get to training, won't be allowed to use them on the track

 

[Tim Jones]

"hippy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]... <...>
> Any other alternatives? I prefer the above option to driving to work and then to the 'drome with
> the bike in the back.. but it may come to that <sob> peak hour driving <sob>
>

Put the track bike in a bike caboose? ;-)

You would sort of look like a bicycle tow truck!

Tim

 

[Hippy]

"PC" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> There are good reasons too (beyond the fact that it's illegal).. Trams are fitted with magnetic
> track brakes, far more powerful than anything on Melbourne trains.. If the driver needed to
> activate them, the bike would likely go flying and could cause serious injuries to anyone in
> front of it..

If they brake 'that' hard.. people are going to be in serious trouble anyway!?

What's the difference between a bike and a pram or one of those shopping carts you often see people
carting around?

I've been let on trams before with a bike but I was rejected once, hence the call to Yarra Trams.
I'm fine if they're the rules, I never knew why some drivers let me on and one didn't, that's all.

> Then fit brakes to it.. Hey Presto! And the brakes may come in handy at other times too..

Yes, but words are sooo much easier than actions.. I'll get around to it. I wonder if Blackburn will
let me leave a bike in their clubrooms?

hippy

 

[PiledHigher]

Hippy, if you a member yes you probably can (have to be to be at training)

 

[Shabby]

Definately will let you leave the bike in the club rooms (at your own risk of course). The club house is pretty secure, I don't think it's been broken into yet. A few of the juniors do that already.

One bloke rode to training all last year on his track bike, carrying a separate handlebar without the brake on it. (He also rode there on a 96, but that's another issue).

I doubt that you'd want to ride it along Blackburn Rd from the station, there's hills all the way.

Oh, and BBN track racing is cancelled this week too because we're all going to the Carnegie Cup on Wheels.

 

[JAF]

If you do use public transport how will you get home after training anyway? I would take the car. I used to go from FTG to Swinburne Hawthorn daily along Burwood Hwy and Cantebury Rd for quiet a few years. Can get pretty busy, but not too bad.

If you do take the train, at least Blackburn Rd has a bike/side lane from the station to Burwood Hwy.

Is Blackburn CC only velodrome based, or do they have other rides/races etc? Are they friendly to new/inexperienced riders?

James

 

[PiledHigher]

They do lots of other racing, check out the website.

http://www.blackburncycling.org.au/

 

[Bah]

On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 01:03:25 GMT, PC <[email protected]> Wrote :
>`On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 00:05:47 GMT, "hippy" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I just called Yarra Trams who run the tram service along Burwood Hwy. and their official response
>>to my question about whether or not bikes are allowed on trams was "No, bikes are only allowed on
>>trains".
>
>There are good reasons too (beyond the fact that it's illegal).. Trams are fitted with magnetic
>track brakes, far more powerful than anything on Melbourne trains.. If the driver needed to
>activate them, the bike would likely go flying and could cause serious injuries to anyone in
>front of it..

What a load of ABSOLUTE ****.

>
>>Looks like I'll have to train from Hawthorn to Blackburn station and then ride the track bike
>>along Blackburn Rd. to the velodrome... illegal, given that I haven't fitted brakes to it yet.
>
>Then fit brakes to it.. Hey Presto! And the brakes may come in handy at other times too..
>
>
>PC
>

--

BAH Humbug

 

[Hippy]

"PiledHigher" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Remembering you will have to take them off when you get to training, won't be allowed to use them
> on the track

This, combined with the need to swap forks to fit the brakes, is the reason I haven't done it yet.

hippy

 

[Hippy]

"BAH" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >There are good reasons too (beyond the fact that it's illegal).. Trams are fitted with magnetic
> >track brakes, far more powerful than anything on Melbourne trains.. If the driver needed to
> >activate
them,
> >the bike would likely go flying and could cause serious injuries to anyone in front of it..
>
> What a load of ABSOLUTE ****.

You have different information about these rules and/or braking systems on trams?

hippy

 

[Pc]

On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 02:07:09 GMT, "hippy" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> There are good reasons too (beyond the fact that it's illegal).. Trams are fitted with magnetic
>> track brakes, far more powerful than anything on Melbourne trains.. If the driver needed to
>> activate them, the bike would likely go flying and could cause serious injuries to anyone in
>> front of it..
>
>If they brake 'that' hard.. people are going to be in serious trouble anyway!?

It happens several times a day, though usually at low speeds.. Standing passengers usually get a bit
shaken up, but usually everyone on board gives the taxi that pulled a U-turn in front of the tram or
whatever a few dozen filthy looks..

If you want an idea of what I'm talking about, take a close look at that two foot long thing hanging
on springs between the two axles on each bogie. It's an electo-magnet. When the driver takes his/her
foot off the deadmans pedal, steps down too hard or otherwise puts the tram into emergency braking,
those things activate (also the gong rings and the tram drops some sand automatically). The track
brake will grapple onto the track to attempt to slow the tram down as much as possible..

>What's the difference between a bike and a pram or one of those shopping carts you often see people
>carting around?

Bikes have a lot less rolling resistance.. A shopping cart usually only has one axle and even if it
has two, they're not great quality so they won't accelerate so fast.. Prams generally have brakes..

>I've been let on trams before with a bike but I was rejected once, hence the call to Yarra Trams.
>I'm fine if they're the rules, I never knew why some drivers let me on and one didn't, that's all.

Some drivers don't care, some might not know, some might be spaced out, some couldn't be stuffed
making a fuss, could be running late and don't want to delay the tram by starting an argument..
Basically, if you say nothing, you'll have a pretty good strike rate until such time as you become
known.. In the meantime, even if you do get a driver who orders you off, the next tram is, what, 8
minutes behind?

PC

 

[Alan J Bishop]

Move house.

hippy wrote:

>I just called Yarra Trams who run the tram service along Burwood Hwy. and their official
>response to my question about whether or not bikes are allowed on trams was "No, bikes are only
>allowed on trains".
>
>So now I have to find some other way of getting from Hawthorn to Blackburn's velodrome.. :-(
>
>Looks like I'll have to train from Hawthorn to Blackburn station and then ride the track bike along
>Blackburn Rd. to the velodrome... illegal, given that I haven't fitted brakes to it yet.
>
>Any other alternatives? I prefer the above option to driving to work and then to the 'drome with
>the bike in the back.. but it may come to that <sob> peak hour driving <sob>
>
>hippy
>
>

 

[Hippy]

"Alan J Bishop" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Move house.

I am. That still doesn't help the fact that I am travelling from WORK to the velodrome...

hippy

 

[Bah]

On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 04:42:19 GMT, hippy <[email protected]> Wrote :
>"BAH" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> >There are good reasons too (beyond the fact that it's illegal).. Trams are fitted with magnetic
>> >track brakes, far more powerful than anything on Melbourne trains.. If the driver needed to
>> >activate
>them,
>> >the bike would likely go flying and could cause serious injuries to anyone in front of it..
>>
>> What a load of ABSOLUTE ****.
>
>You have different information about these rules and/or braking systems on trams?

Much and I know how the various braking systems on trams, ancient and modern, work.

The magnetic field inside the tram from the brakes would be quite weak certainly not strong enough
to be propelling bikes around the inside of the tram. When the brakes are energised the magnetic
field from them would be largly contained in the electromagnet / track system.

Those brakes don't seem to rip peoples glasses off, fire pens from pockets or have the tram full of
flying small metal things. All those things would happen if the magnetic field was strong enough
inside the tram to cause a bike to go flying.

>
>hippy
>
>

--

BAH Humbug

 

[David Sutton]

Why not find another velodrome closer to Hawthorn, e.g. there's an old velodrome (admittedly a bit
crusty) alongside the Gardiner's Creek trail near Auburn Rd. Or if you really want to get to Burwood
East, you could consider riding the Gardiner's Creek trail to Happy Valley Rd, then take the spur
trail that goes to Ashburton, link some back streets to the Burwood Hwy then ride down the concrete
tram tracks in the centre of the Hwy. Thus minimum exposure to cars.

> From: "hippy" <[email protected]> Organization: BigPond Internet Services
> Newsgroups: aus.bicycle Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2003 00:05:47 GMT Subject: Bikes on Trams (Blackburn's
> Velodrome, Melb)
>
> I just called Yarra Trams who run the tram service along Burwood Hwy. and their official response
> to my question about whether or not bikes are allowed on trams was "No, bikes are only allowed on
> trains".
>
> So now I have to find some other way of getting from Hawthorn to Blackburn's velodrome.. :-(
>
> Looks like I'll have to train from Hawthorn to Blackburn station and then ride the track bike
> along Blackburn Rd. to the velodrome... illegal, given that I haven't fitted brakes to it yet.
>
> Any other alternatives? I prefer the above option to driving to work and then to the 'drome with
> the bike in the back.. but it may come to that <sob> peak hour driving <sob>
>
> hippy
>
>

> From: "hippy" <[email protected]> Organization: BigPond Internet Services
> Newsgroups: aus.bicycle Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2003 00:05:47 GMT Subject: Bikes on Trams (Blackburn's
> Velodrome, Melb)
>
> I just called Yarra Trams who run the tram service along Burwood Hwy. and their official response
> to my question about whether or not bikes are allowed on trams was "No, bikes are only allowed on
> trains".
>
> So now I have to find some other way of getting from Hawthorn to Blackburn's velodrome.. :-(
>
> Looks like I'll have to train from Hawthorn to Blackburn station and then ride the track bike
> along Blackburn Rd. to the velodrome... illegal, given that I haven't fitted brakes to it yet.
>
> Any other alternatives? I prefer the above option to driving to work and then to the 'drome with
> the bike in the back.. but it may come to that <sob> peak hour driving <sob>
>
> hippy

 

[David Sutton]

Ummm... I think you've got the bull by the tail, Mr Humbug. The OP's point was that these magnetic
brakes are strong enough to cause the tram to stop extremely rapidly. It is the very act of stopping
rapidly which would cause the bike to possibly go flying. Remember the law of inertia from high
school physics classes? There is no way that the magnetic field on its own could cause bikes to
ricochet around the carriage, but a sudden stop certainly could.

> From: [email protected] (BAH) Reply-To: [email protected] Newsgroups: aus.bicycle Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003
> 09:40:24 +1100 Subject: Re: Bikes on Trams (Blackburn's Velodrome, Melb)
>
> On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 04:42:19 GMT, hippy <[email protected]> Wrote :
>> "BAH" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>>>> There are good reasons too (beyond the fact that it's illegal).. Trams are fitted with magnetic
>>>> track brakes, far more powerful than anything on Melbourne trains.. If the driver needed to
>>>> activate
>> them,
>>>> the bike would likely go flying and could cause serious injuries to anyone in front of it..
>>>
>>> What a load of ABSOLUTE ****.
>>
>> You have different information about these rules and/or braking systems on trams?
>
> Much and I know how the various braking systems on trams, ancient and modern, work.
>
> The magnetic field inside the tram from the brakes would be quite weak certainly not strong enough
> to be propelling bikes around the inside of the tram. When the brakes are energised the magnetic
> field from them would be largly contained in the electromagnet / track system.
>
> Those brakes don't seem to rip peoples glasses off, fire pens from pockets or have the tram full
> of flying small metal things. All those things would happen if the magnetic field was strong
> enough inside the tram to cause a bike to go flying.

 

[PiledHigher]

Its not the magnetic field, its that they can stop much more quickly than a train.

Have taken a bike with the wheels off in a tram (after I removed 1/2 the spokes from the rear wheel (with a derailler).

Otherwise get a bag to put it in, bags are allowed on trams (even big ones!

 

[Shabby]

Originally posted by PiledHigher
Its not the magnetic field, its that they can stop much more quickly than a train.

Have taken a bike with the wheels off in a tram (after I removed 1/2 the spokes from the rear wheel (with a derailler).

Otherwise get a bag to put it in, bags are allowed on trams (even big ones!

When is a bike no longer classified as a bike anymore? (But Mr Tram driver - it's not a bike, look it doesn't even have any brakes or gears, much less the bell and reflectors that are required for a bicycle to be legal on the road).