Re: Riding a bicycle in traffic

Edward Dolan said:

...
Well, damnation, those videos Mr. Sherman gave me are simply terrific. Many,
many thanks Tom. I will never distrust you again. Here are all the
additional videos that Mr. Sherman gave:

More bicycle safety videos at
<http://www.digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg>,
<http://www.digave.com/videos/bronx.mpg>,
<http://www.digave.com/videos/rally-kev.mpg>,
<http://www.digave.com/videos/monster.mpg> and last but not least
<http://www.digave.com/videos/b-web.mpg>.

I have expanded the newsgroups as there is no one who is into cycling who
will not enjoy these videos. They are quite large files, so you will have to
be patient while they download.

So what do I think them? Well, you have to be young and full of beans to
ride like these guys do. I would advise any and all sundry to NEVER, NEVER
ride like them. You will not live long if you do.

The combination of cycling skill and recklessness exhibited by Lucas
Brunelle & Company is fascinating.

Quoted message said:

Tom, I am going nuts trying to figure out the cities that are portrayed
here. I am thinking it must be some large Eastern Seaboard city. Some of it
looks like the boondocks of Brooklyn or the Bronx. Do you have any
information on the cities? Also, why not give us the website so that we can
go there ourselves.

See <http://www.digave.com/videos/>: cities are San Francisco
<http://www.digave.com/videos/sfx-web.mpg>, New York/Bronx, Boston and
Baltimore.

--
Tom Sherman - Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Post Free or Die!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have expanded the newsgroups as there is no one who is into cycling who
will not enjoy these videos.

This post redirects replies back to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.
Those who are interested, please respond there.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

p.s. I agree with Chuck and prefer you not cross post garbage.
There is a reason I unsubscribed from alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.

Mike Vermeulen said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have expanded the newsgroups as there is no one who is into cycling who
will not enjoy these videos.

This post redirects replies back to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.
Those who are interested, please respond there.

I will post to whatever combination of un-moderated newsgroups I
please.

Quoted message said:

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

p.s. I agree with Chuck and prefer you not cross post garbage.

Who is "Chuck" and who is "you"?

Quoted message said:

There is a reason I unsubscribed from alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.

And?

--
Tom Sherman - Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Post Free or Die!

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mike Vermeulen wrote:\

[Edward Dolan wrote:]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> I have expanded the newsgroups as there is no one who is into cycling
> who
> will not enjoy these videos.

This post redirects replies back to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.
Those who are interested, please respond there.

I will post to whatever combination of un-moderated newsgroups I
please.

Quoted message said:

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

p.s. I agree with Chuck and prefer you not cross post garbage.

Who is "Chuck" and who is "you"?

Quoted message said:

There is a reason I unsubscribed from alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.

And?

Mr. Sherman and I do not post [censored]-nilly to just any old newsgroups. We put
our brains into gear and post either according to the subject matter or to
the pseronalities involved on the various groups. I am more free about this
than he is.

These videos are anything but garbage! Anyone who is into cycling should
have a look at them to see how the other half lives!

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

Edward Dolan said:

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mike Vermeulen wrote:\

[Edward Dolan wrote:]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> I have expanded the newsgroups as there is no one who is into cycling
>> who
>> will not enjoy these videos.

This post redirects replies back to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.
Those who are interested, please respond there.

I will post to whatever combination of un-moderated newsgroups I
please.

Quoted message said:

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

p.s. I agree with Chuck and prefer you not cross post garbage.

Who is "Chuck" and who is "you"?

Quoted message said:

There is a reason I unsubscribed from alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.

And?

Mr. Sherman and I do not post [censored]-nilly to just any old newsgroups. We put
our brains into gear and post either according to the subject matter or to
the pseronalities involved on the various groups. I am more free about this
than he is.

These videos are anything but garbage! Anyone who is into cycling should
have a look at them to see how the other half lives!

The contrast between the excellent judgment in plotting a course
through moving vehicles and pedestrians and the very poor risk taking
judgment is fascinating (an apparently relatively common trait among
those gifted with exceptional athletic ability).

--
Tom Sherman - Behind the Cheddar Curtain

Quoted message said:

The contrast between the excellent judgment in plotting a course
through moving vehicles and pedestrians and the very poor risk taking
judgment is fascinating (an apparently relatively common trait among
those gifted with exceptional athletic ability).

--
Tom Sherman - Behind the Cheddar Curtain

The thing I liked is that if they crash they most likely will only hurt
themselvses (not counting collisions with pedestrians). Motoryclists
and car-tuninig enthusiasts also make videos like these, e.g.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5527787057725906370&q=audi+BMW
The only difference is that the speeds are 10x higher and they can hurt
others, too. Entertaining to watch, but no respect.

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Edward Dolan wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Mr. Sherman and I do not post [censored]-nilly to just any old newsgroups. We
put
our brains into gear and post either according to the subject matter or
to
the personalities involved on the various groups. I am more free about
this
than he is.

These videos are anything but garbage! Anyone who is into cycling should
have a look at them to see how the other half lives!

The contrast between the excellent judgment in plotting a course
through moving vehicles and pedestrians and the very poor risk taking
judgment is fascinating (an apparently relatively common trait among
those gifted with exceptional athletic ability).

I am not a risk taker. I never have been and I never will be. I think NYC is
just such a person judging by his follow-up post on this thread. I spent too
much time in the Navy working as a hospital corpsman. The consequences for
just one lapse in judgment can ruin your entire life. It is better to be a
long-lived wimp than to be a short-lived bozo.

It is far better to find excitement in mental pursuits than physical
pursuits. The older you get, the more true this becomes. Thus spake
Zarathustra.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

Edward Dolan said:

I am not a risk taker. I never have been and I never will be. I think NYC is
just such a person judging by his follow-up post on this thread. I spent too
much time in the Navy working as a hospital corpsman. The consequences for
just one lapse in judgment can ruin your entire life. It is better to be a
long-lived wimp than to be a short-lived bozo.

Audaces fortuna iuvat. Hercules at the Crossroads is something we
relive every day as men.

Quoted message said:

It is far better to find excitement in mental pursuits than physical
pursuits. The older you get, the more true this becomes. Thus spake
Zarathustra.

Goethe said that "every age of a man has its own appropriate
philosophy:"

The child appears as a realist, for he finds himself as much convinced
of the existence of pears and apples as of his own. The youth,
overwhelmed by inner passions, must observe himself and feel his way
forward; he is transformed into an idealist. On the other hand, the
man has every reason for becoming a skeptic; he does well to doubt
whether the means he has chosen for the purpose is indeed the right
one. Before acting, in acting, he has every reason for keeping his
intelligence mobile...the old man, however, will always espouse
mysticism. He sees that so much seems to depend on chance -- the
irrational is successful, the rational fails, fortune and misfortune
unexpectedly coincide; so it is, so it was, and old age finds comfort
in Him who is, who was, and who will be.

Quoted message said:

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

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

Quoted message said:

Edward Dolan said:

I am not a risk taker. I never have been and I never will be. I think NYC
is
just such a person judging by his follow-up post on this thread. I spent
too
much time in the Navy working as a hospital corpsman. The consequences
for
just one lapse in judgment can ruin your entire life. It is better to be
a
long-lived wimp than to be a short-lived bozo.

Audaces fortuna iuvat. Hercules at the Crossroads is something we
relive every day as men.

Quoted message said:

It is far better to find excitement in mental pursuits than physical
pursuits. The older you get, the more true this becomes. Thus spake
Zarathustra.

Goethe said that "every age of a man has its own appropriate
philosophy:"

The child appears as a realist, for he finds himself as much convinced
of the existence of pears and apples as of his own. The youth,
overwhelmed by inner passions, must observe himself and feel his way
forward; he is transformed into an idealist. On the other hand, the
man has every reason for becoming a skeptic; he does well to doubt
whether the means he has chosen for the purpose is indeed the right
one. Before acting, in acting, he has every reason for keeping his
intelligence mobile...the old man, however, will always espouse
mysticism. He sees that so much seems to depend on chance -- the
irrational is successful, the rational fails, fortune and misfortune
unexpectedly coincide; so it is, so it was, and old age finds comfort
in Him who is, who was, and who will be.

We are children and youth only briefly, but we are men for most of our
lives. Rationality is the secret to almost everything. I do not trust
passion at all. I am apparently not yet an old man since I have no use for
mysticism. I doubt I ever will.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

Edward Dolan said:

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

<cut>

Quoted message said:

We are children and youth only briefly, but we are men for most of our
lives.

Given the fact that time flows exponentially, this is not true.
Time does not proceed at a constant rate, given the fact that the last
ten years of my life feel in total much shorter than only one year at
school when I was a child.. ;-)

P.

"Paul van Veenendaal" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Edward Dolan said:

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

<cut>

Quoted message said:

We are children and youth only briefly, but we are men for most of our
lives.

Given the fact that time flows exponentially, this is not true.
Time does not proceed at a constant rate, given the fact that the last ten
years of my life feel in total much shorter than only one year at school
when I was a child.. ;-)

Paul is quite right about how we experience time. I remember the 4 years I
spent in the Navy. It seemed like I had been there all of my life after
about 2 years. Yet I could do 4 years now standing on my head time goes by
so fast.

"We are children and youth only briefly, but we are men for most of our
lives. Rationality is the secret to almost everything. I do not trust
passion at all. I am apparently not yet an old man since I have no use for
mysticism. I doubt I ever will." - Ed Dolan

I will add to the above that I do not totally trust rationality either,
anymore than I do passion. Rationality can often lead us down garden paths
where the truth is hidden from us just as effectively as it is when we act
with passion. However, on the whole I trust my thinking (however imperfect)
much more than I do my feeling. When our thinking is buttressed by science
and solid factual information we are at our best as human beings.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

This is why I love bike-riding -- a perfect blend (the perfect balance)
between reason and non-reason!

It's mental, and it's physical...it's mechanical, and it's human...it's
something very old, with a great tradition, and yet every ride feels
like the first exhilarating time...a lot of engineering goes into the
making of a bike, but riding it well is quite an art...I love my bike!

Edward Dolan said:

"Paul van Veenendaal" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Edward Dolan said:

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

<cut>

Quoted message said:

We are children and youth only briefly, but we are men for most of our
lives.

Given the fact that time flows exponentially, this is not true.
Time does not proceed at a constant rate, given the fact that the last ten
years of my life feel in total much shorter than only one year at school
when I was a child.. ;-)

Paul is quite right about how we experience time. I remember the 4 years I
spent in the Navy. It seemed like I had been there all of my life after
about 2 years. Yet I could do 4 years now standing on my head time goes by
so fast.

"We are children and youth only briefly, but we are men for most of our
lives. Rationality is the secret to almost everything. I do not trust
passion at all. I am apparently not yet an old man since I have no use for
mysticism. I doubt I ever will." - Ed Dolan

I will add to the above that I do not totally trust rationality either,
anymore than I do passion. Rationality can often lead us down garden paths
where the truth is hidden from us just as effectively as it is when we act
with passion. However, on the whole I trust my thinking (however imperfect)
much more than I do my feeling. When our thinking is buttressed by science
and solid factual information we are at our best as human beings.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

NYC XYZ said:

This is why I love bike-riding -- a perfect blend (the perfect balance)
between reason and non-reason!

Dominick was crazy. When boys were expected, like hand-me-down pants,
to grow into them, he took his over-sized balloon tired standard of the
day and did things on that bike that BMX riders today only dream about.

During recess, he'd rampage the school yard sending masses of kids
rushing in one direction or the other to avoid being run over by him.
Screaming children would practically knock each other out of the way
while they'd scramble up twelve step staircases thinking that they
could get away from him and his bike.

Dominick learned to avoid our corner of the yard though---at least when
I was there. After the first time he sent us running, I stood my ground
and launched a stick-ball mop handle through his front wheel.

He ended up on his ass---but only for a moment.

Off school grounds, the streets, sidewalks, curbs, rain gutters, old
trolley train tracks, even the tops of not so low walls were all
bikeways for Dominick.

And this was over forty-years ago when even construction workers wore
no helmets and storm drains could swallow VWs.

Eventually, we would have races under the els to see who got to the
next station faster than both the overhead train and eachother.

There wasn't one race which didn't make 'The French Connection' look
like kindergarden.

I'd read Twain, Hugo, Harte, Freud, etc. and etc---at least three books
a week, but always after the races.

I don't think Dominick ever read anything though.

I'm not sure if that guy even ever got off his bike---until the last
time.

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman said:

The contrast between the excellent judgment in plotting a course
through moving vehicles and pedestrians and the very poor risk taking
judgment is fascinating (an apparently relatively common trait among
those gifted with exceptional athletic ability).

Those riders are making the common mistake of assuming everyone besides
them are going to behave in a predictable manner. All it takes is one
car to quickly change lanes unpredictably and there'll be a gooey mess
all over the road.

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

Quoted message said:

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman said:

The contrast between the excellent judgment in plotting a course
through moving vehicles and pedestrians and the very poor risk taking
judgment is fascinating (an apparently relatively common trait among
those gifted with exceptional athletic ability).

Those riders are making the common mistake of assuming everyone besides
them are going to behave in a predictable manner. All it takes is one
car to quickly change lanes unpredictably and there'll be a gooey mess
all over the road.

Yes, you are quite correct. Those cyclists are skillful all right, but they
lack good judgment. That apparently is only something that comes with age.
Well, that is what I am here for. I am the epitome of good judgment and
wisdom. These freaking cycling newsgroups are extremely lucky to have me
grace their miserable presence.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

Quoted message said:

Those riders are making the common mistake of assuming everyone besides
them are going to behave in a predictable manner.

.... and the common mistake of assuming that they are superior to
everyone else on the road

Quoted message said:

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman said:

The contrast between the excellent judgment in plotting a course
through moving vehicles and pedestrians and the very poor risk taking
judgment is fascinating (an apparently relatively common trait among
those gifted with exceptional athletic ability).

Those riders are making the common mistake of assuming everyone besides
them are going to behave in a predictable manner. All it takes is one
car to quickly change lanes unpredictably and there'll be a gooey mess
all over the road.

Come, come -- everyone makes the assumption that everyone else is going
to be predictable. You gotta have faith. You don't put yourself in
dangerous situations, though; and that's the whole crux of the matter
here, what is "dangerous." For many, merely riding in traffic is
danger enough. Others think helmets decrease the chances of danger
somehow. Still others think that their following the rules decreases
danger.

Whatever. I say that we all take our chances, and some of us are lucky
as hell, and others are very good at what we do. Those who wish to
stay home, etc., may do so.

One thing I really want to get across is that driving is a PRIVILEDGE.
I think the "might makes right" mentality obscures the fact that
motorists have to be licensed, and that roads naturally belong to
pedestrians and, by extension, bicyclists. It's really too bad that we
have people who think it's a God-given right to zip along in an
environmentally-abusive vehicle.

Even on a bike path, pedestrians have right of way. The sooner our
laws reflect such sensibilities, where motorists are concerned, the
better.

I really don't think there should be traffic laws, as such, against
pedestrians and bicyclists. The streets are ours to begin with.

NYC XYZ said:

Quoted message said:

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman said:

The contrast between the excellent judgment in plotting a course
through moving vehicles and pedestrians and the very poor risk taking
judgment is fascinating (an apparently relatively common trait among
those gifted with exceptional athletic ability).

Those riders are making the common mistake of assuming everyone besides
them are going to behave in a predictable manner. All it takes is one
car to quickly change lanes unpredictably and there'll be a gooey mess
all over the road.

Come, come -- everyone makes the assumption that everyone else is going
to be predictable.

Not me. I make the assumption that everyone drives like a maniac (like
my wife for example).

-

-

-

Quoted message said:

Not me. I make the assumption that everyone drives like a maniac (like
my wife for example).

Sure you're not driving her crazy? =)

The maniacs are most predictable: just stay out of their way!

Seriously, I believe there's a certain kind of "zen" to riding in NY
rush-hour traffic...I can't explain it, but you develop an awareness of
what you can do and when...I've only been surprised less than a handful
of times in all these years.

Really, I'm sure someone in urban planning can explain it...there's a
certain flow to things, like kayaking or something...with some
practice, you get it -- kind of like when you're learning a foreign
language, and one day, you're actually able to invent idiom of your own!