P
Patrick Turner
Guest
Aeek wrote:
>
> On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:41:05 GMT, Patrick Turner
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Often I have beaten buses going from Watson where I live to civic,
> >but mainly because they stop more often.
> >
> >If I drive to Woden in peak hour, its much shorter than riding.
>
> Ah, your Canberra isn't my Canberra. You actually have a grid of
> somewhat straight back streets. At least in Aranda, my trunk roads are
> straight. I found a straight backway using link paths. Never again,
> way too scarey! Especially accessing the path on the outside of a
> corner. I'm be encouraged to cross where I can't see what's coming?
> No thanks. Newer suburbs are even worse.
So what your're saying is that all the windy bendy roundy go
street layouts are a PITA.
Well yeah, and motorists also can't see around corners.
They tend to go slower.
As long as one is aware of what a motorist cannot see, you'll be OK.
I am quite happiest riding from the lake up to Cook and that part on the
cycle
paths and the tunnels under the main roads. Tunnels need to be
approached with caution because
someone might be on the wrong side and you won't react in time if you
go too fast. So slow down.
I find Canberra's cycle paths to be quite tolerable. But I have no idea
of what cycle paths are like elsewhere on the globe because I never
travel.
So I cannot know how they could be drastically improved in the best way.
I don't have a manual for cycle path implementaion policies.
I am used to the paths, and I don't expect them to be perfect.
I'm thinking of getting a mountain bike, but methinks my knees wouldn't
agree.
And in Aranda and Cook there's lots of hills, and
I don't let myself descend too fast because I wouldn't be able to stop
fast if I needed to for a motorist who didn't see me.
But one doesn't get fit descending hills, so
braking on descents doesn't matter.
Red Hill is a nasty little steep climb a kilometre long.
Anyone freewheeling down with no brakes has to pass the exit to the golf
course
1/2 way, and then try to stop at the roundabout at the bottom.
The two things are potential dangers, but not if you apply gentle
braking
all the way down the mountain.
I thought I was heating my brakes a lot, but after coming down one day
I felt the brakes and they were quite cool, and no rim heat.
The rim acts as a large air cooled heatsink.
I have never felt in danger cycling around the back streets of Aranda,
Cook, and Hawker
just to get the benefits of the hill climbing, and I've never reached
your conclusions
about paths in the general area. Its a nice part of Canberra, and
usually very little traffic.
But I try to keep off Belconnen Way though.
Patrick Turner.
>
> On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:41:05 GMT, Patrick Turner
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Often I have beaten buses going from Watson where I live to civic,
> >but mainly because they stop more often.
> >
> >If I drive to Woden in peak hour, its much shorter than riding.
>
> Ah, your Canberra isn't my Canberra. You actually have a grid of
> somewhat straight back streets. At least in Aranda, my trunk roads are
> straight. I found a straight backway using link paths. Never again,
> way too scarey! Especially accessing the path on the outside of a
> corner. I'm be encouraged to cross where I can't see what's coming?
> No thanks. Newer suburbs are even worse.
So what your're saying is that all the windy bendy roundy go
street layouts are a PITA.
Well yeah, and motorists also can't see around corners.
They tend to go slower.
As long as one is aware of what a motorist cannot see, you'll be OK.
I am quite happiest riding from the lake up to Cook and that part on the
cycle
paths and the tunnels under the main roads. Tunnels need to be
approached with caution because
someone might be on the wrong side and you won't react in time if you
go too fast. So slow down.
I find Canberra's cycle paths to be quite tolerable. But I have no idea
of what cycle paths are like elsewhere on the globe because I never
travel.
So I cannot know how they could be drastically improved in the best way.
I don't have a manual for cycle path implementaion policies.
I am used to the paths, and I don't expect them to be perfect.
I'm thinking of getting a mountain bike, but methinks my knees wouldn't
agree.
And in Aranda and Cook there's lots of hills, and
I don't let myself descend too fast because I wouldn't be able to stop
fast if I needed to for a motorist who didn't see me.
But one doesn't get fit descending hills, so
braking on descents doesn't matter.
Red Hill is a nasty little steep climb a kilometre long.
Anyone freewheeling down with no brakes has to pass the exit to the golf
course
1/2 way, and then try to stop at the roundabout at the bottom.
The two things are potential dangers, but not if you apply gentle
braking
all the way down the mountain.
I thought I was heating my brakes a lot, but after coming down one day
I felt the brakes and they were quite cool, and no rim heat.
The rim acts as a large air cooled heatsink.
I have never felt in danger cycling around the back streets of Aranda,
Cook, and Hawker
just to get the benefits of the hill climbing, and I've never reached
your conclusions
about paths in the general area. Its a nice part of Canberra, and
usually very little traffic.
But I try to keep off Belconnen Way though.
Patrick Turner.