Speed Hump @ Centennial Park - Update

[Kimon]

Could they have made it any higher? For f*ck's sake.

It's not going to take long for somebody to break their neck when they
fly off it at 80km/h.

- K

 

[TimC]

On 2006-03-22, Kimon (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> Could they have made it any higher? For f*ck's sake.
>
> It's not going to take long for somebody to break their neck when they
> fly off it at 80km/h.

That would be dumb of them then, wouldn't it?

Speed humps are designed to encourage you to slow down before hitting
them. Thank your lucky stars they aren't bollards, which seem to be
designed to stop your bike instantly (and catastrophically) when you
commit the smallest of mistakes.

--
TimC
MacOSX: Sort of like a pedigree persian cat. Very sleek, very
sexy, but a little too prone to going cross-eyed, biting you on
your thumb and then throwing up on your trousers. -- Jim in ASR

 

[Michael Warner]

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:47:06 GMT, TimC wrote:

>> It's not going to take long for somebody to break their neck when they
>> fly off it at 80km/h.
>
> That would be dumb of them then, wouldn't it?

It sounds pretty dumb to me to be riding around a park - shared with
lots of pedestrians and dog walkers - at high speed in the first place.
Aren't there any alternatives in Sydney?

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

 

[Parbs]

TimC wrote:
> On 2006-03-22, Kimon (aka Bruce)
>> It's not going to take long for somebody to break their neck when they
>> fly off it at 80km/h.
>
> That would be dumb of them then, wouldn't it?
>
Especially since the speed limit is 30km/h

 

[Kimon]

Parbs wrote:
> TimC wrote:
> > On 2006-03-22, Kimon (aka Bruce)
> >> It's not going to take long for somebody to break their neck when they
> >> fly off it at 80km/h.
> >
> > That would be dumb of them then, wouldn't it?
> >
> Especially since the speed limit is 30km/h

Um, the speed hump is on the bottom of a steep hill.

 

[Kimon]

TimC wrote:
> On 2006-03-22, Kimon (aka Bruce)
> was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> > Could they have made it any higher? For f*ck's sake.
> >
> > It's not going to take long for somebody to break their neck when they
> > fly off it at 80km/h.
>
> That would be dumb of them then, wouldn't it?

Well, a first time cyclist or a person not be aware of the hump's
presence will not have much of a choice (or a kid who doesn't know
better). At the moment, there is no sign indicating a speed hump, and
even with a sign there is little chance slowing down on that hill.

> Speed humps are designed to encourage you to slow down before hitting
> them. Thank your lucky stars they aren't bollards, which seem to be
> designed to stop your bike instantly (and catastrophically) when you
> commit the smallest of mistakes.

Not sure a bollard would have worked in that location (assuming we are
talking about the same kind of bollard)
-K

 

[TimC]

On 2006-03-22, Kimon (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>
> Parbs wrote:
>> TimC wrote:
>> > On 2006-03-22, Kimon (aka Bruce)
>> >> It's not going to take long for somebody to break their neck when they
>> >> fly off it at 80km/h.
>> >
>> > That would be dumb of them then, wouldn't it?
>> >
>> Especially since the speed limit is 30km/h
>
> Um, the speed hump is on the bottom of a steep hill.

Yes, and the speed limit is still 30.

You do have working brakes, don't you?

--
TimC
Yip yip yip yip yap yap yip *BANG* --- NO TERRIER
-- JoeB in the Scary Devil Monastery

 

[Random Data]

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 02:19:37 -0800, Kimon wrote:

> Well, a first time cyclist or a person not be aware of the hump's
> presence will not have much of a choice (or a kid who doesn't know
> better). At the moment, there is no sign indicating a speed hump, and
> even with a sign there is little chance slowing down on that hill.

Assuming it's on the steepest hill (ie, down from Oxford St, or the other
side of the pavilion), it's still a piece of **** to slow down. A beginner
cyclist will be riding the brakes the whole way, and unlikely to be moving
that fast.

OTOH if the speed hump is that large, the local MTBers will be having
great fun using at as a jump.

--
Dave Hughes | [email protected]
Flagrant system error!
The system is down. I dunno what you did, moron,
but you sure screwed everything up - Strongbad

 

[Kimon]

Random Data wrote:
> On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 02:19:37 -0800, Kimon wrote:
>
> > Well, a first time cyclist or a person not be aware of the hump's
> > presence will not have much of a choice (or a kid who doesn't know
> > better). At the moment, there is no sign indicating a speed hump, and
> > even with a sign there is little chance slowing down on that hill.
>
> Assuming it's on the steepest hill (ie, down from Oxford St, or the other
> side of the pavilion), it's still a piece of **** to slow down.

It's near the coffee shop/restaurant.

A beginner
> cyclist will be riding the brakes the whole way, and unlikely to be moving
> that fast.
>
> OTOH if the speed hump is that large,

The speed hump is a standard yellow and black metal hump, common to
most shopping centre car parks. However, since it's built on gradient
it sticks up a lot more.

>the local MTBers will be having
> great fun using at as a jump.

Indeed they will, straight into the oncoming traffic.

 

[Andrew Price]

Kimon wrote -

> Well, a first time cyclist or a person not be aware of the hump's
> presence will not have much of a choice (or a kid who doesn't know
> better). At the moment, there is no sign indicating a speed hump, and
> even with a sign there is little chance slowing down on that hill.

Our bunch meets for morning rides directly opposite where the new hump has
been placed.

As has been observed its a metal hump with edges unkind to bike wheels, sort
of like the ones film crews use to cover cables when they have to go across
roads - and very much like the one Matt White slippped on at very slow speed
and broke his arm just before the prologue to the TdeF a few years ago.

So while we are waiting there (telling lies about why we didn't win any
races on the previous weekend) and waiting for the rest of the bunch to roll
up, another group turns from Grand Parade UP the hill and the lead rider in
the pre dawn gloom either doesn't see or misjudges the angle to go over the
hump, goes down and joins the Collar Bone Club (always open to new members).

I do hope someone points out to the park authority that they will have a
liability problem with making a dangerour intersection more and not less
dangerous to users.

The way better solution is to require all users whether cyclist or motorist
to correctly observe the stop sign at the intersection - they seem to have
lots of rangers patrolling the park - effective enforcement of a protective
control sign would overcome the perceived problem, not the installation
something inherently dangerous to cyclists.

best, Andrew

 

[Zebee Johnstone]

In aus.bicycle on Wed, 22 Mar 2006 17:14:39 GMT
Andrew Price <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I do hope someone points out to the park authority that they will have a
> liability problem with making a dangerour intersection more and not less
> dangerous to users.

I'm sure their address is easily available.

In other words, why isn't the "someone" you?

Zebee

 

[Andrew Price]

Zebee asked -

> In other words, why isn't the "someone" you?

Me (and my army) will do.

 

[Random Data]

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 17:14:39 +0000, Andrew Price wrote:

> As has been observed its a metal hump with edges unkind to bike wheels,
> sort of like the ones film crews use to cover cables when they have to go
> across roads

*That* is a different story. That's rude, as well as dangerous. Perhaps
something akin to what happened to the gate at the south end of the
Harbour Bridge is in order? [1]


[1] Not that I don't know exactly what happened to this, but I suspect it
involved one or more couriers, a socket set, and a big splash.

--
Dave Hughes | [email protected]
Researchers in Fairbanks Alaska announced last week that they have
discovered a superconductor which will operate at room temperature.

 

[darryl]

In article <[email protected]>,
Michael Warner <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:47:06 GMT, TimC wrote:
>
> >> It's not going to take long for somebody to break their neck when they
> >> fly off it at 80km/h.
> >
> > That would be dumb of them then, wouldn't it?
>
> It sounds pretty dumb to me to be riding around a park - shared with
> lots of pedestrians and dog walkers - at high speed in the first place.
> Aren't there any alternatives in Sydney?

Waratah Vets host races out at Eastern Creek Raceway and Randwick/Botany
host races at Heffron Park but unless you want to race there are very
few other safe places to ride in Sydney.

I did hear that they wanted to encourage cycling back at Homebush
Olympic precinct but have seen nothing written. From past experience
they would probably want to charge a fee just to be there.

The roads in Sydney are fine if you:
* like stopping every 100 metres for traffic lights (a lot of which are
not activated by a bicycle riding over the sensors),
* like cycling on pot-holed concrete roads,
* like sharing your lane with parked cars, people alighting from parked
cars, cars trying to park, and car drivers thinking about parking,
* like being blocked by car drivers double-parked because they have a
mobile call or they have just dropped in to a shop for a few minutes,
* like being overtaken then cutoff by cars that absolutely must turn
left at the next street,
* like being abused for riding two abreast in one lane of a multi-lane
road,
* like cycling through nails, screws, glass, wood, plastic and other
detritus that finds its way to the left of the road,
* like sharing the road with drugged drivers at any time of the day or
night, most likely with no valid driving licence and probably in a
stolen and unroadworthy car (did you see Four Corners on ABC TV last
Monday night, if not I recommend watching the podcast - scary stuff),
* etc, etc, etc.

Apart from that, a good suggestion.

regards,
Darryl

 

[Zebee Johnstone]

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 24 Mar 2006 01:41:44 GMT
darryl <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I did hear that they wanted to encourage cycling back at Homebush
> Olympic precinct but have seen nothing written. From past experience
> they would probably want to charge a fee just to be there.

There are a lot of cycle paths there, but I dunno many are suitable
for high speed work.

I'd say if you really want to fly then down the southern bits of the
Prince's Highway would be good. Have lots of puncture repear kit
though.

So how many Sydney training cyclists have written letters to Homebush
asking for facilities? What about to pollies, to dept of rec and
sport?



Zebee

 

[Michael Warner]

On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 01:41:44 GMT, darryl wrote:

> Apart from that, a good suggestion.

Let's see - horribly humid in summer, wet in winter, high cost
of living, stressful and almost nowhere to ride. You'd need a bloody
good reason to live there

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

 

[Kimon]

Michael Warner wrote:

>
> It sounds pretty dumb to me to be riding around a park - shared with
> lots of pedestrians and dog walkers - at high speed in the first place.

Centennial Park has been redesigned to specifically cater for cyclists;
there are two lanes of equal size around a 4km loop - one for cars, one
for bicycles. Generally, cyclists only share their lane with
roller-bladers, which are gradually declining in numbers.


> Aren't there any alternatives in Sydney?

I've ridden a bicycle in 15 cities around the world. Sydney is the
worst. It's safer to ride a bike in NYC than Sydney.

- K

 

[Andrew Price]

Kimon wrote -

> I've ridden a bicycle in 15 cities around the world. Sydney is the
> worst. It's safer to ride a bike in NYC than Sydney.

Just make sure you ride up Oxford Street on the way to the park between 5
and 6 any Saturday or Sunday morning, as the clubs and the discotheques are
"unloading".

Anything else you ever see or experience on any typical Sydney ride (riots,
gang wars, extra terrestrials/film crews, voodoo masses, truck eating
potholes) will all seem pretty tame really.

best, Andrew

 

[Kimon]

Andrew Price wrote:
> Kimon wrote -
>
> > I've ridden a bicycle in 15 cities around the world. Sydney is the
> > worst. It's safer to ride a bike in NYC than Sydney.
>
> Just make sure you ride up Oxford Street on the way to the park between 5
> and 6 any Saturday or Sunday morning, as the clubs and the discotheques are
> "unloading".
>
> Anything else you ever see or experience on any typical Sydney ride (riots,
> gang wars, extra terrestrials/film crews, voodoo masses, truck eating
> potholes) will all seem pretty tame really.
>
> best, Andrew

POTM

- K

 

[Shane Stanley]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Kimon" <[email protected]> wrote:

> It's safer to ride a bike in NYC than Sydney.

FWIW, I believe NYC is rated as one of the tope three cities for
cyclists in the US.

--
Shane Stanley