Unfriendly cycling cities
- Thread starter Speedodk
- Start date
I live in the UK and do a lot of road cycling, the motorists here are in general awful with regards cyclists. You get abuse on riding on the main roads, abuse riding in the lanes and what always astounds me is the people that are going the opposite direction not even on the same side of the road as you that still find it neccesary to give you abuse.
I've ridden in France and the difference in attitude of the motorists is incredible, riding in the mountains the motorists actually cheer you on. A lot of my friends say it's the same in Spain and some other European countries.
With the profile of cycling growing in this country with the success of Chris Hoy and the Olympic team, and Cav and Wiggins on the road I'm hoping it will gradually improve but I've seen no sign of it yet!
I've ridden in France and the difference in attitude of the motorists is incredible, riding in the mountains the motorists actually cheer you on. A lot of my friends say it's the same in Spain and some other European countries.
With the profile of cycling growing in this country with the success of Chris Hoy and the Olympic team, and Cav and Wiggins on the road I'm hoping it will gradually improve but I've seen no sign of it yet!
I thought the same thing when Lance won his first and subsequent TDF races. Although there has been an increase in U.S. cycling it has not had a effect on the number of commuters, but I do see a lot of vehicle-mounted bike racks and weekend riders riding around in lycra marked w/ their favorite teams.
I think commuter cycling is dying, even in China. As for the cycling community, there seems to be no interest in commuting by bicycle, they seem to just want to emulate their "heroes". The only chance I see for increased bike traffic would be a substantial increase in fuel prices. Although I understand in the U.K. and Europe, in general, the petro prices are already pretty high, so I don't know. Here in the U.S. I see a lot of bumperstickers pomoting a greener way of life /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif, but when it comes to making real changes no one is willing, including the most "environmentally conscious" of us.
I have noticed a small up surge in commuters in this area during warmer weather. I don't blame anyone for not riding into work through 5 inches of snow, 30 MPH winds, and 15 degrees. Anyway, during the summer when fuel prices tend to rise uncontrollably, I notice a lot more bicycle commuters. But this may be just in my location where there is absolutely no public mass transit except for an inconvenient bus line that does not go where many of us want to go.
[COLOR= #0000ff]I've seen a fairly significant increase in bicycling here in northern California -- even before I started riding, I was noticing them as I drove, ever since the gas prices went up a couple of years ago. But I think that type of increase is very regional. Californians, I think, tend to be more health-oriented than a lot of other states. Whether that stems from vanity via the Hollywood look, I don't know, but I've lived all over the country, and definitely see more health consciousness here than other states I lived in. [/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]Whatever caused it, I'm glad to see it! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif[/COLOR]
[COLOR= #0000ff]Whatever caused it, I'm glad to see it! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif[/COLOR]
One of my friends at CMU says that cycling is super popular there...maybe just around the university?
I've lived in both Austin and Houston. Austin is by far better because of the culture, though Houston has improved a lot over the last decade as popularity increases.
I remember reading that Bicycling Magazine had once rated Dallas as the 10th most unfriendly city in the nation. I've only biked there a few times, but it seems as if the drivers are oblivious to speed limits...It's a shame because the streets around Plano are so well cared for and clean looking. Luckily Pat McCarty-fever keeps the cycling fanbase up.
Well we will see if gas prices do get more cycles out there, since it looks as though prices are going back up.
Here's something funny:
This article was back in 2006, it talks about the dropping sales of SUV's http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Autos/story?id=1484201
This article is from just a few months ago and reports on the rebounding sales of SUV's
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/surprise-sales-big-suvs-surging-faster-small-cars/story?id=11284232
Who are these people? I don't have anything against SUV's, but I do remember everyone complaining and wanting to trade in their SUV for something smaller when gas prices were skyrocketing. What do they think? that it won't happen again/img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif
Here's something funny:
This article was back in 2006, it talks about the dropping sales of SUV's http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Autos/story?id=1484201
This article is from just a few months ago and reports on the rebounding sales of SUV's
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/surprise-sales-big-suvs-surging-faster-small-cars/story?id=11284232
Who are these people? I don't have anything against SUV's, but I do remember everyone complaining and wanting to trade in their SUV for something smaller when gas prices were skyrocketing. What do they think? that it won't happen again/img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif
Cycling in Australia is deffinately on the way up, as said in another thread bicycles out sold cars by 2 million units. Not bad for a country of a little over 20 million people.
Retired from the Navy after 23 years, 90% of which I've cycled as my primary form of transportation to work, so I've cycled in many places. I think the worst was in Hawaii, Oahu. The streets are small and congested.
I've heard of a lot of bad things about Jacksonville, Fl (where I live now), but I think it's just fine, but then again I'm really use to riding on the road, so in a way it's kind of hard for me to judge. However, I've seen videos on youtube of cyclists in New York City and I know I would not ride in many of them bike lanes, I'd stick to the regular roads or maybe the bus lanes.
As for touring, one of the worst states is South Carolina (at least on the east coast), their roads are not well maintained and seem to be a little more narrow than others. I did live in Goose Creek, SC for a while and that wasn't as bad, those road were kind of big. However, I did have to transit to work via a 16-mile route in lieu of a 9-mile route because of a narrow two-lane road with traffic speeds similar to a freeway and tons of 18-wheelers. On more than one occasion I had to jump off the road to get out of the way. There just wasn't much room for an 18-wheeler to move over when he had another one approaching from the opposite direction; that's why I decided the 16-mile route was a much better option. Also that's why they make mirrors.
As for crappy drivers yelling or throwing stuff. I really don't see a difference in all the places I've ridden. It happens everywhere, but I'm sure there's a capital location of assholes somewhere, I think I've just been lucky not to have visited there...yet.
I've heard of a lot of bad things about Jacksonville, Fl (where I live now), but I think it's just fine, but then again I'm really use to riding on the road, so in a way it's kind of hard for me to judge. However, I've seen videos on youtube of cyclists in New York City and I know I would not ride in many of them bike lanes, I'd stick to the regular roads or maybe the bus lanes.
As for touring, one of the worst states is South Carolina (at least on the east coast), their roads are not well maintained and seem to be a little more narrow than others. I did live in Goose Creek, SC for a while and that wasn't as bad, those road were kind of big. However, I did have to transit to work via a 16-mile route in lieu of a 9-mile route because of a narrow two-lane road with traffic speeds similar to a freeway and tons of 18-wheelers. On more than one occasion I had to jump off the road to get out of the way. There just wasn't much room for an 18-wheeler to move over when he had another one approaching from the opposite direction; that's why I decided the 16-mile route was a much better option. Also that's why they make mirrors.
As for crappy drivers yelling or throwing stuff. I really don't see a difference in all the places I've ridden. It happens everywhere, but I'm sure there's a capital location of assholes somewhere, I think I've just been lucky not to have visited there...yet.
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