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misterwoe
= Cult of Ray =
Greece
675 Posts |
 Posted - 05/17/2009 : 20:48:45
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Are there any avid bicyclists here?
Any tips for biking in an over crowded city full of crazy drivers where pedestrians DO NOT have the right-of-way?
Seriously. I would love to get back into cycling and am totally heartbroken that I do not live in a bicycle-friendly city.
Tip No. 1: move to Amsterdam.
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eyes burning |
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tisasawath
= Cult of Ray =
Wallis and Futuna Islands
783 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2009 : 22:50:33
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went up a mountain this weekend, this one actually (but not my footage) http://www.vimeo.com/2264244
fantastic views, great lunch (but anything's good when you're really hungry) and great fun on the way down
cyclists in Amsterdam made me nervous, it felt like an ambush every 10 seconds or so. in other cities they were more considerate towards unaccustomed foreigners. but yes, i admire the Dutch for their cycling culture and traffic pollution control - hop on the train to go to work in the morning with folding bicycles under their arms, not minding the rain, wind, cold..
tips? put on enough protection. or put on mass (see Newton's 2nd and 3rd law) |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 03:52:08
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I'm pretty avid (I often commute on my bike). Tips:
1) be aggressive, such as if you need to take a left get out in the road and take your turn (I'm certain it is the safest way to ride)
2) watch out for car doors flying open in front of you (when riding along a row of parallel park cars you need to look into the cars and see if anyone looks like they about to exit
3)get a helmet
4) at least in California (I don't know about other places and I now live in Oklahoma) a bike is a moving vehicle (not a pedestrian). That means you have the rights and responsibilities of a car and you don't have pedestrian rights (such as crossing at crosswalks).
I'm about to get on my bike. I'll add more if I think of some on my ride. |
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tisasawath
= Cult of Ray =
Wallis and Futuna Islands
783 Posts |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 05:00:28
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I've read that my new town is bike friendly, but they no idea what bike friendly looks like. I think to them it means there a few bike lanes, but they aren't well connected and there are so few riders around here that I don't think people are use to looking out for bikes. Nobody has screamed at me yet, but a couple have scared me with their apparent disregard for my presence. I love riding though.
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BLT
> Teenager of the Year <
South Sandwich Islands
4204 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 05:42:54
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I'm what I'd call "avid." I usually ride at least 4 or 5 days/week. I have a cyclocross bike which is basically a road bike with clearance for fatter tires. Most of my riding is on asphalt but I also like to hit the dirt roads up in the hills.
Riding's not too bad here in Los Angeles, considering the size of the city. If you're considerate to cars (for instance, not blocking the turn lane when you're going straight) they're fine. But as a bicyclist and a motorist, the one thing that really gets my goat is cyclists who run stop signs when there are cars around. This is a big problem to me. The effects are: cars no longer know what to expect of cyclists they encounter, so they sometimes try to force bikes to take the right-of-way when it's not rightfully theirs; it cause motorists to resent cyclists for being "above the law." Last week I was on my bike, stopped at a stop sign to let a car go through, and when I proceeded was cut off by *another cyclist* who busted through the stop sign opposite me. I called him a dick and went on my merry way.
The lowest forms of socializing:
3) Message boards
2) Mustard gas
1) Twitter |
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trobrianders
> Teenager of the Year <
Papua New Guinea
3302 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 06:15:47
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One tip is not to stick to car routes. I hadn't realised the options available in London until a friend showed me alternative routes, some through parks, along canals etc. Where are you misterwoe? In a Greek town?
That trust between driver and cyclist that BLT mentioned is missing in London where failed planning and the crazy layout makes traveling in the city unpredictable for everyone.
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Ed is the hoo hoo |
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misterwoe
= Cult of Ray =
Greece
675 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 11:02:48
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I live in Athens.
You guys have provided some good tips, but I think it might be a lost cause in regards to any reasonable expectation of safety.
The city is overcrowded with cars, and a lot of people don't actually earn their driver's license. Instead, they bribe officials for a free pass, which results in massive amounts of people who don't know how to drive. Seriously, Greeks just don't care. A lot of them ignore stop signs, run red lights, and have no regard for one-way traffic.
Having said that, what do you guys think? Is it worth the risk?
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eyes burning |
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BLT
> Teenager of the Year <
South Sandwich Islands
4204 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 11:54:04
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Based on your description, it sounds like a suicide mission.
Maybe this is why I haven't heard of any world-class cyclists from Greece -- they all got run over while training.
Maybe it'd be best to just do some offroad cycling (or anywhere that cars don't go).
The lowest forms of socializing:
3) Message boards
2) Mustard gas
1) Twitter |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 16:06:44
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| Not worth the risk. Maybe there's a local bicycling club that can tell you some safe routes outside of town. |
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danjersey
> Teenager of the Year <
USA
2792 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2009 : 16:16:53
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A friend of mine says its deadly enough by car.
So... the revolution may include head injuries.
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fumanbru
* Dog in the Sand *
Canada
1462 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2009 : 01:09:16
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quote:
Originally posted by misterwoe
I live in Athens.
You guys have provided some good tips, but I think it might be a lost cause in regards to any reasonable expectation of safety.
The city is overcrowded with cars, and a lot of people don't actually earn their driver's license. Instead, they bribe officials for a free pass, which results in massive amounts of people who don't know how to drive. Seriously, Greeks just don't care. A lot of them ignore stop signs, run red lights, and have no regard for one-way traffic.
Having said that, what do you guys think? Is it worth the risk?
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eyes burning
i was in athens before. that's one thing i will never forget...how insane the drivers were! it was absolute chaos. your explanation makes a lot of sense. i just thought i didn't understand the greek way.
 "I joined the Cult of Frank/ cause I'm a real go-getter!"...long live snitz!! |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2009 : 18:49:53
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i spent a couple weeks in Athens when i was 19. good gyros.
the real reason i am posting here though is this video i saw. not that this thread is about bmx, but.. anyway, i genreally consider bmx to be kind of... dumb. but this is undeniably gnarley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymCiIOTlgpE |
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shineoftheever
> Teenager of the Year <
Canada
4307 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2009 : 13:17:45
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i was so drunk on my bike last night. rode home, was talking on the phone, riding onehanded, no regard for cars. it was awesome! suicide mission, but awesome. i had a helmet on.
The waxworks were an immensely eloquent dissertation on the wonderful ordinariness of mankind. |
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Bicycle Man
