On the road again
- It's where bicycles belong
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Here's an excellent response to the tendency to "blame the victim":
I believe the over-emphasis on bicyclists' responsibility stems from the mistaken belief that bikes do not belong on the road, that a bicyclist is asking for trouble if she rides out in traffic, that a "good" bicyclist knows her place and gets out of the way of "legitimate" road users in cars.
Yet the law is clear that bicyclists have the same essential rights and responsibilities as drivers. We not only belong on the road, we even sometimes belong smack-dab in the middle of the road, if that is the safest place to be.
- Speed. I am [not] speed.
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"Average speeds in Melbourne's 60 and 70 km/h zones have dropped below the speed limits for the first time on record", and apparently it's all down to speed cameras. Who'd have thunk it?
- Smart cars and smart roads?
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Applying information technology to the problem of congestion might do some good, but it's really just tinkering at the edges—it won't alter the fact that there are thousands of cars all trying to get into town at the same time.
And now a tip for…
- …the Government
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If you want to mitigate public outrage, cutting your critics out of the loop probably isn't the way to do it.
- …cycling commuters
- …would-be track cyclists
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On Sunday 4th May, there will be a "Come 'n' try track cycling" day at DISC, 281 Darebin Rd, Thornbury. See the flyer for more details. Sounds like fun.
- …Connex and V/Line
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Here's how it's done in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.
[Image credit: Bikes May Use Full Lane by richardmasoner on Flickr]
Comments
Dude, we noticed you were missing. Just hoped you had a Brain fart and forgot about posting and not hurt or something.
I can't imagine riding in rain without a waterproof pack, though I can see getting careless or lazy and "forgetting" that one day and ruining a shirt.
I'm glad you like the photo! Traffic was at a complete standstill when I shot it as thousands of people left the beaches for the evening.
No, I'm still here but it's nice to be missed. It's nothing serious, my (so-called) spare time is occupied by another project at the moment, but normal service will be resumed in a week or so.
In HYG's defence, it doesn't rain much in Melbourne any more so when it does it's easy to forget the weatherproof gear. That said, I always wrap the stuff that goes into my bag regardless of the conditions.
I like the message on the sign in that photo: it's direct and clear—more helpful than the more ambiguous "Share the Road". Of course, in traffic conditions like that it should really go without saying…
Heh, my "water gear" tends to be the 3 plastic bags jammed into a pocket of the backpack.
Traffic isn't usually that bad on that street. This is typical for Sunday night during the summer, but any other time it's a lot less crowded.
This photo, incidentally, was shot just uphill of where Lucian Gregg died after he rode his brakeless fixie into the back of a delivery truck in January.
Yes yes, I'm a doofus for riding in the rain without adequate waterproofing.... The REALLY silly part is that I've actually got another Deuter hiking day pack that has a rain cover and I've got Ortlieb panniers on the other bike... Yet I still chose to go with the combo I did...
Oh heck, while I'm shooting myself in the foot, I'll also mention that the fixie has a Brooks while the other bike doesn't.... arghhh! Brooks in the rain!!
Who's a clever boy?? :)