[sustran] Bicycles - Improving the image
J.H. Crawford
joel at xs4all.nl
Mon Apr 20 17:18:33 JST 1998
> I've ridden the new electric bikes, they're just a bit heavy enough to
>suspect that the riders will become almost totally dependant on the
>motor assist. They are geared wrong for pedaling, probably because of
>the motor, they pedal like they're in low gear when you've got it going
>on pedal power you've got to pedal very fast in high gear because you
>don't have a higher one.
>
> It's so annoying, not having a higher gear so you can scale back your
>cadence that you fall back to the motor out of sheer exasperation, and
>even inspite of the fact that you can pedal the thing much faster than
>the motor can push. So they need quite a bit more work.
I suspect they do. This is an infant technology, but one that
seems very promising to me. Electronic controls are getting so
good that it should be a relatively simple matter to solve the
problems you mention.
> Still, they're going to cost more money and they're going to need more
>service than an ordinary bike and they'll probably be slower as well.
Should be faster. That's the whole idea.
>They certainly still provide more pollution than an ordinary bike.
Still neglible in comparison to any other motorized mode.
> Still, I've found in my years of riding that all that's really needed
>is the 'move when clear/safe rule' to be strickly applied. If police
>gave tickets to bikers who say crossed through an intersection while
>people were walking, or while oncomming cars were approaching, I'd not
>have a concern about that, if anything I'd welcome it!
That might work. Interpretation might be an issue, but maybe
not. The same principle could be applied to pedestrians, too.
> The law says they should be on the curb until the light has changed in
>their direction. Instead they often do a 'dance' in the street, walking
>backwards while talking and not watching traffic and simply wandering
>into my lane without looking. Usually I've seen them from two or three
>blocks away (yes, traffic conditions permitting I scan that far head for
>potential problems, even further if traffic is light.)
>
> I usually scan the sidewalks up ahead to notice if anything 'strange'
>is occuring. Like people walking backwards towards the curb while
>getting the last words in with someone. Or people running in a hurry to
>cross, anything odd, because usually the problem isn't resolved and by
>time you get there they've often placed themselves in the worst possible
>postions.
>
> I have to take particular note of cabs coming up from behind, since
>they will overtake you and pull to the curb suddenly in front of you,
>instead of taking a second to let you go by first. Double parked cars
>must be gotten around before any truck or bus can over take you while
>you are in this maneuver. Trucks, busses and vans seem to delight in
>skimming double parked cars, if you're in this space very often when
>they overtake you and pass, it's much more likely that you'll eventually
>become a 'statistical explaination' -- "Oh I didn't see him"! while you
>lay there crushed in the small space they left or under their wheels.
>
> I never go around a double parked car unless I can make eye contact
>with the drivers of the vehicles overtaking me. Even then it's risky
>business because for some reason drivers of box trucks almost never ever
>give way and leave enough space where you could have gotten through
>safely. So usually, if it a box truck or a bus, I'll just stop until
>they pass before going around.
>
> Like you say, the road is dangerous, indeed. I listen to engine
>sounds, they give a clue that some wild driver might be on the road.
>That's saved my life a number of times. If I even hear an engine racing
>wildly or even just high rev's, I get off the street immediately without
>even taking time to look for the source of the sound. Once, I jumped a
>curb and got onto the sidewalk, upon hearing an engine suddenly start
>racing. I fell and skinned my knee in the process, but happlily a black
>mercedes passed by me with three inches to spare on the sidewalk.
>
> I later heard on the news that a robbery had occured near that area,
>this could well have been the car, if so it would proably have taken my
>life had I not reacted so quickly. Believe me, I felt foolish while I
>was falling to the ground. It occured to me I had needlessly done
>something stupid. It took only a second to prove to me that I hadn't
>made a bad guess at all. So I still continue to do this maneuver, even
>though most times it proves to be false. There's only been two times
>when it proved true, but they were quite enough for me.
I get a wonderful flavor of what bike riding is for you from the
paragraphs above. It's a sport, one you play to the limits. It's
obvious that biking occupies your entire attention. I have no
problem with this at all, but I don't expect very many people
either to make the kind of study of street behavior that you
have or to accept a mode that requires such constant vigilance
in the face of danger. It's fine for those who want to do it,
but I don't think many people will accept this way of traveling.
###
J.H. Crawford Crawford Systems joel at xs4all.nl http://www.mokum.com/
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