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I lived in Austin for 15 years, and just moved to Portland a year ago. There is more bike infrastructure here, but the biggest difference is the attitude of the drivers. It took me a while to get used to cars giving me the right-of-way even when I wasn't legally entitled to it. Still have to watch for inattentive drivers, just like anywhere else, but the level of aggression towards cyclists is much lower here.
Rod
That is one humongous pickup truck, wide body with mirrors sticking way out. I regularly see vehicles like this encroaching across road shoulders, because they barely even fit on the road. These and trucks pulling wide trailers are my worst nightmare. 18 wheelers and busses are less dangerous than these, because those drivers are at least conscious that they take up a lot of space.
Rod
Interesting article with links to surveys on the topic:
I rode this section of 2244 on Sunday without knowing what had happened the day before. After hearing the story, I was wondering how this could happen, as the road has wide shoulders in that area. I thought maybe he was in the turn lane or crossing into the traffic lanes for some reason. Then I saw the still picture in the KXAN story with chalk on the road marked "AOI" - area of impact. It was squarely in the middle of the road shoulder. The driver was not merely blinded by the rising sun to an obstacle in the traffic lane, she was driving on the shoulder!
If I remember the article correctly, he borrowed a bike and helmet to go along on the commute.
"It’s unfortunate that the hostile and arrogant actions of a few reflects on the community as a whole." Why does that sentence apply to the cyclist community and not the motorist community? The cyclist your wife observed needs work on his people skills, and I certainly don't think he handled the situation well, but I've seen motorists go off the handle many times over trivial things like parking spaces. Why does a cyclist with poor people skills reflect on all cyclists, but a motorist with a similar problem does not reflect on all motorists?
To offer some counter-examples, on two occasions I have followed and confronted a motorist who passed me on Jolllyville while I was in the bike lane. They passed with their wheels well over the bike lane line, and the bike lane on Jollyville is narrow, so they literally missed me by inches at 45+ mph. I was only able to follow them because they turned off into a parking lot not far after they passed me. In both cases the person was a middle-aged lady, and the conversation went something like this: "Ma'am, do you realize you were driving in the bike lane?" "I was driving in the bike lane?" "Yes ma'am, and if I had been over a few inches, you would have hit me." <perplexed look> "Please be careful and pay attention, my life depends on it". And I rode off.
So, does the "cycling community" get credit for my handling life-and-limb-threatening encounters with better people skills?
...for the new bike lane striping on Anderson Mill? It's a least a foot wider than it was before, feels much more comfortable with the extra space. The road maintenance was a bit painful the last month, with piles of chip-seal to navigate, but the end result is a big improvement. I commute daily on Anderson Mill, and would like to know who is responsible for giving me a bit more breathing room. Thanks.
Rod Monsees
If I took the same route via bicycle as I would by car, I might agree with you. A better measure might be "vehicle exposure" as a measure of accident risk. The more people in vehicles you encounter, the higher risk that one of them is going to do something unwise, and not in your favor. On the same road, a cyclist will be passed by more motor vehicles than a motorist would be, due to the speed difference. But if a cyclist chooses low traffic roads, vehicle exposure may be less than a motorist for the same distance.
Regarding the actual (as opposed to perceived) dangers, I agree that they should be reduced as much as possible through smart street planning and cycling infrastructure. I'm a bit skeptical of your statistics on the dangers of cycling. The main problem I see is the use of miles traveled per accident. People travel much greater distances in cars than they do on bikes, which skews the results considerably. The risk of being on a road is *time* related, not distance related. If you stand on a street corner not moving at all, your risk of being hit is a function of how long you stand there, and how many other vehicles pass through that intersection. Nothing to do with how far you travel. Similarly on a bike or in a car - the less *time* you are on the road, and the fewer other vehicles you encounter, the less likely you are to be in an accident.
Anecdotally, I've been cycling to work daily, 10 miles each way, for 5 years with no major accidents (a couple of minor spills due to wet streets). I would expect that if my risk was 10x, I'd have been a lot more banged up. My only major accident while commuting was on the rare day I needed a car - some guy rear-ended me at high speed, totaling the car. Luckily I only had minor injuries. I reduce my cycling risk by choosing the safest possible route, following the rules of the road, and anticipating what stupid things the drivers ahead of me might do.
I posted a comment on the article encouraging him for giving it a shot. The comments he made are the same I hear from everyone who is a non-cyclist. People are intimidated by the perceived inconveniences and dangers, mainly due to not understanding how easily it can all be made to work with planing and practice. I'm glad Chris Riley and Annick Beaudet made the effort to get him out there, and I hope they keep working on him.
My experience matches that of m1ek. I bought a 2004 Prius new, and still have it. It consistently averages 44 mpg, and can easily fit my bike in the back hatch. No significant maintenance issues. The only annoyance in the first couple of years is that twice we had the "exclamation point in triangle" indicator light up. When that lights up, the manual tells you to stop the car and call the dealership. Because of the complexity of the hybrid system, operating the car with certain problems can result in damaging expensive components. Both times we stopped and had the car towed, and it turned out to be software problems. Dealership covered all costs, including towing, but it was a hassle. Other than that, I've been very happy with the car.
The general rule of thumb is it's safer to ride in the street than on the sidewalk. There are exceptions to that, but not many. I've been riding 16 years, and have been a daily bicycle commuter for the last 5 years. On the rare occasions when I get verbally harassed by someone, my response is just to smile and wave. If someone is physically aggressive with you, that requires a call to the police. I've only had that happen once, when a car full of teens threw a can of soda at me, but then went by too fast for me to get a license plate.
I don't know the traffic circumstances on the street you're referring to, but the best thing for bicycle commuting is planning a low-traffic route, or one with a bike lane, even if it means going out of your way.
I am both a runner and a cyclist. There are many reasons a runner might not use the sidewalk:
1) There is no sidewalk. Many roads along my bicycle commute route have no sidewalk. Some have "multi-use" lanes, some have nothing, and some have a dedicated bike lane. Sections of Jollyville not only have no sidewalk, but have sections which are unwalkable off the road due to steep sides.
2) The sidewalks are misaligned. I have tripped and fallen while running on the sidewalk, because a section lifted up a half-inch or inch, and my foot caught the lip.
3) Lots of driveways. The slope of the sidewalk changes where there is a driveway. A few driveways are tolerable, lots of them make for awkward running.
4) Sprinkler systems spraying across the sidewalks.
5) Passing other runners or avoiding getting close to unfriendly-looking dogs.
I try to run on sidewalks, but many times don't for the reasons above. Simple courtesy for both cyclists and pedestrians goes a long way.
Rod
I used to work on Technology Blvd, and I would strongly advise not riding on that section of McNeil. The traffic is fast, there's lots of it, and the road is narrow so I'm not sure bike lanes would even help there. If you can find an alternate route, use it. That section of road is an accident waiting to happen.
I commute daily through that intersection for the past 4 years, and I saw them there today. One of them had just pulled over a car, the other one was in the usual spot near the tree on Cedar Crest. I didn't put my foot down at the stop sign, but did come to pretty much a complete stop before standing on the pedals and making the turn. I said "morning" to the cop as I went by, and got a gruff "morning" in reply. This is probably the 4th or 5th time I've seen them stake out this spot over those years. On one other occasion, I got yelled at as I went by to stop at the stop sign. I turned around and told the cop that I thought I did. He said "OK" and waved me on.
I don't know of a place, but there are alternatives to having a shower available. I've commuted daily ten miles each way in Austin for the past four years, and didn't have a shower available most of that time. What I did was shower before I left, then use a sink and washcloth in the bathroom to clean off sweat from the ride in. Other people might have other suggestions, but a shower isn't a necessity (though it is nice to have).
I generally do not replace a tire just for a puncture. If the tire is sliced or excessively worn, I replace it then. Pump up the tire to normal pressure, and if the tube is not starting to bulge through, the tire is probably still OK.
The problem with most trails around here is there are lots of pedestrians using them. I avoid them for that reason. I used to live in the Arlington area, and I can understand why you are uncomfortable riding the roads there. There are certainly valid complaints about bicycle accommodations in Austin, but compared to DFW, it's much better here. One option you might consider is group rides with the Austin Cycling Association (http://www.austincycling.org/rides). They are generally on empty country roads with very little traffic.
The largest paved trail in the area is probably the Veloway (http://austin.about.com/od/thingstodoou … _trail.htm). That's in South Austin, so it's a bit of a drive for you. People do ride bikes on the hike-and-bike trail around Lady Bird Lake, but that's VERY crowded with pedestrians. It's also not fully paved, but the dirt sections are graded, so are not bad on a road bike. In Cedar Park, there is a trail on Brushy Creek, but it's only two or three miles, and again, lots of pedestrians.
Good luck, and welcome to Austin!
Rod
Why does your message assume that people on this forum in general don't agree with you? It is an unfortunate fact that it is perfectly legal to park motor vehicles in most bicycle lanes in Austin. The problem with that is it totally defeats the purpose of a bicycle lane, which is to separate bicycle and motor vehicle traffic. Imagine if it were perfectly legal to park bicycles in motor vehicle lanes, and you'll see the problem with the law. I'm of the opinion that if parking is going to be allowed, there's no point in putting in a bicycle lane. It doesn't function as intended. The person who left the note was ignorant and rude, but the source of frustration is understandable.
I've been fortunate in my 16 years of cycling to have only one very minor mishap with an automobile, but in my opinion, you are trying to be way too nice. This woman was drunk, endangering herself and everyone around her, including you. You need to press charges, and do what you can to keep this woman off the streets in the future.
Regarding damages to your bike and yourself, my advice is to seek an attorney. If this woman has insurance, they should pay for your bike and your injuries, pain, and suffering. The insurance company is not your friend, and will try to low-ball the offer.
This is not an endorsement, but here is an attorney who is a cyclist, and does a lot of cases related to cyclist-auto collisions. I've seen him mentioned on many cycling forums, but have never dealt with him personally.
Law Office of Bradley Houston
1204 San Antonio Street, Ste. 203
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 473-2130 voice
(512) 627-8343 mobile
(512) 473-2136 fax
www.BradHoustonLaw.com
Wait, they tell cyclists to "take the lane" -- that's... ugh, that's beyond selfish. So on a busy street with a speed limit of 35 or MPH the cyclist is encouraged to slow down all the traffic behind them? That lacks all common sense. Does this apply to horses, rickshaws, rollerbladers, unicyclists, etc... as well? Because I'm just at a loss for how someone on a bike could think that they were so special that they were entitled to take up this much public space.
I've been a motor vehicle driver for 32 years, and a cyclist for 16 years. While driving, I have never been obstructed by a cyclist in all that time for more than about 10 seconds. It is a very rare occasion that while cycling I cause any motor vehicles any inconvenience, but even then it is usually only for a few seconds. Yes, I take the lane while cycling, when it is appropriate (i.e. narrow lane, obstructions in bike lane or shoulder, setting up for a left turn, etc.). It has absolutely nothing to do with a sense of entitlement; it has to do with a sense of safety. I don't quite understand why you think bikes take up more than their fair share of public space. In my experience, there is negligible impact overall to bikes being on the road. The guy who ran into you was a total jerk, but that doesn't mean all or even most cyclists are. If a guy in a Chevy truck hit you instead, would you be going to a Chevy internet forum talking about how special and entitled they thought they were?
There are many different types of clipless pedals, SPD is one of the more popular because the cleats can be mounted recessed into the shoe. This makes walking easier, as you aren't walking on the metal cleats. When you buy a pair of pedals, a set of cleats is usually included.
Be very careful installing the cleats. If the alignment is off, you can injure your knees. I bought my first pair 12 years ago and didn't know what I was doing. 6 months later, I had to quit riding for a while to recover from a knee injury caused by bad alignment. Talk with someone who's done it before, or better yet (if you can afford it) get a bike shop to do a professional fit.
I use Speedplay pedals and cleats now, because there is a lot of "play" in them (i.e. the alignment is less important). The downside of them is that they're expensive, and difficult to walk in. But I have no knee issues. :-)
I don't know how the police might respond, but I wouldn't conclude it's not yours because the person said it was "59 inch". If that's supposed to be the frame size (which is likely what you were comparing with 54cm) , it would be a nearly 150 cm frame size. Unless the guy's about 18 foot tall, it's likely he didn't know how or what to measure. If he meant 59cm, that might explain it, but you might want to get clarification.
I've commuted via bicycle off and on to work over the past 15 years, and have done so on an almost daily basis for the past 2 1/2 years. During that time, I've been involved in only one accident with an automobile; and that was on one of the few days I drove a car to work. I was stopped in the middle of the road due to vehicle traffic being backed up (NOT bicycle traffic), and a car coming up behind me didn't stop.
It's amazing to me how motor vehicle drivers accept traffic congestion due to other cars as a normal thing, but get irate and impatient when a bicycle holds them up for 10 seconds. I'd be willing to bet that bicycle traffic accounts for much less than 1% of the total delays experienced by motorists, yet for some reason, it really pisses people off to be held up for a few seconds by a cyclist.
I also have to wonder why your ALL CAPS TIRADE wasn't reserved for the idiot motorists who would swerve around you in the situation you described, thereby endangering everyone on the road, including you in your truck.
I tip mine on occasion, but mine doesn't work at a bike shop. It's his own business run out of his garage. For a bike shop, you may want to check with the manager to see if there's any policy about tipping.
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