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Author Topic: Bickering about bicycles, now with occasional tips about motorised vehicles  (Read 242432 times)

calenlass

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Hey everyone, I need to buy some new bookshelves. When I get back from Ikea and put them together you're all invited to the bookshelf launch party.

calenlass

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Hey everyone, I need to buy some new bookshelves. When I get back from Ikea and put them together you're all invited to the bookshelf launch party.

calenlass

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Hey everyone, I need to buy some new bookshelves. When I get back from Ikea and put them together you're all invited to the bookshelf launch party.

calenlass

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Hey everyone, I need to buy some new bookshelves. When I get back from Ikea and put them together you're all invited to the bookshelf launch party.

calenlass

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Hey everyone, I need to buy some new bookshelves. When I get back from Ikea and put them together you're all invited to the bookshelf launch party.

calenlass

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WAKKA WAKKA WAKKA
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glad to see a thread about road courtesy has managed to keep its discourse civil
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calenlass

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yeah it is nice to see everyone getting along
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i opened this and thought i clicked on the pointless thread by accident
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calenlass

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So my mother does this thing when she is in a car and not the driver that is just awful: any time something happens that she perceives as dangerous, such as stopping a little too quickly, or pulling too close to another car while parking, as well as any number of things whilst driving around, she grabs for something to hold on to and gasps like she's just been hit in the stomach, which is sometimes exchanged for a little scream or a shout of "watch out". I have to say, I find it rather more startling and upsetting than any of the situations themselves. Beyond saying "Mom, calm down please", I have no idea what else to do about it.

Guys, please do not do this.
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KharBevNor

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My mum hyperventilates and does pretty much that flinching back thing when a car is moving 'too fast' (faster than approx. 45-50 MPH, slightly more on a motorway). I still have bad memories of when she and my dad would argue on long car journeys when I was a kid, normally about the issue of speed, and my dad would deliberately speed up to the maximum allowed by the local limit and my mum would go mental. Ah, childhood.

I am not sure how good a driver my father is. He does dangerous, stunty things sometimes (when my mother isn't in the car). He took our old volvo (with me in it) to about 145 MPH (It was off the speedo) down a long straight road on the Isle of Wight in order to see how fast it would go. He also once showed off to me and my sister by driving ten miles back home from a restaurant without ever using the foot brake. I know for a fact he has driven drunk in the past and speeds. On the other hand, he seems to be pretty good at driving and he is never in the least aggressive to other road users.
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[22:25] Dovey: i don't get sigquoted much
[22:26] Dovey: like, maybe, 4 or 5 times that i know of?
[22:26] Dovey: and at least one of those was a blatant ploy at getting sigquoted

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jhocking

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I live in Pittsburgh, well, about 3 miles away from downtown actually, and none of the onramps I can think of have stop signs. Except when the onramp is on a stretch of roadway that is under "road work", then there is a stop sign.

I guess I should have specified this was back in college, so they may have wised up by now. I remember the stop signs especially because I had to explain to my roommate why they were a bad idea. I can't imagine the right turns off the highway are gone though; do you encounter those? You had to slow down while still on the highway.

sonofz, any chance you could confirm or refute about the need to slow down on the highway? I'm curious if my memory about that is incorrect.

Lines

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Ugh, the gasping thing is the worst. My mom used to do that if I was driving and it would scare the shit out of me. Now we just have this unspoken rule that if we're in the car, she's the one driving. Even if I pick her up, I let her drive.
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I tend to tense up a bit, or point things out, but I'm usually in a car with a shit driver.
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Lines

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The only things I'll gasp about are unnecessary, excessive speeding and if the driver is actually about to hit someone or do something illegal. Meaning fast, shitty drivers terrify me. But me not slowing down "early enough" at a red light does not warrant a gasp.
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KharBevNor

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It totally does!
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[22:25] Dovey: i don't get sigquoted much
[22:26] Dovey: like, maybe, 4 or 5 times that i know of?
[22:26] Dovey: and at least one of those was a blatant ploy at getting sigquoted

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[22:25] Dovey: i don't get sigquoted much
[22:26] Dovey: like, maybe, 4 or 5 times that i know of?
[22:26] Dovey: and at least one of those was a blatant ploy at getting sigquoted

http://panzerdivisio

allison

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My ex-boyfriend crashed his car when I was in it, because of reckless driving. I am now a jumpy passenger, and I hate it. I really wish I wasn't, and I don't do it on purpose. Some people who shall remain nameless and know that I am jumpy like to fuck with me and speed while looking at me instead of the road, which is mean!
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Blue Kitty

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I tend to tense up a bit, or point things out, but I'm usually in a car with a shit driver.

My uncle likes to speed up to fill the space when he is behind people, which freaks me the fuck out. Good thing I was in the back and the seat had some sides to hang on to. Digging my feet into the floor mat just doesn't seem enough.
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Papersatan

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Allison, do you hang out with Edward the vampire? I hear he drives like that. 
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Something Witty

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You flinchy passengers can all go to hell. I've been pulled over one time in like the last five years(and been in one accident which ilvolved a pedestrian running in front of my motorcycle, of all things), but my mom still flinches and gasps at the way I drive my miata.

Yes, I wind the engine up to ~5000 before I shift gears and yes I speed but I never speed in traffic and I always leave at least one car length between people I'm merging in front of, more if they aren't a super tool and speeding up so I can't get in front of them(everyone in oklahoma does this. If you're ever driving here, let your signal blink one time before starting your merge or they will move up to block you because they are all cocks).

On the topic of cycling(I don't pedal, but I do ride motorcycles) the biggest problem I have with cycling on the road is that people are generally too stupid to pay attention to the cyclists around them and also aren't looking for them ever because there are so few of them around here. Plus specifically in Oklahoma City we have a pretty cool series of cycling trails that do in fact give cyclists their own little lane of pavement that literally runs through the heart of one of the more busy hubs of the city as far as shopping and restaurants go.

So there's basically no excuse to slow down traffic on the main roads when you can take the bike path and cross the main street and take the neighborhood through to the residential streets(which have less, slower moving traffic and are probably safer anyway, I have no idea), and come out behind the building instead of riding two miles on main roads to get there.

I'm aware that my solution doesn't work downtown but downtown can pretty much fuck off.

edit: as a motorcyclist I have, three times, kicked the driver's door of other vehicles. Twice due to them not seeing me and forcing me off of pavement(which is pants-shittingly horrifying. No I didn't.) and once forcing me across the line into oncoming traffic(which there was fortunately none of). It's a pretty big part of why I don't ride as much anymore, that plus seeing the pavement rush toward my face at ~40mph just once is nightmare fuel enough. These three events happened over the course of nearly six years, just for clarification, only two of them happened in the 1.5 year span while I was riding every day.
« Last Edit: 31 Jan 2011, 11:30 by Something Witty »
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Something Witty

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The Seldom Killer

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Yes, I wind the engine up to ~5000 before I shift gears

Can I ask why?
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The Seldom Killer

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My goodness I am tediously utilitarian about my driving. That never occured to me, although I am old an have a different definition of what sounds good.
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I naturally assumed it was illegal to ride a bike on highways/freeways/motorways everywhere. Is it not?

Either way, illegal or no, it's certainly suicidal. It's not really a useful part of the conversation as far as I'm concerned because anybody who does that is just clownshoes bonkers crazy.
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Elysiana

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My car's powerband is around 4000-5000rpm. I'd rather get to 70 quickly rather than conserve gas, so I usually run it up to ~4500 before shifting, more if I'm racing.
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calenlass

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It is, Dovey. In America, at least, there is no foot- or foot powered-traffic allowed, and I know that in a few places in New England they also specify horse traffic as well. Vehicles that go that slow are just too dangerous when the average speed is 70 mph/120 kph.

You also cannot take "dune buggies" or four-wheelers or other things that are not road-safe on the freeway.
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The Seldom Killer

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I naturally assumed it was illegal to ride a bike on highways/freeways/motorways everywhere. Is it not?

Either way, illegal or no, it's certainly suicidal. It's not really a useful part of the conversation as far as I'm concerned because anybody who does that is just clownshoes bonkers crazy.

I know that there are provincial variations in Canada and I think that there are state variations in the US as to which class of roads you are allowed to ride on. In the UK motoways are prohibited, however most, but not all, dual carraigeways and major roads permit cycling. The speed limits on dual carriageways for cars and motorcycles is 70 if no restrictions are in place, the same as it is for motorways.

I ride down a 70 dul carriageway everyday to get to work but in relative terms the danger level is pretty low compared to things like complex junctions.
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pwhodges

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Of course  the cyclists among us are not trying to claim rights on roads which are forbidden us by law - we're not that crazy.

Also, a considerable number (though far from all) of the dual-carriageway roads in the UK in and around urban areas have purpose-built cycle lanes separate from the main carriageway.
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The Seldom Killer

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My car's powerband is around 4000-5000rpm. I'd rather get to 70 quickly rather than conserve gas, so I usually run it up to ~4500 before shifting, more if I'm racing.

Getting up to speed quickly does save gas though. Given the scope of modern automotive technology the rate of acceleration by overrunning is likely to offer only a marginal advantage. On balance the excess wear and tear on the engine doesn't seem worth it to me.
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Barmymoo

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I'm sorry to take this thread away from bikes but I am interested to know if any of you have returned to driving after a long break and how it went. I haven't driven since 2008 and it's quite possible I won't be doing so again until at least 2013, so that'll be a heck of a gap. Is it something you don't forget or something you have to start again?
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There's this really handy "other thing" I'm going to write as a footnote to my abstract that I can probably explore these issues in. I think I'll call it my "dissertation."

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I had a 5 year gap before, and the first time I got back into the driver's seat, I was pretty terrified.  It took a little while to get used to the handling of the specific car, but overall, it was pretty easy to get back into the swing of things.  You'll be fine. 
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The Seldom Killer

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I learnt to drive and then promptly didn't drive after my test for about three years when it was in America in an automatic on the other side of the road. It was an awkward experience but I had my dad with me who had helped teach me to drive so that was good to have his presence in the car with me. After those couple of weeks it was again a couple of years before I drove again. I'm fortunate to have a good memory, particularly behavioural so these things come back to me well. The main obstacle is not skill but driving confidence. I would suggest that you are unlikely to have to start again, but some refresher sessions with at least an experienced and calm driver would be worthwhile.
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Something Witty

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Yes, I wind the engine up to ~5000 before I shift gears

Can I ask why?

For most of the same reasons previously posted. For starters, the powerband in my car runs somewhere between 3-4k and 5-6.5k rpm. It's also much more fun to drive a slow car(a miata is not exactly fast, though it is way fun to drive) fast than to frive a fast car(my old camaro. I kinda miss it even though it wouldn't fit in my current garage) slow.

Plus the engine in my car absolutely screams when you wind it high. I'll see if I can get an audio clip tonight on my way home from work.
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Something Witty

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Just realized Iw on't be getting any high-winding audio tonight: http://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/interstate/hourbyhour/graph/73120

I work until midnight.

I wish this had come up saturday, I was riding around with the top down all day.
« Last Edit: 31 Jan 2011, 13:21 by Something Witty »
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Gemmwah

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I had a guy overtake me on the right on a roundabout today.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-
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The Seldom Killer

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Isn't that the side you're supposed to overtake on?
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Barmymoo

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No, that's called cutting you off (Gemm is British).

SWitty, you are the person I hated for the 11 years I lived facing onto a main road. Screaming car engines make me want to stab people, particularly if it's after 10pm. No offence but ARGH.

Thanks Pen and TSK, that's helpful. There's a possibility I might end up driving a little while I'm in France, which will also be on the "wrong" side of the road, so it'll be similar to one or other of your experiences.
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There's this really handy "other thing" I'm going to write as a footnote to my abstract that I can probably explore these issues in. I think I'll call it my "dissertation."

calenlass

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And here I thought British driving was the reverse of American/continental. I thought your slow traffic was supposed to keep left, which would mean that you are supposed to pass on the right. Here, you overtake on the left, which is why the far left lane is reserved for passing. Passing or overtaking on the right is the worst thing. I am not 100% sure on why that is, exactly, but I know that in most states it is illegal and in all of them it is rude and can get you pulled over for "reckless driving" if it isn't illegal outright.
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Gemmwah

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It wasn't a very big roundabout and apparently I am invisible to Saloons.
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calenlass

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So you are supposed to pass on the left in the UK? That is crazy.
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Gemmwah

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No you are supposed to pass on the right, but on a roundabout?
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The Seldom Killer

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Yeah, me to, took me a while to work it out because she said overtake. I presumed a multi lane with a dual lane exit (which is what is closest to where I live).

And returning to roundabout talk and considering upthread. If you encounter a cyclist on a motorway roundabout, don't box them onto the slip ramp. We aren't supposed to be there, we don't want to go there and pushing us there is a spectacularly dick move. Lane discipline is difficult on these roundabouts and a fraction of a second of patience is much appreciated.

Also, if you're wondering why a bunch of weathered and worn cyclists are busy chugging coffee at some motorway services at 2 am, don't kick off how we've broken the law and risked everyone's lives by riding down the motorway, we snuck in the back and will be out that way again shortly. (All motorway services in the UK can be accessed from back roads bar one, bonus points if you know which one it is).
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Gemmwah

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My bet is on South Mimms.
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Yeah on roundabouts you are meant to be in the right-hand lane unless you are coming off at the next or second-next junction, and you are supposed to move over when it is clear to your left, well before your exit. What it sounds like Gemm is talking about is where someone goes into the right hand lane after she has gone into the left, and then pulls across her path to take the same exit off. Causes crashes.
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There's this really handy "other thing" I'm going to write as a footnote to my abstract that I can probably explore these issues in. I think I'll call it my "dissertation."

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I live in Pittsburgh, well, about 3 miles away from downtown actually, and none of the onramps I can think of have stop signs. Except when the onramp is on a stretch of roadway that is under "road work", then there is a stop sign.

I guess I should have specified this was back in college, so they may have wised up by now. I remember the stop signs especially because I had to explain to my roommate why they were a bad idea. I can't imagine the right turns off the highway are gone though; do you encounter those? You had to slow down while still on the highway.

sonofz, any chance you could confirm or refute about the need to slow down on the highway? I'm curious if my memory about that is incorrect.

None that I can think of. There is one that has wierd left turn and u-turn lanes built through the jersey barriers every mile or so. When you pull into one you end up sitting just on the other side of the line from 2 lanes of traffic ripping by you at 70mph. The only right turns off the highways I'm aware of are the offramps.
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jhocking

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I'm sorry to take this thread away from bikes but I am interested to know if any of you have returned to driving after a long break and how it went. I haven't driven since 2008 and it's quite possible I won't be doing so again until at least 2013, so that'll be a heck of a gap. Is it something you don't forget or something you have to start again?

I am abnormal in a good way, because I barely ever drive (haven't had a car in about 8 years) but I am still a pretty good driver. Like, I'm perfectly fine parallel parking cars for other people (ie. they asked me to go out and move their car because of street cleaning.)

The only right turns off the highways I'm aware of are the offramps.

That's what I meant, sorry if I wasn't being clear. Are the offramps hard right turns or do you gradually peel away?
« Last Edit: 31 Jan 2011, 20:45 by jhocking »
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