noodle soup

Thanks for showing your colors.

RiceAWay

When did you start talking about bike trails? Was that in the conversation?

RiceAWay

Most thoroughfares have bikes lanes in California. Possibly they've been adding bike lanes since the Federal Government offers subsidies for them. Because of those subsidies we're even putting protected bike lanes on all of the bridges in the San Francisco bay area. We even have bike lanes on high traffic commercial highways. Bikes are allowed on some buses, all Ferry's, Trains and Bay Area Rapid Transit. We have protected bike lanes as far across the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge as Treasure Island until they can figure out how to put them on the 85 year old San Francisco Span. I can ride from San Mateo to Half Moon Bay or from Fremont to Stanford University . During normal commute traffic I can ride the 25 mile distance from San Leandro to Stanford faster on a bike than driving and only about 4 miles is without a bike lane. I can even bypass the missing bike lanes on a bike path. There are bike lanes all the way from Lawrence Livermore Laboratories to my home in San Leandro. That is 30 miles and 5 cities. Or I can take a different route add two miles and make it 7 cities. In San Francisco they are closing down the entire Market St. to cars and trucks. The MAIN street in the financial district will be open to bikes and buses only.

So tell us about Phoenix and their wonderful arrangement of bike lanes. Or tell us how those bike trails through the washes are useable and perfectly safe in the rainy season. While the actual roads in Phoenix are 100 times better than most of California, the bike lanes are not.

tomato coupe

My first reaction to this post was "what's the relevance?" Then it hit me -- Tom Kunich is back with a hew username. Correct?

noodle soup

Most thoroughfares in the Phoenix area have bike lanes, and those that don't are roads you would want to ride on in the first place(like Bell Road).

BTW, what is this rainy season you speak of?

njkayaker

Use a flashing rear light.

RiceAWay

So all of those 1/8th mile wide washes were dug out just for looks?

RiceAWay

Since in several places I've referenced articles with my name on them exactly how difficult was that to detect? I have no idea of how this registration came to be since the concussion caused all sorts of problems with memories. For several years I couldn't even remember my name for long periods. Though I could recite my social security number and military serial number and all of the aircraft I flew on in the war. It must be really hard to have to hide your own real identity as you do. And since we're at it, exactly how difficult is it to tie a discussion about bike lanes into a question from a person about bike lanes in an area I'm somewhat familiar with? And the usual BS from Noodle Soup complaining about anything and everything without adding anything to the discussion? In California bike lanes ae common because we have a very active bicycle lobbying group. Because you can find bike lanes in downtown Phoenix if you look for them doesn't mean that they are common. Most of the bike trails run through these huge dry washes that drain off the water from hurricanes that come up through the Gulf of California but he doesn't know that there is a rainy season. The upshot of this is that the newbie is going to have to learn to ride on the streets like a normal vehicle and get used to it like everyone else. I did 2 weeks of riding there every day and I can't remember seeing a bike lane. According to my log that was 300 miles ALL in and around Phoenix.

noodle soup

if you ever used the canal trails, you would see that the trail is on the top of the wash, not at the bottom where water could run.

tomato coupe

Actually, I knew it was you from your writing. A leopard can't change its spots.

noodle soup

Is that a question?



I have lived here for over 8 years(lived car-free for all of those), and have ridden over 100k miles in Maricopa County. I probably know more about the bike lanes and trails(and weather) of the Phoenix area than you.

Not many bike lanes in Maricopa County(the greater Phoenix area)https://geo.azmag.gov/maps/bikemap/

WhyFi

But he was there for two weeks. Two. Weeks.

noodle soup

I know, right?

eduskator

The road belongs to everyone... Not my favourite context, but if you have to do it, and you are comfortable, do it! Also, I would not ride on the opposite way.

Unless specified that it is strictly reserved to motorized vehicles (such as highways), you can ride whatever road you feel comfortable being on. Just stay as close to the shoulder as possible, and cars will just get around you even if it means that they'll have to step on the double yellow lines.

noodle soup

@Metallifan33 See why I said that section of road was nothing to worry about?

BTW, What time were you out there? I got to DV and Paloma at around 10AM, and it was chilly, but not breezy.

JeffreyD

We each have to determine if riding with a narrow shoulder is worth the risk and what, if any are the alternatives? Narrow shoulder, light traffic and I'd probably ride it but make sure my flashing lights are on (rear and front of my bike and mounted on my helmet too for greater visibility). Also I often ride with a traffic safety vest which some studies have shown provide better visibility. If I'm in a group there is safety in numbers sometimes if all are riding safely and have similar bright clothing and safety attire (vests, flashing lights). Take a League of American Bicyclists Traffic Skills 101 class which can teach you better bicycling skills. 101 will teach you to 'take the lane' ... ride in the middle of the lane and take up the space of a vehicle because an over taking vehicle is more likely to give you a full four-feet when passing. Be aware that many drivers ... including bicycle drivers ... are not practicing good safety when driving and many will have cell phones, text messages, telephone calls, loud music, GPS, etc. to contend with and many think you on a two or three wheel bicycle should not be sharing the road and traffic lane with you. I've been in two serious crashes with fast moving vehicles ... hit from the front the first time in 1983 when riding with three youngsters including my son while I was doing everything right and the other driver sneezed (he said) pulling into and hitting all of us and again in 1988 while leading a group of 10 riders and in a marked bicycle lane at the time when the other driver reached for something that fell on the passenger side floor ... no other traffic on the road at the time too. So, do you feel lucky in bicycling in a 45 mph zone with a narrow shoulder? Probably safer to cross the road and ride against the traffic in the wider shoulder BUT not legal so there is risk here too.

RiceAWay

I don't know what you're talking about. The paved bike paths I rode on in Phoenix would ride along one side of the wash and then cross to the other side. When I asked how you used those paths in the rainy weather I was told, "you don't". They said that it wasn't even safe to ride on those paved paths if the wash looked dry because you could get tidal wave-like filling of the wash quite suddenly. Since these people had ridden there for 40 years or more I take them at their word though apparently you do not.

RiceAWay

Jeffrey, I should bring you out to California and have you ride along with us for a couple of weeks. Going back to Phoenix you'd find the drivers polite and traffic so light that you'd not have a worry in the world. In two weeks out there of riding every single day I think I saw one driver that I thought passed too closely.

noodle soup

BengalCat

To the OP, the above^^^^^^^^ Absolutely positively ride with a high quality bright flashing rear light.

tomato coupe

Don't get discouraged. Another 100k miles and you'll start to get a feel for the place.

noodle soup

Hopefully RiceAWay will show me around.

Metallifan33

I bought one but didn't put it on yet. I was wondering if it would annoy cyclists that come up behind you to pass...
I went on another ride today and thought it'd be nice to have one in front too... I do worry about people who come to a stop to turn right into the street I'm riding and not seeing me come. I always wait till we make eye contact before I ride in front of them (and sometimes it takes a few moments longer than I'd like).

BengalCat

Yes, get a front light too. I have a front light set to a strobe mode. It stops cross-traffic from cutting you off, opposing traffic making a left turn in front of you, and people going in your direction up ahead of you from cutting you off as they move to the right for any reason. If you ride in traffic on a regular basis you will on your very first ride notice traffic reacting to or noticing you because of the front light.

ADDENDUM: Except when riding in a group ride don't worry about your rear light affecting riders coming up from behind. In group rides depending on factors, you can either turn the rear light off or turn it to non-flashing and lower light setting.

yukiinu

If it's 1/4 mile a wide shoulder and little traffic I would go against traffic and fast.