Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Recumbent
Reload this Page >

You're too low to be seen.

Notices
Recumbent What IS that thing?! Recumbents may be odd looking, but they have many advantages over a "wedgie" bicycle. Discuss the in's and out's recumbent lifestyle in the recumbent forum.

You're too low to be seen.

Old 04-27-18, 12:58 PM
  #51  
J.Higgins 
2-Wheeled Fool
 
J.Higgins's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,486

Bikes: Surly Ogre, Brompton

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1385 Post(s)
Liked 677 Times in 457 Posts
Originally Posted by MobiBike
If you ride like you are invisible (defensive riding) it gives you the best edge you can get in/on any vehicle.
This is my mantra. I rode a motorcycle for 40 years, and in 15 different countries and never once had even a close call - all because I rode like I was invisible. Then, on my way home from work one night I had a wreck which left me with a two-week coma, TBI, and 13 broken bones. I was all by myself on a lonely stretch of road when it happened and I don't remember it (the accident) at all.
J.Higgins is offline  
Old 09-16-18, 04:14 PM
  #52  
rydabent
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924

Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,054 Times in 634 Posts
Originally Posted by tcs
Why then all the flags, I wonder?
One reason I use flags and wear a helmet is in case I do get hit by a texting driver or drunk is to fend off lawyers. If you DONT, their lawyers will be claiming you were partly at fault. Having a flag and wearing a helmet shuts all that nonsense down right from the get go.
rydabent is offline  
Old 09-17-18, 10:15 AM
  #53  
Rollfast
What happened?
 
Rollfast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Around here somewhere
Posts: 8,050

Bikes: 3 Rollfasts, 3 Schwinns, a Shelby and a Higgins Flightliner in a pear tree!

Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1835 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times in 255 Posts
Put two of those flashing LED taillights on the top of the triangular warning sign and place all that at least 3 feet from the ground, contiguous to where they are on cars.

And drive it like you are a ghost. And flags. Even so riding in traffic is not easy, two-wheelers here tend to stay to the right until they need to do otherwise.

I've been criticized for saying I cross at the intersections instead of using the turn refuge. That's because I was told by an officer that nobody could see me and he gave me a stern warning. It's safer to cross with vision of all sides anyway. When you have a 50-1200cc engine (making you a motor vehicle) then you should use that turn lane. I live in a town of MAYBE 10,000 with the traffic of a city of 35,000 due to being next to an interstate highway and truck route with two truck stops.
__________________
I don't know nothing, and I memorized it in school and got this here paper I'm proud of to show it.
Rollfast is offline  
Old 09-17-18, 10:28 AM
  #54  
Retro Grouch 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Retro Grouch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225

Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times in 363 Posts
Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
I'll have to start taking pictures of this phenomenon because it's so common it's a stereotype. Most trikers mount them so they're angled back, and the wind angles it even further. Usually the wife or daughter who is on a hybrid or mountain bike is following, with the flag right in her face. The woman always takes up the rear position because the trike is so slow she'll drop him if she can't constantly keep him in view.
My flag (actually a spinner), attaches straight up from the left dropout via a Catrike mount. I had a DF rider who was trailing me comment about it but, when I asked him directly if it bothered him, he said "No." I've had several riders fret over how much the wind drag must be holding me back. I don't worry about that because I'm not fast enough to win and kind of a race anyway. I question how much the flag helps, but I don't see how it's hurting anything.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
Retro Grouch is offline  
Old 09-18-18, 11:12 AM
  #55  
rydabent
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924

Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,054 Times in 634 Posts
Originally Posted by Jettech.Aram
theres a reason the skunk is "dead" on the road.
I figure that a a breed of slow skunks.
rydabent is offline  
Old 09-18-18, 01:14 PM
  #56  
Retro Grouch 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Retro Grouch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225

Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times in 363 Posts
Originally Posted by rydabent
I figure that a a breed of slow skunks.
Actually it's because skunks natural defensive method doesn't work against cars.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
Retro Grouch is offline  
Old 09-19-18, 10:35 PM
  #57  
Jeff Wills
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
 
Jeff Wills's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: other Vancouver
Posts: 9,811
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 788 Post(s)
Liked 688 Times in 367 Posts
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
Actually it's because skunks natural defensive method doesn't work against cars.
Oh, it works against cars... just not the first one.
__________________
Jeff Wills

Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
Jeff Wills is offline  
Old 09-20-18, 07:43 AM
  #58  
Retro Grouch 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Retro Grouch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225

Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times in 363 Posts
Originally Posted by Jeff Wills
Oh, it works against cars... just not the first one.
So you're saying they see the dead skunk flat on the road and drive around it.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
Retro Grouch is offline  
Old 09-20-18, 10:04 PM
  #59  
Jeff Wills
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
 
Jeff Wills's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: other Vancouver
Posts: 9,811
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 788 Post(s)
Liked 688 Times in 367 Posts
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
So you're saying they see the dead skunk flat on the road and drive around it.
I'm saying that they smell it before they see it and turn around.
__________________
Jeff Wills

Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
Jeff Wills is offline  
Old 09-21-18, 09:00 AM
  #60  
Retro Grouch 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Retro Grouch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225

Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times in 363 Posts
Originally Posted by Jeff Wills
I'm saying that they smell it before they see it and turn around.
So if I change my lunch choices I may have fewer interactions with rude drivers? I think I'll just stick with using a flag.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
Retro Grouch is offline  
Old 09-28-18, 02:04 PM
  #61  
BlazingPedals
Senior Member
 
BlazingPedals's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Middle of da Mitten
Posts: 12,474

Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1511 Post(s)
Liked 733 Times in 454 Posts
Obviously, a skunk and a recumbent cyclist are not even close to the same thing. The recumbent rider is much taller, has a profile that is orders of magnitude larger than a skunk's, and is likely wearing bright colors. Also the recumbent rider is presumably following the rules of the road, such as riding on the right side of the road in a relatively straight line; while the skunk is most likely NOT following the rules of the road and tends to get in trouble after appearing suddenly from behind a weed and proceeding directly into the car's path.

So I regard the skunk question as a senseless diversion from the original concern.
BlazingPedals is offline  
Old 10-01-18, 02:40 PM
  #62  
Garminator
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 8

Bikes: Motobecane Elite Adventure hybrid, Rans Rocket Recumbent

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
So last night I was outside scoping out locations for my new (to me) Rans Rocket and I measured the height of my car's headlights from the ground. The front shift tower on the Rocket is a few inches higher than the headlight.
Garminator is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FBinNY
Living Car Free
81
11-13-16 08:04 PM
jimmuller
Classic & Vintage
65
05-19-16 04:47 AM
FarHorizon
Recumbent
13
04-25-15 03:31 PM
GraysonPeddie
Adaptive Cycling: Handcycles, Amputee Adaptation, Visual Impairment, and Other Needs
0
05-01-12 02:04 PM
Joel Aaron
Advocacy & Safety
29
09-07-11 08:57 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.