Speed limit on bike paths' in NC
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Just because you haven’t had an accident while doing something unsafe doesn’t mean you should continue to do it. Like the guy that has four or five beers and then drives home because “he’s been doing it safely for years after all. Plus dude is over 50 and balance and reflexes are, well, not peak and maybe in decline. Might be time to hang it up.
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#27
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Just because you haven’t had an accident while doing something unsafe doesn’t mean you should continue to do it. Like the guy that has four or five beers and then drives home because “he’s been doing it safely for years after all. Plus dude is over 50 and balance and reflexes are, well, not peak and maybe in decline. Might be time to hang it up.
Comparing a disability to having four or five beers is pretty offensive, by the way, and your age/reflex assumption is hilariously silly. Should all of us over 50s hang it up?
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Yes, My uncle n' aunt, who live in Carolina Beach. Want me to come down there (I am in Chatham County) for a visit. But, My experience with bike paths'. Is far less favorable, than riding on the road. Because, Having to go fast on the road. Helps me maintain my balance. Going slow on a bike path will cause me to lose my balance. My aunt(retired RN) wants my uncle(retired UAL 737 pilot), and I. To stay on a bike path. I read about the speed limits' on the road in Carolina Beach. They are speed limits I am use to. But my uncle can't handle the road.
I was thinking about this a little bit, and I was wondering if riding with your uncle might be the bigger issue than any speed limit. Is your uncle aware of your need for speed? Could he keep up?
Thanks for explaining the issue with your balance. I learned from your description of how you deal with roads, and it's always good to learn stuff.
I had a friend with balance issues and doctors kept misdiagnosing it.
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#30
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Balance problems are really hard to describe. It's hard for me to imagine how you could keep your balance getting to speed, but I'm sure you have your strategies, I just won't be able to understand them if you tried to explain. The truth is no one really understands how their own body keeps balanced, it's mostly an unconscious process.
1. My (road)racing bike was 3x8, when I bought it in 2003. In 2010, I had it changed to 2x10.
2. When I start, I am usually in 3rd, not 1st gear. I save 1st gear for hills I cannot 'power pedal' to the top.
3. By 'power pedaling', it forces me to use my leg muscles, more than normal.
I'm not reading him the same way. I think he's saying he can ride slowly when needed incidentally, but can't sustain it over long rides. I also think he's actually trying to determine whether he does have "any business" riding on a MUP.
Apparently he's been riding safely with this disability on roads for decades. Don't see why he should give that up.
Apparently he's been riding safely with this disability on roads for decades. Don't see why he should give that up.
Just because you haven’t had an accident while doing something unsafe doesn’t mean you should continue to do it. Like the guy that has four or five beers and then drives home because “he’s been doing it safely for years after all. Plus dude is over 50 and balance and reflexes are, well, not peak and maybe in decline. Might be time to hang it up.
I don't have a balance problem when slow, but at ambient temps over 90° F going slower than 14 mph starts me getting uncomfortably hot. I'd have a problem with a path that had a max speed of 15 or even 17 mph. At 10 mph for prolonged climbs and high efforts, I might start to get heat exhaustion and that can lead to a serious balance problem.
The OP seems to have figured out what they need for their issue. It does sort of bring to light an issue though. Speed.... Should it be limited to a max speed even when there are no others around? I might can see a speed limit of sorts when around others, particularly those engaged in other activities. But not for times you don't even have others within sight, unless of course you are at a blind curve.
AFAIK, the local MUP here has no speed limit. Certainly none posted. In literature they just ask that you maintain a safe speed for what ever you are doing when around others.
The OP seems to have figured out what they need for their issue. It does sort of bring to light an issue though. Speed.... Should it be limited to a max speed even when there are no others around? I might can see a speed limit of sorts when around others, particularly those engaged in other activities. But not for times you don't even have others within sight, unless of course you are at a blind curve.
AFAIK, the local MUP here has no speed limit. Certainly none posted. In literature they just ask that you maintain a safe speed for what ever you are doing when around others.
Not cool, mate. The OP has some physical issues that he has been accommodating successfully. He has obviously given his chosen strategies a lot of thought in regards to his own safety as well as those around him. The comparison to drunk driving is completely opposite to this approach.
Or, y'know, maybe he's a person with a disability who has learned how to ride safely. I think he's in a lot better position to judge that than a rando on the internets.
Comparing a disability to having four or five beers is pretty offensive, by the way, and your age/reflex assumption is hilariously silly. Should all of us over 50s hang it up?
Comparing a disability to having four or five beers is pretty offensive, by the way, and your age/reflex assumption is hilariously silly. Should all of us over 50s hang it up?
Grant Imahara(MythBusters): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_...ath_and_legacy
Tim Conway(Carol Burnett Show): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Co...ness_and_death
Florence Griffith-Joyner(World-Class Athlete): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floren...h_Joyner#Death
I was thinking about this a little bit, and I was wondering if riding with your uncle might be the bigger issue than any speed limit. Is your uncle aware of your need for speed? Could he keep up?
Thanks for explaining the issue with your balance. I learned from your description of how you deal with roads, and it's always good to learn stuff.
I had a friend with balance issues and doctors kept misdiagnosing it.
Thanks for explaining the issue with your balance. I learned from your description of how you deal with roads, and it's always good to learn stuff.
I had a friend with balance issues and doctors kept misdiagnosing it.
Try again. That is a lazy answer.
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#31
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Think of it this way:
1. My (road)racing bike was 3x8, when I bought it in 2003. In 2010, I had it changed to 2x10.
2. When I start, I am usually in 3rd, not 1st gear. I save 1st gear for hills I cannot 'power pedal' to the top.
3. By 'power pedaling', it forces me to use my leg muscles, more than normal.
Quite frankly, I hate riding on MUPs, for the very reason of potentially injuring someone or even a dog. The thought either happening, just mortifies me. The whole point behind the thread. Is so I can show my aunt n' uncle why, I refuse to ride on a MUP. To me, riding on a MUP. Is like, trying to ride through a wooden (single)doorframe. Which is why I only ride on the road. A travel lane, per the regulations' set forth by the state. Is about the same with as the full width of a MUP. But definitely wider than a wooden doorframe.
You are right, that I can't sustain a slow speed for a long distance. I can do it at the start, so I can quickly get into a higher gear to maintain my speed. As for having my physical health, I stay off MUPs for that very reason. But also, it has to do with how motorists' react. If a cyclist crashes on the road for some reason. A motorist will stop out of concern. But, On a MUP, I would have to wait until another cyclist came by. So, For me, a MUP is 'the road less traveled'. Which is not good for me in my case. I have been riding 40mph roads for a long time. I know the state n' local laws, as to the roads.
It has nothing to do with a decline of anything. The whole point of the thread has to do with proving to my relatives. Why I don't ride on a MUP. Not whether I will or not.
I don't ride in temps above 90, for that very reason.
Thank you. I don't drink beer anyway. All of them, taste like 'liquid foot odor'. Strategies that within state law. Also acknowledging, everyone on the road has 'places to go, things to do, and people to see'.
Yes, The three physical health issues are incurable AND can happen to ANYONE.
Grant Imahara(MythBusters): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_...ath_and_legacy
Tim Conway(Carol Burnett Show): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Co...ness_and_death
Florence Griffith-Joyner(World-Class Athlete): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floren...h_Joyner#Death
Everyone should look at the links to find out how they died. I have had all three of those, all my life and I still being a 'pain in the glutious maximus'
Try again. That is a lazy answer.
1. My (road)racing bike was 3x8, when I bought it in 2003. In 2010, I had it changed to 2x10.
2. When I start, I am usually in 3rd, not 1st gear. I save 1st gear for hills I cannot 'power pedal' to the top.
3. By 'power pedaling', it forces me to use my leg muscles, more than normal.
Quite frankly, I hate riding on MUPs, for the very reason of potentially injuring someone or even a dog. The thought either happening, just mortifies me. The whole point behind the thread. Is so I can show my aunt n' uncle why, I refuse to ride on a MUP. To me, riding on a MUP. Is like, trying to ride through a wooden (single)doorframe. Which is why I only ride on the road. A travel lane, per the regulations' set forth by the state. Is about the same with as the full width of a MUP. But definitely wider than a wooden doorframe.
You are right, that I can't sustain a slow speed for a long distance. I can do it at the start, so I can quickly get into a higher gear to maintain my speed. As for having my physical health, I stay off MUPs for that very reason. But also, it has to do with how motorists' react. If a cyclist crashes on the road for some reason. A motorist will stop out of concern. But, On a MUP, I would have to wait until another cyclist came by. So, For me, a MUP is 'the road less traveled'. Which is not good for me in my case. I have been riding 40mph roads for a long time. I know the state n' local laws, as to the roads.
It has nothing to do with a decline of anything. The whole point of the thread has to do with proving to my relatives. Why I don't ride on a MUP. Not whether I will or not.
I don't ride in temps above 90, for that very reason.
Thank you. I don't drink beer anyway. All of them, taste like 'liquid foot odor'. Strategies that within state law. Also acknowledging, everyone on the road has 'places to go, things to do, and people to see'.
Yes, The three physical health issues are incurable AND can happen to ANYONE.
Grant Imahara(MythBusters): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_...ath_and_legacy
Tim Conway(Carol Burnett Show): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Co...ness_and_death
Florence Griffith-Joyner(World-Class Athlete): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floren...h_Joyner#Death
Everyone should look at the links to find out how they died. I have had all three of those, all my life and I still being a 'pain in the glutious maximus'
Try again. That is a lazy answer.
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#32
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Good on you for not letting all that stop you from riding, and doing it on your own terms. You sound like a lot of thought and determination went into that. I hope you can work out something with your uncle, I'd imagine he'll be proud to ride with you. Maybe he'll be willing to ride on some quieter streets?
Last edited by Chistophe516; 06-12-21 at 05:45 PM.
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He completed the Back Roads Century in Shepardstown(WV), back in 2018. So he has been on the road before. But the BRC is mostly closed routes(25mi., 35mi., 50mi., 65mi.). So, He has never actively ridden in traffic. Prior to 2018, I had done the 65mi.(Metric Century) several years in a row. 2018 I cramped up from not drinking enough water....major DUH on my part.
You two are serious bicycling dudes, you'll work it out!
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#38
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Srsly? This is bike skill issue, or lack of skill in this case, because even a super twitchy criterium bike can be ridden at a walking pace without tipping over or wobbling around.
And if you're on a MUP its actually needed skill you should learn.
How to ride slow without wobbling about
And if you're on a MUP its actually needed skill you should learn.
How to ride slow without wobbling about
#39
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But in the current heat wave in this week, 10 mph for any extended amount of time will have someone overheating and potentially getting heat exhaustion. 14 mph is better, 16 mph is comfortable in the heat, 18 mph plus and it starts to feel like someone turned on the air conditioner finally
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Correct. The agency responsible for trail management usually establishes any speed limit.
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The way I see it, if the local authorities think a speed limit is necessary on a bike trail or MUP, they'll post it. If it's not posted, then ride at whatever speed you want, provided you use common sense and slow down around pedestrians.
#43
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But in the current heat wave in this week, 10 mph for any extended amount of time will have someone overheating and potentially getting heat exhaustion. 14 mph is better, 16 mph is comfortable in the heat, 18 mph plus and it starts to feel like someone turned on the air conditioner finally
Having to slow down suddenly, on a bike path. Because of pedestrian, or a dog, is the problem. But also, going at at speed, on a bike path. Is riskier than on the road.
#44
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Good on you for not letting all that stop you from riding, and doing it on your own terms. You sound like a lot of thought and determination went into that. I hope you can work out something with your uncle, I'd imagine he'll be proud to ride with you. Maybe he'll be willing to ride on some quieter streets?
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#45
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I don't have a balance problem when slow, but at ambient temps over 90° F going slower than 14 mph starts me getting uncomfortably hot. I'd have a problem with a path that had a max speed of 15 or even 17 mph. At 10 mph for prolonged climbs and high efforts, I might start to get heat exhaustion and that can lead to a serious balance problem.
The OP seems to have figured out what they need for their issue. It does sort of bring to light an issue though. Speed.... Should it be limited to a max speed even when there are no others around? I might can see a speed limit of sorts when around others, particularly those engaged in other activities. But not for times you don't even have others within sight, unless of course you are at a blind curve.
AFAIK, the local MUP here has no speed limit. Certainly none posted. In literature they just ask that you maintain a safe speed for what ever you are doing when around others.
AFAIK, the local MUP here has no speed limit. Certainly none posted. In literature they just ask that you maintain a safe speed for what ever you are doing when around others.
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Many localities limit the power and speed of E-Bikes. Often 20 MPH.
Now, if you have an E-Bike that can do 35 MPH, you are probably not going to get stopped as long as you don't exceed what other E-Bikes are regulated at.
Most MUP pedal cyclists are under 20 MPH, and one should still ride with prudence.
I've done a few bike path Strava segments, but only those places where I deemed it safe to ride at speeds (straight, good visibility, low use, wide, etc). And will still abort a segment if conditions dictate to do so.
Now, if you have an E-Bike that can do 35 MPH, you are probably not going to get stopped as long as you don't exceed what other E-Bikes are regulated at.
Most MUP pedal cyclists are under 20 MPH, and one should still ride with prudence.
I've done a few bike path Strava segments, but only those places where I deemed it safe to ride at speeds (straight, good visibility, low use, wide, etc). And will still abort a segment if conditions dictate to do so.
#47
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Most MUP pedal cyclists are under 20 MPH, and one should still ride with prudence.
I've done a few bike path Strava segments, but only those places where I deemed it safe to ride at speeds (straight, good visibility, low use, wide, etc). And will still abort a segment if conditions dictate to do so.
I've done a few bike path Strava segments, but only those places where I deemed it safe to ride at speeds (straight, good visibility, low use, wide, etc). And will still abort a segment if conditions dictate to do so.