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"Those Bicyclists Blow Right Through Red Lights!"

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"Those Bicyclists Blow Right Through Red Lights!"

Old 05-21-16, 02:13 PM
  #301  
baron von trail 
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Originally Posted by kickstart
I looked at the map, and saw just that, a map showing countless options without any context to support any opinion. I'll just say I have a hard time believing there's no viable routes available for someone unconcerned with time, distance, or effort.
A few years ago, a friend of mine rode the Fast Across America ride from Irvine, CA to Tybee Island, GA. He told me the route they took through California involved riding the shoulder on I-10. Obviously that is far from ideal. So, I looked at Google, and sure enough there are a couple other options. So, why do they choose to ride the Interstate instead of a nice deserted desert highway?

I have to guess. But, my first thought is that those smaller roads have problems. No one rides the interstate unless they really have to.
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Old 05-21-16, 02:22 PM
  #302  
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Originally Posted by baron von trail
A few years ago, a friend of mine rode the Fast Across America ride from Irvine, CA to Tybee Island, GA. He told me the route they took through California involved riding the shoulder on I-10. Obviously that is far from ideal. So, I looked at Google, and sure enough there are a couple other options. So, why do they choose to ride the Interstate instead of a nice deserted desert highway?

I have to guess. But, my first thought is that those smaller roads have problems. No one rides the interstate unless they really have to.
One of the most surprising things I learned on a long bicycle tour was which highways were actually the most bicycle friendly. Interstate shoulders, when legally accessible to bicyclists, have become my first choice for intercity riding. The shoulders tend to be wide, clean (in comparison to other highways), and well maintained. Some of the most relaxed, stress free distance riding I've experienced has been on interstates and other restricted access highways.
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Old 05-21-16, 02:29 PM
  #303  
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Originally Posted by Jaywalk3r
One of the most surprising things I learned on a long bicycle tour was which highways were actually the most bicycle friendly. Interstate shoulders, when legally accessible to bicyclists, have become my first choice for intercity riding. The shoulders tend to be wide, clean (in comparison to other highways), and well maintained. Some of the most relaxed, stress free distance riding I've experienced has been on interstates and other restricted access highways.
Noisy. No?

I know the interstates around here sound like roaring waterfalls without the pleasantness of an actual waterfall.

But, I agree. It is probably the safest route through some nasty areas or for cutting across a desert.
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Old 05-21-16, 02:38 PM
  #304  
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Originally Posted by baron von trail
Noisy. No?

I know the interstates around here sound like roaring waterfalls without the pleasantness of an actual waterfall.

But, I agree. It is probably the safest route through some nasty areas or for cutting across a desert.
Yes, but I'm not bothered by the noise. I enjoy listening to music as I ride. For some, the traffic noise might be a deal breaker.
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Old 05-21-16, 06:11 PM
  #305  
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Originally Posted by Jaywalk3r
Yes, but I'm not bothered by the noise. I enjoy listening to music as I ride. For some, the traffic noise might be a deal breaker.
I've never ridden through the California desert. But, I can see that from Irvine to Palm Springs to Blythe, which are the required points of destination on the tour, I-10 really is the best line to take. So, if the highway is safe, clean and carries reasonably light traffic, it would make sense.

The noise is only an issue if there are wall to wall cars and hundreds of 18-wheelers traveling on it. If it's only a few hundred cars a day, it probably beats being on a state highway with no shoulder.
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Old 05-21-16, 06:25 PM
  #306  
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Originally Posted by Jaywalk3r
One of the most surprising things I learned on a long bicycle tour was which highways were actually the most bicycle friendly. Interstate shoulders, when legally accessible to bicyclists, have become my first choice for intercity riding. The shoulders tend to be wide, clean (in comparison to other highways), and well maintained. Some of the most relaxed, stress free distance riding I've experienced has been on interstates and other restricted access highways.
Yes, they can have some advantages. A number of years ago we found out that I-5 was 'bike-legal' all the way from Tracy (outside SF) to Santa Clarita (near LA) so we did a ride down it. The route along the I-5 shoulder was very well maintained with smooth surface and the almost constant passing traffic gave us a nice tail wind. And compared to other roads in the area it was graded for minimum climbing although there was still a long ascent over the grapevine. OTOH, it was noisy, felt slower than it was since you're far away from surroundings and constantly passed by fast traffic, and we had lots of flats from the little wires left behind from shredded car and truck tire remnants. Good for getting somewhere, but not my ideal choice for touring where I want to experience the area. OTOH, those nice 'deserted desert' alternate routes can be a bit too deserted if you run into problems, esp. if in an area without cell coverage.
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Old 05-21-16, 06:42 PM
  #307  
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Originally Posted by prathmann
we had lots of flats from the little wires left behind from shredded car and truck tire remnants.
I found a few of those on tour, too. I had six flats in 3200 miles, four of which were caused by those wires. Three of the six (and two of the four) occurred on the last day, along a ~30 mile stretch of shoulder that was in horrible disrepair, so it collected a lot of debris. (For whatever reason, the shoulder of a divided highway was not maintained in one county.) That was on four lane restricted access highway, but not interstate.
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Old 05-22-16, 06:26 AM
  #308  
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Originally Posted by Jaywalk3r
I found a few of those on tour, too. I had six flats in 3200 miles, four of which were caused by those wires. Three of the six (and two of the four) occurred on the last day, along a ~30 mile stretch of shoulder that was in horrible disrepair, so it collected a lot of debris. (For whatever reason, the shoulder of a divided highway was not maintained in one county.) That was on four lane restricted access highway, but not interstate.
I pull those wires out of my tires at night a couple times a week. With the Kevlar they typically do not penetrate the shell. But, if you leave them in they just might work their way to the tube.
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Old 05-22-16, 10:28 AM
  #309  
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Originally Posted by baron von trail
Seeing how cycling is mostly seasonal...maybe specializing in ice cream would be the way to go. A franchise of small stands called "Idaho" located on the various MUPs throughout the land that can be boarded up after October and re-opened in May.
As long as there is no drive through. Drive throughs are dangerous to cyclists because some corporate lawyer said so.
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Old 05-22-16, 10:36 AM
  #310  
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Originally Posted by Miele Man
Bicyclists would never just blow through a stop sign. Or would they?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TikyIcoop60

Cheers



Nobody has said cyclists don't blow stop signs. What has been said is that it is rare that they do it without looking. And again your video makes the point. I like the cars that passed the cyclists at the stop sign. That was good stuff. My favorite part was the one cyclist who came to a full stop and made mockery of coming to a full stop.
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Old 05-22-16, 02:09 PM
  #311  
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Originally Posted by Miele Man
Bicyclists would never just blow through a stop sign. Or would they?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TikyIcoop60

Cheers
To embed the video surround the youtube URL with [video][/ame] tags.

It's a little odd to have a stop sign in what appears to be a roundabout. Normally you just yield to traffic in the circle which is what everyone was doing.


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Old 05-22-16, 02:29 PM
  #312  
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Originally Posted by baron von trail
I pull those wires out of my tires at night a couple times a week. With the Kevlar they typically do not penetrate the shell. But, if you leave them in they just might work their way to the tube.
I'm not as diligent as I should be about inspecting my tires. That's the one drawback I've found to using fenders; they make such inspections more difficult. But the Marathon Supremes I was touring on allowed at least one through in very short amount of time. Of course, I also pulled a few out before they made it through to the tube. After my tour, I switched back to original Marathons.
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Old 05-22-16, 02:32 PM
  #313  
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
Nobody has said cyclists don't blow stop signs. What has been said is that it is rare that they do it without looking.
To be fair, I say that cyclists don't usually blow through stop signs. To me, blowing through a stop sign implies proceeding without stopping or verifying the way is clear. Largely semantics, but I've said it.
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Old 05-22-16, 05:02 PM
  #314  
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Originally Posted by Jaywalk3r
I'm not as diligent as I should be about inspecting my tires. That's the one drawback I've found to using fenders; they make such inspections more difficult. But the Marathon Supremes I was touring on allowed at least one through in very short amount of time. Of course, I also pulled a few out before they made it through to the tube. After my tour, I switched back to original Marathons.
I believe lot of that has to do with where you ride. I have only one small segment which is prone to debris during my commute. It's maybe 3 miles long. The other 47 miles are smooth and free of any debris at all. So, I probably pick up one wire or piece of glass per two or three rides. Now, on tour, you may be riding all day on a crappy road with substantial debris strewn every few hundred feet. All I know is that lots of tour riders complain about the flats.
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Old 05-22-16, 05:22 PM
  #315  
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Originally Posted by baron von trail
All I know is that lots of tour riders complain about the flats.
I had six flats in 3200 miles on tour. In the previous 20,000 miles commuting, I had three punctures. Granted, I was commuting on original Marathons, and touring on Marathon Supremes, but that still seems like a big difference. You're probably right about the "where you ride" aspect. City streets tend to be cleaned more regularly (and flat auto tires don't disintegrate) compared to highway shoulders.
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Old 05-22-16, 05:41 PM
  #316  
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Originally Posted by baron von trail
Seeing how cycling is mostly seasonal...maybe specializing in ice cream would be the way to go. A franchise of small stands called "Idaho" located on the various MUPs throughout the land that can be boarded up after October and re-opened in May.
These stops would be for the folks that need such a spot, not recreational riders. Like, no offense intended here, but i take issue with the rail to trail movement and folks that focus on fair weather "fun" riding in city planning etc. We need more year-round cycling support.

- Andy
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Old 05-22-16, 05:55 PM
  #317  
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Riding on the shoulder of an interstate sounds like a really bad idea. Around here cyclists, carriages & pedestrians are prohibited from entering both the turnpike and interstates. Some areas have a 40 mph minimum speed as well.

I have found that riding in the imaginary 3 inch strip inside the rightmost white lane marker in a predictable motion so motorists feel secure enough to pass me legally without riding over trash & debris works best. Maybe in CA it's different?

- Andy
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Old 05-22-16, 05:58 PM
  #318  
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Originally Posted by TransitBiker
These stops would be for the folks that need such a spot, not recreational riders. Like, no offense intended here, but i take issue with the rail to trail movement and folks that focus on fair weather "fun" riding in city planning etc. We need more year-round cycling support.

- Andy
I take issue with the idea that year round cyclists are in need of a spot for ice cream when it is obvious that pizza and beer, preferably free, are what is needed for sustenance when cycling. Any cyclist who prefers an ice cream stop over pizza and beer is not a Real Cyclist™, doncha know.
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Old 05-22-16, 06:14 PM
  #319  
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
I take issue with the idea that year round cyclists are in need of a spot for ice cream when it is obvious that pizza and beer, preferably free, are what is needed for sustenance when cycling. Any cyclist who prefers an ice cream stop over pizza and beer is not a Real Cyclist™, doncha know.
I don't think any real cyclist would rate pizza over beer. The correct order is beer, pizza, beer.
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Old 05-22-16, 07:20 PM
  #320  
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
Nobody has said cyclists don't blow stop signs. What has been said is that it is rare that they do it without looking. And again your video makes the point. I like the cars that passed the cyclists at the stop sign. That was good stuff. My favorite part was the one cyclist who came to a full stop and made mockery of coming to a full stop.
That's the way I and every cyclist I know rides. They were perfectly safe. I cannot imagine anyone being upset with the way they're riding.
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Old 05-23-16, 07:49 AM
  #321  
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Originally Posted by TransitBiker
Riding on the shoulder of an interstate sounds like a really bad idea. Around here cyclists, carriages & pedestrians are prohibited from entering both the turnpike and interstates. Some areas have a 40 mph minimum speed as well.
Its legal here in Washington outside of a few major metropolitan areas. Probably something one needs to actually experience to appreciate, with shoulders as wide as lanes, and the lower levels of traffic outside of urban areas, its not bad at all.
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Old 05-23-16, 07:52 AM
  #322  
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Originally Posted by TransitBiker
no offense intended here, but i take issue with the rail to trail movement and folks that focus on fair weather "fun" riding in city planning etc. We need more year-round cycling support.
In the Seattle area they actually work well for transportation cycling, sort of like bike/pedestrian highways.
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Old 05-23-16, 08:20 AM
  #323  
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Originally Posted by kickstart
In the Seattle area they actually work well for transportation cycling, sort of like bike/pedestrian highways.
Yep, same here. The MUP's are perfect for intercity and/or intracity commuting. Actually, they are the best thing going for cycling.
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Old 05-23-16, 08:27 AM
  #324  
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Originally Posted by TransitBiker
These stops would be for the folks that need such a spot, not recreational riders. Like, no offense intended here, but i take issue with the rail to trail movement and folks that focus on fair weather "fun" riding in city planning etc. We need more year-round cycling support.

- Andy
Promotion of recreational riding actually helps with bringing cycling concerns to the forefront. You know, get more people riding bikes on Sunday and they may just yield to one on the road when they are driving to work the next day.
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Old 05-23-16, 11:13 AM
  #325  
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Originally Posted by TransitBiker
Riding on the shoulder of an interstate sounds like a really bad idea.
I have done that several times, usually 15 miles or less. The experience depends on a lot of things though. I have enjoyed some, hated others. Generally, Interstate riding is noisy and dirty. But if it saves me from winching myself up some 15% grade all day, and it is legal, I do it. Some "big sky" states don't have many good alternatives that actually get you where you want to go directly as well.

My baby sister (college freshman age) and I were on a bike tour together passing through an area where massive flooding was occurring. I got permission from the Mississippi State Police to ride on I-55 in Northern Mississippi for about 10 miles, as it was the only road above water. Barely too. This is how I found out why cycling on certain Interstate highways is a BAD idea. There were several bridges and none of them had shoulders. This cured me of any love I had for Interstate riding for the most part. To make matters worse, some Hillbilly strafed us on purpose. He accelerated (I heard the engine rev up) to what seemed like 100mph and purposely passed us within inches on one of the bridges. I felt the heat from the motor. Both of the other two lanes were free of traffic. Flat-black Ford Mustang. Will never forget that.

^^This brings me to another point. Interstate highways have more knuckleheads/criminals per minute than any other routes.

Then there where the tractor-trailers who could not move over to the next lanes due to traffic. I was more worried about causing a massive pile-up than about getting killed myself. And then worried about my sister too. Not a great touring experience.

Last edited by JoeyBike; 05-23-16 at 11:19 AM.
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