Stay away from turning trucks and busses.
#51
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I drive a semi around a major metropolitan area 8 to 10 hours a day, the vast majority of people have the minimum amount of common sense to not get into a bad spot around large vehicle, once in a while someone does something that simply boggles the mind.
I've been in the industry over 25 years and can safety say turning incidents are uncommon and usually require both parties to not be paying attention as trucks take turns of this type at very low speeds.
I've been in the industry over 25 years and can safety say turning incidents are uncommon and usually require both parties to not be paying attention as trucks take turns of this type at very low speeds.
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I have to ask, in all those previous designs above, were all the injured cyclists riding where the sharrows directed them to ride, centered in either the 2nd lane or the RTO except bikes lane? Or were they somewhere else? Going the wrong way? Shoved over in the gutter? Or were some injuries due to things like jumping red lights where it wouldn't matter were in the lane they were located?
I was coming off the bridge at a pretty good speed (easily 20+), and had a green light, with no reason to slow or stop. An MBTA bus driver apparently ceded their (and by extension, my) right of way to the driver of an SUV that was turning left from the other direction and across my path. They gunned it and appeared in front of me suddenly, giving me no chance of avoiding the collision with their front quarter panel and going up onto the hood. I was lucky enough to walk away from the incident with only superficial injuries (and a totaled bike), but I noticed this change in the lane markings not long afterward:
#53
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In that case, there should be two separate traffic signal lights, one for vehicles and one for bikes, so the bikes can have green light when vehicles going the same direction and vehicles on the cross road both have red (and no right turn allowed on red). But that would be too complex.
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(in case it doesn't make sense, they're in england, so the biker was on the right side of the road and trucker was not).
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Last edited by Chris516; 09-12-15 at 11:43 PM.
#56
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When a long semi trailer truck makes a ninety degree turn, the cab swings wide of the corner at first, but the trailer comes in close to the curb and corner, and can kill a pedestrian or cyclist. A long bus corners the same way.
In Boston a gifted surgeon was killed by a semi trailer making a sharp turn. The trailer swept her under the rear wheels.
These trailers should have someone watching when they navigate city streets, but I doubt laws will be passed requiering this in the near future. In the mean time stay away from these long vehicules especially when turning.
In Boston a gifted surgeon was killed by a semi trailer making a sharp turn. The trailer swept her under the rear wheels.
These trailers should have someone watching when they navigate city streets, but I doubt laws will be passed requiering this in the near future. In the mean time stay away from these long vehicules especially when turning.
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I was sure I had seen the video earlier:
A longer discussion of the accident here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-...t-s-death.html
It was a very unfortunate chain of events that led the cyclist to end up under the truck and to get killed.
While the truck undoubtedly passed the cyclist going over the bridge, the traffic lights allowed Anita Kurmann to catch the truck and shadow the truck, a very dangerous place to ride.
Then as the truck swung left, the turn should have been apparent, but it somehow didn't register with Anita for one reason or another.
I do think there are some things that can be done to get better signal lights on trucks, although many do have quite a few flashers. Beeps? It still has to register with those around them. And, too many beeps become ignored.
Other road users must realize the extent in which the trailer wheels don't follow the cab wheels, and how one must find a path to quickly escape the trailer's path. Right turn with the truck? Stop way short if one sees a truck turning.
It does appear as if there has been some effort by the city to make that intersection safer.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3507...7i13312!8i6656
A longer discussion of the accident here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-...t-s-death.html
It was a very unfortunate chain of events that led the cyclist to end up under the truck and to get killed.
While the truck undoubtedly passed the cyclist going over the bridge, the traffic lights allowed Anita Kurmann to catch the truck and shadow the truck, a very dangerous place to ride.
Then as the truck swung left, the turn should have been apparent, but it somehow didn't register with Anita for one reason or another.
I do think there are some things that can be done to get better signal lights on trucks, although many do have quite a few flashers. Beeps? It still has to register with those around them. And, too many beeps become ignored.
Other road users must realize the extent in which the trailer wheels don't follow the cab wheels, and how one must find a path to quickly escape the trailer's path. Right turn with the truck? Stop way short if one sees a truck turning.
It does appear as if there has been some effort by the city to make that intersection safer.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3507...7i13312!8i6656
Last edited by CliffordK; 12-25-19 at 12:31 AM.
#58
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I missed the earlier thread. Just happened to see the video.
I think if she had read the many posts here about the danger of trucks at intersections she'd be more vigilant and watch for the faintest sign that the truck might make a turn, or even not ride alongside the truck.
I think if she had read the many posts here about the danger of trucks at intersections she'd be more vigilant and watch for the faintest sign that the truck might make a turn, or even not ride alongside the truck.
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I missed the earlier thread. Just happened to see the video.
I think if she had read the many posts here about the danger of trucks at intersections she'd be more vigilant and watch for the faintest sign that the truck might make a turn, or even not ride alongside the truck.
I think if she had read the many posts here about the danger of trucks at intersections she'd be more vigilant and watch for the faintest sign that the truck might make a turn, or even not ride alongside the truck.
Of course, if the truck driver had been reading bike forums, he might have slowed down a bit.
Watching the clip again, just before the cyclist disappears out of view behind the cab, it looks like she came to a track stand. It would have been fine had she been next to a car, but not a turning truck. And, by the time she would have realized her error, it was too late.
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Looked at the vid: no accident... degree of murder the only question....
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The driver's CDL should have been immediately and permanently revoked.
"Lost Wages" Lawsuit for a surgeon?
#62
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No bone to pick with you, CliffordK, as I am sure a corporatized court will say the same.... When does Overtly Gross negligence ('I see the bicycle in the bicycle lane, but I WILL make this turn ahead of her in willful violation of the law') become intent?
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The truck likely passed the cyclist back on the bridge somewhere, and largely forgot about her.
Then as the truck was stopped at the traffic light, the cyclist mostly caught up with the truck, then started shadowing the truck in the blind spot.
From the point the traffic started moving again, the cyclist could have been completely invisible to the truck.
If the driver had been driving a pickup, the cyclist stopped short, and a pickup would have made the turn. Unfortunately the truck trailer doesn't track behind the cab (which the CDL drivers know, and other road users should also know).
For the most part, getting cyclists into a bike lane to the right of the road is a good thing. But, one has to be aware of precisely this type of interaction, with vehicles making right hand turns across the bike lane.
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How is it possible to get run over when you are in a bike lane and NOT moving??
And for the clueless wanting to ride here ... pick a car going straight and ride BESIDE it.
Last edited by GamblerGORD53; 12-25-19 at 04:40 PM.
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This incident is exactly what my best friend's dad told us when were 12 years old. That if we ever saw the side of a right turning truck in front of us we would die. I've seen that truck side once.
You might say "but you lived". Yes. But I had an angel. Literally. A woman in the passenger seat who saw me and screamed. The truck straightened out and I rode past it between it and the road edge. Later that year, two Portland cyclists were killed by right turning trucks, a college student who assumed the truck beside her at the light was going straight and an experienced bicycle mechanic coming down a hill where many trucks take a very sharp right turn to go to an industrial section of Portland.
Yes, we can say that these drivers are being negligent. I try to imagine driving a large truck/semi-trailer in a city and alI I would have to be sizing up to take a 90 degree turn. Number one thing is that I have to pull into the adjacent lane to start the turn, That would have my full attention. That right hand mirror gets a glance or two or three, but not the steady look you need to assess the presence or progress of a bicycle.
I am sure there are drivers with the abilities to do all these looks and always get it right. Just like there are the Michael Jordons, Barry Sanders, Bobby Orrs of the sports world. But trusting my life to the assumption that the truck drivers out there have that gift? I do my best to not.
Ben
You might say "but you lived". Yes. But I had an angel. Literally. A woman in the passenger seat who saw me and screamed. The truck straightened out and I rode past it between it and the road edge. Later that year, two Portland cyclists were killed by right turning trucks, a college student who assumed the truck beside her at the light was going straight and an experienced bicycle mechanic coming down a hill where many trucks take a very sharp right turn to go to an industrial section of Portland.
Yes, we can say that these drivers are being negligent. I try to imagine driving a large truck/semi-trailer in a city and alI I would have to be sizing up to take a 90 degree turn. Number one thing is that I have to pull into the adjacent lane to start the turn, That would have my full attention. That right hand mirror gets a glance or two or three, but not the steady look you need to assess the presence or progress of a bicycle.
I am sure there are drivers with the abilities to do all these looks and always get it right. Just like there are the Michael Jordons, Barry Sanders, Bobby Orrs of the sports world. But trusting my life to the assumption that the truck drivers out there have that gift? I do my best to not.
Ben
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I am trying to be more creative and decided this morning to ride out to this gorge we have near my town. I left early, as always, and took the long but scenic way out. After the sun rose (sort of, it's Western Oregon in December...), I finished the out portion and turned around for the back. Because I am looking for new places to ride, I decided to take the route suggested by RWGPS back home. It's much shorter, but involves a long stretch on one of the busiest streets in town. There is a bike lane, not protected, the entire way into the more central part of town, where that bike lane ends. I peeled off here to a more bike-friendly street to make it home. It was a nice ride. Kind of.
That said, I was faced repeatedly with a bike lane that suddenly ended at a major intersection and was replaced with a vehicle right-hand turn lane. Virtually all of these intersections, let's say there were ten this morning, had no bike lane between the right-hand non-turn lane and the right-hand turn lane. No box. No place to go. Major, major street with massive traffic, even on Christmas morning, a lot of cars. Where am I supposed to go?
Interestingly, several of these lanes--but not all-- did have bike lane markings before the right turn markings, indicating that a cyclist should stay in the right-hand (turn) lane. Personally, I hate this idea, for all the reasons mentioned above. Everybody is turning right except me! No way in heck am I getting in that lane and dealing with buses/trucks/cars, trying to turn right and putting my safety in their hands. So, I took the right-hand, not turning lane, just like I was a car. I accelerated and clipped in as fast as I could, and then quickly got back into the reappearing bike lane on the opposite side of the intersection. Not sure if I did what I was supposed to do, but it seemed the safest approach.
Personally, I find these intersections to be cycling catastrophes that just haven't happened yet. I cannot believe on one of Portland's busiest streets with all this alleged bike-friendliness here, that we don't have a better solution to this. I will certainly not be riding that street again. Whew.
That said, I was faced repeatedly with a bike lane that suddenly ended at a major intersection and was replaced with a vehicle right-hand turn lane. Virtually all of these intersections, let's say there were ten this morning, had no bike lane between the right-hand non-turn lane and the right-hand turn lane. No box. No place to go. Major, major street with massive traffic, even on Christmas morning, a lot of cars. Where am I supposed to go?
Interestingly, several of these lanes--but not all-- did have bike lane markings before the right turn markings, indicating that a cyclist should stay in the right-hand (turn) lane. Personally, I hate this idea, for all the reasons mentioned above. Everybody is turning right except me! No way in heck am I getting in that lane and dealing with buses/trucks/cars, trying to turn right and putting my safety in their hands. So, I took the right-hand, not turning lane, just like I was a car. I accelerated and clipped in as fast as I could, and then quickly got back into the reappearing bike lane on the opposite side of the intersection. Not sure if I did what I was supposed to do, but it seemed the safest approach.
Personally, I find these intersections to be cycling catastrophes that just haven't happened yet. I cannot believe on one of Portland's busiest streets with all this alleged bike-friendliness here, that we don't have a better solution to this. I will certainly not be riding that street again. Whew.
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bpcyclist, I see that all the time riding here. (And driving.) Designing streets to be user friendly isn't what Portland/Metro traffic engineers are paid to do (apparently).
Oregon law says we are to use the bike paths when available. Oregon law also says we are to ride as far to the right as "practicable". Often, in my judgement, that is to the left of the bike lane stripe (which is wide and traffic hazard dangerous/slippery in the prevailing Portland damp).
I learned long ago to alter my course a touch to the left very early to get around parked cars with potentially opening doors and other right hand side hazard. Yes, this can impede drivers a little more, but it is clear to everybody what I am doing, (Good truck drivers appreciate this. I make keeping their clean driving record intact easy.) In Portland, I do the same with bike lanes where I know it is ending and at times when I do not know but the precedence has been set.
To ridie and drive properly in Portland, use proper hindsight. In other words, have your route memorized before you attempt to ride/drive it. (Driving - what lane do I belong in? I may know where I want to go and where the exit is but I need that hindsight to know which lane will allow me to take it.)
Ben
Oregon law says we are to use the bike paths when available. Oregon law also says we are to ride as far to the right as "practicable". Often, in my judgement, that is to the left of the bike lane stripe (which is wide and traffic hazard dangerous/slippery in the prevailing Portland damp).
I learned long ago to alter my course a touch to the left very early to get around parked cars with potentially opening doors and other right hand side hazard. Yes, this can impede drivers a little more, but it is clear to everybody what I am doing, (Good truck drivers appreciate this. I make keeping their clean driving record intact easy.) In Portland, I do the same with bike lanes where I know it is ending and at times when I do not know but the precedence has been set.
To ridie and drive properly in Portland, use proper hindsight. In other words, have your route memorized before you attempt to ride/drive it. (Driving - what lane do I belong in? I may know where I want to go and where the exit is but I need that hindsight to know which lane will allow me to take it.)
Ben
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Stay away from turning trucks and busses
I was surprised to read this resurrected zombie thread, which was already long in 2015. That accident in the OP happened about one block from our condo in Kenmore Square.
I recently posted to this A&S thread,"Tricyclist Killed in Portland Suburb":
I was surprised to read this resurrected zombie thread, which was already long in 2015. That accident in the OP happened about one block from our condo in Kenmore Square.
I recently posted to this A&S thread,"Tricyclist Killed in Portland Suburb":
A common conclusion from many safety threads is not necessarily specific practices, but how to actively maintain situational awareness
In all fairness, I don't think there's anyone who's been riding for a long time, who hasn't at some time (or many times) ridden in that zone where the only thing separating us from disaster is favorable alignment of the stars. (Note the "us" rather than "him")
We all take chances and make mistakes, but fortunately life is "organized" with plenty of forgiveness. In my experience the difference between disaster and "whew, that was close" is millimeters and microseconds, and not anything we can take credit for.
We all take chances and make mistakes, but fortunately life is "organized" with plenty of forgiveness. In my experience the difference between disaster and "whew, that was close" is millimeters and microseconds, and not anything we can take credit for.
So often on these threads about calamities or near misses, I post about my mindset that I believe gives me that extra edge...
For example:
For example:
… 90% of us also know that trucks making a right turn is bad news. But, it never hurts to remind that remaining 10% that the rear wheels don't track with the front wheels. Simply stopping next to a turning truck can be deadly
…FWIW, for my own information at least, my other aphorisms [include]:
1)…6)...
7) truck at corner in sight, don't go right." I’m also wary of passing on the right at an intersection, especially next to a bus or truck, after reading of fatalities on my routes)
8)...9)...
Those are all I remember for now, and they all pop-up in my mind as I encounter the situation.
1)…6)...
7) truck at corner in sight, don't go right." I’m also wary of passing on the right at an intersection, especially next to a bus or truck, after reading of fatalities on my routes)
8)...9)...
Those are all I remember for now, and they all pop-up in my mind as I encounter the situation.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 12-26-19 at 07:26 AM. Reason: Deleted quotes by livedarklions and CliffordK; added quote by FBinNY
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Stay away from turning trucks and busses
I was surprised to read this resurrected zombie thread, which was already long in 2015. That accident in the OP happened about one block from our condo in Kenmore Square.
I recently posted to this A&S thread,"Tricyclist Killed in Portland Suburb":
I was surprised to read this resurrected zombie thread, which was already long in 2015. That accident in the OP happened about one block from our condo in Kenmore Square.
I recently posted to this A&S thread,"Tricyclist Killed in Portland Suburb":
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Not sure what your point is here, but there's a world of difference between having a video that actually shows what can happen, and debating fault based on sketchy newspaper accounts. I'm feeling rather misrepresented by your quoting of me in the context of this thread.
However they remain (IMO in context) in the previous post I cited, "Tricyclist Killed in Portland Suburb."
BTWFWIW a few days ago I posted about my use of quotes as citations:
…So with my experiences in cycling, and my frequent posting over the years, if I have replied on a recurrent topic, written to my satisfaction, I’ll just quote it..
A further challenge then becomes finding the post
My signature line has since been changed, to liken my nested quotes to a "panel discussion on a topic, with me as moderator and a participant, each of us speaking in turn."
A further challenge then becomes finding the post
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
(From a now-closed thread) I think that the use of quote boxes, which I have not seen elsewhere is a remarkable way to graphically diagram a dialogue. …..:
…So when I nest quotes, I feel I’m emulating a conversation…”He said," then “You said," then “I said, and now I’m saying…”
I leave my quotes as links to identify the author, and if anyone is interested in reading further, or verifying those quotes, they can easily be followed right from the post…[and tells the reader that his topic has been previously considered in the past].
I use ellipses,"..." to eliminate as much as possible, and still leave the context of the quote comprehensible; and I bold key words and phrases to emphasize the core content of the discussion.
By nesting quote boxes, I indicate to the quoted subscriber(s) that I have read the post(s), reflected on the content, and extracted meaningful point(s), that I worked into a quote chain.
The quote chain allows me to quote a few subscribers on one topic in one post. As my signature line reads: "I use nested, sequential quotes (to be read in that order) to improvise an imaginary conversation. Anything outside a quote box is my contribution to the current 'conversation. "
I leave my quotes as links to identify the author, and if anyone is interested in reading further, or verifying those quotes, they can easily be followed right from the post…[and tells the reader that his topic has been previously considered in the past].
I use ellipses,"..." to eliminate as much as possible, and still leave the context of the quote comprehensible; and I bold key words and phrases to emphasize the core content of the discussion.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 12-30-19 at 09:05 AM. Reason: added BTWFWIW, then added additional quotes to that
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^^^^
Furthermore I have posted to this thread: “As a Bike Commuter - What kind of video content would you want to see? “
Hi Everyone!
I'm a long-time bike commuter who has started a YouTube channel that's about bike commuting. I'm going to initially be making videos for newbies and beginners who are thinking about bike commuting. Content such as...
Looking for help and suggestions! Thanks.
I'm a long-time bike commuter who has started a YouTube channel that's about bike commuting. I'm going to initially be making videos for newbies and beginners who are thinking about bike commuting. Content such as...
- what type of bike do I need for bike commuting?
- is bike commuting safe?
- X Tips for Cleaning Up after Biking to Work
Looking for help and suggestions! Thanks.
@Paul Barnard asked this question, “Has A&S Changed Your Behavior?” …
So in answer to what I think would be sobering yet important messages to commuters would be videos of dangerous situations such as:
https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...318-34zr2.html
and
So in answer to what I think would be sobering yet important messages to commuters would be videos of dangerous situations such as:
https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...318-34zr2.html
and
Cyclist Rear Ended at 55mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYMKp71vW-I
A news article also indicated he needed facial reconstructive surgery:
https://www.kyma.com/news/cyclists-r...own/1079075565
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYMKp71vW-I
A news article also indicated he needed facial reconstructive surgery:
https://www.kyma.com/news/cyclists-r...own/1079075565
Terrifying!
Thanks to @JW Fas for posting this video. I have posted about learning safety either by experience or vicariously, and this is the best training video I have seen about “bailing out.”…
So as a bailout training video, I have to consider how I would react to a quickly upcoming car, and make the decision to bail, especially with an inhospitable shoulder.
So as a bailout training video, I have to consider how I would react to a quickly upcoming car, and make the decision to bail, especially with an inhospitable shoulder.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 12-28-19 at 08:02 AM.
#72
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It has been four and a half years since this accident. The DA never pressed charges against the truck driver. There is a new DA in Sufflok County; I wonder whether she'll be any better.
This accident has not been forgotten, and bike advocacy groups are demanding more action to protect cyclists. Finally the hands free driving bill has been passed. Maybe it will be enforced.
I think more cyclists and pedestrians are aware of the dangers of long vehicles, not only truck and buses but the Duck Boats, WWII amphibious assault vehicles that carry tourists, and victorious sports teams; Some one was injured or killed a couple of years ago by one.
There has been some talk of requiring long trucks to have fences to keep pedestrians or cyclists from being dragged under and crushed by the wheels. Most long trucks in Europe have them. I don't know if a city or state can ennact such a requirement that applies to out of state trucks. The truck in the Anita Korman incident was from New Jersey or Pennsylvania , I believe, and he was lost in the city..
This accident has not been forgotten, and bike advocacy groups are demanding more action to protect cyclists. Finally the hands free driving bill has been passed. Maybe it will be enforced.
I think more cyclists and pedestrians are aware of the dangers of long vehicles, not only truck and buses but the Duck Boats, WWII amphibious assault vehicles that carry tourists, and victorious sports teams; Some one was injured or killed a couple of years ago by one.
There has been some talk of requiring long trucks to have fences to keep pedestrians or cyclists from being dragged under and crushed by the wheels. Most long trucks in Europe have them. I don't know if a city or state can ennact such a requirement that applies to out of state trucks. The truck in the Anita Korman incident was from New Jersey or Pennsylvania , I believe, and he was lost in the city..
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Michael Moore (whether you like him, or not) said/wrote it best when he wished that the very same pain inflicted on others would return in exactly the same package to those inflicting that pain. The driver, and most certainly the DA. Had it happened to the DA's special other, the driver would be doing hard time....
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The fact remains a 200 pound bike and man should NOT assume the right of way, even tho he does have it. 200 pounds will always lose against a 3500 pound car or a 15000 pound truck or bus.
ALWAYS let the have their way, and stay alive. They may be in the wrong, but you stay alive.
ALWAYS let the have their way, and stay alive. They may be in the wrong, but you stay alive.
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Stay away from turning trucks and busses
Hi @rydabent,
FYA, just yesterday I posted to this other A&S thread, somewhat as an epilogue to this current thread:
I'm not disparaging recumbent trikes, but I am skeptical about their visibility. My otherwise one direct experience was:
↓↓↓↓
I was surprised to read this resurrected zombie thread, which was already long in 2015. That accident in the OP happened about one block from our condo in Kenmore Square
The fact remains a 200 pound bike and man should NOT assume the right of way, even tho he does have it. 200 pounds will always lose against a 3500 pound car or a 15000 pound truck or bus.
ALWAYS let the have their way, and stay alive. They may be in the wrong, but you stay alive.
ALWAYS let the have their way, and stay alive. They may be in the wrong, but you stay alive.
FYA, just yesterday I posted to this other A&S thread, somewhat as an epilogue to this current thread:
”Thinking of no longer riding on roads"
I had previously posted to this recent thread, ”Giving up riding on the road.”
Despite this stated bravado, just yesterday I saw a recumbent trike pass though my normally busy neighborhood of Kenmore Square, and had a change of heart.
It was on a quiet Sunday during Christmas break for BU, so his safety was pretty well assured But I realized that perhaps someday to continue cycling, I may be riding a recumbent trike.
Hopefully by that time I will be retired, and will have the wherewithal in time and health to choose my times and routes with safety a paramount Goal.
I had previously posted to this recent thread, ”Giving up riding on the road.”
All my cycling as a decades-long, year-round commuter and occasional centurian in Metro Boston ranges from dense urban, to suburban, to exurban, but no rural.
I'm goal-oriented, be it miles or destinations, so I take the Road as it comes, to satisfy my Goal
I'm goal-oriented, be it miles or destinations, so I take the Road as it comes, to satisfy my Goal
…Personally, I happily resumed cycling five months after a serious hit by a car, with six weeks acute and rehab hospital, and three months off work.
Perhaps I may sound devil-may-care, but I even touted to this recent thread.:.
Perhaps I may sound devil-may-care, but I even touted to this recent thread.:.
…Kenmore has been likened to Boston's equivalent of Times Square, but it never descended to those depths. It is an intersection of three major thoroughfares as well as a point of convergence of three branches of the Green subway line (the (T)) before they emerge from underground to fan out westward.
Kenmore is the home of Fenway Park, so on game day, street and subway traffic is horrendous. It is also home to Boston University, so all-in-all is a lively place.
Kenmore is the home of Fenway Park, so on game day, street and subway traffic is horrendous. It is also home to Boston University, so all-in-all is a lively place.
Hopefully by that time I will be retired, and will have the wherewithal in time and health to choose my times and routes with safety a paramount Goal.
… …I had promised myself as I did last year, that I would not take the participants out onto the streets of Boston, since I live downtown.
I had met Dick on two previous Annual Rides, though had not ridden with him. This year, he brought a finely crafted, low-riding recumbent tricyle. He had previously written that while slow on the uphills, it rode usual speeds on the flats and downhills. We had agreed to sign up for the metric century on Saturday...
I wear two, right and left eyeglass-mounted cycling mirrors, and I found that I could deflect the right-sided mirror slightly downwards and keep an eye on Dick without craning my neck to keep him in view.
As mentioned Dick had come with a low-riding recumbent trike from …a small, probably rural town I imagined, and now at the end of the Path we were facing the busy mean streets of downtown Boston at rush hour. I myself had never ridden most of that on-street route to the Navy Yard, but I knew we could take sidewalks…Dick, as was during the entire weekend, said “Fine, you lead the way.”
So we made our way, mostly on crowded sidewalks with some hazardous street crossings. Eventually I had to give up and go onto the streets. Dick had no problems with street riding, and actually seemed to prefer it. Later on he said it’s really no problem, and has cycled streets around the world such as Munich and London, so I realized, “What’s Boston?”
Dick's recumbent gave him a celebrity status, and attracted a lot of attention….[On the Ride] we passed a pick-your-own blueberry farm where a young boy yelled to his dad, “Look at that race car!” (Dick’s bike).
While taking a break before our retreat, another recumbent cyclist approached (not on his bike, but walking back to his Tesla). He too admired Dick’s bike, and claimed to a one-way commute of about 23 miles...
Dick revealed that he is a certified Cycling Instructor by the League of American Cyclists and taught safe, including urban, cycling to adults and children. As a decades-long, year-round urban cyclist, I proudly told him I learned by experience, and he replied, “It shows. You made some mistakes out there.”
I had met Dick on two previous Annual Rides, though had not ridden with him. This year, he brought a finely crafted, low-riding recumbent tricyle. He had previously written that while slow on the uphills, it rode usual speeds on the flats and downhills. We had agreed to sign up for the metric century on Saturday...
I wear two, right and left eyeglass-mounted cycling mirrors, and I found that I could deflect the right-sided mirror slightly downwards and keep an eye on Dick without craning my neck to keep him in view.
As mentioned Dick had come with a low-riding recumbent trike from …a small, probably rural town I imagined, and now at the end of the Path we were facing the busy mean streets of downtown Boston at rush hour. I myself had never ridden most of that on-street route to the Navy Yard, but I knew we could take sidewalks…Dick, as was during the entire weekend, said “Fine, you lead the way.”
So we made our way, mostly on crowded sidewalks with some hazardous street crossings. Eventually I had to give up and go onto the streets. Dick had no problems with street riding, and actually seemed to prefer it. Later on he said it’s really no problem, and has cycled streets around the world such as Munich and London, so I realized, “What’s Boston?”
Dick's recumbent gave him a celebrity status, and attracted a lot of attention….[On the Ride] we passed a pick-your-own blueberry farm where a young boy yelled to his dad, “Look at that race car!” (Dick’s bike).
While taking a break before our retreat, another recumbent cyclist approached (not on his bike, but walking back to his Tesla). He too admired Dick’s bike, and claimed to a one-way commute of about 23 miles...
Dick revealed that he is a certified Cycling Instructor by the League of American Cyclists and taught safe, including urban, cycling to adults and children. As a decades-long, year-round urban cyclist, I proudly told him I learned by experience, and he replied, “It shows. You made some mistakes out there.”
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 12-31-19 at 08:20 AM.