Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Need Protection?
If you need more protection or a protective tip here it is…..don’t ride on roads. When riding a bike you are balancing on two thin wheels. They slip on ice, paint, leaves. The get stuck in cracks, hit potholes. Other than your helmet, you have no protection at all. Why deny it? I’ve hurt myself walking, running, brushing my teeth, cleaning my ears, shaving, putting on my glasses, tying my shoes and playing basketball. I have yet to be injured in a bike to car accident. You want to know why? I will tell you. I don’t put my bikes skinny little tires anywhere near an automobile. That is silly.
Sum of All Sense
To sum it up, most cyclists go 15-20 miles an hour on average (frequently slower, rarely faster). Cars go 30-70 miles an hour on average, with most of the ‘100 million’ miles driven on highways, where it’s around 70 mph. Then the ratio for hours of equivalent participation is about 70/15 (taking the more realistic speeds) = 4.7. So, the more realistic comparison of injury rates per hours of participation is 390/4.7 = 83 injuries per approximately 1,430,000 hours of use. That is much more similar to the rates of injury while driving, and is a more fair metric of comparing activities. Stay off the roads people!
Safely Overtake an Angry Cyclist
If you drive on a road occupied by people on bicycles it is likely you have attacked or wanted to attack the cyclist. Confrontations between drivers and cyclist may start out as relaxing, but can quickly take a turn for the worse. Arm yourself with these tips and you can safely overtake a cyclist when the need arises.
- As the angry cyclist approaches you, be ready for action. You must always assume they are approaching to do you harm. Often the angry cyclist may approach you with the bicycle raised above their heads in a striking position.
- Make sudden, fast, wild swinging movements. Make a lot of noise. If you have a can with rocks in it shake it loudly while shouting nonsense in the face of the cyclist.
- Move swiftly from side to side. Don’t stand in one spot or you will get struck.
- Move into the strike and grab the bicycle with your right hand.
- Spin the aggressor around where you are directly behind them.
- Strike them hard in the center of the back with your fist.
- As the cyclist goes down, deliver 3 strong strikes with the bicycle to the knee or back of the legs.
- Throw the bicycle far out of reach of the injured cyclist.
- Get in your car and drive to over the bicycle rendering it useless, and get ready for your next confrontation.
Unicycles on Roads
I do NOT condone unicycling, bicycling or tricycling by adults on the road. Kids either for that matter. Unicycling – even by an expert – on the road is particularly dangerous. What stupidity! If it’s dangerous with adults, then it’s dangerous with children too. You don’t have to look further than the recent lawsuit involving a 25-year old unicyclist who ran into an elderly lady, causing the lady to fall and break her hip. Unicycles move at even slower speeds than bicycles and adult tricycles. Unicycles are not safe for road travel. Yesterday while driving to the University, a man in a suit riding a unicycle pulled up beside me. He was commuting to work on a unicycle. How stupid! Why in the world would he want to ride that thing on the road? Take it to the park and enjoy your ride, but stay off my roads.
Why they Ride in Europe
European countries recognize the enormous subisidies societies pay for fuel and infrastructure supporting motorized traffic and levy excise taxes accordingly. The lion’s share of the cost of fuel in those countries is tax. The cost of licensing and annual renewals is based on engine displacement and makes it prohibitively expensive for the average driver to operate a large, inefficient vehicle. For example, if a person in Norway, one of Europe’s top oil producers, wants to buy a new Camaro with a five liter V-8, by the time the car is registered and insured he will have spent more than $200,000. It is not the same people. They ride because they have to. They can’t afford the damn cars. We can. Stick to the shoulder and stay off my roads.
Not Like Europe
Making U.S. streets safe for non-motorized road users will take education of both bicyclists and drivers on correct and safe practices. This is a stinking waste of money. As many European countries have found, a legal system that includes strict liability for motorists and harsh penalties for drivers who kill or injure non-motorized road users discourages unsafe driving practices. Stay off the roads!
Bike Lanes in San Diego????
As the presence of bike lanes begins to grow in San Diego, can vehicle drivers and bicycle riders get along? Will we ever reach the level of accommodation seen in European and Asian cities? Share your thoughts on sharing the road below.
Ride to Die
If you want to spend some public money to build bikes-only paths or courses, fine with me. But for the sake of the next LA or OC bike rider that otherwise will be killed in about a month or so, let’s give up this politically correct fantasy about cars and bicycles sharing the road. It doesn’t work, period.
Black Friday Deals
Don’t be caught off guard on Black Friday. While shopping on Black Friday for Christmas gifts you need to be ready for accidents. If you get struck by a bullet, arrow, knife, stick, or sword you are likely to have a “penetrating” injury. If one of these items lodge in a vital area of your body (the trunk or eye) removing them may make the problem worse causing you to “bleed out”. If you are not comfortable removing the item yourself, you should find one of the available clerks (as they are trained to do this). If it is your scalp that gets injured (get scalped) you will need to take additional steps to prevent bleeding out. The scalp, if struck directly will bleed profusely. If you get “scalped” while shopping you will not likely survive. Be safe and be ready to help a fellow shopper if they get injured.
License Plates for Bicycles?
I would like to see bicyclists wearing some kind of license plate just like cars do. That way when they don’t obey the traffic laws I would have recourse by identifying the offenders to the authorities. Share the road share the rules. Just like if I am seen doing something “wrong” I can be accounted for by my license plates. Yes, I think bikes that are allowed to ride the roads should be accounted for like motorized vehicles.
Share the Speed Limit
There is a reason why the California Drivers Handbook emphasizes the importance of motorists keeping up with the flow of traffic. Unusual differences in the speed of vehicles operating in close proximity increase the odds of mishaps and multiply their negative consequences. If it is necessary for the safe passage of motorized traffic for drivers to keep up with the flow of traffic – which, of course, it is – then it must follow that it is even more essential for cyclists (who are not protected by seat belts, air bags or energy-absorbing crash cages) to also keep up with the flow of traffic. But the very nature of these tiny, fragile, slow moving (and even slower accelerating) vehicles makes this impossible. If a motorist operated his or her vehicle in the same manner as the average, responsible cyclist (let alone the numerous reckless and lawless ones), he or she could be cited for CVC Section 22400(a) minimum speed, impeding normal flow of traffic – and rightly so. The bottom line here is that it is physically impossible for cyclists not to impede the normal flow of traffic and that fact alone should have long ago been recognized and dealt with. If you want to share the road…..then you that ride bicycles on roads need to share the speed limit. Go the speed limit or get off the roads.
Middle Ground?
Like many difficult social conflicts in society, this issue cannot be resolved with draconian methods. Instead, I believe we can achieve significant improvements simply by increasing awareness and enforcement. For example, in high traffic narrow roads, cyclists who refuse to yield to faster traffic at turn outs should be fined on the grounds of impediment of traffic. Likewise, motorists who make unsafe passes around cyclists should be fined for unsafe passing. Signage that reminds motorists and cyclists alike of their individual responsibilities and repercussions should be posted along problem routes. Minors who ride roads without bike lanes are the responsibility of the adult guardian or the group leader. There are enough low-hanging fruits within reach. We don’t have to go for broke here. This came to me from an avid cyclist. Thoughts?
One way to Control Population in NYC
A study has been released showing that NYC is working to increase the comfort level of bicycle riders on their city streets. They have almost doubled the bicycle population on public roads over the past several years. I guess that is one way to eliminate the overcrowded streets. Biking on public roads is not safe. Stay off!
Read the report here CyclingNY
Will it Ever Change?
I think the term “share the road”, creates a fundamental problem in that both parties believe they have equal right, and to exert their right, to occupy space on the road when I, still to this day, have never heard evidence of a cyclist coming off anything other than “second best” in an accident with a car. Why is it so hard to have a system, like most of Europe, and enforce “strict liability” for the motorist? All the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that it saves lives.
Thanksgiving Safety Plan Ahead….Avoid Death!!!!
What You Need to do When Someone Chokes at Your House This Year
1. Stay Sharp! Move swiftly from side to side and remember that victims ALWAYS panic and intentionally strike out. They will try to hit you so be prepared to hit back. Think of this as a friendly boxing competition and be prepared to level your opponent.
2. The first blow should be hard and directly to the victim’s throat. Once you establish that the victim is choking hit quick and hard!
3. Stand in front of the victim when delivering the punch to the throat. Once the throat punch is administered move quickly behind the victim and deliver a blow to the center of the victim’s back.
4. Once you have delivered the punch to the center of the victim’s back, wrap your hands around the victim’s throat and apply firm pressure (as if giving a bear hug).
5. Make a fist with your right hand and strike it firmly on the back of the victim’s neck. This move should dislodge any bones or wood that may be lodged in the victim’s throat.
6. If the victim is still choking, grab the victim with your left hand and turn them to face you while thrusting your fist inwards and upwards forcefully to the stomach.
7. Repeat steps (1-6) until the victim is able to breathe again, or until the victim is pronounced dead (whichever comes first).
It takes practice to perfect this technique. I would suggest getting a close friend or family member to agree in advance to letting you practice on them. It would be better to have properly trained for the choking than to just sit back and watch helplessly as a loved one chokes to death.
How to Safely Pass a Walker
How to safely overtake a pedestrian on a cement bike path
- Call out passing left or on your left
- Toot your bike horn
- Downshift to the lowest gear you have
- Pedal as hard and fast as your legs will go
- Clip close to the pedestrian
- If agitated (like if the pedestrian made no attempt to move) raise your right arm in flapping position
- Strike/sweep arm up and down and front to back
- Make solid contact with the pedestrians back with your flapping right arm
- Pull a safe distance around the pedestrian
- Put right hand back on handle grips
- Shift back to a more comfortable gear
- Proceed down the trail and enjoy your ride
Making the City More Bike Friendly???? WHY?
I just read an article that the Baltimore City Council passed a Cyclists’ Bill of Rights on Monday night. This bill is a nonbinding resolution expressing support for improving conditions in the city for cycling. They want to attract and keep young people. I guess they don’t care about safety there. Bikes do NOT belong on roads.
Bicycle Riders Should Not Have the Same Rights!
In Michigan they are changing regulation to include making drivers learn bicycle safety. Really?
Facts
- Every year, crashes with motor vehicles kill hundreds of bicyclists on America’s roadways and injure thousands more.
- 2,188 Michigan bicyclists were involved in motor-vehicle crashes, 1,760 were injured and 17 were killed in 2007 alone. – Source: Office of Highway Safety Planning
I wonder if so many are killed there on the roads because this is their bumper sticker of choice instead of mine?
BREAKING NEWS>>>>>>>>>Biker Might Live!
Bicyclist hit by car listed in fair condition
A Roanoke bicyclist who was struck by a car Monday night was recovering Tuesday at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Anthony Alan Battuello, 44, of Roanoke was riding a bike north on Williamson Road near Fleming Avenue just before 9 p.m. when he was struck by a Saturn Ion turning north onto Williamson Road from Fleming Avenue, police spokeswoman Aisha Johnson said. The driver of the car, Aries Osorio Bowman, 48, of Roanoke was charged with disregarding a stop sign.
Battuello was in fair condition Tuesday, hospital spokesman Eric Earnhart said.
Read more here http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/266898
This is exactly the reason you need to stay off the roads!
Today at the Park
Today I took my bicycle for a ride at the park. It was windy and I rode with great strides as the wind blew through my hair. I like the feeling of wind on my face while I ride. I will never ride my bicycle on roads though. Parks are the only place my skinny tires will ride. Stay off my roads please.
Sick of Sharing the Road
Hello. Thank you for visiting my new site www.tiredofsharing.com On this site you will see my vent my frustrations about bicycles being allowed to ride on public streets. Tune back in later for more.
Tired of Sharing the Road 