Cycling... Anyone here into it?

Sky Blue Lou said:
The guy on the bike was 3/4 over in the car lane. Did he think the Colgate Invisible Shield would protect him? Okay hit and run dude is the bigger asshole but bike boy was an ass too. Makes all bicycle riders look bad.
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Somewhere either in the video or another story I read it was mentioned that the road is a designated bike path - without researching further I'm going to assume that means that vehicular traffic is supposed to slow down/go around bicycle traffic that's allowed to ride the way they were riding - all speculation on my part.

But as you say drunken assholery and physics trumps what any such rules might say. He's lucky his family isn't talking about those road rules at his funeral.

Anyone know any details?
 
What started out as a 30+km ride ended up as 56km or so.
I went against my better judgement and took a new and foreign route.
Started with a familiar destination (Tynehead Park) and when I got there the desire to go further kicked in...
I didn't stop at the park, I just kept going.
This is the beginning of the greenway that heads East...



Attention Walmart Shoppers!



I passed Tynehead and continued along 96th ave until I got to Hwy 15 (176th Ave). This is looking south from that intersection...



I've never ridden this, but this river is familiar...







I went South from 96th Ave to 32 Ave. This is looking West on 32nd Ave. MMMMmmmmm... Garlic...



Looking East over Hwy 99...



The long and not winding Colebrook road...



Back to the paths on my way home...







Oh yes... one more pit stop...



Et Fini...

 
Sky Blue Lou said:
The guy on the bike was 3/4 over in the car lane. Did he think the Colgate Invisible Shield would protect him? Okay hit and run dude is the bigger asshole but bike boy was an ass too. Makes all bicycle riders look bad.
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That's actually pretty common around here. The previous mayor had a big thing about putting bike lanes everywhere. The city has converted a lot of streets from 4 lanes to 2 lanes with a turn in the middle and bike lanes on the side, or from two with parking to a single lane with parking and a bike lane. I would guess that the bike lanes are used less than 0.1% of the time.

On the rare occasion that you see a cyclist they are often in the driving lane, not the bike lane. They will be doing 15 MPH in a 35 zone in the driving lane, and wonder why people get pissed. Then they drive right through stop signs and red lights with complete impunity. 5 or 6 cars will be sitting at a light, the biker scoots up the bike lane and if there's no cross traffic, off they go. I have yet to see one get pulled over for a violation.

There's a crosswalk for a golf course that I play. It's at the bottom of a hill, and the road forms a T with 3 stop signs. I've been nearly run down by bikers who blow right through the stop sign and pedestrian crosswalk. I should have just pushed my cart out into the crosswalk and let one crash into it. Then I could get new clubs and they might learn a lesson!
 
The fashion here is to paint some white lines at the side of the road, and call it a cycle lane. That is no protection at all.
There have recently been some properly separated cycle paths created, with a kerb between it and the car lanes.
That is around the university.
We have some shared cycle/pedestrian paths around town. The pedestrians complain.
I am always suprised if a cyclist stops at a red light. I always stop.
Cyclists will also ride along the road, then suddenly do an abrupt right turn to cycle accross a pedestrian crossing.
The pedestrians have absolute priority there, but cyclists are not pedestrians.
 
Slouching Raymond said:
The fashion here is to paint some white lines at the side of the road, and call it a cycle lane. That is no protection at all.
There have recently been some properly separated cycle paths created, with a kerb between it and the car lanes.
That is around the university.
We have some shared cycle/pedestrian paths around town. The pedestrians complain.
I am always suprised if a cyclist stops at a red light. I always stop.
Cyclists will also ride along the road, then suddenly do an abrupt right turn to cycle accross a pedestrian crossing.
The pedestrians have absolute priority there, but cyclists are not pedestrians.
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Here are the types of "bike lanes" that we get around here. As I said, MAYBE 0.1% occupancy. It's great at rush hour when you have 20 cars sitting in one lane waiting for the light to change and half the street is empty. They did change the right hand parking lane to a no parking lane for a few hours during rush hour, which is a pain for residents who have to move their car by 6AM or 3PM or have it towed. Even better when someone is busy and forgets to move their car and traffic backs up even more.

The lower street has about a 4 ft lane, and that's where, if you encounter the rare cyclist on a pretty Saturday morning, its 4 or 5 and they are riding side by side. You have to go into the turn lane to go around them.

Oh yeah, I picked the top picture because of the Ollie Trolley on the corner. YUMMY!

Bike Lane 2.jpgBike Lane 3.jpg
 
brassplyer said:
Does that Ebike give you an option for varying levels of assist or is it all or none?
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Most ebikes have variable levels of assist. Mine has 5. I typically use level 2 or 3.
I use level 4 for hills, and never need level 5.
Additionally there's an app that lets you tinker with assist levels. I never needed it.
***Edit to say mine has no throttle. I purposely did not want it.
 
Just a quickie 26km today.
My son was over for lunch and then off to work so I said I'd tag along for the ride there and carry on.
He works just a little over 4km away and before we left he warned me "Just so you know I go fast".
Well, OK... challenge accepted!
He rides a Giant Talon E+2 and tends to stick to using "auto" mode. I thought, OK let's see how this goes, and as we left I stayed in auto mode as well.
As expected he couldn't drop me. No surprise, both bikes cut power at 32km/h. I was constantly right on his back wheel. What I did notice though was why his chain and cassette need replacement. He pedals hard, and does not let up when shifting.
That would be why his chain is toast at approx 3600km, and mine is still not showing wear at approx 4800km.
Anyway, I bid him adieu at his work and carried on...

Headed down Scott Road figuring I'd visit Mud Bay. Random park entrance...





Descending a hill I normally climb, I thought I saw a disturbing sight in the distance. Yup... across the bay something is on fire near the water! As of yet I cannot find a news article about it.



As I was leaving I saw this awesome machine in a field, likely harvesting. What I do not know. It crawls along at less than a walking speed...



West bound train with a hella number of cars filled with coal, headed to Roberts Bank terminal for export...



Met a guy with this monster ebike. A Sondors Rockstar, with 750w mid drive. This thing weighs 83lbs!!!



Hard to believe mine's 30lbs lighter...





Decided to get up a steep trail to Nordel Way and head home...

 
Is that harvester doing cranberries maybe? Looks a bit boggy.

Nice pics. We have a friend in Seattle. Thinking to visit around the time of the Indy GP in Portland next year but dunno. She's getting married sometime and we are likely invited so if I can't tie in an Indycar race maybe I can come ride bikes with you.
 
Sky Blue Lou said:
Is that harvester doing cranberries maybe? Looks a bit boggy.

Nice pics. We have a friend in Seattle. Thinking to visit around the time of the Indy GP in Portland next year but dunno. She's getting married sometime and we are likely invited so if I can't tie in an Indycar race maybe I can come ride bikes with you.
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Not sure! I've seen other cranberry farms though, and usually they are completely flooded at harvest (I think). There is however a blueberry farm nearby.
Yup... blueberry methinks. Check this out...

 
Dave Matthews said:
Met a guy with this monster ebike. A Sondors Rockstar, with 750w mid drive. This thing weighs 83lbs!!!

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Besides the drive hardware I imagine a lot of the weight is the battery - the compartment looks like it's heftier than yours. Plus it has to be built to take on the terrain with all that weight plus rider. Like yours it looks like it's built to take on fairly rough terrain.

I have a Cloud-9 seat like that, one of several I acquired hunting for the right bike seat. It's comfy if all I were going to do is sit on it but I found it impinged on my legs while pedaling so I went with a narrower C9.

What happens if the electric assist fails? Presumably you're using it because of some physical impairment - how rideable is it strictly under your own steam? Even more of a consideration with that heavy Sondors. Is the electric part so solid that it's rare for it to fail?
 
IMG_0421.jpeg
Nothing like a good road trip on the bike. Love taking the long way to anywhere on the backroads. Heading up to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway , and Maggie Valley early next month. Been considering getting an Adventure style bike, and exploring some of the Trans American Trail, as it seems like a really cool adventure, but just the low key parts. Cant afford to be laid up from a crash, and the road is dangerous enough.
 
brassplyer said:
Besides the drive hardware I imagine a lot of the weight is the battery - the compartment looks like it's heftier than yours. Plus it has to be built to take on the terrain with all that weight plus rider. Like yours it looks like it's built to take on fairly rough terrain.

I have a Cloud-9 seat like that, one of several I acquired hunting for the right bike seat. It's comfy if all I were going to do is sit on it but I found it impinged on my legs while pedaling so I went with a narrower C9.

What happens if the electric assist fails? Presumably you're using it because of some physical impairment - how rideable is it strictly under your own steam? Even more of a consideration with that heavy Sondors. Is the electric part so solid that it's rare for it to fail?
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I'd say my "upgraded" battery is about 8lbs. The original may be about 7lbs.
That Sondors battery? FIIK... but the size of the downtube it occupies is freakin' massive! Seems ridiculous, but different strokes...
His seat is not factory either. I don't think it has a place on an emtb to be honest. That said, the Sondors has a throttle which is somewhat rare on a mid drive ebike. I remember he said it could do 30mp/h and that turned out to be true as he passed me on the trail 5 minutes later. :ROFLMAO:
Regarding the assist failing? Hasn't happened to me after owning an ebike since 2018, but on mine it just turns into a bicycle... a HEAVY bicycle. Mine has 10 speeds and runs like any bike, but it is a chore unpowered. I could get home, but it may be no fun on hills.
I have zero idea about Sondors reliability, but my Giants has been rock solid.
No, I have no impairment "physically" :ROFLMAO: but on Sunday I'll be a 67 year old grey haired fat guy, so there's that. I bought an ebike after getting out of shape and experiencing a nasty medical issue.
Now I am better off.
 
SHEPPARDB. said:
View attachment 133391
Nothing like a good road trip on the bike. Love taking the long way to anywhere on the backroads. Heading up to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway , and Maggie Valley early next month. Been considering getting an Adventure style bike, and exploring some of the Trans American Trail, as it seems like a really cool adventure, but just the low key parts. Cant afford to be laid up from a crash, and the road is dangerous enough.
Click to expand...
Awesome pic!
What constitutes an "adventure" style bike?
 
Dave Matthews said:
Awesome pic!
What constitutes an "adventure" style bike?
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Light weight, but decked out similar to a tour bike, long throw suspension, capable of on and off road riding. The only thing that puts me off about them is the riding position. It is needed for that sort of riding, but real uncomfortable for me. My Harley is like riding a lazy boy recliner down the road , and has spoiled my old ass!
 
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