From: rfriedel@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Ronald J Friedel)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc
Subject: Re: Bike paths (FROM Re: Cycling and Environmentalism)
Date: 29 Dec 1992 14:32:09 GMT
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4

In article <1992Dec29.044236.16394@eng.umd.edu> gsurbeck@eng.umd.edu (Gregory D. Surbeck) writes:
>	In a previous post I mentioned that I felt uncomfortable
>cycling on 45 mph roads without shoulders.  In my opinion, it caused
>danger to me and annoyed the people behind me.  Someone (sorry that I
>didn't catch your name) correctly pointed out that I annoyed the cars,
>not necessarily other types of people.  I have enjoyed reading the
>articles within this debate.

Greg makes a few points and asks a few questions to which I will respond.

>	(2) When were they riding?  On a Sunday morning, I agree with
>every statement made by pro-road persons.  Do the accident rates vary
>with time?  Could bikeways actually be safer during say, morning rush
>hour, than streets?

I ride on a paved bike trail for about a mile every day on my way to and
from work.  This is an abandoned railroad, goes where I want to go, and
has limited access, and no road intersections.  (BTW, the limited access
comes at a price; there have been some assaults and strong-arm robberies
on this trail.)

Last week, on my way home from work, in the dark, I came upon an unlit
cyclist riding along with his dog, going my way.  My 30 watt bike lite
picked up the reflections from his shoes long before I saw him and as
I got near him, I finally saw the dog.  It was unleashed.  He had the
sense to "move" the dog off the trail by riding off the trail when he
saw me behind him.  I passed him on the right.

>	(3) What kind of cyclists got into accidents on the road and
>on the bikeways?  Were hardened roadies being compared to children
>with their families?  Were people hell-bent on training going to
>average over 24 mph on the bikeways no matter what?

I have about 32 years of experience as a cyclist with the last 17 years
as an adult cyclist.  (I'm 53)  As an adult, I have about 125K miles
of experience.  I commute on an almost daily basis a little less than
20 miles per day.  I am experienced and remember some dumb riding from
17 years ago.  (I only remember one accident when I was a kid.  I 
probably had lots of accidents, but I can't remember them.  This one
was with a car and was my fault.  While riding in the rain on my paper
route, I rear-ended a parked car.  It pays to look where you are riding!)

The incident with the guy and his dog is an example of an accident just
waiting to happen.  I don't remember thinking about how I would try to
pass this guy; I know I wouldn't have tried to pass between the guy and
his dog.  As I went by, I thought that he had taken the appropriate 
action and thanked him.

>	Owning a mountain bike, I can pull onto a very rough shoulder
>even at (for me) high speeds without too much concern about destroying
>my bike.

I was riding my mountain bike (the only way to go in the winter in the
northern part of the US, with fenders) and was able to move off the paved
portion of the path to pass them.

The point I'm trying to make is that bike paths can be dangerous at any
time of the day, week, or year.  Just be careful when you ride on them.

Ron Friedel

-- 
Ron Friedel
GeoSciences  UW-Milwaukee
rfriedel@csd4.csd.uwm.edu

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