Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.misc

/ hpcc01:rec.bicycles.misc / dmarsh@cs.strath.ac.uk (David R Marsh CS91) /  1:51 pm  Jan 22, 1993 /
I'd been thinking about this over the holidays, and was going to ask anyway,
bit with the unfortunate "accident" in the USA, I thought it was quite 
appropriate. 

A quick survey about all things cyclewise.

(Could everybody please post answers to the net, so that we can get a 
conversation going: also, I don't have time to compile answers! :-)
answers in CAPS.  Sorry, I'm not shouting...

Do you cycle on roads at all?                   YES.

Do you cycle on major roads at all?             YES.

Do you cycle on major roads (especially dual carriageways) outwith towns?
IF THIS IS A 'FREEWAY', IT'S ILLEGAL IN CA.  NONETHELESS, I DON'T.
What do you think of the attitude of car (bus etc) drivers?  AT BEST, WE ARE
TOLERATED, MORE OFTEN IGNORED.  ON RARE OCCASIONS, TREATED HOSTILLY.  MOST
CALIFORNIANS (SEEM TO) REGARD BIKES AS TOYS.

Do you think cyclists get enough respect?  SEE ABOVE.  TREAT ME AS A
VEHICLE AND I'M HAPPY.

Do you feel safe cycling on roads?   DEPENDS ON THE ROAD.  FREQUENTLY SAFER
THAN ON MULTI-USE BIKE/PEDESTRIAN/ROLLER SKATE PATHS.

Do you think enough is done to improve conditions for cyclists?  LOCAL CITY
(SAN JOSE) NEEDS TO BE MORE BIKE-AWARE.  SET TIMINGS ON TRAFFIC SIGNALS TO
BE LESS BIKE-HOSTILE.

...and how do you think this should be done (cycleways, cycle lanes, or what)?
ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT/ BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF VEHICLE CODE FOR CAR/BIKE
VIOLATIONS.

What is your normal mode of transport?  BIKE; 250 MILES PER WEEK.  CAR, 5-10

How do you transport your bike (when not actually cycling!)?  I WALK IT.

Are you a member of a cycle club or campaign group?  NO.

What do you think of current transport policy?  HELL, ALL ROADS ARE FALLING
APART HERE.

Do you think that bike carriage on trains is important?  *TRAINS* AREN'T A 
MAJOR FACTOR IN CALIF.  YOUR QUESTION IS MOOT HERE.

What are the main uses of your bike?  TRANSPORT.  COMMUTE, PLEASURE, MINOR
ERRANDS.  (THE TRUCK IS USED MORE FOR ERRANDS THAN THE BIKE.  MOSTLY A LOAD
AND TIMING ISSUE.)

What sort of bike(s) do you have (mountain bike, recumbent, racer etc)?  
MOUNTAIN BIKE FOR COMMUTING AND FOUL-WEATHER PLEASURE(?) RIDES.  TOURING BIKE
FOR GOOD WEATHER.

What do you think of law-breaking cyclists?  IF THEY DO SOMETHING TO GET THE
NEXT MOTORIST MAD AND THE MOTORIST TAKES IT OUT ON ME, I GET PEEVED.  IF THE
LAW-BREAKING CYCLIST IS DIRECTLY ENDANGERING ME (RIDING ON THE WRONG SIDE
OF THE ROAD, USUALLY AT NIGHT WITH NO LIGHTS, ETC) I GET VERY TICKED OFF.

(And I suppose I have to ask) do you wear a helmet?  YES.

I hope this hasn't bored anybody, and look forward to seeing some interesting
answers.

Thanks for your time,  YOU^H^H^H You're welcome.

Pete Brooks


David.-dmarsh@cs.strath.ac.uk  or  cad129@ccsun.strath.ac.uk {or sthg similar!}-

If you did something which carried a high risk of your own death, a high risk 
of killing other people, which adversely affected the environment, which cost
you a lot of money, and was highly taxed, you'd stop wouldn't you?

Driving: it's time to kick the habit.    "Training beats coaching" (C) ScotRail
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