I call it assertive but defensively. Mike Rewey
On 9 Oct 2009 at 11:04, India Rose Viola wrote: > Kel, > > Well stated. Although I would argue that there is a difference between > riding defensively and riding fearfully. There are multiple components to > cycling defensively, one of which is holding a straight, predictable course. > This doesn't mean that you have to ride over potholes or into other > obstacles, it just means that you anticipate them far enough in advance to > ride in a long diagonal course around them in order to avoid sudden > side-to-side maneuvers; Other types of defensive riding include looking both > ways at every intersection- even if the light is green or it is a one-way > street, and yielding to moving cars no matter who is in the "right". It's a > matter of semantics, but I think it's important to put it out there that > riding defensively is a good thing- and doing it well is a skillset worth > taking the time to learn. > > -india > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: [email protected] > Date: Friday, October 9, 2009 10:46 am > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Sharrows on E Wilson > To: [email protected] > Cc: Bikies <[email protected]> > > > Bicyclists tend to ride defensively, which, perhaps counterintuitively, > > puts them at greater risk. I took a short ride with my cousin, who is > > in > > his late 50s, and lives in a city of some 10,000 people. I was a bit > > horrified to see him duck to the right wherever possible, to hug the curb > > as much as possible. As a result, he was basically weaving around parked > > cars and presenting himself as a meandering line along the edge of the > > road. > > > > Riding more confidently as far to the right as *practicable*, but > > presenting a consistent profile, is safer. The existence of sharrows > > provides the bicyclist with the confidence to take that route and notifies > > the motorists that bicyclists will be taking that route. > > > > Predictability tends to reduce conflict, more or less in all interactions. > > > > > All good points. But, just curious...you would be riding erratically > > > without the sharrows...because...why? (: > > > > > > ~kel > > > > > > Daniel Liu writes: > > > > > >> I agree, it's exceedingly valuable to let drivers know that bicyclists > > >> are not only allowed, but supposed to be in lanes marked with sharrows. > > >> I've found it's a great boost in my confidence as well, and I don't > > >> ride > > >> as erratically in the lane as I do in unmarked ones. > > >> > > >> As far as road markers go, it's nicely subtle, and works best when > > you > > >> know what else is around you âEUR" just like most other road markers, > > like > > >> crosswalks or yield markers. They're starting to appear in a lot of > > >> other > > >> cities as well. I saw them first in San Francisco and Los Angeles, > > and > > >> both Seattle and Portland have painted a lot of them in the last few > > >> years. The chevrons and the exact size seem to be the key indicators: > > >> to > > >> let people know that "bikes can go here" in the positive sense, not > > >> "only > > >> bikes here." I don't think many people would get them confused with > > >> striped bike lanes, in part because sharrows should be painted only > > >> where > > >> there no separate bike lanes, and mostly on busier streets. (Johnson > > >> north of Ingersoll would be a great place to put some down.) > > >> > > >> --Dan Liu > > >> > > >> > > >> On 8 Oct, 2009, at 10:12 AM, Bill Obermeyer wrote: > > >> > > >>> I like the idea of a marking that encourages people to ride on streets > > >>> and encourages people in cars to share the road. Letting motorists > > >>> know that it is OK for bicyclists to "take the lane" is priceless. > > >>> It's > > >>> great that something is being done about E. Wilson. > > >>> That said, I'm a bit skeptical about these particular markings > > >>> in > > the > > >>> long term. If we don't instantly recognize the meaning of the > > >>> symbol, > > >>> what are the chances that someone who is not a bicyclist will do > > so? > > >>> An education campaign would help - 'though it would not help > > >>> out-of-towners. > > >>> The symbol, at first glance, looked like an enhanced bike lane > > >>> marking > > >>> to me. If people get in the habit of driving over bike silhouettes, > > >>> will people be able tell the difference between sharrows and bike > > >>> lanes > > >>> when they are driving. Will we have to add markings to the bike > > lanes > > >>> to make it clear that a silhouette without chevrons means that no > > cars > > >>> are allowed? From what I understand, a research project about > > >>> effectiveness is ongoing. > > >>> -Bill > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> On Oct 8, 2009, at 9:48 AM, Mitchell Nussbaum wrote: > > >>> > > >>>> I'd like to see them on the on-street segments of the Lake Monona > > >>>> Loop. > > >>>> No guarantees that they would prevent crashes at the Dempsey/ Cottage > > >>>> Grove > > >>>> intersection, but they might, if they encouraged bikes to ride in > > the > > >>>> street instead of hiding on the sidewalk. > > >>>> > > >>>> Michael Rewey wrote: > > >>>>> Sharrows are being placed on East Wilson between the bike path > > >>>>> segments! > > >>>>> Cool. They > > >>>>> probally aren't really needed for bike-motor vehicle safety on this > > >>>>> street, but its a great idea > > >>>>> to place them on street segments that are part of the path system. > > >>>>> Good > > >>>>> for continuity. > > >>>>> > > >>>>> Other street segments might be Olin-Turville Park Road and the short > > >>>>> street segments on > > >>>>> the the Starkweather Path. Waunona Way? > > >>>>> > > >>>>> Thanks! > > >>>>> > > >>>>> Mike Rewey > > >>>>> _______________________________________________ > > >>>>> Bikies mailing list > > >>>>> [email protected] > > >>>>> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> _______________________________________________ > > >>>> Bikies mailing list > > >>>> [email protected] > > >>>> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > >>> > > >>> _______________________________________________ > > >>> Bikies mailing list > > >>> [email protected] > > >>> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > >> > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >> Bikies mailing list > > >> [email protected] > > >> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Bikies mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
