Bicycle-Fi! - Page 136

I learned not to ride my bike on the streets anymore.  There are just too many idiots on the road that don't pay attention and just don't care.  I live across from a bike trail and usually just ride that now.  Even then, just crossing the street with the light to get to the trail is crazy.  I've had to slam my brakes a few times to avoid getting run over.

I usually shout loudly, swear, and make angry gestures at poor drivers. But the worst was some idiot that drove past me in a flash new Audi, they went past so close that I had to steer off the road to not get hit, and this was on a wide, empty, straight road. Anyway, my shoe has a small piece of metal in it (someone put it there during metalwork in school a few years back) so their flash Audi now has a large scratch, along the passenger side doors, and side panel above the rear tire.
I swear people won't learn. they probably didn't even notice their car being scratched as they went by.

Your lucky you didn't get hit or fall on the road, I've seen that before and it ain't pretty.  I think part of the problem is that most drivers do not understand the laws for cyclists, I know when I took my driving lessons the instructors never even mentioned cyclists and I even taught one of my instructors about the road laws for cyclists because they thought they were the same as pedestrians.

I had a self-important SUV driver blast his/her horn several times, less than a mile from those Dinotte 300R pics posted earlier. 

This mountain pass is the only reason I use the 300R on this day ride, and I've always gotten a wide berth from vehicles behind. True its a 45mph highway where the legality of bicycling is questionable. I hit 45mph at the end of the first tunnel, and exit the second at 50mph. Traffic patterns are such that you can time it so no vehicles catch up till at least the second tunnel.

This is almost the exact start of the descent, where you can see the end of the first tunnel. This is also where I wait on the shoulder for a break in traffic. I'm at well over 120rpm pedal speed between tunnels.

Second tunnels

You should post a video riding through there, as it sounds amazing and crazy fast.  I don't get to enjoy descents to much riding a fixie on the road, but I love blasting down dirt roads in the mountains near me on my mountain bike.

pigmode and...the good life.

x2 on a vid!!!

Thank god France is bicycle friendly!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by pigmode 

I had a self-important SUV driver blast his/her horn several times, less than a mile from those Dinotte 300R pics posted earlier. 

 

This mountain pass is the only reason I use the 300R on this day ride, and I've always gotten a wide berth from vehicles behind. True its a 45mph highway where the legality of bicycling is questionable. I hit 45mph at the end of the first tunnel, and exit the second at 50mph. Traffic patterns are such that you can time it so no vehicles catch up till at least the second tunnel.

 

 

This is almost the exact start of the descent, where you can see the end of the first tunnel. This is also where I wait on the shoulder for a break in traffic. I'm at well over 120rpm pedal speed between tunnels.

 

 

 

 

 

Second tunnels

 

 

Wow!!  A dream for sure!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bravo4588 

Thank god France is bicycle friendly!!

France? Bicycle friendly? That made me LOL...

Come to the Netherlands, we have almost 35000KM of dedicated bikepaths/lanes...  Not bad eh? For a country that is just 41543 Square kilometers large (of which 18.41% is water)...

That's serious! Wish California - Southern California specifically - got that serious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coop 

 

France? Bicycle friendly? That made me LOL...

 

Come to the Netherlands, we have almost 35000KM of dedicated bikepaths/lanes...  Not bad eh? For a country that is just 41543 Square kilometers large (of which 18.41% is water)...

We have dedicated bike paths & more are being built in the Île-de-France region. We don't have to pay extra or need permission to bring bikes on regional trains(except in Metro lines).

Most of the cyclists obey road rules & we seldom get harassed by motorists. The public cycle renting program Velib is a huge success.

So what exectly made you LOL?

I stacked it last week on my bike cos a driver was being an idiot at a roundabout... almost slammed his van right into me but just kept going

Quote:

Originally Posted by bravo4588 

 

Most of the cyclists obey road rules & we seldom get harassed by motorists.

 

I cannot speak for Coop, but that made my day...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icenine2 

Wow!!  A dream for sure!!

Yup but imagine those tunnels at 1200', facing directly into the Northeastern trades that blow hard and gusty more often than not. If the sprint is ended at the opening of the second tunnel, where you get hit by a wall of wind, speed can drop 15mph in a second.

I'm a believer in good frames that tracks solid and straight. ;) 

Quote:

Originally Posted by customcoco 

 

I cannot speak for Coop, but that made my day...

At least where I live.

Seems like your day is full of jumping the red lights!