Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Good news for self-powered travellers

Moz

Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:45:05 +1200

here's an interesting post making a point I've made before: for men, one way to shed some privilege is to get on a bicycle. Suddenly it isn't all about you and if you do get hurt it's going to be your fault (even if it isn't). Andrew Geddis made the…

BenWilson

Sun, 06 Jul 2014 16:29:45 +1200

Sorry about a little bit of the language, guys.

Completely forgot to say no worries and an apology like that shows a lot of class. I definitely agree that some cyclists are jerks. But I have felt a whole lot less bitter towards lycra cyclists in the last year or…

BenWilson

Sat, 05 Jul 2014 12:33:39 +1200

These are all pretty minor and unlikely concerns when stacked up to the annoyance of having to carry around something of so little value.

Viz, it more than doubles the time taken.

How many seconds are we talking here? And how many extra seconds are spent doing something else far…

Moz

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 10:26:14 +1200

I just pass lock chain through the V in the straps, takes a few seconds.

Or in a crowded park you come back and your helmet is crushed up against someone else's bike, or someone has vomited on it (I've seen the latter and experienced the former). But I have…

TracyMac

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 10:21:28 +1200

Sorry about a little bit of the language, guys. I was having a shitty day, and the helmet discussion IS a red herring.

I was relaying some of the general gist of what people say to me about "cycling extremists"- definitely not attempting to characterise anyone here as one of…

BenWilson

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 21:00:53 +1200

but they’re hard to lock up securely and leave with the bike.

You think so? I just pass lock chain through the V in the straps, takes a few seconds. Someone could cut it off, but the helmet would be worthless afterwards. Who would bother unless you have a really…

Moz

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:50:29 +1200

I did quite like the helmet with the mohawk built in :)

Decorated helmets are great. I want a dinosaur head one. Or a dragon, which I could mount my LED lights in. That would be cool. Hmm.

Moz

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:49:31 +1200

t most of the extremely vocal advocates for bare-headed cycling I know are the 'everyday cyclist' types

I have a couple of friends in that category. One has copped two fines in about 10 years and just considers it part of the cost of being ruled by idiots. What I'm…

Bart Janssen

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:04:22 +1200

Eh? Those guys always wear helmets.

Usually very expensive helmets that have no additional protection but do cost a lot more and have prettier paint jobs.

I did quite like the helmet with the mohawk built in :)

JackElder

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 16:22:25 +1200

Fulminating against helmets makes you sound like one of those lycra-encased twunts who blow red lights and scare the shit out of people on shared walkways by blasting by blasting past at 40 km/h

Serious roadies more or less always wear helmets, except for the few who make a point…

BenWilson

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:50:05 +1200

As for the pohutukawas on St Lukes Rd. Gah! Enough pohutukawas already. This country is chock full of the buggers everywhere, killing practically every view of interest. From the top of Mt Albert you can no longer see north AT ALL. So you go all the way up there to…

BenWilson

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:39:37 +1200

It certainly is. That Newton Road intersection is a shocker. Shame they haven’t done it properly and found a way to run the cycleway under Newton Road.

Yes, it's not exactly rocket science. The only thing between where it rises up to Newton Rd, and then comes back down again…

BenWilson

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:52:35 +1200

I don't think calling people on the other side of this debate extremist tools is a helpful.

Fulminating against helmets makes you sound like one of those lycra-encased twunts who blow red lights and scare the shit out of people on shared walkways by blasting by blasting past at 40…

Moz

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:48:20 +1200

As an occasional cyclist, I can't help but say that my impression of the whole cycle helmet debate is that it's pretty much a red herring. Totally agree with what Kevin is saying.... So yes, emphasise the road safety problem and make reasonable suggestions.

Fortunately there is a huge amount…

TracyMac

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:09:16 +1200

As an occasional cyclist, I can't help but say that my impression of the whole cycle helmet debate is that it's pretty much a red herring. Totally agree with what Kevin is saying.

Fulminating against helmets makes you sound like one of those lycra-encased twunts who blow red lights and…

Bart Janssen

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:53:42 +1200

I could go on and on but this is not the forum and I have other fish to fry.

True, but, your arguments are based on entirely reasonable theory. What I and others are saying is that for reasons that are not clear, the observation is that the helmet law…

Ethan Tucker

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:52:16 +1200

Good time to be a cyclist, it looks like – substantially increased funding was also proposed in Wellington in December. Now all I need to do is... actually get a bike.

Martin Lindberg

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:05:20 +1200

borders on religiosity

I think I detect something religious about helmets and door zones right there.

James Butler

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:12:50 +1200

Also:

As a responsible person, when I take younger people riding I insist they were helmets (as it appears does the lecturer in your vid), so why shouldn’t we do the same as a society?

Because adults are not children.

James Butler

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:11:51 +1200

Yes I know the arguments that if x number of people cycle there will be y reduction in fat and heart attacks.

I think the more salient argument is that if x number more people cycle, then there will be y reduction in the sum total of road accident injuries.…

Kevin McCready

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 17:56:55 +1200

Thanks Moz, hope the bike collection is booming. Joanna and I just sold our recumbent greenspeed tandem trike. Yeah I'm very familiar with the arguments and your X question at the end, but I still disagree strongly for a heap of methodological, cultural and public health reasons. Methodololgy first. The…

Moz

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 17:13:41 +1200

now I'm all riled up again

I agree with you that for someone who is a committed cyclist mandating all sorts of things won't stop them, it just adds to the cost and inconvenience. But for other people that can be a deciding factor.

This "What If" video from Canturbury…

Kevin McCready

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:22:09 +1200

I wasn't going to comment on this story, but now I'm all riled up again. So I hope Rusell will indulge me on a matter of safety culture amongst cyclists. Patrick Morgan of Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) is at it again today in the links within a CAN email I…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 14:59:43 +1200

two words...
...less irksome than that short, irritating climb to New Road from the main cycleway and then the second climb to Upper Queen Street
Funicular railway

or a big escalator...

:- )

Russell Brown

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 12:43:35 +1200

Also, it would be the path of least ascent into the city for people coming off the Northwestern Cycleway. But that would require something better on Newton Rd than contesting an extremely busy on-ramp. It’s not the route I usually take, preferring to climb to upper Queen St via the…

Brent Jackson

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 12:32:07 +1200

When I was at varsity my cycle commute was Richmond Rd, Ponsonby Rd, K'Rd, Symonds St. The latter section on the way in was the scariest, constantly vying with buses, but on the way home, it was definitely K'Rd, once again because of the buses.

Separating bikes from buses is…

BenWilson

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:58:21 +1200

Also, it would be the path of least ascent into the city for people coming off the Northwestern Cycleway. But that would require something better on Newton Rd than contesting an extremely busy on-ramp. It's not the route I usually take, preferring to climb to upper Queen St via the…

BenWilson

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:52:20 +1200

The case for K-Road seems pretty strong. I use it all the time, it's such an obvious route for bicycles to hug the ridge. Anyone coming from the inner West would probably prefer that over going down College Hill or Franklin Rd, and then having to get back up over…

Public Address

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:52:19 +1200

Discussion from blog post.