The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[jasonc]

Agree with cyclophilliac
I've cycled in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland with no issues
I've had issues in the USA (funny enough, Hawaii was fine) and Australia

[Mr Purple]

The Australian cycling community may do a lot of kilometres, but much of it would be for sport or fitness or recreation, usually at times and in places when/where we consider that the risks posed by vehicles are low.

I'm back at work today so had a look at the statistics - and this is entirely borne out in the numbers.

Good powerpoint here:

https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/fil ... Report.pdf

Biggest difference is 'percent of adults using a bicycle for transport for a journey of 1-2km' being 27% in Japan, and 6% in the US and Australia.

This is largely an infrastructure issue I believe. In the Japanese cities we were staying all of your trips would likely be around the 1km mark, the towns were almost completely flat, and most residences and most supermarkets didn't have parking. You'd be a bit nuts to want to actually own a car in those circumstances.

Brisbane at least is the opposite. Reasonably hilly, free for all street parking, plenty of residences have their own garage, and most destinations are surrounded by places to park cars. It's almost as if it's designed to stop you taking a bicycle.

As a result Japan has 4.5 times as many adults using bikes regularly, and 4.5 as many adults who know someone who uses bikes regularly. That's a relatively huge proportion of the population that rides or knows someone who rides, and are likely to be a bit more considerate as a result.

The funniest part about the bikes in Japan I found is that they're pretty much all the same (as are their umbrellas). The 'mamachari'

https://www.nippon.com/en/features/jg00091/

Because everyone has a similar bike, most of them don't seem to be even locked up. Walking around Hiroshima I'd estimate about 90% of bikes were just parked on the street without locks. One of the cooks at a restaurant we went to actually had a laugh at us when we noted which 600Y Family Mart umbrellas were ours in the umbrella stand 'they're all the same anyway, it doesn't matter!'

Probably makes it easier to commute by bike when you don't care about your bike and can be pretty sure it'll be there when you get back!

[jaseyjase]

Absolute knob at 17.26

[nezumi]

Absolute knob at 17.26

Hard agree - but amazingly it hasn't rated a comment from the usual rabid pack on there. They're all frothed up about the skateboard instead.

[g-boaf]

Agree with cyclophilliac
I've cycled in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland with no issues
I've had issues in the USA (funny enough, Hawaii was fine) and Australia

France, Italy and Austria are great for cycling, I've ridden there a lot as well. I prefer France to be honest, Austria is okay but France definitely better - although admittedly I'm usually riding in Rhône-Alpes (Haute-Savoie) so I'm not in the more busy areas. Everywhere there it's just so more relaxed to ride a bike, the people just seem relaxed. Much more pleasant.

[elantra]

……..
Good powerpoint here:

https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/fil ... Report.pdf

Biggest difference is 'percent of adults using a bicycle for transport for a journey of 1-2km' being 27% in Japan, and 6% in the US and Australia.

This is largely an infrastructure issue I believe. In the Japanese cities we were staying all of your trips would likely be around the 1km mark, the towns were almost completely flat, and most residences and most supermarkets didn't have parking. You'd be a bit nuts to want to actually own a car in those circumstances.

Brisbane at least is the opposite. Reasonably hilly, free for all street parking, plenty of residences have their own garage, and most destinations are surrounded by places to park cars. It's almost as if it's designed to stop you taking a bicycle.

As a result Japan has 4.5 times as many adults using bikes regularly, and 4.5 as many adults who know someone who uses bikes regularly. That's a relatively huge proportion of the population that rides or knows someone who rides, and are likely to be a bit more considerate as a result.

The funniest part about the bikes in Japan I found is that they're pretty much all the same (as are their umbrellas). The 'mamachari'

https://www.nippon.com/en/features/jg00091/
……..

Thanks for your efforts to look this up.
I must confess that I have never actually spent any significant time in Japan - only spent a few hours in transit at Narita Airport once- 40 years ago !

But I have had a fair bit of exposure to foreign cultures through the media, and have hosted International students in the past, including a few from Japan.

So in essence the most obvious cause of the higher rate of bicycle rider mortality in Japan (compared to Australia) is that a higher proportion of the population use bicycles.

A look at international traffic mortality rates shows that in the most recent data (2019) the aggregated death rate for all categories of road users is significantly LOWER in Japan than it is in Australia.
2.9 per 100,000 citizens in Japan compared to 4.1 per 100,000 citizens in Australia.

This is not because Japanese are better drivers, or because their roads are better, or their cars are better, or their hospital management of Road Trauma is better.
It would be mostly because on average, they drive a lot less distance than an average Australian, so less exposure to the risk of road trauma

[Mr Purple]

Trying to get some understanding into the 'wave start' process for the Tour de Brisbane this weekend I ran into this little gem posted in a 'ride review' section.

I will start with the bad.
My wife did the 16 km and was terrorized by overtaking Peloton. She hopped off her bike. They yelled at her. Typical. The same self centered riders that use our shared paths as race tracks, never let you know they are overtaking,take over most of the path and pass you almost touching you. They give cyclists a bad name. There is a big accident waiting to happen mixing us slower riders with the self centered fast brigade. There is no use telling them to be considerate to slower riders as they are incapable of doing so.

Yes. That is someone complaining about cyclists in a race riding too quickly. I'd be close to 100% sure his wife hopped off her bike in the middle of the road by this description.

[Retrobyte]

Runners gonna do everything they can to get their segment PBs too

[Mububban]

This morning it was dad with a pram and earbuds in who couldn't hear me ringing my bell again and again....

[Cyclophiliac]

This morning it was dad with a pram and earbuds in who couldn't hear me ringing my bell again and again....

I pity today's young kids: their parents' phones and other devices get more attention.

[find_bruce]

For me it was the officious bystander who was telling me a metre doesn't matter. Of course his view of safety is probably covered by the vape he was sucking on

[g-boaf]

In Sydney, sizeable folk walking right down the middle of shared path being as wide as possible, arms extended a bit trying to block deliberately. Grrr.

No headphones- just a get stuffed attitude.

Ja ja, I know, have to give way, share the path,don’t forget the all important WA rules say blah blah blah, in London they do whatever, but it drives me mad.

Do we need a multi page discussion on what WA says about this just to be sure…

[Mububban]

This morning it was dad with a pram and earbuds in who couldn't hear me ringing my bell again and again....

I pity today's young kids: their parents' phones and other devices get more attention.

Yeah it's a pet peeve of mine personally. Can't say I never scrolled on my phone while my kids were on the playground, but I always loved taking my kids to the shops, and chatting with them to and from the park etc. Nowadays parents have earbuds in and bub is zombified with their own iPad or phone, usually with their neck craned down at an unhealthy angle Every parent needs some quiet time now and then but why have kids if you don't interact with them, and teach them how to interact with the world?

Saw this recently and it sums up my niece perfectly:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-22/ ... /103606100

[AdelaidePeter]

Trying to get some understanding into the 'wave start' process for the Tour de Brisbane this weekend I ran into this little gem posted in a 'ride review' section.

I will start with the bad.
My wife did the 16 km and was terrorized by overtaking Peloton. She hopped off her bike. They yelled at her. Typical. The same self centered riders that use our shared paths as race tracks, never let you know they are overtaking,take over most of the path and pass you almost touching you. They give cyclists a bad name. There is a big accident waiting to happen mixing us slower riders with the self centered fast brigade. There is no use telling them to be considerate to slower riders as they are incapable of doing so.

Yes. That is someone complaining about cyclists in a race riding too quickly. I'd be close to 100% sure his wife hopped off her bike in the middle of the road by this description.

I'm guessing the complaint is not about them riding too quickly, but passing too closely.

[antigee]

Trying to get some understanding into the 'wave start' process for the Tour de Brisbane this weekend I ran into this little gem posted in a 'ride review' section.

I will start with the bad.
My wife did the 16 km and was terrorized by overtaking Peloton. She hopped off her bike. They yelled at her. Typical. The same self centered riders that use our shared paths as race tracks, never let you know they are overtaking,take over most of the path and pass you almost touching you. They give cyclists a bad name. There is a big accident waiting to happen mixing us slower riders with the self centered fast brigade. There is no use telling them to be considerate to slower riders as they are incapable of doing so.

Yes. That is someone complaining about cyclists in a race riding too quickly. I'd be close to 100% sure his wife hopped off her bike in the middle of the road by this description.

seems a bit odd...not done any competitive cycling events but quite a few running and it would be usual for the elite to start first wave to avoid this happening...big problem can be that people overestimate their ability and then become a roadblock or deliberately over estimate to get a near the front start and jam up the speedy....if a shorter ride has started before a longer ride then that is just bad organisation

[Mr Purple]

Reading some comments further down I suspect there was some issue with course direction and/or the following of course direction that year leading to some 16km event riders intersecting with 110km riders.

In which case I have more sympathy for the passed riders, but also for the faster riders - they’re meeting a whole group of slower riders that weren’t meant to be there in the first place.

Hopefully that doesn’t happen this year!

[MichaelB]

Time to add myself to this thread

Riding back along bike path alongside the tram track and came to a road crossing. Traffic had stopped at a tram crossing with a red light and led crossing was also red, but took the chance to zip across.
WRONG.
Light went green for cars and 2nd lane was quick off the mark and snaffled me. At I went. Managed some sort of tumble roll and partially headbutted the road on way round.
Luckily, no bodily damage apart from bruising and realisation of how lucky.
Front wheel on bike is toast and helmet in the bin as well


Now trying to sort a new front wheel and lesson learned …

[elantra]

Time to add myself to this thread

Riding back along bike path alongside the tram track and came to a road crossing. Traffic had stopped at a tram crossing with a red light and led crossing was also red, but took the chance to zip across.
WRONG.
Light went green for cars and 2nd lane was quick off the mark and snaffled me. At I went. Managed some sort of tumble roll and partially headbutted the road on way round.
Luckily, no bodily damage apart from bruising and realisation of how lucky.
Front wheel on bike is toast and helmet in the bin as well


Now trying to sort a new front wheel and lesson learned …

Ouch - not something that improves the flavour of the day !
Hope you are fully recovered by the Weekend and your bike forgives you !

[jasonc]

ouch Michael

[g-boaf]

Time to add myself to this thread

Riding back along bike path alongside the tram track and came to a road crossing. Traffic had stopped at a tram crossing with a red light and led crossing was also red, but took the chance to zip across.
WRONG.
Light went green for cars and 2nd lane was quick off the mark and snaffled me. At I went. Managed some sort of tumble roll and partially headbutted the road on way round.
Luckily, no bodily damage apart from bruising and realisation of how lucky.
Front wheel on bike is toast and helmet in the bin as well


Now trying to sort a new front wheel and lesson learned …

Ouch.

Learning moment I suppose. I'm always cautious at traffic light crossings.

How did it go with the motorists?

[MichaelB]

Cheers guys. I’m all good and picked up a Bontrager Paradigm rim as a quick substitute.

The motorists were great and feel like crap having done that to them. It was low speed from their end and a glancing blow, but they were very helpful and wanted to make sure I was OK, so hats off to them and a big SORRY. There are some good ones around !!

Lesson learned ….

[warthog1]

Time to add myself to this thread

Riding back along bike path alongside the tram track and came to a road crossing. Traffic had stopped at a tram crossing with a red light and led crossing was also red, but took the chance to zip across.
WRONG.
Light went green for cars and 2nd lane was quick off the mark and snaffled me. At I went. Managed some sort of tumble roll and partially headbutted the road on way round.
Luckily, no bodily damage apart from bruising and realisation of how lucky.
Front wheel on bike is toast and helmet in the bin as well


Now trying to sort a new front wheel and lesson learned …

Bugger! Glad you are ok and hope the rest of the bike is too!

[AdelaidePeter]

Time to add myself to this thread

Riding back along bike path alongside the tram track and came to a road crossing. Traffic had stopped at a tram crossing with a red light and led crossing was also red, but took the chance to zip across.

Ouch! I am guessing it's one of the crossings I know. Glad you're ok.

[nezumi]

This morning it was dad with a pram and earbuds in who couldn't hear me ringing my bell again and again....

I pity today's young kids: their parents' phones and other devices get more attention.

I grew up hearing "Children should be seen and not heard", so it's not like there's been a major shift in parental involvement over the years, just a different method of distraction.

[jasonc]

bike only path. 2 pedestrians, 2 unleashed dogs. what could go wrong