Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

vbplease wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 10:53 am

…
I think it's a fantastic idea.. I'd actually prefer to see it completely free.

It won't stop the precious mothers driving their kids to their private schools, who contribute a great deal to congestion.. nothing will get their precious kids onto PT.. for this, there should be a congestion charge, which funds PT and bike lanes

Hopefully they run more frequent train lines between the GC and Bne.

Yes more frequent train services between Brisbane and Gold Coast would be a fantastic idea - but I strongly suspect that the track infrastructure and numbers of trains and drivers would NOT allow it.
Currently I think the train runs every half hour - not great but way better than a few years ago (just before COVID) for some reason they were only running HOURLY for some internal reason.

The train line reached Robina (Gold Coast City) in 1996 and a few years later went one more station to Varsity.
Now - 25 years later- there doesn’t appear to be any evidence that the Gov have even STARTED to extend it a bit further to its promised end point at Gold Coast International Airport.
To me it doesn’t make any sense - extending that line to the Airport could have obviated the need to upgrade the last part of the motorway from 4 lanes to 6 or 8 lanes - which has cost Billions of dollars, is about a year behind schedule (so I am told) and will probably ruin the attractiveness of surrounding suburbs.

Almost Free Public Transport - well I’m certainly not gonna criticise that but yes, I think that a proper Congestion tax system would be a better idea.
Presumably the Qld Gov would love to do that but lacks the political kohunas to even mention it.

And yes, schools are a huge generator of road transport chaos but these days it’s not just the Private schools. All schools, public and private, have something to answer for.
But their hands are tied, and again the State government is partly to blame because it has driven the transition to a lower number of larger schools with greater transport distances for pupils (and staff)

free PT is good. encouraging people to live further and further away from where they work, not so good

I wonder what kind of problem it is with motorbikes that the rider of them needs to continuously rev the thing up while stationary at traffic lights?

Maybe I should follow them with a jet engine on a stand and run that near their houses while they are trying to do something without interruptions. Or a recording of a motorcycle revving up played at most annoying times for them.

Yes, I've heard the excuses, they need to be noisy while stationary at traffic lights (in a big line up of traffic) for safety reasons.

jasonc wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 2:39 pm

I think it's time all motorists should have REGO so they can be reported for running red lights!

OH, they do have rego already, and they still run red lights. /Sarcasm....

What do the "I'm a cyclist but..." people have to say?

elantra wrote: ↑

Wed May 29, 2024 6:32 pm

I don’t think that the Qld Gov is doing this because it’s incredibly rich or generous or socially progressive.

To buy votes maybe ? Same as the $300 electricity rebate. Our premier is getting desperate.

It will be really interesting to see if PT usage does increase significantly - it certainly is damn cheap for those 6 months. The people who commute from GC to Brisbane CBD are going to save heaps.

g-boaf wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 12:52 pm

I wonder what kind of problem it is with motorbikes that the rider of them needs to continuously rev the thing up while stationary at traffic lights?

In the old days it would be because they put an aftermarket pipe on and had no clue how to set the carby to cope. These days probably the same but they don't have an ECU map for it.

Honestly I've never heard of revving while stationary as a safety issue. But then having ridden the same bike when loud (25yo baffles fell out) and quiet (new custom exhaust with "make it quiet" as part of the request) I noticed no difference at all in driver behaviour. I had one change lanes into me while my Very Loud Twin was roaring in the vicinity of the driver's ear.

Alas some riders seem to have fitted a cable from throttle to crotch.

Andy01 wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 6:19 pm

elantra wrote: ↑

Wed May 29, 2024 6:32 pm

I don’t think that the Qld Gov is doing this because it’s incredibly rich or generous or socially progressive.

To buy votes maybe ? Same as the $300 electricity rebate. Our premier is getting desperate.

It will be really interesting to see if PT usage does increase significantly - it certainly is damn cheap for those 6 months. The people who commute from GC to Brisbane CBD are going to save heaps.

I have a conspiracy theory around the public transport. I have told a few people. Would rather not publish it in a public place

Isn't public transport how they spread all those 5G mind-control nano-technology through the AC systems...

Resistance is futile. You will comply.

warthog1 wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 10:50 am

Lucky the fool was still alive to pose that stupid question.
Side impact is very dangerous, no crumple zone tò absorb energy and the body is very close to the side of the car. Wouldn't let my kids have cars without side airbags for that reason.

I was grappling at the boot trying not to go under the rear wheel.

Foo

g-boaf wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 11:42 am

foo on patrol wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 8:00 am

mikesbytes wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 6:11 am

Last night driving home a motorist pulled out of a side street in front of me, I braked hard and had to partially cross to the other side of the road to avoid hitting him. If there had been a motorist coming the other way I would have had no choice but to T-bone him. If he couldn’t see an SUV how would he see a bicycle?

Even when they see they still do it. I T-boned a car that turned across in front of me and I hit him at about 50kmh. His response was..........Didn't you see my flicker? Say What!

Foo

Oh yes, they do that. I put my indicator on, you should have given way to me! Happened once to me in a different way and the clown also said the same in front of Police. Gotcha! Not even all of her family support crew that turned up could help.

Well that's a plus of sorts.

Foo

g-boaf wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 8:09 pm

Isn't public transport how they spread all those 5G mind-control nano-technology through the AC systems...

Resistance is futile. You will comply.

Gold!

Foo

Meanwhile, in the US..
US man on suspended licence appears in virtual court via video while driving

After a period of silence, Judge Simpson shrugged and put his hands up and said "I don't even know why he would do that."

Thoglette wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2024 8:46 am

Meanwhile, in the US..
US man on suspended licence appears in virtual court via video while driving

After a period of silence, Judge Simpson shrugged and put his hands up and said "I don't even know why he would do that."

Unbelievable. It sounds like the guy was so accustomed to driving unlicensed that he forgot what the court appearance was about.

foo on patrol wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2024 5:32 am

warthog1 wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 10:50 am

Lucky the fool was still alive to pose that stupid question.
Side impact is very dangerous, no crumple zone tò absorb energy and the body is very close to the side of the car. Wouldn't let my kids have cars without side airbags for that reason.

I was grappling at the boot trying not to go under the rear wheel.

Foo

Sorry I didn't realise you were on your bike , thought you meant work truck.

Lucky he was still alive though. You aint a small bloke and would have been pretty angry with him after that!

I'm looking forward to having my gravel bike again.

45km/hr downhill down a very narrow road this morning with a RAV4 riding my rear wheel, and as I started moving over to the one spot he could safely pass me he came down hard on the horn and deliberately narrow passed.

Only to immediately slow down to 30km/hr because it was, after all, a wet day and a narrow road and that was the only speed he felt safe doing. I made it very clear my opinion of his driving skills. You know it's bad when the driver behind him was shaking their head at him.

MGIF.

Mr Purple wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 01, 2024 8:59 am

I'm looking forward to having my gravel bike again.

45km/hr downhill down a very narrow road this morning with a RAV4 riding my rear wheel, and as I started moving over to the one spot he could safely pass me he came down hard on the horn and deliberately narrow passed.

Only to immediately slow down to 30km/hr because it was, after all, a wet day and a narrow road and that was the only speed he felt safe doing. I made it very clear my opinion of his driving skills. You know it's bad when the driver behind him was shaking their head at him.

MGIF.

“I’m looking forward to having my gravel bike again”

A group that I sometimes ride with did 50 km on the Railtrail this morning.

Not surprisingly, no problems with grumpy motorists etc.
The Railtrail wasn’t even busy - like it often is on a Saturday morning.
Probably the threat of wet weather is responsible for that.
There are a few places where you have to cross the road (Upper Burringbar Valley Road - not a major road).
One motorist even stopped for us and waved us across while he waited.

P.S. Gravel bike not needed for the NRRT.
Anything with 2 wheels and inflatable tyres is adequate, even if they are only 622x25.

But don’t forget a light for the tunnel.

Last time I rode my gravel bike out at the BVRT I did 70km and saw one car. And when I slowed to give way to him because he had right of way, he stopped and waved me across.

Top top it off I was abused by a truck driver for existing on the way home. Doing literally nothing wrong - in the shoulder on a wide road. I think he was annoyed at me being stationary waiting to turn right at the intersection he wanted to do an illegal u-turn in.

What the hell is the moron driver doing with heavy alcohol in his breath when got busted at 2am????

https://amp.9news.com.au/article/1eaa25 ... d6411a644d

warthog1 wrote: ↑

Thu May 30, 2024 10:50 am

Lucky the fool was still alive to pose that stupid question.
Side impact is very dangerous, no crumple zone tò absorb energy and the body is very close to the side of the car. Wouldn't let my kids have cars without side airbags for that reason.

With the mention of bikes revving a little above, there was one up here earlier in the week, motorcyclist with pillion sent the driver who turned across them to hospital. Unfortunately killed both the riders, speed was significant and probably so was the engine noise - so that theory didn't pan out too well for them. Neither the rider or the driver of the car were licensed.....3rd party should be an interesting conundrum if their regos were dodgy too!

Mr Purple wrote: ↑

Wed May 29, 2024 5:12 pm

Had an incident today - riding down a straight road in broad daylight and a driver pulled out from a side street. Slowed down and avoided her to hear a honk and brakes locking up from behind me. Turned out as well as failing to give way to the cyclist, she'd simultaneously failed to give way to a car going the other direction.

A while back a guy I knew from work was riding up Epping Road separated bike lane. There is a place where the bike lane (and footpath) cross the exit of a service station. All sensible riders know to be on the lookout there! Sure enough there was a car zoomed out of the servo and the cyclist had to brake.

Now no doubt many would say the bike was hard to see. I suspect they'd have a hard time saying that about the bright red bus the driver t-boned!

Don't know what happened, but some sort of small off-roader ended up on its side at Eastern Creek on the M7 motorway almost opposite the M7 offices.

The catch was, it appeared to be on the wrong side of the road, on the south bound lanes, facing the wrong way! No idea how that happened but it must have been a big incident.

zebee wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 02, 2024 3:44 pm

A while back a guy I knew from work was riding up Epping Road separated bike lane. There is a place where the bike lane (and footpath) cross the exit of a service station. All sensible riders know to be on the lookout there! Sure enough there was a car zoomed out of the servo and the cyclist had to brake.

Now no doubt many would say the bike was hard to see. I suspect they'd have a hard time saying that about the bright red bus the driver t-boned!

This one

It sounds like a MotoGP race outside my place tonight.

Must be an organised superbike / sportbike cruise night.

If only there were more Police to crack down on their dangerous riding. There are things called race tracks...