Yesterday, I got honked at, (again) by a car (taxi) driver. Apparently, I deserved it, because I rode on the road and the car driver had to slow down slightly because there were other cars coming from the other direction and therefore she/he couldn't overtake me immediately. So he (yes, I strongly suspect it was a he) communicated his disapproval by honking long and fervently. I, in return, extended my arm, then my middle finger and held it in that position, long and fervently.
By the way, here's some interesting statistics of the makes/models of cars rude car drivers drive, in my experience, from this year (2010):
1) Volvo V70 (black) - 100%
2) -- (0%)
3) -- (0%)
Total number of incidents: 2
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Spring in the cycling shorts
Excellent. Spring has come, making bicycling fluent once again. It feels very rewarding, after months of slow, frustrating, vibrating, cold commuting on icy, unplowed, uneven roads, to take out the carbon fibre sports vehicle and fly down and up hills. I managed to do that on two days this week.
I think that persistent riding through the winter has been beneficial for the thigh muscle strength department, because there are hills that formerly felt challenging, but no longer can be considered "hills".
Then again, I've nearly forgotten what a longer bout of exercise in one sitting feels like. After going on just commuting the 7.5 km trip daily, for months, I wonder how a longer ride will turn out. I'll just have to try it out in the near future. Besides, two daily 20 minute bursts of tempo riding don't seem to burn calories very much. I haven't exactly ballooned, but my physique is not turning into more "climberesque" either. And, I really miss the pain in the legs that you get from riding for several hours at once.
In other (good) news, Bike Snob is releasing a book next week. I, for one, already pre-ordered.
I think that persistent riding through the winter has been beneficial for the thigh muscle strength department, because there are hills that formerly felt challenging, but no longer can be considered "hills".
Then again, I've nearly forgotten what a longer bout of exercise in one sitting feels like. After going on just commuting the 7.5 km trip daily, for months, I wonder how a longer ride will turn out. I'll just have to try it out in the near future. Besides, two daily 20 minute bursts of tempo riding don't seem to burn calories very much. I haven't exactly ballooned, but my physique is not turning into more "climberesque" either. And, I really miss the pain in the legs that you get from riding for several hours at once.
In other (good) news, Bike Snob is releasing a book next week. I, for one, already pre-ordered.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Mostly rant
<rant>
Warning: this blog post contains crude generalisation, exacerbation and attitudes. It does not conform to political correctness, instead it presents the world and its inhabitants as black and white. Beware.
Here are some popular misconceptions non-bicyclists seem to have about bicyclists. Some of these are, probably, sometimes, intentional, but mostly, I assume, that these are things that people just haven't properly thought about.
1) Bicyclists in traffic are stationary objects
Misconception:
Car drivers, especially, often seem to regard bicyclists as stationary obstacles. You can always bypass a bicyclist, even though you are about to turn right in about 30 m, because cars are fast, and bicycles are slow. Even though there's a 30 km/h speed limit.
In reality:
The speed of a bicyclist can exceed the speed limits in urban areas, hence bicyclists can be as fast or faster than cars.
2) Cars are more important than bicycles
Misconception:
Cars have an implicit right of way over bicycles, even though they might have told otherwise in traffic school. This is probably because cars are expensive and only kids, the elderly and poor people ride bicycles. This is most probably a view that few people would admit, but surprisingly many have rooted deep in their minds, i.e. an implicit opinion.
In reality:
Nobody has the right of way over the safety of someone else, regardless the price tag on the vehicle.
3) Car drivers always have to overtake bicyclists
Misconception:
When driving a car, you always have to overtake bicyclists. Even if you are about to turn right after about 30 m, and there's a 30 km/h speed limit, and the bicyclist in question is doing 40 km/h. It's just not possible to slow down, or even not to speed up, behind a cyclist. Because bicyclists are slow, and inferior, when compared to car drivers.
In reality:
You can overtake bicyclists just like you can overtake any other vehicle: only when it's safe and reasonable.
4) You can't go over the white line
Misconception:
When driving a car, and overtaking a bicyclist, you can't go over the white line in the middle of the road. And why should you; bicycles are very narrow and they go slow, in fact they might be considered something similar to still, inanimate cardboard cutouts, erected on the roadside for no reason a car driver can comprehend.
In reality:
Cars do not run on railroad tracks (except in the movie Back To The Future III). The car driver has the opportunity, and the responsibility, of operating the steering wheel and the brakes. You can speed up, slow down, turn, and overtake only when it's safe to do it.
5) Light traffic routes are safe
Misconception:
Cars don't go to light traffic routes, so they're safe. You can walk, push baby carriages, walk dogs, meander on your Sunday bicycle ride and do cartwheels across them like you were in an open meadow. There's no need to observe your surroundings, you can just close your eyes and ears and drift from side to side when advancing on a light traffic route. And besides, if there's somebody else there too, you'll notice them and have a lot of time to react because everyone else on the light traffic route moves at the speed of a paralyzed snail, anyway.
In reality:
Some (most?) bicyclists use bicycles as a means of transport, so they're going somewhere. Often, when you're going somewhere in particular, like to the place where you work, you want to do it as quickly as you can. Bicyclists are in a hurry too, and they move fast.
It's f**king dangerous to move unexpectedly from one side of the light traffic route to another without looking around, because there might be a bicyclist advancing behind you, just about to overtake, almost silently, at 40 km/h. That would sting. Bicyclists should know better than doing 40 km/h on a light traffic route, but just like car drivers, they are sometimes in a hurry, pissed off and stupid.
And keep your dog in order, too.
</rant>
I don't know. I drive the car, too, but whenever I do that, I don't feel the need to defend my rights on the road, demonstratively. But whenever I ride the bike, I need to do just that, usually. It just feels like that bicycles are not considered equivalent to other vehicles here (are they considered that anywhere?).
<oh, some more rant>
Also, I'm a semi-vegetarian. Often, when going to restaurant with, say, co-workers, I'm forced to explain my choice of food because of that. You know, because everyone else chose the steak and I took the vegetarian spaghetti, or what have you. I really would like to not make a number out of it. I'd just like to eat, have a good time and get wherever I'm going to.
Just like bicycling. I'd just like equality.
</oh, some more rant>
Warning: this blog post contains crude generalisation, exacerbation and attitudes. It does not conform to political correctness, instead it presents the world and its inhabitants as black and white. Beware.
Here are some popular misconceptions non-bicyclists seem to have about bicyclists. Some of these are, probably, sometimes, intentional, but mostly, I assume, that these are things that people just haven't properly thought about.
1) Bicyclists in traffic are stationary objects
Misconception:
Car drivers, especially, often seem to regard bicyclists as stationary obstacles. You can always bypass a bicyclist, even though you are about to turn right in about 30 m, because cars are fast, and bicycles are slow. Even though there's a 30 km/h speed limit.
In reality:
The speed of a bicyclist can exceed the speed limits in urban areas, hence bicyclists can be as fast or faster than cars.
2) Cars are more important than bicycles
Misconception:
Cars have an implicit right of way over bicycles, even though they might have told otherwise in traffic school. This is probably because cars are expensive and only kids, the elderly and poor people ride bicycles. This is most probably a view that few people would admit, but surprisingly many have rooted deep in their minds, i.e. an implicit opinion.
In reality:
Nobody has the right of way over the safety of someone else, regardless the price tag on the vehicle.
3) Car drivers always have to overtake bicyclists
Misconception:
When driving a car, you always have to overtake bicyclists. Even if you are about to turn right after about 30 m, and there's a 30 km/h speed limit, and the bicyclist in question is doing 40 km/h. It's just not possible to slow down, or even not to speed up, behind a cyclist. Because bicyclists are slow, and inferior, when compared to car drivers.
In reality:
You can overtake bicyclists just like you can overtake any other vehicle: only when it's safe and reasonable.
4) You can't go over the white line
Misconception:
When driving a car, and overtaking a bicyclist, you can't go over the white line in the middle of the road. And why should you; bicycles are very narrow and they go slow, in fact they might be considered something similar to still, inanimate cardboard cutouts, erected on the roadside for no reason a car driver can comprehend.
In reality:
Cars do not run on railroad tracks (except in the movie Back To The Future III). The car driver has the opportunity, and the responsibility, of operating the steering wheel and the brakes. You can speed up, slow down, turn, and overtake only when it's safe to do it.
5) Light traffic routes are safe
Misconception:
Cars don't go to light traffic routes, so they're safe. You can walk, push baby carriages, walk dogs, meander on your Sunday bicycle ride and do cartwheels across them like you were in an open meadow. There's no need to observe your surroundings, you can just close your eyes and ears and drift from side to side when advancing on a light traffic route. And besides, if there's somebody else there too, you'll notice them and have a lot of time to react because everyone else on the light traffic route moves at the speed of a paralyzed snail, anyway.
In reality:
Some (most?) bicyclists use bicycles as a means of transport, so they're going somewhere. Often, when you're going somewhere in particular, like to the place where you work, you want to do it as quickly as you can. Bicyclists are in a hurry too, and they move fast.
It's f**king dangerous to move unexpectedly from one side of the light traffic route to another without looking around, because there might be a bicyclist advancing behind you, just about to overtake, almost silently, at 40 km/h. That would sting. Bicyclists should know better than doing 40 km/h on a light traffic route, but just like car drivers, they are sometimes in a hurry, pissed off and stupid.
And keep your dog in order, too.
</rant>
I don't know. I drive the car, too, but whenever I do that, I don't feel the need to defend my rights on the road, demonstratively. But whenever I ride the bike, I need to do just that, usually. It just feels like that bicycles are not considered equivalent to other vehicles here (are they considered that anywhere?).
<oh, some more rant>
Also, I'm a semi-vegetarian. Often, when going to restaurant with, say, co-workers, I'm forced to explain my choice of food because of that. You know, because everyone else chose the steak and I took the vegetarian spaghetti, or what have you. I really would like to not make a number out of it. I'd just like to eat, have a good time and get wherever I'm going to.
Just like bicycling. I'd just like equality.
</oh, some more rant>
Friday, March 26, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Frank
I've been stubbornly bicycling to/from work all winter. But there's really not much choice. I could take the bus, but it just seems so frustratingly slow as there's not a straight connection. When it takes 30 min to advance about 1,5 km by bus, you inevitably find that even walking would be more efficient. And I don't like the smell of human. Well, I like the smell of some humans, but not in general. I'd rather inhale lots of fresh air, even though it tends to be mixed up with exhaust gases, than suck up the germs & perfume & miscellaneous emissions in a closed metal box.
And anyway, I tend to be persistent, so even if it's raining lots of snow, cats, dogs, knives and s**t, I usually don't find that a reason to not ride the bike. Lots of co-humans find that out of the ordinary, but to me, changing the established procedure seems a bigger nuisance than not changing it, even though the weather condition might seem impossible.
But, good news: lately bicycling has been quite fast & efficient. If you drive on the road, instead of the light traffic pathway, that is. And recently, I see, lots of part-of-the-year-commuters have been emerging out of their sells for the season. That's nice. The automobilists must get used to masses of bicyclers again, and the sooner, the better. It's been lonely on the roads, defending our rights, lately.
And anyway, I tend to be persistent, so even if it's raining lots of snow, cats, dogs, knives and s**t, I usually don't find that a reason to not ride the bike. Lots of co-humans find that out of the ordinary, but to me, changing the established procedure seems a bigger nuisance than not changing it, even though the weather condition might seem impossible.
But, good news: lately bicycling has been quite fast & efficient. If you drive on the road, instead of the light traffic pathway, that is. And recently, I see, lots of part-of-the-year-commuters have been emerging out of their sells for the season. That's nice. The automobilists must get used to masses of bicyclers again, and the sooner, the better. It's been lonely on the roads, defending our rights, lately.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Causality dilemma
Friday, February 26, 2010
Long overdue status update
Have been cycling between home and workplace most of the days in the last couple of weeks. One day I resorted to taking the bus. The afternoon before, the conditions were just impossible for bicycling. In the morning it was ok, but it snowed all day, the temperature was too warm, and when I rode back home in the afternoon, the roads were covered in 10 cm of very slippery, slushy snow. I'm beginning to understand why the eskimos have so many words for different kinds of snow. Because there really are that many different kinds, and they can change really quickly, and they affect the bicycling conditions. A lot.
You know, I really like bicycling. I like the fact that I can transport myself with my own vehicle, efficiently, anywhere I want, when I want to do it, independent of anyone else's schedules. I like the beauty of it, the cleanliness, the ecological sustainability of it. I find it the perfect means of transport for most of my transportational needs (i.e. for whenever I don't need to go very far, very fast, and take the family with me).
I very much prefer bicycling to taking the bus, or the Lamborghini, the Ferrari or even the Fiat 500 each morning to work. I don't need anyone to make bicycling any more attractive for me (which is an objective of the Helsinki city, I hear: to double the amount of bicycling (whatever that means), in a certain timeframe). I'll ride the bike anyway. I'm a nutcase, according to the general opinion.
Anyway, if the big shots of Helsinki want to improve the attractiveness of commuting to work by bicycling, I've got an idea. What if they plowed the bicycle routes better than the roads? Because now, the light traffic pathways are taken care of later than the roads (even weeks later), snow is often plowed from the road to the bicycle route, huge heaps of snow are piled on the side of the road (= where the bicyclers go) etc...
Therefore, if you want to make bicycling more attractive, as compared to taking the bus, or driving your own car, you could do it vice versa: plow the bicycle routes first, do them really well, and pile any extra snow to wait to be taken away in the middle of car lanes. That way, bicycling would be really fast, fluent and satisfying. Driving your own car would be really f**king annoying, frustrating, slow and inefficient. And sometimes impossible.
If they really want to make bicycling more attractive and motoring less attractive, there really are means to do that.
You know, I really like bicycling. I like the fact that I can transport myself with my own vehicle, efficiently, anywhere I want, when I want to do it, independent of anyone else's schedules. I like the beauty of it, the cleanliness, the ecological sustainability of it. I find it the perfect means of transport for most of my transportational needs (i.e. for whenever I don't need to go very far, very fast, and take the family with me).
I very much prefer bicycling to taking the bus, or the Lamborghini, the Ferrari or even the Fiat 500 each morning to work. I don't need anyone to make bicycling any more attractive for me (which is an objective of the Helsinki city, I hear: to double the amount of bicycling (whatever that means), in a certain timeframe). I'll ride the bike anyway. I'm a nutcase, according to the general opinion.
Anyway, if the big shots of Helsinki want to improve the attractiveness of commuting to work by bicycling, I've got an idea. What if they plowed the bicycle routes better than the roads? Because now, the light traffic pathways are taken care of later than the roads (even weeks later), snow is often plowed from the road to the bicycle route, huge heaps of snow are piled on the side of the road (= where the bicyclers go) etc...
Therefore, if you want to make bicycling more attractive, as compared to taking the bus, or driving your own car, you could do it vice versa: plow the bicycle routes first, do them really well, and pile any extra snow to wait to be taken away in the middle of car lanes. That way, bicycling would be really fast, fluent and satisfying. Driving your own car would be really f**king annoying, frustrating, slow and inefficient. And sometimes impossible.
If they really want to make bicycling more attractive and motoring less attractive, there really are means to do that.
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