As discussed in the comments on that post, a traffic signal may be used at a crosswalk, as at this location. The difference between bicyclists’ and pedestrians’ operating characteristics was a major issue addressed in the comments on the previous post. Above the white plaque on the traffic-signal pole is a pushbutton, so pedestrians can also switch the signal. The loops are set back from the intersection for advance detection. A clever feature is that electronics detect which loop of wire is activated first, to switch the traffic signal in the background of the photo only for bicycles traveling toward the crosswalk. The installation works as an upside-down metal detector, sensing bicycles which travel over it. The diamond-shaped lines are saw cuts in the pavement, into which electrical wires have been laid, followed by epoxy filler. So, first, because images can’t be embedded in WordPress comments, here is my photo of an installation on the Capital City Trail in Madison, Wisconsin, USA (photo taken 2002). This post continues the discussion in the comments below my previous post about a crash on the Pinellas Rail Trail. This guy, fully adult, speaks confidently on one aspect of bicycling but is totally clueless about another in a way that could easily cost him his life. The primal fear of being attacked from behind, and the incessant stream of misinformation embedded in the design of door-zone bike lanes, promote this behavior. Why do people endanger themselves like this? “Because this is a bicycle and that is what bicyclists do”? Is the best advice different because someone is riding a machine with pedals and a motor, as opposed to only a motor? Maybe I should recuse myself from the discussion, as my own hair has already turned gray, and I ride machines with only pedals? Well, no, because I have reached gray-hair status without being doored. A Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor’s hair would turn gray looking at this. Riding in the door zone at the speed which can be maintained on an e-bike - typical urban motorcycle speed! - is even more dangerous than at typical pedal-powered speeds. Info about shoe and pedal choices, in case you would like to go into detail… But on the other hand, such a basic gaffe in a publicity shot does not speak well for the company. Oh, and the foo of the rider in the photo is rather far forward on the pedal, risking Achilles tendinitis, but also revealing that the rider hasn’t used these shoes much for cycling. He had the same kind of pedals, and the markings on the bottom of his shoes showed that he always pedaled with them upside down. Is the poor choice of pedals important? Well, for one thing it makes riding uncomfortable and for another, in my role as a consultant to attorneys in bicycle crashes, I encountered a case involving a man whose foot apparently slipped off a pedal. With soft-soled shoes like the ones shown, the appropriate pedals are double-sided, with a traction surface on each side, unless toe clisp and strps have been installed. The underside of the pedal is slippery and not shaped to fit the sole of the shoe. This kind of pedal is top-heavy and turns upside down when the foot is lifted off. (Let’s just hope though that the phone’s battery hasn’t gone dead…īut on the other hand, the pedals shown are meant to be used with toe clips and straps, but none have been installed. It is controlled from the rider’s smartphone and had a built-in lock, also controlled by the smartphone. It has regenerative braking controlled by spinning the pedals backward. It is the easiest to retrofit of any, with its self-contained batteries. Or if anyone else is riding thorough there with a helmet cam… I’d like to go back and see what changes have occurred over the past 13 years. I have deinterlaced it, raising it to 60 frames per second, and stabilized it so the quality is quite acceptable. This is a standard-definition video which I shot with my first helmet camera. But it gets interesting at (also hotlinked in the YouTube description - click “see more”)Ġ:30 - Hazardous bollards with substandard spacingġ9:25 - Deadly curb with tire marks and scrapesĢ1:33 Another steep downhill and underpassĢ6:55 28:30 - Lafayette campground, bicyclists instructed to ride on left.ģ3:20 - Another underpass with bollard and blind cornerĤ3:09-end - odd termination at parking lot at south end, entry from Route 3 is unmarked and requires crossing to left side of parking lot exit. The video is also intended to document conditions on the trail rather than to be entertaining. The most comprehensive treatment of the conditions of the trail is in the linked photo tour. My suite of pages about the Franconia Notch State Park Multi-Use Trail in New Hampshire now includes a video of a ride on the Trail.
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