POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?

GrifterGuru said:
The only time I wear a helmet is when i know that I am about to do something that is risky or dangerous (Jumps/stunts).

Wearing a helmet whilst riding on the road anywhere in the UK, but particularly in LDN is just asking for extremely close, inch-off-the-end-of-your-handlebars punishment-passes by idiotic motorists despite the "minimum passing distance" legislation, which means moving over entirely into the next lane to pass a cyclist. Even worse when bus drivers or HGV drivers close pass cyclists. And the ASZ Box for cyclists at traffic lights? lets not get started on how much abused they are and the "road rage" drivers get when cyclists use the ASZ as intended.

ASZ Box = An "Advanced Starting Zone" box, place ahead of all other traffic, at the very front of the traffic light queue, with a filter from the (narrow) cycle lane to the side of the road to allow cyclist to use it. Intended ONLY for cyclists, but often abused and used by every other vehicle on the road who do not understand that entering that ASZ box means they have passed a stop line at an ATS to do so and are open to points and fines as a result. Not even mopeds/Motorcycles are supposed to use it, but as a cyclist, I have no problem with moped/motorcycle riders using it to protect themselves by getting an advanced starting position.
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In our area the cyclists are some of the worst drivers on the road. 99.9% of them don't stop for stop signs or stop lights. They ride 3 or 4 abreast well outside the cycle lanes and backup traffic for blocks. In many places we have dedicated bike paths that parallel the roads, but the cyclists choose to ride in the streets with no bike lane swerving in and out between parked cars.

The worst part is how ignorant some are to the rules of the road. Not long ago a president of one of the local bike clubs was being interviewed for a local news cast. He was adamant that the rules of the road didn't apply to cyclists in that they weren't required to stop for stop signs or traffic lights. In addition, they didn't have to wait their turn for round abouts or provide any type of signal when turning even if it was across the oncoming traffic.

I used to ride my bike on a regular basis. However, in the last few years I avoid it. I know most of the motorists have lost patience with those that chose to ignore the rules. I don't want to be one that gets run down because of someone has gotten tired of their antics and had succumbed to road rage.
 
projectnut said:
In our area the cyclists are some of the worst drivers on the road. 99.9% of them don't stop for stop signs or stop lights. They ride 3 or 4 abreast well outside the cycle lanes and backup traffic for blocks. In many places we have dedicated bike paths that parallel the roads, but the cyclists choose to ride in the streets with no bike lane swerving in and out between parked cars.

The worst part is how ignorant some are to the rules of the road. Not long ago a president of one of the local bike clubs was being interviewed for a local news cast. He was adamant that the rules of the road didn't apply to cyclists in that they weren't required to stop for stop signs or traffic lights. In addition, they didn't have to wait their turn for round abouts or provide any type of signal when turning even if it was across the oncoming traffic.

I used to ride my bike on a regular basis. However, in the last few years I avoid it. I know most of the motorists have lost patience with those that chose to ignore the rules. I don't want to be one that gets run down because of someone has gotten tired of their antics and had succumbed to road rage.
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Some of those issues are the same here. Red-light runners, pack-running three-abreast, but the worst? Riding a bike with no lights, no reflectors, at night, wearing dark clothing.

Yes, I am well fed-up with idiotic cyclists though I have watched a few get instant karma through different methods. (crash/fall/stopped by police etc)

On the flip-side, I co-run a mass ride for classic bicycles (up to the 1980s) around Milton-Keynes in Buckinghamshire once per year. Up to 80 riders using the redways. quite the headache, but always courteous, considerate and careful.
 
When the rule breaking biker is at fault for pulling in front of the had right of way driver, the biker never seems to be blamed.



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Dhal22 said:
Gotta watch the disk brakes, they will stop you in a hurry. I’m a country boy, helmets weren’t even invented when I was a boy. Nor needed on dirts roads. 12 or 14 years ago I was zipping around on my new bike (with disks brakes AND no helmet) and I paid the price for not realizing how good disk brakes are. I spent several days in the hospital with most of them being in a coma. I guess I did a header over the bike and hit the pavement head first.
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Don’t need disks for this either. I leant my new mountain bike (1992) to my roommate and five minutes later he came back with a broken arm.

Glad to hear you survived with no long term issues, could have been much worse. I always wear a helmet now.

John
 
Picked up a new dryer with my grandpa today. Taking out the old one was easy with my brothers. He gave us a bunch of plate steel he used at weight on his homemade 6’x10’ (yes feet) wood lathe. I’m not going to want to use it after hearing the stories of running it. I’ll pick up the headstock soon that’s basically a 3x3 steel table I’ll convert for welding. Loaded up over 1,200lbs of plate steel other stock, the older dryer and a grill. Scrapped the dryer and grill and kept all the stock. The truck was a bit squated with being 1,900 lbs over curb weight but did fine.

The big red piece is 3” thick, the discs are 1” thick and the rest is 1.5”. All very heavy and a pain to move but now I have almost a ton of stock total.IMG_7173.jpeg
Picked up the one disk I threw on the ground and found a cicada killer wanted it. Took a picture since they are normally calm but this one went heat seeking missile and decided to chase me inside.IMG_7172.jpeg
 
I've been quite surprised by the # of drivers that will stop for me to cross a street even though I don't activate the crossing light. Other people /riders on the trails are most often very curious. The big burs are not becoming a hazard. Had a flat this week on my bike trailer. When I fixed it I put a second tube in as a liner.
 
I was a bicycle commuter, following all the rules, wearing a helmet, etc. This was a 16km trip each way, on busy roads. Every day a motorist would do something overt to nearly kill me, but the last straw was 3 times in one day drivers did something that very nearly got me killed.

I agree there are very bad bicyclists out there. they ruin it for those of us that never take a lane unless we are faster than the prevailing traffic, obey all the rules (we are legally obliged to follow all the rules), and signal before doing anything, including stopping.

I now only ride for pleasure on rural roads where the drivers don't try to kill me.... my 2 cents.
 
When I lived in Santa Barbara, my commute included about 5 miles of CA 192, which is (almost totally) a two lane, (one each direction, not divided and not very wide) twisty curvy, minimal highway with designated (paved) bike lanes. Fairly often I would see bicyclists riding on top of the white line (delineating the bike lane from the lane for motorized traffic) rather than fully within the bicycle lane. When I asked an avid bicyclist coworker, he told me it was probably because the line (probably 1/4" thick "paint") was smoother than the paved surface.

If I were a bicyclist, undoubtedly good for ones fitness and general health, I'm pretty sure the increased risk of being half in the automobile traffic lane would override any hunger for a smoother ride. Maybe those line rides had never been hospitalized for a serious injury.

I apologize for contributing to the OT content.
 
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