Wellington cyclists , a question for you

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#762951 15-Feb-2013 11:59

And just to say, under the law a cyclist should stay left, however may use the entire lane if their safety depends on that. I have found some motorists get real annoyed with me when I give lanes of parked cars a wide berth, clearly they have never experienced a car door opened on them, or hit the end of an opened door, it would soon change their attitude.

That said I get annoyed with cyclists that insist on cycling side by side on busy roads, thats irresponsible in my view.

Cyril

nickb800

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#762956 15-Feb-2013 12:14

Road debris is a common problem with roadside cycleways everywhere, I'm not sure it can be fixed by design, potentially they need to be swept, which would be very expensive if done everywhere.

Still - its a major commuting route, you would think it would have some sort of priority

nicnzl

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#762961 15-Feb-2013 12:23

netspanner: As a long term cyclist who never gets punctures, getting punctures is a result of the quality of your tires, not whats on the road. Answer is to get better tires.

You should probably tell this to the pro teams in Europe, they seem to get punctures all the time!!

netspanner

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#762985 15-Feb-2013 12:45

its true :-)
I am using maxis overdrive at the moment, the last pair wore out with no punctures. i buy touring tires as i also go cycle touring, and I can't remember the last time I had a puncture, its been many years. My wife was getting punctures on her road bike and changed to http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/tires-clincher/specialized/roubaix-armadillo-elite/prd_411313_2489crx.aspx roubaix tires, last year, not one puncture since. You have to get good tires over the net, but even at $100 they are worth it.

The one thing you can guarantee is that bike tires sold on the bike will be crap. However that still doesn't mean that the council should not clean the roads more.

Technofreak:

I disagree. I put some of the best road tyres on my bike but they're not immune to broken bottles and other sharp objects that tend to infest the cycle lanes. Sure good tyres reduce the chance of puncture. I find it hard to believe you've never had a puncture.

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#763014 15-Feb-2013 13:07

netspanner: its true :-)
I am using maxis overdrive at the moment, the last pair wore out with no punctures. i buy touring tires as i also go cycle touring, and I can't remember the last time I had a puncture, its been many years. My wife was getting punctures on her road bike and changed to http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/tires-clincher/specialized/roubaix-armadillo-elite/prd_411313_2489crx.aspx roubaix tires, last year, not one puncture since. You have to get good tires over the net, but even at $100 they are worth it.

The one thing you can guarantee is that bike tires sold on the bike will be crap. However that still doesn't mean that the council should not clean the roads more.

Technofreak:

I disagree. I put some of the best road tyres on my bike but they're not immune to broken bottles and other sharp objects that tend to infest the cycle lanes. Sure good tyres reduce the chance of puncture. I find it hard to believe you've never had a puncture.

slightly differant to road bike tyres then aren't they. The Armidillo is good for training but too heavy for racing and still gets punctures but better than the average road tyre.

It all depends on the type of bike and riding you do, one size doesn't fit all unfortunately

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dickytim

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#763016 15-Feb-2013 13:11

KiwiNZ:
sbiddle: The cycle lane is a joke, and is also unsuitable when heading northbound - if you do use it you have to then ride on the shoulder in the wrong direction for the 600m or so where the cycle land doesn't exist South of Petone.

I wonder who designed that?

I believe it needs to be given high priority not only for safety but to encourage more use of alternative transport.

But cyclists don't contribute to roading thru fuel taxes like motorists do.

I'd sooner see the roads improved or cyclists forced to pay a road users charge to use the roads, then they can complain about the state of the roads etc.

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#763018 15-Feb-2013 13:13

dickytim:
KiwiNZ:
sbiddle: The cycle lane is a joke, and is also unsuitable when heading northbound - if you do use it you have to then ride on the shoulder in the wrong direction for the 600m or so where the cycle land doesn't exist South of Petone.

I wonder who designed that?

I believe it needs to be given high priority not only for safety but to encourage more use of alternative transport.

But cyclists don't contribute to roading thru fuel taxes like motorists do.

I'd sooner see the roads improved or cyclists forced to pay a road users charge to use the roads, then they can complain about the state of the roads etc.

Large numbers of cyclists are motorists as well.

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cyril7

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#763024 15-Feb-2013 13:20

I own two push cycles, two motor cycles one of which is 900cc so attracts higher registration, and one car, till recently three cars, I suspect like most cyclists I pay my due.

Cyril

MikeB4

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#763026 15-Feb-2013 13:22

One of the local MP's Trevor Mallard is a keen cyclist maybe some lobbying to him may gain some momentum

wellygary

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#763027 15-Feb-2013 13:24

KiwiNZ:
sbiddle: The cycle lane is a joke, and is also unsuitable when heading northbound - if you do use it you have to then ride on the shoulder in the wrong direction for the 600m or so where the cycle land doesn't exist South of Petone.

I wonder who designed that?

I believe that the location of the end of that cycle "path" is a function of the boundries between the Wellington and Hutt Councils.

The Hutt council never completed their part of the "path" to connect to the section built by the Wellington City Council, ( this was all done way back in the past, when the National Roads board only claimed responsibility for the actual state highways and left councils to do the associated foot paths and other stuff,)

Nowdays NZTA are in charge of anything near a state highway,

It is proposed that the "great harbour way" would be a way to upgrade this route

dickytim

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#763035 15-Feb-2013 13:32

cyril7: I own two push cycles, two motor cycles one of which is 900cc so attracts higher registration, and one car, till recently three cars, I suspect like most cyclists I pay my due.

Cyril

Not while you are cycling you don't.

When you drive your car you are paying for your use of the road thru your petrol tax in a user pays scenario, when you ride a push bike you are not paying anything to the upkeep of the roads at all.

I have 2 cars and a 4WD and used to own a truck, all had registration and petrol tax/ RUC basically as I drove I was paying my tax, a cyclist doesn't pay ACC or road tax while they are cycling.

They should consider is a privilege to use the roads and stop being so ignorate of the people who are actually paying to use the roads.

*** BTW I am not saying they shouldn't use the roads or have cycle paths, but should understand that their cycling doesn't contribute to the roads they are using and think about that before riding like lunatics and causing greif to motorists.

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#763036 15-Feb-2013 13:32

I am using maxis overdrive at the moment, the last pair wore out with no punctures. i buy touring tires as i also go cycle touring, and I can't remember the last time I had a puncture, its been many years. My wife was getting punctures on her road bike and changed tohttp://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/tires-clincher/specialized/roubaix-armadillo-elite/prd_411313_2489crx.aspx roubaix tires, last year, not one puncture since. You have to get good tires over the net, but even at $100 they are worth it.

Touring tyres don't suit the majority of my riding and neither would the roubaix armadillos. To be honest I think luck plays a big part as to how many flats you get. I've worn out tyres without having a flat and then with exactly the same brand and model of tyre had a series of flats.

Flats are more prevalent in wet weather as shards of glass etc stick to the tyre with the moisture and have a greater chance of penetrating the tyre. Instead of having one chance and then usually flicking clear as the wheel goes past on a dry surface they stick and every time the wheel pinches the glass as that section of wheel touches the pavement the glass has another chance to penetrate.

Once you get a flat you need to be extra careful that when you repair the flat or replace the inner, especially if your'e out on the road, that you don't introduce any debris like small grit into the space between the tube and the inside wall of the tyre. This will just rub away and cause another flat.

Also you need to be sure you have removed what ever caused the flat in the first place, and this can be difficult to do. I had one tyre where I thought I'd got the culprit only to get several more flats until I discovered a piece of glass imbedded in the tyre lying almost parallel to the tread.

I think in many cases when someone has a series of flats with a tyre it's not the tyres fault but the fact the original cause of the puncture hasn't been removed or during the repair, quite often when done in haste on the side of the road, another problem has been introduced, e.g. the tube is pinched or debris gets between the tube and inner of the tyre.

Another cause of on going flats is patch repairs have variable results in my experience, to the point I almost never bother repairing tube anymore.

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jeffnz

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#763045 15-Feb-2013 13:36

dickytim:
KiwiNZ:
sbiddle: The cycle lane is a joke, and is also unsuitable when heading northbound - if you do use it you have to then ride on the shoulder in the wrong direction for the 600m or so where the cycle land doesn't exist South of Petone.

I wonder who designed that?

I believe it needs to be given high priority not only for safety but to encourage more use of alternative transport.

But cyclists don't contribute to roading thru fuel taxes like motorists do.

I'd sooner see the roads improved or cyclists forced to pay a road users charge to use the roads, then they can complain about the state of the roads etc.

a much overused and poor argument.

If you want to use that flawed logic then that's fine how much wear and tear does a bicycle do to the roads compared to motor vehicles. Since prams and pedestrians cross the road should they also pay a user tax. Silly examples I know but so is your comment if you think about it

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cyril7

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#763046 15-Feb-2013 13:39

Not while you are cycling you don't.

Do you really believe I am so ignorant to not understand that!, in all my years of cycling I have had three accidents, none were my fault, none cost anyone but me, but all those miles will save the community another vehicle on the road at peak hour, and hopefully less medical bills as I age, and I think you would find thats by far the typical result.

Cyril

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#763047 15-Feb-2013 13:40

dickytim:

But cyclists don't contribute to roading thru fuel taxes like motorists do.

I'd sooner see the roads improved or cyclists forced to pay a road users charge to use the roads, then they can complain about the state of the roads etc.

Hmmm, so using that argument there needs to be a tax on pedestrians as well to pay for footpaths and pedestrian crossings etc. Interesting approach.

As already stated the vast majority of cyclists pay in other ways, as do most pedestrians for that matter.

I see JeffNZ beat me to it

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