Advocacy & Safety - Freeway Bicycling

This is a great video of some cyclists riding their bikes on a couple of the gridlocked freeways here in Los Angeles. If you thought the IPOD debates got people going, this one should be great entertainment. Also, in full disclosure, I have nothing to do with this group, but I support what they're doing 100%. I left my critical mass days behind in Seattle and my commute isn't half bad by Los Angeles standards.
It definitely says something about our transportation system when you can bike along a freeway faster than auto traffic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NLmiuyLa98


Let the games begin.

jeez!! that's crazy! props to him for being that brave lol

this is scary too!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-MYwHr_pEA&feature=related

Awesome. Those guys are tough.

Wusses. This kicks their butt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUsB71xGRA0

I don't see anything brave, crazy or tough in that video. It doesn't take any of those to filter thru near stopped traffic.

Al

I'd have to agree that it doesn't take physical bravery to weave 'round congested traffic, but it takes mental ones to go against habit. I think people don't think enough about just how congested their lives are, and seeing things like this can shake up their models of the universe a bit... next thing to do is to have an HOV-only lane on the left, and a "bicycle only" lane ... hmmm... where ;) :) Of course it would only be open to bicycles during rush hour, just like the HOV stuff only applies then.

next thing to do is to have an HOV-only lane on the left, and a "bicycle only" lane ... hmmm... where

Some guy tried it yesterday here in Seattle.

http://www.komotv.com/news/local/18779919.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NLmiuyLa98

_______________________the fine line between genius and madness________________________________


http://www.komotv.com/news/local/18779919.html

Ugh, I've ridden on some freeways when doing some prep rides for some upcoming long tours - and this one group - and I'll be doing it again next month for 125 miles - and by the time we get up to the city - it's OF COURSE, as always Friday afternoon and rush hour traffic. Oh how I hate it.

However, we all ride single file and safe and then at one certain point the leader of the group shouts and points left - oh, OK - so we now have to cross 4 lanes of traffic to take a left handed exit. Wow, what a nice device. Oh and THANKS GARY!! (our leader for that ride).

BUT we do it as safe as possible. Freeways can be really daunting! Especially if the shoulder is about a foot of "pavement" that rots off to a 3 plus inch drop off to loose pebble or worse...

What the rider in the video was doing was unsafe and unwise - and just reinforced drivers why "bicyclists" do not adhere to any rules of the road no matter how hard some of us try and speak it. :(

I'd have to agree that it doesn't take physical bravery to weave 'round congested traffic, but it takes mental ones to go against habit. I think people don't think enough about just how congested their lives are, and seeing things like this can shake up their models of the universe a bit... next thing to do is to have an HOV-only lane on the left, and a "bicycle only" lane ... hmmm... where ;) :) Of course it would only be open to bicycles during rush hour, just like the HOV stuff only applies then.

+1,000,000 Just that they went on the freeway with Angelenos constantly changing lanes to move to a lane that's moving "faster" is simply amazing. I've never seen a bike on the freeways around here. I would have to pick up my jaw:eek: if I saw that while stuck in traffic. If only they had a bike hov lane...:)

What the rider in the video was doing was unsafe and unwise - and just reinforced drivers why "bicyclists" do not adhere to any rules of the road no matter how hard some of us try and speak it. :([/QUOTE]

and very illegal. We can't ride on any freeways in CA.

What the rider in the video was doing was unsafe and unwise - and just reinforced drivers why "bicyclists" do not adhere to any rules of the road no matter how hard some of us try and speak it. :(

and very illegal. We can't ride on any freeways in CA.

+1000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We did that a few times last summer at rush hour on Fridays, called it the 'parking lot ride'. We do the 'hellway' every sunday night on zoobomb. I've been on CM freeway rides before too. most of the interstate system in Oregon is open to bikes, except in PDX city limits and a short stretch in Medford.

you go guys!

:beer:

What the rider in the video was doing was unsafe and unwise - and just reinforced drivers why "bicyclists" do not adhere to any rules of the road no matter how hard some of us try and speak it. :(

and very illegal. We can't ride on any freeways in CA.[/QUOTE]

That's not entirely true.

I can't be bothered to look up the actual cite, but law is written such that if there is no other reasonable route, to get where you're going, then cyclists can utilize the freeway (riding on the shoulder).

I've done it a few times, on a short stretch of the 15 Freeway, north of Devore. Once you get to the end of Old Rt. 66, at Cleghorn, there is no way other than the 15 to get to the 138 turn-off to Wrightwood. It's perfectly legal for bicycles to ride that stretch of freeway.

Of course that doesn't make what these riders were doing legal...

What the rider in the video was doing was unsafe and unwise - and just reinforced drivers why "bicyclists" do not adhere to any rules of the road no matter how hard some of us try and speak it. :(

and very illegal. We can't ride on any freeways in CA.[/QUOTE]

It's true bikes can't ride on freeways in LA, but motorcycles split lanes on gridlocked freeways all the time. The difference between a bicycle and a motorcycle in this situation isn't much.

This is a great video of some cyclists riding their bikes on a couple of the gridlocked freeways here in Los Angeles.
:roflmao:

Here in Hotlanta, you could walk faster than freeway traffic when it gets locked up.

:rolleyes:

(a no-brainer why I'd rather bike it than drive my wife's commute southbound through Spaghetti Junction at 4:15)

Here's a blog article (http://laist.com/2008/05/14/photos_from_fri.php) about the aforementioned ride, with pics.