Bicycling heaven
#76
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Since this thread is divided between pie-in the-sky descriptions of a metaphysical bicycle heaven, and its locations on earth, I would add Metro Boston to the list. There is an active thread devoted to the Riding Experience here…
Terrain: A good mixture - flats, rollers, challenging climbs. Interesting geographical formations to look at. Areas with trees and areas of barren land. Water optional.
Roads: Wide shoulders, no potholes, maintained year round. A few paths for families and others who prefer to be away from cars. Traffic signals in town that change for bikes as well as cars.
Weather: Sunny most of the time, low humidity. A few hot days, a cool and dry summer, and a cold and snowy winter of several months for icebiking. (Hey, it's my paradise!)
Setting: A smaller city or larger town with coffee shops, universities, and an interesting downtown. Easy access to a nearby big city using bike-friendly public transportation; city also accessible by long bike ride. Low traffic in town; infrastructure to support pedestrians, cyclists of various speeds and abilities, and drivers. Bike parking always closer to the door than car parking.
Roads: Wide shoulders, no potholes, maintained year round. A few paths for families and others who prefer to be away from cars. Traffic signals in town that change for bikes as well as cars.
Weather: Sunny most of the time, low humidity. A few hot days, a cool and dry summer, and a cold and snowy winter of several months for icebiking. (Hey, it's my paradise!)
Setting: A smaller city or larger town with coffee shops, universities, and an interesting downtown. Easy access to a nearby big city using bike-friendly public transportation; city also accessible by long bike ride. Low traffic in town; infrastructure to support pedestrians, cyclists of various speeds and abilities, and drivers. Bike parking always closer to the door than car parking.
#77
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German men do it too; the difference is that the French men face the road while wee-weeing.
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https://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/en/...iterranean-Sea.
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Hop on D902 and get back to me with your comparision to Iowa. There is next to no traffic on most D routes, good road surfaces, and considerate drivers.
https://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/en/...iterranean-Sea.
https://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/en/...iterranean-Sea.
The D roads are designated roads of a certain class in France, not much different than numbered highways designated US; some are quite pleasant in rural areas and others are not. D roads don't get a better or worse group of motorists than other roads in France.
BTW I didn't find French drivers all that wonderful, and felt that German drivers' conduct towards cyclists, as well as German roads, and off road cycling routes typically superior to those in France. The percentage of the population in eachNation that uses a bicycle for transportation as well as recreation is partially a reflection of this.
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D roads are departmental roads in France and completely unlike US designated highways. No comparison.
I lived in Germany too.
Having toured many thousands if not tens of thousands of miles in France, cycling rural D roads is heaven for me. Just my opinion.
I lived in Germany too.
Having toured many thousands if not tens of thousands of miles in France, cycling rural D roads is heaven for me. Just my opinion.
#81
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#82
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There was no ownership sign at the gate. Other places in this county that have been gated like that are usually a combination of BLM and private, usually either Weyerhauser or Roseburg, where the BLM actually owns/maintains the road. The O&C lands are basically a checkerboard of BLM/private, so it's tough for one entity to own the entire road for any distance and most fire season closures have been restricted to motor vehicles (likely due to the fact that there are so few people on bikes hereabouts). I could check it out on the county land records site, but I'm too lazy and I don't want to find that I'm not supposed to ride there. It's just too nice to stay away from.
#83
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I understand that there aren't many cars in Cuba. I've never been there and I understand there is the little matter of personal freedom.
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Yank tank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
#85
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A bicycling heaven would be a dense city that has a vibrant street life. It would have a navigable street grid and thousands of places to visit. It would have a vast subway system operating around the clock, onto which someone could bring his/her bicycle in the event of sudden turns of weather or of flats or other bike malfunctions. And the cultural norms of the place would allow for the bringing of a bicycle into many different kinds of stores and other establishments.
The place would have a generous helping of parks, beaches, and even forest areas. And it would be largely flat, with very few serious hills. (When I found out that some bicyclists actually seek out hills, I couldn't believe it!)
Up to now, all of this describes New York. But a bicycle heaven would have to deal with the problem of auto traffic. Ideally, there would be no private autos; the only gas-powered vehicles would be those of the various City and State agencies (emergency and otherwise), delivery trucks (parcels by the Post Office and private carters, and also delivery of goods to stores), vans of various repair technicians, and taxis.
But, sadly, such an arrangement is scarsely imaginable in a city in today's world. The next best thing would be physical separation of bike lanes on the major roads, and painted bike lanes on the lesser roads. So this describes New York if all avenues were like the beginning of First Avenue, and if all lesser streets were like the many crosstown bike streets such as 20th or 30th Street.
The other aspect of an imagined bicycle heaven would be the climate. By which I mean: hot. All the time. The hot weather is the single greatest determinant of my riding. I have ridden 100 miles on a 100-degree day; while the 10-mile trip to work is a challenge during the winter. I have ridden more than 1000 miles during July of the past two years, and I just missed this mark during August of last year. By contrast, I am lucky if I ride 300 miles in a winter month or 400 miles in an autumn month.
Here of course we have to retreat to the imaginary realm, as New York's summers are glorious but terribly short. So a bike heaven would be New York, but with ubiquitous bike infrastructure, and with the a subtropical climate (no "rainy season").
The place would have a generous helping of parks, beaches, and even forest areas. And it would be largely flat, with very few serious hills. (When I found out that some bicyclists actually seek out hills, I couldn't believe it!)
Up to now, all of this describes New York. But a bicycle heaven would have to deal with the problem of auto traffic. Ideally, there would be no private autos; the only gas-powered vehicles would be those of the various City and State agencies (emergency and otherwise), delivery trucks (parcels by the Post Office and private carters, and also delivery of goods to stores), vans of various repair technicians, and taxis.
But, sadly, such an arrangement is scarsely imaginable in a city in today's world. The next best thing would be physical separation of bike lanes on the major roads, and painted bike lanes on the lesser roads. So this describes New York if all avenues were like the beginning of First Avenue, and if all lesser streets were like the many crosstown bike streets such as 20th or 30th Street.
The other aspect of an imagined bicycle heaven would be the climate. By which I mean: hot. All the time. The hot weather is the single greatest determinant of my riding. I have ridden 100 miles on a 100-degree day; while the 10-mile trip to work is a challenge during the winter. I have ridden more than 1000 miles during July of the past two years, and I just missed this mark during August of last year. By contrast, I am lucky if I ride 300 miles in a winter month or 400 miles in an autumn month.
Here of course we have to retreat to the imaginary realm, as New York's summers are glorious but terribly short. So a bike heaven would be New York, but with ubiquitous bike infrastructure, and with the a subtropical climate (no "rainy season").
#87
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way older than NY and even Columbus-Vespucci the cities were built with narrow lanes hot places the shadows feel over the routes away from 12 Noon ..
Where they treasured History they left them as Is , now they are Walking and cycling (maybe waking the Bike) outdoor Malls
CPH is OK until they start stripping your Bicycle {may only take the time needed to Go Pee and come back out of the WC.
but in Theoretical Heaven nobody messes with anyone else's Bike.
But which name does God use ? down here we Kill each other over the Name.
Where they treasured History they left them as Is , now they are Walking and cycling (maybe waking the Bike) outdoor Malls
CPH is OK until they start stripping your Bicycle {may only take the time needed to Go Pee and come back out of the WC.
but in Theoretical Heaven nobody messes with anyone else's Bike.
But which name does God use ? down here we Kill each other over the Name.
Last edited by fietsbob; 02-04-15 at 03:23 PM.
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A cyclist's paradise would be a small town, where everybody knows everybody else and all the shops are small family owned businesses. All the roads would be wide and with clean paved shoulders. All roads should interconnect and there shall be no dead ends. The whole town should be built on a rolling hills area.
To the left of town, a great valley flat as a pancake, 200mi big, with a few neighboring cities. Wide roads with clean shoulders for intercity traveling. Distances no smaller than 20mi between cities. The cities should also have wide roads with clean shoulders and bike lanes through their downtowns. There should be an abundance of bike rack equipped coffee shops selling bagels and gatorade.
To the right of town, a great mountain range, with peaks up to 4k feet high and steep hills of all grades. Again, wide lanes and clean paved shoulders on all mountain roads. A few taverns in the mountains, selling food, gatorade and beer.
To the left of town, a great valley flat as a pancake, 200mi big, with a few neighboring cities. Wide roads with clean shoulders for intercity traveling. Distances no smaller than 20mi between cities. The cities should also have wide roads with clean shoulders and bike lanes through their downtowns. There should be an abundance of bike rack equipped coffee shops selling bagels and gatorade.
To the right of town, a great mountain range, with peaks up to 4k feet high and steep hills of all grades. Again, wide lanes and clean paved shoulders on all mountain roads. A few taverns in the mountains, selling food, gatorade and beer.
I gave up the dreams of making large amounts of money, and instead worked toward letting myself live in various Colorado ski and cycling meccas. 47 years old, with no real savings or retirement, but a life of all the toys and memories.
One such memory of cycling nirvana was staying in Como, Italy and riding the route of the Madonna di Ghisallo. Pure epic. As a bonus, Como had the best coffee I have ever had, anywhere. And I geek on coffee like a weight weenie knows carbon and Ti.
Last edited by bouldergeek; 02-04-15 at 03:24 PM.
#89
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A place devoid of red lights, bike theives, drivers using cell phones, and Himalayan blackberries; but other than that Bellingham WA comes pretty close to being cyclists paradise.
Last edited by Bikebum77; 03-28-15 at 11:46 AM.
#90
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Nobody has to buy a Bike they just appear when you need one ,
... but then again why would you need one since in 'heaven' you are both Every Where and Nowhere at the same time.
... but then again why would you need one since in 'heaven' you are both Every Where and Nowhere at the same time.
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