What streets do you like to ride on?
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When I'm actually commuting, I don't have time to take pictures all over the place.
However, I keep thinking I should bring a camera with me on my walk to the bus stop in the mornings. One day I will. The view from the pedestrian overpass is really quite lovely.
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#152
Prefers Cicero
I posted my pictures in this thread from an actual commute, but that's probably the first (and last?) time in 20-something years of bike commuting that I have taken photos along the way.
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Some streets from today's ride ... This is quite a popular stretch of road with cyclists, all within Hobart. You come off the cycleway and keep going northward. These are taken facing southward, cycling back to the cycleway.
Incidentally, that's wattle in bloom up on the bank on the right ... I'm starting to get used to it now, but it has given me some difficulty with allergies.
Climbing a bit here ... and there are a father and son riding in front of us.
Incidentally, that's wattle in bloom up on the bank on the right ... I'm starting to get used to it now, but it has given me some difficulty with allergies.
Climbing a bit here ... and there are a father and son riding in front of us.
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We just had an interesting thread about protected bike lanes. But most of us are stuck with plain old streets and highways--or even prefer them..
So I was wondering, what kind of streets do you all like to ride on? What are examples of highways that are shared nicely by cars and bikes?
Pics are optional but nice.
So I was wondering, what kind of streets do you all like to ride on? What are examples of highways that are shared nicely by cars and bikes?
Pics are optional but nice.
- Enchanted
- Exurban (no residences, no commercial buildings)
- Residential: Urban (dense, multi-unit dwellings), Suburban (single unattached homes)
- Light commercial (storefronts close to the sidewalk, street parking)
- Heavy commercial (shopping malls, driveway accesses, parking lots)
- Industrial: (dreary vistas, rough roads, debris-strewn)
… almost every road is a good road if you ride it early enough in the day.
PS: It just occured to me, though I don't ride in the downtown proper, I should probably add a category of "Downtown," as typified by the urban canyons and narrow, often-crowded streets of Manhattan, or the Financial District of Boston. Downtown riding would, IMO rank just ahead of "heavy commercial."
…Metro Bostonians have mastered a lot of the same roads. We all have very individual, favorite routes. I bet we could compile a list of favorite sections of roads where the sun, shade, swoops and turns fly by just right.
From this forum, we could rate roads with traffic and without, swoops, trails, water fountains, hill climbs, stops, historical, flora, fauna, mysterious tourists and places where they sell fig newtons.
From this forum, we could rate roads with traffic and without, swoops, trails, water fountains, hill climbs, stops, historical, flora, fauna, mysterious tourists and places where they sell fig newtons.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 09-03-14 at 05:39 AM. Reason: Added PS
#156
In the right lane
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We started that ride about 1 pm or so on a Sunday ... and the ride was about 1.5 hours long.
The traffic wasn't overly heavy ... our anniversary ride was last weekend ... a Sunday in late winter. Not a lot of things open ... not a lot of tourists about.
And of course, there's some strategic timing to some of the shots. I was cycling when I took those photos, and I don't whip out my camera when there's a lot of traffic. I'm too busy focusing on the matter at hand then.
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#158
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I guess we'll all be able to recognize Rowan from behind.
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What do you like to ride on the best?
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Machka, do you notice that you kind of obsessed with getting people to avoid making negative statements in favor of making positive ones instead. Really I understand because I know people can become habitually negative and it's not healthy, but that's not what I do. I was just posting some humor here about the worst possible road combining all cycling irritations. Cobblestone is always something I avoid if possible but high curbs on narrow lanes is another (one that's becoming more popular unfortunately, seemingly as a measure to force cyclists onto sidewalks.).
To answer your question, though, asphalt bike/MUP paths and paved shoulders are the best for cycling. Taking the lane would be fine if drivers were content to drive 10-20mph and had plenty of room to pass in-lane. Otherwise, they speed up behind you and then slow down at the last minute to change lanes or, if there's someone in the lane preventing them from getting over, they drive behind you continually checking their mirrors for a chance to get over and pass. Shared lanes are not a good idea. They are, imo, a covert attempt to dissuade on-road cycling.
To answer your question, though, asphalt bike/MUP paths and paved shoulders are the best for cycling. Taking the lane would be fine if drivers were content to drive 10-20mph and had plenty of room to pass in-lane. Otherwise, they speed up behind you and then slow down at the last minute to change lanes or, if there's someone in the lane preventing them from getting over, they drive behind you continually checking their mirrors for a chance to get over and pass. Shared lanes are not a good idea. They are, imo, a covert attempt to dissuade on-road cycling.
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I agree, especially about cobblestones. There are quite a few streets made of them where I live, and I avoid them like the plague.
#166
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I think the best street is one that was just repaved. Smoooth!
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#167
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Still in Alberta ...
This is an interesting situation. Between Bentley (which used to have a fascinating bicycle shop ... may still do) and almost all the way to Gull Lake (but not quite all the way for some unknown reason) there is a paved cycle path. It's beautiful. But so is the road. However ... your choice. Sometimes I rode the path, sometimes I rode the road.
This is an interesting situation. Between Bentley (which used to have a fascinating bicycle shop ... may still do) and almost all the way to Gull Lake (but not quite all the way for some unknown reason) there is a paved cycle path. It's beautiful. But so is the road. However ... your choice. Sometimes I rode the path, sometimes I rode the road.
I lived in Bentley for some years and the riding in that part of the province is wonderful and will agree in Hwy 11 as being pretty spectacular.
#168
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
My favourite place to ride is in our river valley... our city has the largest urban parkland in North America and you could spend the day riding through it. It also provides and east west corridor and several south central route for cyclists, although it offers a little more challenge than surface streets as you have to climb out.
It is down there in the trees... D:
It does not take one long to leave the city behind...
In the city I often find myself riding through the Highlands area and down Ada Boulevard which looks over the river and is a wonderful cycling route... there are houses on the north side and the south side overlooks the river valley and has access to the parks and trails. It has very little traffic and the road is wide enough for everyone to share...
It is down there in the trees... D:
It does not take one long to leave the city behind...
In the city I often find myself riding through the Highlands area and down Ada Boulevard which looks over the river and is a wonderful cycling route... there are houses on the north side and the south side overlooks the river valley and has access to the parks and trails. It has very little traffic and the road is wide enough for everyone to share...
Last edited by Sixty Fiver; 09-14-14 at 07:46 PM.
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Marked bike lanes are better than no bike lanes, but all too often I find they are located right in the door zone of parked cars, which means you get in the habit of riding right near the edge of the general purpose lane.
I really prefer quiet residential streets and rural roads. Nice pavement is a big plus. MUP's are a close second. There's usually too much pedestrian traffic on the MUP's though to really cut loose. Arterials with bike lanes a distant third.
The hands down worst roads to ride though IMO are busy 2 lane rural highways with small shoulders and deep ditches. You find yourself hugging a tiny shoulder, next to a 3' drop, while getting closely passed at 60 mph by drivers that are angry that you are there at all and trying to seize the lane on these roads would border on suicidal.
I really prefer quiet residential streets and rural roads. Nice pavement is a big plus. MUP's are a close second. There's usually too much pedestrian traffic on the MUP's though to really cut loose. Arterials with bike lanes a distant third.
The hands down worst roads to ride though IMO are busy 2 lane rural highways with small shoulders and deep ditches. You find yourself hugging a tiny shoulder, next to a 3' drop, while getting closely passed at 60 mph by drivers that are angry that you are there at all and trying to seize the lane on these roads would border on suicidal.
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I'm a positive person ... and life is too short to fill it with negativity.
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Oh, good to hear he's still in business.
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#172
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
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Yes ... I think my father got his Cattrike from him. And he's got an interesting collection of penny-farthings.
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From our 100 km ride on Saturday ...
For those of you who like to see cars on streets ...
For those who prefer car-free streets ...
Those photos were taken between two fairly closely placed towns, in the early afternoon on a Saturday.
(click for more photos ... )
For those of you who like to see cars on streets ...
For those who prefer car-free streets ...
Those photos were taken between two fairly closely placed towns, in the early afternoon on a Saturday.
(click for more photos ... )
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#175
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From our 100 km ride on Saturday ...
For those of you who like to see cars on streets ...
For those who prefer car-free streets ...
Those photos were taken between two fairly closely placed towns, in the early afternoon on a Saturday.. )
For those of you who like to see cars on streets ...
For those who prefer car-free streets ...
Those photos were taken between two fairly closely placed towns, in the early afternoon on a Saturday.. )
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