TRaffic Jammer

This just heard on morning radio, Toronto is looking at making red light rights at ten/dozen more intersections downtown illegal due the hundreds of peds that get hit every year. Right hooks no more!!!

krusty

I've always felt that right turns on red should be illegal in Ontario. I can't count the number of times every day that I have to hammer the brakes to avoid hitting someone who has pulled out in front of me from a red, usually without even stopping. I lived in Montreal many years back (as did you, I think) and before they allowed it there, driving was much easier than here.

In the north in smaller towns, right turns on red is not a big deal, but with the volume of traffic we have here, a little more order to the flow couldn't hurt.

iherald

Well if I counted the number of people who obeyed the traffic laws on my ride into work, I wouldn't have to count very high. Personally I think cops should focus on more important stuff than traffic violations, but much like we have parking cops, we should have traffic cops. You put people at the right intersection and the city budget would easily be paid for by tickets.

That said, if we get serious on cars we'd have to get serious on cyclists. fair is fair.

TRaffic Jammer

I'd prefer an aggressive campaign about how the streets aren't just for cars.... one that uses 'acting drivers/peds/cyclists' using typical expressions and then a police voice over as to how incorrect they actually are. I'd LOVE to see folks driving the centre lane on, say, Queen street using proper lane positioning, being more to the centre. This would give drivers more room to pass in the curb lane. The drivers' side tires are supposed to be on or to the left of the track, something you rarely see. When I do something illegal, I know I'm doing it, and I'm at least making sure I'm being safe and non-obstructionist about it. Yes Montreal had no right turns when I rode there, thank deities of choice.

Fair is fair, I agree, but how many peds get hit and injured by cyclists? Laws should equally enforced...I can't believe i'm writing this.
BUT the onus, IHMO, increases with mass. Peds=careful, same for cyclists, more so for cars, and dbly so for trucks....ESPECIALLY CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS RIGHT HOOKING *******S!!!!

iherald

cars certainly cause more problems. Plus, most of the folks on this board I'd trust to know what they're doing, but 'normal' cyclists seem to just be doing things that no one expects. One guy was swerving today down Sherbourne which pushed me into the car lane, etc etc. oh well.

meixeira

Newbie to the thread here, pleased to meet you all.
I just got back from a year in Hamburg, Germany, where I was lucky enough to have my steed with me. It survived the planetrip back, so I'm looking forward to making it on some rides with you guys this summer in the city. Anyone know of any weekly meetups?

TRaffic Jammer

Welcome home!!! I think the weekly DSR rides will be starting up soon. https://www.devilstriprollers.com/
though Ryan is in Costa Rice, bastid

trueno92

wow, this link explained it all...

my hacksaw hardly left as much as a scratch on this thing.. . and this explains it..

I don't have a bench/table vice.. however, i am going to try the big-ass-bolt.

Thing is, the hole that he bb axle is supposed to stick out of is in fact, threaded. i have NO IDEA WTF they would have used to thread this.. like wolverines claws or something....?

jet sanchEz

20 years ago when I was learning to drive my dad was insistent that I learn how to drive this way, with my left tires nearly touching the centre-line. His reasoning was that it is better to hit a car in the oncoming lane than it was to hit a cyclist or pedestrian who had to veer to avoid a door opening or whatever. It was daunting at first but yup, it is the best way to drive where there are tracks and all my friends' parents taught them this way as well...

TRaffic Jammer

It's misleading how much room there is over there on the left. You need a cube van to begin to reach the centre line, say, with a mirror or one of those huge pickups. A regular car has gobs of room. It's on the books that lane positioning and it's never enforced.

Flimflam

/me wonders if Rob was drunk-posting last night

I just read that junk about the non-right turn proposal - I guess it makes sense to reduce injuries, but I really don't think that's the issue.

Why can't better education/campaigns be brought forward to educate people on not acting like dolts on/around the road instead. I like the idea of traffic cops, too. If people knew how to behave around one another then I think we'd all be better off. This is a massively tricky subject, though, as drivers are held to an examined standard - any old Joe can go and jump on a bike and ride it as they please on the road.

The lack of lane discipline is a massive irk of mine. Proper lane discipline is something inherent in driving/riding in the UK, narrower lanes for a start as well as roundabouts and it bugs me no-end the number of drivers and cyclists unable to hold a line, and unable to appreciate anyone but themself - bikes overtaking parked cars without even looking behind when pulling out into traffic REALLY gets to me.

edit: welcome back from Germany, meixeira... As well as DSR there are other things going on (Bike Month starts in a few weeks, too!) - TO Track Tricks is largely focused on doing "trick" stuff, usually 7pm Tuesdays at Trinity Bellwoods. There's a Monday night ride from Kensington (not sure of the place but I think it leaves at 8) called "Red Arrow rides" - I think Shannen from Red Arrow bikes has something to do with it, I know Marli from the messenger scene kinda runs that one though.
Another social thing would be Velosocial, coming this Thursday I think at the Augusta House (in Kensington). Not sure if there's any Thursday 100 rides going on yet.

See Facebook for all of the above.

I know of Sunday rides at 1pm(?) from Yonge/Dundas or Nathan Phillips Sq. with the TOFIXD folks (www.tofixd.com).

MattRennick

what are people using for road pumps these days? i'm in need of a new pump and thought i'd take a poll before plunkin' down some bucks...

anyone use c02 cartridges on the regular, either? the portability is attractive but i always imagine myself somehow screwing it up and being stuck out there with no means of inflation...

hope everyone is doing well!

exhibitx

topeak road morph

i keep the full version in my bag, and i use the mini version on road rides

love it

operator

https://www.collegehumor.com/video:1910227

For super long road rides, i'll only carry the mini road morph. Shorter rides i'll take my chances with c02.

Ill Mitch

No problem man, glad to hear that the new tire worked out.

shapelike

I had a dream that Keith purchased Shaquille O'Neal's stolen TV ... which was the size of a large wall (about 15'x30'). Apparently he bought it for $30,000 and the plan was to resell it at an enormous profit to finance the purchase of a house. I was like, "Oh ya, that's a solid plan." and Keith said, "I went out on a limb with this one but I think it's really going to pay off."

Also, Shaq had a Super Nintendo hooked up to his 15'x30' screen.

iherald

+1 but mine is attached to my road bike at all times. The problem I've heard of with C02 is 1) if you get two flats and 2) if your tube isn't in the tire properly, you can get a blow out since it inflates so fast.

kergin

alright...

shapelike

Well you certainly don't have the fine control of a floor pump with a pressure release valve but it isn't one shot and suddenly the tire's at 120PSI. I normally screw the CO2 cansiter onto the inflator head give it a quick light press on the valve stem and that'll put ~20PSI or whatever in the tire so I can make sure the bead is set properly. Then a few more short presses to make sure nothing weird is going on as I bring the pressure up and finally just hold it until the CO2 is completely empty. You can't be ham-fisted with it but you can control it.

PS. This is the inflator I use (Genuine Innovations Air Chuck):



With these things I generally find that simpler is better. Just make sure to get a couple layers of glove wrapped around the canister so you don't flash freeze your fingers.

PPS. When you're buying refills pay close attention to whether you need threaded or unthreaded CO2 canisters!

Herbie_Glick

Longest night ever......well worth it in photos.

Doin great. I use o2 a lot but we just picked up Lezyne pumps and they are awesome. With a hose attachment and double pump pressure too!


I always thought you had a drug problem, this is why we can't have nice things...

kergin

commuter rage this morning - please, please, please don't approach a red light with a bunch of cyclists lined up and roll straight to the front-left of the line. You *are* a massive tool when you do that. Worse yet, don't pull to the front then proceed to go as slow as you please.

*sigh*

I should start commuting right down Avenue.

I_bRAD

Frankie says relax.

trueno92

anyone have old road brake levers for sale?

aero or non aero and something tektro is totally good....

i missed the trek 1200 on craigslist last night, steal of the century...

elTwitcho

Had that this morning. Some Fred apparently didn't get the memo that wearing lycra bike shorts and oakleys doesn't automatically make you the fastest cyclist at the light regardless of what speed you ride.

Top it off, yesterday evening some bonehead old man on a supercycle decided that right as I'm about to pass him on the left it was the appropriate time to pul a U turn from the curb across traffic. He's so close that if I try and go right I'm going to smash into his rear wheel so I have to bank a hard left to try and match his turn while I'm hammering the brake. I try and get his attention in the hope he abandons his moron turn and yell "DUDE WHAT THE *** ARE YOU DOING???" and without correcting his turn in the slightest bit he just tells me to suck his d*ck and I almost crash into him.

I love having more people on the streets but part of me really hopes our more inconsiderate and dangerous cyclists wreck and get off the road sooner than later

Flimflam

Honestly I'll go to the front-left of a line just so I don't have to deal with the meandering mobile-chicane when passing in traffic. I usually always jump the green and ramp up my speed quick though. If I intend on slow rolling, I'll wait my damn turn

I try to keep aware and if there's some dude wanting to get by, I'll move and/or wave them by.

As I said on the intersection issue, I'd love there to be more education about how people can interact in traffic/being traffic/whatever to avoid the crazy wobbly/meandering bike riders, but I don't see it happening any time soon. Maybe schools could encourage a cycling proficiency thing, but what parents would want their kid to ride on the roads? I know plenty of adults that are ****-scared of the idea of riding a bike on the roads here.