I'm not a speed demon by any stretch, but like any grownup not riding into a headwind I easily go over 20kph. I've never gone by the bylaw guys before so I have some questions about them. 1. Are they on bikes or foot? 2. Do you think they would stand a chance if you didn't stop?
Pathway bylaw enforcement.
Submitted by sheik yerbouti on
Not sure, same question.
Submitted by BCDon on
I've had the same question. Unless they have someone quick on a bike or block you so that you run into them I'm not sure how they'd stop you.
Having said that, I haven't seen them yet this year (although I don't frequent downtown).
And I suspect they would be targetting the 10KPH zones as those give them a MUCH better chance of finding people exceeding the limit. And, they could even ticket runners if they wanted to.
I'll ride faster when there aren't people around or everyone is riding faster (ie tailwind) but when there's a major pedestrian area that's busy I slow down. For example, coming by Heritage Park at 6:45AM there are only a few cyclists and walkers / joggers out. BUT, on a weekend afternoon it can be packed with lots of cross traffic as everyone has to cross the bike path to get from parking to the park so you need to slow down and watch for all the cross traffic along with people riding / walking / roller blading etc. along the path.
Under the tenth ave. bridge
Submitted by gyrospanner on
That's where the bylaw guys hung out last week. I didn't see them last night, just a by-law truck there. I usually cruise through there pretty fast, but, only when it is safe to do so.
They visited our energy station on 8th and 8th during the Bike to Work Day a couple of Fridays ago. I have seen them on bikes downtown and on the pathways in random places. Like the 8th ave mall and the pathway by the zoo.I even saw them routing around the bushes by the old quarry trail in Edworthy Park once. I sure wish I had asked them what they were looking for 'cuz I still wonder. I should have directed them to the hobo camp a little further up the river.
I wouldn't take the chance of trying to outrun them. I think I heard somewhere once that failing to present ID to a peace officer is a criminal offence, so a $50 speeding ticket isn't worth it. Plus, I would consider such a "Velocity Award" kind of a badge of honor!
not quite...
Submitted by NW_Tri_and_Bike on
failing to provide your proper identity is a criminal offence... it's called obstructing a peace officer... so reusing to provide your name/dob, or providing a false one... using a real person's name used to be called personation but I think it's been renamed identity fraud... I would still carry my ID when riding though for a variety of reasons
http://ridecalgary.blogspot.com/
Could the City be this clever/evil?
Submitted by scwood on
Could it be that this annual "crack-down" on speeding cyclists isn't about keeping the pathways safe, but is instead about reminding the public-at-large how nasty dangerous cyclists are so that public opinion is primed to oppose any calls for increased cycling infrastructure while driving casual cyclists to stop riding?
It's not a particularly original idea - police to discourage. Then use the decrease in public demand to justify budget reductions, closures, or even rezoning bike paths for lane expansions.
you might be right
Submitted by critninja on
i have a huge issue with the city's singleminded crackdown on cyclists on the MULTIPLE USER PATHWAYS. there are multiple users, hence, multiple needs for education and enforcement - of which i see nothing. all i see and read about is the city focusing on ticketing cyclists - and i think you might be right!
all users need to be educated on proper use of the pathways and i would love to see the city start to crackdown on crappy pet owners, indignant joggers, and righteous walkers. until i see them treating the other users the same as cyclists - ticketing them - i am apt to ignore them.
however, i doubt they will do anything.
i have never been pulled over for speeding on the pathways and i must admit if they tried to pull me over i might consider not stopping depending on which bike i am on and what kind of mood i am in.
www.bikebike.ca
Hmmm...
Submitted by bclark on
I'm torn on this. The other day I saw some knotthead on a road bike rippin' past other cyclists and pedestrians into oncoming traffic just west of 14th street. I think I mentioned as well that two weeks ago I witnessed a jogger have to jump out of the way of an oncoming cyclist. While both instances are more a matter of unsafe passing than speeding, the speed still ties in. Not only is this type of passing extremely unsafe but it gives us all a bad rap.
In the past this seemed to be the kind of rider bylaw was targetting so hopefully they keep the focus in that direction and not aim at fining someone doing 20km/h in a 10-zone when there is no-one else around, thus discouraging the average person from taking to riding.
Better cycling infrastructure and integrating a cycling specific education component into the drivers test may be useful. There also needs to be a way to ensure cyclists are educated on our responsibilities as well...ideas?
weekend?
Submitted by umgray on
Don,
Its funny that you tell this story because I am usually out of town on the weekends and if I am in town and ride I avoid the pathways. Last weekend my wife and I rode down to the dutch ride and I was amazed as to how many road bike wanna-be's there are out there. Mid-line decent road bike. full kit (matching of course) and they speed along the paths thinking they are training for the fu*king tour de france! Seriously do these people not get the memo - get your skinny spandex ass to westhills or to countless other points of departure and ride your carbon bike on the ROAD not the pathways! These guys (and I say guys because women are so much smarter than this and they seem to have gotten the memo) are really given us a bad name. Okay rant over.....
it'll settle down in July
Submitted by Cword on
Because those folks are training for a tour, "The ride to conquer cancer", the MS ride, etc. most of which go down in June.
Those folks all parked their cars and are "training" on the "bike path" (They don't know what MUP means) come July they'll go back to their cars, unless they're so inspired that they decide they should take up triathlon.
;-)
I bet you....
Submitted by umgray on
I would easily bet you are 100% correct. That's what was going through my mind when I saw them (actually saw a few ride jerseys from 2009). Somebody should tell them of that nice stretch of pathway that goes along the canal out of town. I guess in July it will be horses and cowboy gear.
Anti-rant...
Submitted by bclark on
I'm not against road bikers, carbon or spandex. I love riding my road bike (unfortunately not carbon), and wearing my spandex (okay maybe not so much), even on the pathways sometimes. What I vented about was someone executing silly (for lack of a better word) pathway manouver and that someone just happened to be on a road bike. Ultimately, if a person is riding their road bike on a stretch of pathway with nice visibility, say out by Edworthy Park, and absolutely no one is around then let-er fly as far as I'm concerned. Just slow down to a reasonable speed and pass safely when others are on the path.
It's been a frustrating week so far
Submitted by sherryrunswest on
On Monday, going home at my usual 4:15 or so, traffic was 100% more than it usually is at that time (that includes walkers, walkers with strollers and/or dogs, bladers, runners). I chose to stay behind another rider my entire stretch of the pathway (downtown to Crowchild). I didn't see it worthwhile trying to pass as it wouldn't get me any further ahead. Plus the traffic in the opposing direction was almost as busy. So trying to negotiate both directions was too much so I just stayed put, much safer. What pissed me off were the idiots that were passing from behind going far too fast and cutting it close far too often (pissing other users off too, i'm sure of it).
Yesterday afternoon traffic was lighter but I kept a good pace, not too fast. I was able to pull out safely and pass when I could but I did keep noticing the same rider closely behind me my entire way (or almost), he wouldn't pass. He'd pass behind me when I'd pass others. Near Crowchild I came upon 2 riders that slowed down considerably and very quickly so I did a quick shoulder check to pass and buddy behind me decides at that point to pass me, he was practically beside me with no courtesy "On your left!" or bell rung. I kept my line to pass rather than swerving back into the lane to let him go, I'm sure I made him slow down slightly. He passed the 2 guys too and ended up staying behind me after all that.
I can only shake my head at those unruly riders that give all courteous, safe riders out there a bad rap.
that sucks
Submitted by umgray on
sorry to hear about the tail.
It seems that many of us on the board are feeling the "pinch" on the pathways and roadways as to the amount of people out there that have no concept of repect and how to ride on th epathways and the lack of maintenance on the roads that encourage biking (I must have called 311 six times about the gravel on the 2nd street SW bikeway).
But your email reminds me to keep in real and mellow on my daily commutes.
Wheelsuckers... aka drafters
Submitted by RichieRich on
Drafting is a bit of an art form... and attempting to develop/hone these skills on a bumpy, narrow, busy, rolling pathway (which most of them are within 8km of downtown) is just asking for an accident. I understand you'd be frustrated both w/ the drafter as well as those who now have to pass a longer train.
My suggestion if this happens again is pretty much... encourage them to get off your rear end by asking them to stop, progressively going slower, burn them off your tail (not that I'm encouraging speeding above 20km/hr), and everyones favorite "open up the nose faucet". Couldn't resist that last one...
ah...
Submitted by critninja on
...the snot rocket. classic move!
www.bikebike.ca
Drafting.
Submitted by BCDon on
I generally haven't minded people drafting behind me until I start to read the above. I forget that most people have never really drafted in any kind of peloton. And while my experiences have only been in training, if you didn't "do" things properly you were told. Thus, I learned to draft. I taught my sons and daughters how to draft as well so that I'm comfortable with them drafting around me (although the daughters don't really want any part of it :)).
I was on a ride on the weekend where I was being drafted, felt it, looked sideways and saw it and I was fine. After a few kilometers got passed but that was on the road NOT the narrow pathway.
On the pathways I do draft but not a "normal" draft of an inch or less, rather a couple of feet as people don't know how to cycle in a peloton style, they stop pedalling, brake too quickly, don't point out stuff etc.
Again, I'm very fortunate in that I don't run into much traffic except oncoming for the 1KM or so I ride along Memorial from Crowchild to the Foothills Hospital turnoff.
Ah yes, and if you are behind me on the road I'll pull over to "eject mucous" but on the pathway I can't pull over so I'll just sit up, if you aren't watching you'll feel it. :).
The MUPs are too narrow. ESPECIALLY the busy ones.
My thoughts
Submitted by mike runs on
First, if a guy is behind me trying to draft, I have no idea if he actually knows what he's doing or if he's going to be piling into me the first time I slow down or something. I'd rather not take the chance.
Second, drafting isn't just a free ride. Take the front now and then and do some work.
I just have to chime in here
Submitted by Julie Gregg on
I just have to chime in here (chirp chirp). A few days ago I came up behind a fellow riding a nice pace and since we were getting a substantial headwind it was a nice break to be behind him. A minute later I pulled beside him (feeling guilty) I said I was going to ride at his back wheel for awhile for a break but maybe he didn't want me to, his answer was "go ahead, I don't mind"....awesome, I didn't stay there long but long enough to take a rest, I like how that works!
No Free Ride.
Submitted by BCDon on
While I agree that generally you should take a pull up front, I have run into people that are doing all they can to hang on (and I figure I'm old and slow). That being the case it is unlikely that they can do any kind of pull and still be able to hang on.
While I agree that I too am suspect of their ability, if they are going to sit back and stay there I'm OK with it. What I DON'T appreciate is someone drafting off me on the flats, then when we start going uphill they decide they want to go faster and sprint by. Then, due to their non-existant body weight they can continue up the hill. If the hill isn't very long I'll catch them on the downhill or on the next straight. If they attempt to draft again I'll loose them (slow, then accelerate and keep a higher than sustainable pace going for a couple of minutes). IF they can stick with me then I guess they've earned the right for another pull :).
folding bike
Submitted by umgray on
I have more fun on my 24 speed Dahon folder having guys think they are going to pass me and realize that I am going a lot faster than they thought I was and then end up drafting me trying to figure out what the hell I am driving. Makes me chuckle.
We had a girl on roller
Submitted by scottmeyers on
We had a girl on roller blades hook up with my brother and I one afternoon in a heavy head wind, Damn she was fast. We passed her, and when I checked my shoulder to see if my brother had also made the pass low and behold there she was tucked in between us. She dropped in behind little brother with one hand on his A$$ (lucky guy) and grabbed a free ride. She kept pace for probably 2.5 km... A big grin and a thank you when she finally backed off.
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