Basically, it's all about how the importance of making eye contact with drivers is yet another in the endless series of myths to which cyclists are subjected.
Also, I'd like to address this comment from yesterday's post:
Anonymous said...
Why is the suspension-correction bugging you? Sheesh, you are really pin-holing yourself as a real bike-... idk... downer, not a snob. Get on a bmx for a day and have some fun! Do a f*#!n wheelie already.
November 29, 2017 at 1:32 AM
Oh please, I was popping wheelies on BMX bikes before you were even born:
Unless you're older than me, in which case I probably wasn't.
Anyway I rode a skateboard to Petco last night so who's embracing their inner child now?
And with that I'm off to do some wheel-swapping and product-testing, and I'll report back in due course.
I love you,
--Wildcat Rock Machine
46 comments:
Does this count?
Early wheelies
scranus
Podium bitches.
I find your lack of faith... reasonable.
Wednesday weed + a BMX ride = FUN!
Your brother looks less than impressed.
Riding down the lane, with his head hung low
Wouldn't get a ticket, he was goin' pretty slow
Heard the buzz of the tire, he could picture the scene
Put his wheel to the sky, then like an 80's teen,
HE WAS A TUBE SOX HERO!
Stripped tube socks look better on a 20 year old arts major.
*female* arts major
[not that there's anything wrong with that]
It's a shame that more cyclists don't have "death ray vision", like I do. One squint and out come the death rays. It's embarrassing when I turn to check behind me and I have to squint because the sun is in my eyes. Poof, there goes another driver's head up in flames.
Eye contact, not round here! Pedestrians have been trained since birth to face away from all traffic and march into street without hesitation, preferably with baby buggy pushed well ahead.
Eye contact is a myth, as most bike commuters can attest. What I have found to work, however is a helmet mounted light when attempting eye contact. True, had a few comments about it, but it got their attention!
Is that a reflector on the front wheel?!
I can never think of tube socks, without mourning the Great Tube Sock Holocaust, which took the lives of so many of my brethren. (and cistern)
I have a helmet mounted laser... It sure gets attention.
Can someone please explain the concept of suspension corrected? And elaborate particularly on the downside of riding a rigid fork on a suspension corrected bike.
Also, I found a pretty interesting (and entertaining) podcast interviewing Jeff Jones on fat bike podcast from April 24. Maybe bsnyc can provide a link in a post. It’s exactly how I would imagine a phone conversation would go with him: slow to get started but impossible to stop, in the best sort of way.
I agree with your column but I will continue to maintain eye contact (really more of an alpha dog stare, to the extent that drivers often say "don't give me that look"). But guess what, they didn't pull the dick move I know they were strongly considering doing.
The part about only seeing what you expect to see, namely other cars, strikes a chord with me.
A block from my office there is a crosswalk across a major street in my town. On holidays, the police conduct a "sting" operation where they dress a brave officer up in a giant turkey suit or green leprechaun suit, or whatever is appropriate to the holiday. They then cross while being overseen by a convoy of motorcycle cops, ticket books at the ready. The press shows up to document the festivities, and everybody marvels that with such a major production surrounding the whole affair, motorists are oblivious and still neglect to yield.
Everybody has a big laugh about it, and then we go on about the business of setting a new annual record for pedestrian fatalities.
Last week TWO guys in wheelchairs were hit and killed a few days apart at the very same intersection.
SMH...
Catching up on the weeks posts.
Interesting impressions on the wood and the Jones bar.
Scranus.
Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun.
You recently said (although not today - maybe yesterday?) that the Marin Pine Mountain has standard wheels. I have one too (I also enjoy mine), but I've thought about putting some 29" wheels on it enough to have actually looked into it. The short answer is that you can't get hubs or complete wheelsets that will fit. Can't be done. Marin's supplier of those very special hubs is out of stock and has been for months if you wanted to build your own wheels; and if you want a full wheel set, I have found exactly one that will work if you buy the correct conversion kits (total cost of 29" wheels = the total bike cost). This is my beef with ol' Piney - those Boost QR hubs aren't a standard, nor can they be purchased. So much about the bike has been standardized to the correct degree but that one flaw prevents me from recommending the bike to anyone else.
Flat tire on the ride into work this AM. Drywall screw. Scranus!
I always look at the vehicles front wheels. I'm certain the driver will head whichever direction the wheels are pointed at whatever speed the wheels are moving. I just assume they don't see me at all.
I enjoy bikecycling,
What year is yours? Mine has 135mm spacing, have not swapped wheels yet but don't see why I couldn't.
--Wildcat Etc.
Looks like a Joytech 141 x 9mm rear hub is specced on the PM. Huh? What the hell is up with that?
Anonymous 4:01pm,
What is up with what? I think we figured out yesterday that they changed the spacing.
--Wildcat Etc.
Regarding being observed, there was a good article in RoadBikeRider last summer here:
https://www.roadbikerider.com/riding-skills/safety-skills/2975-incisive-new-studies-on-cyclist-visibility
With these conclusions:
Running full-time lights is safer than no lights at all.
A flashing tail light is safer than a steady (always-on) tail light.
A steady light worn on your ankle or heel makes you even more conspicuous.
Colorful (and fluorescent) clothing is fine for the torso, but even better at letting drivers know you're a cyclist if worn on your legs.
In other words, if you look like prey to a dinosaur, the driver's dinosaur brain will see you. So I put flashing lights all over the bike and me, plus pedal reflectors and reflective ankle bands.
Yeah, BSNYC is the proud owner of the 2016 model Pine Mountain 1. All subsequent year models have the Booshit spacing.
I so wanted to snag a 2016, esp. cuz they made an XXL model (22" seat tube! 670+mm of Stack!) but they sold out fast.
I deliberately don't make eye contact as a pedestrian. I find drivers are more likely to stop if I just, "take the lane".
I always make eye contact, 'cause that makes it more special.
Anony @ 4:37
Don't forget the disco ball hanging from your saddle. Everybody notices the funky folk.
And then there are the times where you cannot make eye contact because you can't see anything because of the glare off the window/windshield or from the headlights.
Living here in suburbia, what sometimes works is not just eye contact, but also ummm.... "wave and acknowledge." Either the bicyclist or the driver waves the other ahead, and the other waves an acknowledgement.
But of course you get in to the Chip and Dale situation where you're both waving there other to go ahead until you both give up and start forward at the same time.
Haro freestyler!
Yeah QR boost spacing, 141 mm. Only bike around with that spacing and the main reason I wouldn’t get one. Looks like I’ll get the new karate monkey or a Jones plus. I read they changed the rear hub spacing because of chain clearance issue, although that hasn’t been reported here.
I couldn't believe it when the driver looking right at me pulled out as if trying to kill me (on my motorcycle). I laid the bike down, sold it and vowed never to ride another bike again unless it was louder than an ambulance....Years later I got back on (a bicycle). Now I know drivers don't see you unless they are expecting to see you. Some do, some don't, and some are actively trying to kill you (small percentage). I'm not sure how to change that, but it needs to change.
BSNYC 4:10pm,
Thanks for the update. It's obvious the specs are different across the model years. What I was asking about was why they would choose such an obscure standard. As IEB mentioned, getting replacements is a total hassle.
DR,
My chain does in fact hit the rear tire occasionally but it doesn't bother me or cause any issues in practice.
It does make sense to me that 135mm is on its way out given how wide the tires are getting on mountain bikes now, and if everything's going to be 141mm now I guess I can see why they might want to retain a QR option for "entry level" bikes, but yeah, sounds annoying for finding replacement hubs.
Guess I lucked out.
--Wildcat Etc.
Anonymous 7:19pm,
I can only speculate, but my guess would be they wanted to widen the rear spacing to prevent chain/tire contact, but also retain a QR since it's an "entry level" bike. Perhaps I'll ask them.
Maybe QR 141mm hubs will become a thing since wider spacing is an inevitability at this point.
--Wildcat Etc.
Please teach me how to do that. I promise to use it indiscriminately...
My favorite thing is when a driver tries to kill you and you yell at them and they respond by telling you that they are a cyclist too, as thought that's supposed to make it okay that they just scared the shit out of you.
conveivably?
"purview of this missive" sounds like something rude but I guess it isn't
Eye contact is communication, unfortunately there is no universal standard for interpreting the signal. To many carbrains, eye contact with a cyclist has only one message: "good, squishything has seen me, so I won't squish it when I proceed". Eye contact is like green lights to them.
Because many carbrains are wired this way, I suspect that the mirrorshade visors worn in some track cycling disciplines might actually be the most effective (or at least the most underrated) of all cycling related headworn safety devices.
...what amazes me is the total obliviousness of not just motorists, but people in general in a place as crowded as NYC, being shocked when they suddenly realize another human being is in their path.
...if there's a shark somehow flying down Fifth Ave, I'd be excused in not seeing it because I wasn't expecting it. But there's no excuse in not expecting to see another road or sidewalk user when the population of the tiny island swells to millions during the day.
Do winky emoji's count as eye contact? If so, what is my secretary saying in this note to the janitor?
N/A
yes, a mini disco ball, illuminated by colored, flashing LEDs -- worth trying out.
I wonder if there are seasonal decorations to be repurposed for this. I already have the string of white LED Santa heads, but have not decided on mounting - wheel, or frame...
I forgot to mention the Monkeylectric wheel lights for nighttime fun and visibility.
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