MEAT Engines 2023...

Construction companies don’t seem to be truly accountable to timelines, budgets, project bidding due process, worker safety or roadway fair use, so I’m not sure how bike lanes would be expected to escape in this state of affairs. I certainly see roadway lane closures more often than bike lane blockages, and it’s usually for projects where active work isn’t ongoing and there’s no obvious need to maintain a detour.

As many people die in Canada annually working construction as they do driving cars, which is triple the number of pedestrians drivers kill and 20 times the number of cyclists that drivers kill. I’m aware that it’s deceptive to give denominator-free or relative statistics, but if this is what our politicians think they know, it doesn’t really surprise me that change happens slowly.

Posted by: Blofeld

Seven Steps to Separate Oneself from Solvency

I enjoyed this very much as a single article, although the forum bleed through and custom part images were nice to see as the steps trickled out. Mainly the articles brought back good memories from my own custom build, and kinda makes me want to commission something else…truculent. I love this term by the way. If the V2 Walt was mine I’d consider rechristening it.

For me, the stress (or the work) in my process was front end loaded. Once I figured out that I’d be able to clear a 4” tire on a 157/83 frame and decided that one Waltworks was a better idea than two revisions of Waltly or Merino frames, it was all gravy. Reading and rereading the V2 Review for some non-fatbike long chainstay context, was helpful for gaining confidence in what I was doing at the time, obviously.

I have a strong desire to get a shiny ‘Truculent’ sticker for V2 now - thanks for that! 

And, cheers. Never know how stiff will land but often I need to write it anyway to move my brain along.

Posted by: fartymarty

I'm a pavement cyclist when needed but will give way to pedestrians and not ride silly fast.  If the pavement is empty is it wrong to use it if the road isn't suitable?  I would argue it's fair game.

Riding on the sidewalk…

I preface this with a very cliche “I have friends who are ___” statement. I know some wonderful, caring, dedicated, humble, intelligent, humorous humans who work as police officers. 

Most cops are too busy doing important public safety work* with limited resources to be bothered to light you up and write you up for riding your bike on an empty sidewalk. The kind of cop who will pull that shit is exactly the kind of cop you don’t want to interact with. Ever. Canada can’t institute nationwide body cameras fast enough for that guy. 

———

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*I’m trying to avoid my usual brand of sardonic cynicism here, but I can’t let it go that, in my last interaction with the police, the officer investigating the women who hit me from behind, on my bicycle, at a red light ‘investigated’ and reported that:

A) She’s a nice person

B) She’s an accountant

C) She was looking for a parking space when she hit me from behind at a red light.

Conclusion: “It was an accident”

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: Endurimil

Andrew, irony as last December  had a conversation about this kinda crap.

https://meatengines.com/f/darwin-takes-over-your-deaths-not-a-crime-pt-3

Is it irony, or just really sad?

The simple fact is that if cities treated bike lanes like other infrastructure (roads) this shit would never happen. Vehicles would be towed, bylaw would be out there issuing fines, and snow and detritus would be cleared.

I had the same issue with construction traffic parked in the bike lane in Burnaby east of Willingdon. very unsafe since it pushed bikes into a very busy road. I sent some pictures to BBY council of trucks parked beside no parking signs . They started enforcing the next day. Pretty great response. They eventually put in a fully protected bike path.

Posted by: skooks

I had the same issue with construction traffic parked in the bike lane in Burnaby east of Willingdon. very unsafe since it pushed bikes into a very busy road. I sent some pictures to BBY council of trucks parked beside no parking signs . They started enforcing the next day. Pretty great response. They eventually put in a fully protected bike path.

That’s an awesome response, certainly. 

Like the Green Necklace, I don’t really understand why a citizen would need to report it for the city to take notice - Bylaw doesn’t drive by there daily?

That said, now that it’s reported I’m hoping when I pedal by Darwin’s site on Monday afternoon that it’s been resolved.

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: skooks

I had the same issue with construction traffic parked in the bike lane in Burnaby east of Willingdon. very unsafe since it pushed bikes into a very busy road. I sent some pictures to BBY council of trucks parked beside no parking signs . They started enforcing the next day. Pretty great response. They eventually put in a fully protected bike path.

That’s an awesome response, certainly. 

Like the Green Necklace, I don’t really understand why a citizen would need to report it for the city to take notice - Bylaw doesn’t drive by there daily?

That said, now that it’s reported I’m hoping when I pedal by Darwin’s site on Monday afternoon that it’s been resolved.

Hope so too. This kind of poor planning and lack of care is infuriating.

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: skooks

I had the same issue with construction traffic parked in the bike lane in Burnaby east of Willingdon. very unsafe since it pushed bikes into a very busy road. I sent some pictures to BBY council of trucks parked beside no parking signs . They started enforcing the next day. Pretty great response. They eventually put in a fully protected bike path.

That’s an awesome response, certainly. 

Like the Green Necklace, I don’t really understand why a citizen would need to report it for the city to take notice - Bylaw doesn’t drive by there daily?

That said, now that it’s reported I’m hoping when I pedal by Darwin’s site on Monday afternoon that it’s been resolved.

Not a lawyer myself nor is this legal advice. However after a few queries to some  Attorney types I know. It has been suggested that in fact construction companies who do this or park their trucks blocking sidewalks, protected bike routes, MUPS, and such by increasing risk and creating a hazardous situation. Have basically set themselves up for being sued  by those maimed by this situation or sued by families of those killed by these situations. It was also suggested to me that in fact by the local muni council allowing to happen are open to be sued because they did fuck all.

Sadly By-Law tends to be utterly useless in my experience. They are too bloody busy sitting in busy areas with parking meters giving parking tickets. Meanwhile the cops drive by this crap and do fuck all.

Posted by: skooks

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: skooks

I had the same issue with construction traffic parked in the bike lane in Burnaby east of Willingdon. very unsafe since it pushed bikes into a very busy road. I sent some pictures to BBY council of trucks parked beside no parking signs . They started enforcing the next day. Pretty great response. They eventually put in a fully protected bike path.

That’s an awesome response, certainly. 

Like the Green Necklace, I don’t really understand why a citizen would need to report it for the city to take notice - Bylaw doesn’t drive by there daily?

That said, now that it’s reported I’m hoping when I pedal by Darwin’s site on Monday afternoon that it’s been resolved.

Hope so too. This kind of poor planning and lack of care is infuriating.

Infuriating and scary to see some of the crap these companies do. Since you mentioned photos couple of favourites from the IF Cyclists Behaved Better Files..

Note the safest option is for the cyclist to basically hop the pipe and ride over someone's front lawn.

And safest option to avoid worker who is paying zero attention and his truck is to ride to the left over the grass which rapidly becomes unsafe due to the hidden 1 foot drop. LOL

Just another day in a province where if it involves a vehicle...well your life is worthless.

Posted by: fartymarty

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/in-defence-of-cycling-on-the-pavement/

Something that popped up in my google news.

It follows from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64824436.amp

I'm a pavement cyclist when needed but will give way to pedestrians and not ride silly fast. If the pavement is empty is it wrong to use it if the road isn't suitable? I would argue it's fair game.

Here I will ride on the sidewalk/pavement as it is better to be judged by 12 then carried by 6.

Funny thing is....my attorney when he asked what was doing to find a an adaptation to deal with post hit PTSI and such. When he heard that was using sidewalks a lot and the whole judged vs carried thing. Just said keep doing what have too. LOL

Do these links work?

https://nsmb.com/photos/view/21350/

https://nsmb.com/photos/view/21348/

https://nsmb.com/photos/view/21349/

Posted by: skooks

Do these links work?

https://nsmb.com/photos/view/21350/

https://nsmb.com/photos/view/21348/

https://nsmb.com/photos/view/21349/

Slowly simmered into Super Boost: anyone else seeing the news about the new SRAM electro-group making SB157 "obsolete" on trail bikes?

Posted by: gubbinalia

Slowly simmered into Super Boost: anyone else seeing the news about the new SRAM electro-group making SB157 "obsolete" on trail bikes?

I mean, if you’ve got the space you may as well just jam some gears in there? Seems like a better idea than just running a 55mm crank with a 52mm hub, which a lot of companies started doing anyway.

As for the obsolete part, I’m not sure who they’re trying to offend here. Did Knolly refuse to switch to the UDH or something?

If this thread has taught me anything it's that we need less gears.  Therefore I'm more than happy with 148.