What bike?

[Ajidica]

I personaly hate cyclists who bike at night and don't wear a high visibility jacket or a forward light, assuming the small light on their rear tire will allow me not to walk into them.

 

[Zelig]

I don't believe cars should be used in cities. They are in the way and they annoy everyone. Pedestrians, busses and cyclists have more rights.

Yeah, people need to get out of my way when I'm driving my bus in the city.

I hate it when it's the other way around.

When cyclists ride in the streets (or the outer edge of the bike lane (why?)), they force me to drive around them, putting me a little into oncoming lane for a couple seconds, i.e. exceedingly dangerous.

Stay on the sidewalk where you belong bikers, lest I gain some nerve and not drive around you.

You're wrong, if there isn't a bike-specific lane.

Bicycles are vehicles, and you need to treat them the same as any other vehicle.

Wait until you have a passing lane, or slow down and drive behind them.

They're doing you a favour by riding on the right to make passing easier, rather than in the middle or left of their lane, you should be thanking them.

 

[Kozmos]

Thanking them? I should melt them. They are the worst vehicles ever, able to move on the sidewalk and the road without the responsibility to either. If I could I would melt down every bike ever made and make jousting spears to bring down the arrogant bastards who still drive them. Whether as a pedestrian or a driver the senseless idiots almost ran into me/over me countless times. Bicycles are the tools of Satan.

 

[mayor]

hehe, most of the people here commenting shouldn't venture into The Netherlands..

Cyclist here have the tendency to ignore the rules (me included)

on the OP: I always use second hand bicycles. Just so happens to be I took over my dads bicycle this weekend since my last brake broke. I ride my bicycles into utter destruction, repairing it at least a few dozen times, in the end it is usualy being kept together with duct tape

I don't really have a preference for a brand, most Dutch brands are good quality anyway. There are two things I find important on a bike. I shoudl be able to ride/brake and it shouldn't be to noticable, otherwise the chances of it getting stolen increase dramatically.

 

[Till]

My Merida Z mountainbike has been serving me well since the mid 90s. Finally had to replace the drivetrain last year, after years of daily up/downhill biking.

 

[Joecoolyo]

You're wrong, if there isn't a bike-specific lane.

Bicycles are vehicles, and you need to treat them the same as any other vehicle.

Wait until you have a passing lane, or slow down and drive behind them.

They're doing you a favour by riding on the right to make passing easier, rather than in the middle or left of their lane, you should be thanking them.

I used the wrong choice of words, what I meant is that cyclists always seem to ride in the part of their lane (which happens to be just a part of the road here, no separation at all) closest to me when driving.

And I still have no idea why they feel so entitled to have the road to themselves, in my opinion it is a vehicle, though not a powered one, so they should stay off the main road and keep to the sidewalk.

 

[Zelig]

And I still have no idea why they feel so entitled to have the road to themselves, in my opinion it is a vehicle, though not a powered one, so they should stay off the main road and keep to the sidewalk.

Because their legal classification in most places is the same as other vehicles in the road, and in many places it's illegal for cyclists to use the sidewalk.

My main problem is that you can't have it both ways:
Drivers: If you want cyclists to follow rules of the road, you have to treat them like vehicles.
Cyclists: If you want drivers to treat you with respect, you have to follow the rules of the road.


I've got no vested interest in the argument I'm making, I don't even own a bicycle.

 

[Quackers]

I like the style and colours of HKs bike. Scrap the handlebars though.

 

[PaxImperator]

I used the wrong choice of words, what I meant is that cyclists always seem to ride in the part of their lane (which happens to be just a part of the road here, no separation at all) closest to me when driving.

In my case that would be because the local car owners feel they're entitled to part of the cyclist lane when parking their cars (or the whole road in the case of taxi drivers). They also have been known to forget to check for cyclists before throwing their door open to get out.

 

[kristopherb]

Well so long as you have basic knowledge of how to fix your bike, your set. I bought a bike for£50 and it lasted me over a year, this was with use everyday and i spent around £50 in parts namely inner-tubes. I estimate for every 5p i spent on the bike I got a mile out of it.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Because their legal classification in most places is the same as other vehicles in the road, and in many places it's illegal for cyclists to use the sidewalk.

My main problem is that you can't have it both ways:
Drivers: If you want cyclists to follow rules of the road, you have to treat them like vehicles.
Cyclists: If you want drivers to treat you with respect, you have to follow the rules of the road.


I've got no vested interest in the argument I'm making, I don't even own a bicycle.

Meh, I see you're argument. I guess I just disagree with the fact that they're classified as vehicles.

In my case that would be because the local car owners feel they're entitled to part of the cyclist lane when parking their cars (or the whole road in the case of taxi drivers). They also have been known to forget to check for cyclists before throwing their door open to get out.

Get on the sidewalk and away from the two-ton death-traps driving by.

 

[Narz]

And I still have no idea why they feel so entitled to have the road to themselves, in my opinion it is a vehicle, though not a powered one, so they should stay off the main road and keep to the sidewalk.

In NY you can get a ticket for riding on the sidewalk.

A bike goes closer to the speed of a car than a pedestrian. It's also less safe to ride on the sidewalk(as sidewalks surfaces are rarely as even).

Not to mention many places don't have even have sidewalks.

 

[Narz]

Thanking them? I should melt them. They are the worst vehicles ever, able to move on the sidewalk and the road without the responsibility to either.

That's not true. You can get tickets as a bicyclist.

If I could I would melt down every bike ever made and make jousting spears to bring down the arrogant bastards who still drive them. Whether as a pedestrian or a driver the senseless idiots almost ran into me/over me countless times. Bicycles are the tools of Satan.

I've never had a bad encounter with a bike & countless bad experiences with crazy drivers. At least three times drivers, usually males probably between the ages of 17 and 21, thought it was funny to pull right up next to me & yell something really loud to see if I'd crash or something. Once when I was a messenger in Manhattan some @h013 in a taxi (the passenger not the driver) actually had the nerve to roll down his window & yell some obscenity at me. I was so shocked & enraged I actually tried to reach in the window to punch him but he pulled back from the window & then the taxi was on it's way. I'm normally very peaceful but these jerks don't realize how many risks you are taking riding your bike amidst people like this. Startling someone unexpectedly like that could mean their death.

 

[Joecoolyo]

In NY you can get a ticket for riding on the sidewalk.

A bike goes closer to the speed of a car than a pedestrian. It's also less safe to ride on the sidewalk(as sidewalks surfaces are rarely as even).

They go faster than pedestrians walking, but they are also a lot more maneuverable than cars on. On a bike, I can stop very quickly, as well as turn and avoid things pretty easily. With a car, you actually have to give yourself space to slow down, and it isn't very nimble in the handling department.

Not to mention many places don't have even have sidewalks.

Well, of course that's a given then. But places without sidewalks also usually have a smaller amount of traffic compared to ones that do.

 

[Loppan Torkel]

How will you be riding your bike, and how long will the trips be?

My current bike a hybrid-mountain bike fitted with thin tires for street use---A Gary Fisher Montare.

Inner city most of the time, usually a few km at most. I'll probably get a reasonably comfortable bike. Either a hybrid or a sturdier citybike.

I don't know what the rules are in Sweden, but in the US cyclists are supposed to be subject to the same traffic laws as motor vehicles. Since the cyclists rarely follow any of those rules it creates a certain amount of disdain towards them.

Plus, cyclists here are rude in the sense that they feel that motor vehicles should always yield to them, which according to the law, is an incorrect assumption on their part.

The rules are pretty strict here. No bicycling at the sidewalks, unless there's a designated bikelane for it, you have to have reflexes and lights on in darkness and it has even been argued that helmets should become mandatory for adults also rolleyes, which it is for kids under 15 years.

Edit : Nevermind, here's a video of my bike before I put the crate on the back. Man I miss the summer!

That looks pretty idyllic to be honest (except for having that karatekicking guy in your neighbourhood )

I found a cheap durable bike at one of my local supermarkets. It's got 3 gears, a lock and that's basically it, oh and it's black. I believe I paid 1200 Dkr for it which would probably be the same in Sweden, give or take few 100 kr. Being that simple it is really hard to break much on it, and it's not that big a loss if it gets stolen.

look at your local Aldi or some of the bigger supermarkets and stay away from bicycle smiths. It is my experience that they cheat you as much as they can get away with and should only be used if you cant repair your bicycle yourself.

I've bought a cheap bike like that under my studies and it broke down rather quickly to a point where it wasn't worth fixing it. I'll try another route this time.

 

[GoodGame]

Because their legal classification in most places is the same as other vehicles in the road, and in many places it's illegal for cyclists to use the sidewalk.

My main problem is that you can't have it both ways:
Drivers: If you want cyclists to follow rules of the road, you have to treat them like vehicles.
Cyclists: If you want drivers to treat you with respect, you have to follow the rules of the road.


I've got no vested interest in the argument I'm making, I don't even own a bicycle.

This, though I have a semi-vested interested in bicycling. The reality is municipal laws aren't uniform, nor is road construction, so riding on the sidewalk along some streets is really an act of rational survival, not babyness---especially if the bike is your primary vehicle and not a joyride.

EDIT: My worst bicycle accident was actually caused by an errant bicyclist stopped at the wrong side of the road (facing the wrong direction). Swerving to avoid them (plus a puddle) caused me to skid and go head over frame. And of course when the light was green, they got on the sidewalk, rode through the crosswalk, etc.....lolz. In other words, bicyclists not following the rules of the roads can complicate the lives of bicyclists that do obey they law.

 

[Narz]

They go faster than pedestrians walking, but they are also a lot more maneuverable than cars on. On a bike, I can stop very quickly, as well as turn and avoid things pretty easily. With a car, you actually have to give yourself space to slow down, and it isn't very nimble in the handling department.

Well drivers need to pay more attention anyway. I imagine places with more bikers tend to have better drivers (someone could probably try to find data to prove me right or wrong if they were so inclined ).

Well, of course that's a given then. But places without sidewalks also usually have a smaller amount of traffic compared to ones that do.

Not necessarily. Alot of places in NJ have heavy car traffic with little to no pedestrian traffic.

 

[Loppan Torkel]

I've hankered on with an old bike, but since I'm getting lazier with age, I have to get a better bike. I'm going through different bikes.. So, I'm resurrecting this thread with a new question - Could you use a recumbent bike without feeling like a douche? ..I've ruled it off, no matter.

 

[dutchfire]

You can use it if you want to travel 100km per day. Riding one to a pub/supermarket is not acceptable.

 

[Borachio]

What are your feelings about bicycles with battery assistance?

I'm getting so decrepit these days I'm beginning to think about getting a tricycle with an electric motor.

Since you can go really slowly on one without falling off.

The trouble with recumbents is that you're really low down on the ground so that other traffic has problems seeing you. Also falling asleep can be a problem.