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SimonSays posted:I have, regrettably, noticed just the opposite since the snow really started in earnest this year. Ya that's a shame. I noticed last winter that the drivers were getting more aggro, even on the dedicated bike routes. It was starting to negatively affect me.
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Feb 4, 2023 10:19
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I'm just glad that daylight is returning so I can see into cars again when commuting. It helps a lot to see where drivers are looking in the myriad of bike lane crossings where I have to interact with them. Also brine hell is mostly over for now it seems which is fantastic.
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Feb 4, 2023 11:29
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Invalido posted:pretty much a local magical store, yeah. It's simply a store that only sells threaded fasteners and nothing else. OK not entirely true I saw some screwdrivers and a neat little flashlight and some work gloves by the checkout but 98% of the store is screws/nuts/washers. There's only one of these stores in Sweden AFAIK so not part of a chain, that by happenstance is close to my place of work. This is fortunate because it's only open weekdays during normal tradespeople hours. (there are chains geared towards professionals like Würth of course but their selection is nowhere near as focused or fine-grained). I don't shop at this place often but when I do it's always a nice experience and I've never left without exactly what I needed. The time before today it was new screws for my motorcycle mirrors and before that it was some nuts and bolts for mounting a trailer hitch to a car. Everything is available online of course (these guys have started doing e-commerce recently too) but today I went there with some component like a hinge and the holder for my U-lock as well as some vernier calipers and it's real nice to see and measure which fasteners are actually the best fit IRL. Well now I'm even more jealous. I have access to all of that stuff one way or another, but nothing replaces looking around in person.
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Feb 4, 2023 21:20
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Yesterday morning my rear tube popped - I stopped to take a phone call and while I was stationary it made a loud POP and hissed out the air in a few seconds. I walked it to my LBS, about 3 blocks away and they diagnosed a broken spoke in addition to the need for a new tube. The tire would have lasted another while but was fairly worn and I was able to replace it with a somewhat thicker tire with similar tread and width. It's a Traveller Green Shield 3mm, which is what the LBS had in stock for a reasonable price. I picked it up this morning and the ride felt pretty good. It might just be the psychological effect of having spent some money but I think having my bike set up well with, especially, correct pressure in the tires made for a nicer ride.
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Feb 8, 2023 05:52
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Did they warn you that one broken spoke could be the vanguard of more breaking spokes? Be ready to spend for a replacement wheel.
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Feb 8, 2023 06:14
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EvilJoven posted:Ya that's a shame. I noticed last winter that the drivers were getting more aggro, even on the dedicated bike routes. It was starting to negatively affect me. People keep using the MUP near our pre-school to also get like 50 meters closed to their house to drop poo poo off, and I've had similar experiences there.
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Feb 8, 2023 13:31
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Ya I used to be combative like that. It didn't help anything it just got me even more worked up. I decided I needed to cut that poo poo out before it went from me getting dirty looks to me getting charged with something, or run over by someone who'd get off because in North America being behind the wheel of a car is a license to murder people.
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Feb 8, 2023 15:31
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I wish everyone would hit cars when drivers gently caress up. It would make them understand that their behavior affects others around them with immediate feedback, and if you avoid doing it with a closed fist, or you do it while holding something hard, it doesn't hurt anyone.
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Feb 8, 2023 15:37
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I wish I could hit cars when people act stupid but I live in rural America and I don't want to get run over or shot.
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Feb 8, 2023 15:45
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I've bashed a couple mirrors off when they've been parked in bike lane, but now they have a cop parked in that area to protect the cars. I'm not sure if it's the best way to handle it, but whatever. On the plus side, city department of transportation has been all over social media posting increased parking enforcement areas specifically to combat parking in bike lanes and has been repeatedly requesting people report bike lane parking on 311 hotline.
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Feb 8, 2023 16:37
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Is the cop also handing out tickets to the drivers parking in the bike lane?
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Feb 8, 2023 16:51
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EvilJoven posted:Is the cop also handing out tickets to the drivers parking in the bike lane? Search your heart, you already know the truth
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Feb 8, 2023 16:55
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SimonSays posted:I wish everyone would hit cars when drivers gently caress up. It would make them understand that their behavior affects others around them with immediate feedback, and if you avoid doing it with a closed fist, or you do it while holding something hard, it doesn't hurt anyone. In 1989 I was living in Palo Alto and would bike to the office in Menlo Park. One day I was cycling on the Bryant Street Bikeway (since renamed the Ellen Fletcher Bikeway), which had stop signs for cross traffic but not for thru traffic. Saw a station wagon at a stop sign, made eye contact, but the driver proceeded across the intersection. So I turned and put my shoulder into the rear door of the wagon. Now at that time I was a ginormous fatbeast. Over 300 lbs and riding a Miata 1000LT with Wheelsmith built wheels. So I suffered no harm, the bike was fine, and the car door was destroyed. Very satisfying. I named my youngest child after that street (Bryant).
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Feb 8, 2023 18:51
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I fear too much for my safety to gently caress around here in Portland, people are unhinged and traffic laws 100% protect drivers who hit pedestrians or cyclists. A woman was killed at a notoriously dangerous intersection recently and when activists stood in the crosswalk (during red lights, not holding up traffic) with signs demanding change several people revved their engines at them, others yelled hateful comments. Granted that was a small percentage of drivers but I don't trust any of them. I will yell at and/or tap on cars that make a right hand turn into the bike lane when they have a giant "NO TURN ON RED" sign but I am lucky that my daily commute is on mostly neighborhood greenways and bike paths removed from traffic because I am getting pretty burned out with cars and driving in general.
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Feb 8, 2023 21:03
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If you're an American and you do anything that could possibly be perceived as aggressive, you are opening the door for a gun nut driver to shoot you dead and claim self-defense. Don't think that targeting a vehicle and not a person is going to make a difference. Gun nut shitstains literally coach each other online on how to get away with murdering people for the most bullshit of reasons, and you better believe lots of them would lovvvvvve to murder a cyclist.
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Feb 9, 2023 00:34
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marshalljim posted:If you're an American and you do anything that could possibly be perceived as aggressive, you are opening the door for a gun nut driver to shoot you dead and claim self-defense. Don't think that targeting a vehicle and not a person is going to make a difference. Gun nut shitstains literally coach each other online on how to get away with murdering people for the most bullshit of reasons, and you better believe lots of them would lovvvvvve to murder a cyclist. I'm a guest when I'm cycling in the US and am therefore on my best behaviour.
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Feb 9, 2023 00:43
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USA! USA! USA! I hate this country.
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Feb 9, 2023 00:57
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I wish the spanish had won the war down south and I wish the natives up north won the war against everyone from europe. I'd be back in europe and happy the world would be happier without the USA and nobody would notice that canada was gone except the first nations tribes up here and holy poo poo would they have ever been better off. Or maybe not because then it would have just ended up being the nazis vs russia and if either of them had won europe lol welp. gently caress politics dont even think about it just ride bikes. But not tonight because it's +1 and the slush would destroy the fat bike but like hell I'm sitting on the trainer when it's +1.
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Feb 9, 2023 01:03
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I have good days and bad days when it comes to patience for dealing with other people's bullshit. Yesterday I nearly thumped a contractor van that sat clear across the MUP waiting to turn into traffic because he blocked me and he shouldn't but it's a badly designed intersection that I deal with every day so I went around him, seething. The other day I made angry italian gestures and flicked off a man in a muscle car who by speed and position signalled his intent to run me and an entire pedestrian family over at a crosswalk with signals (green for us) before panic braking as he discovered us right in front of his windshield. He showed clear signs of shame though, maybe he learned something. I do my fair share of traffic infractions too, but I do my very best never to inconvenience, startle or endanger others. There's a temporary traffic signal at a small low traffic roundabout that I pass twice every weekday. There are signs indicating this has to do with construction but I see no signs of road work, just a dumb red light that stops traffic for minutes on end. I have chosen to ignore this traffic light when on a bike. I don't know if this makes me a bad bike rider that will trigger driver anger against a whole category of people but the whole situation with standing around at that red light just feels too absurd when I can just zip past it.
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Feb 9, 2023 06:51
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thanks to a one-way side street, for me to perfectly legally get to my gym I have to ride down a 4 lane road with bike gutters, ride past my gym, merge into the left lane with cars, turn left at a pedestrian/bike crossing, wait in a center island for the other two lanes to clear, and then turn left into the shared bus/bike lane. or I can ride on the sidewalk for 2.5 blocks and ride straight to the dedicated bike parking in front of my gym. I mean I could dismount and walk the last 2.5 blocks, but I guess I'm a bad person. I travel at like 5km/hr when I'm on the sidewalk though. biking home is no issue since I can use the side street.
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Feb 9, 2023 12:43
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EvilJoven posted:Ya I used to be combative like that. It didn't help anything it just got me even more worked up. I decided I needed to cut that poo poo out before it went from me getting dirty looks to me getting charged with something, or run over by someone who'd get off because in North America being behind the wheel of a car is a license to murder people. People aren't as insane (low bar) and never tooled up so the stakes are lower :/ Invalido posted:I do my fair share of traffic infractions too, but I do my very best never to inconvenience, startle or endanger others. There's a temporary traffic signal at a small low traffic roundabout that I pass twice every weekday. There are signs indicating this has to do with construction but I see no signs of road work, just a dumb red light that stops traffic for minutes on end. I have chosen to ignore this traffic light when on a bike. I don't know if this makes me a bad bike rider that will trigger driver anger against a whole category of people but the whole situation with standing around at that red light just feels too absurd when I can just zip past it. If a useless light were around where I go I'd call it in to the city a couple times, then something might happen to it. marshalljim posted:If you're an American and you do anything that could possibly be perceived as aggressive, you are opening the door for a gun nut driver to shoot you dead and claim self-defense. Don't think that targeting a vehicle and not a person is going to make a difference. Gun nut shitstains literally coach each other online on how to get away with murdering people for the most bullshit of reasons, and you better believe lots of them would lovvvvvve to murder a cyclist. My brother lives in southern france and says the US drivers are 10x worse. The southern euros drive like assholes but at least they're paying attention. The US drivers were constantly on their phones and never paying attention. evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 14:25 on Feb 9, 2023 |
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Feb 9, 2023 13:37
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Driving on the freeway there was a car in front of me slowly weaving around and almost hitting traffic in front of them when it slowed down, I figured drunk driver. Finally get around them and it's a middle aged woman with her phone propped up on the steering wheel so she could watch TV while driving. 
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Feb 9, 2023 18:48
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I was riding to work a few weeks ago and this minivan kept slowly drifting over into the bike lane, so I kept my distance behind until we both slowed for a stop light. Yep, high school aged kid staring at the phone in his hand and not at all at the road or his mirrors.
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Feb 9, 2023 18:53
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So apparently a tiny little bit of ceramic (from like a broken spark plug), when hurled at a car window, shatters it immediately. I like this idea because otherwise it's incredibly difficult to break safety glass, so it is very easy to feign innocence. I haven't tested this myself, but have considered adding a few to my saddlebag for retribution. Would go well with the valve stem removal tool I carry for similar purposes.
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Feb 9, 2023 21:12
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I've thought of this and decided it seems like a good way to get vehicular manslaughtered.
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Feb 10, 2023 05:11
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amenenema posted:So apparently a tiny little bit of ceramic (from like a broken spark plug), when hurled at a car window, shatters it immediately. the average american car looks like this on the inside these days  I have a bike messenger buddy with a strong death drive that manifests every time he rides and he does not carry broken spark plugs
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Feb 10, 2023 14:19
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today on the way to work I was almost hit by an inattentive Rolls Royce, in an intersection while I was in the bike lane with the right of way. pretty upset I missed out on a huge payday
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Feb 12, 2023 17:00
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You would have been crippled for life and the driver would have gotten a fine. Youd then discover that rich people and their lawyers can drag poo poo out longer than you can afford.
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Feb 12, 2023 19:31
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I carry a packet of Grey Poupon mustard in my bikes' top bar bag, in case I encounter a Rolls Royce passenger that needs it.
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Feb 15, 2023 20:56
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Do auto high-beams work on cars traveling at slower speeds, I thought there was a limiter on when they would come on? I've been blinded several times in the past couple weeks by cars turning on their high-beams when I am clearly in front of them only to have them turn them off when I have to shield my loving face. It's been happening when I am walking my dog at night too, the same stupid Mach-E flies down my street with it's brights on to the point where it feels almost intentional that he's trying to blind everyone.
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Feb 17, 2023 20:11
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Raining hard today, rain pants have developed a leak in the crotch again. Such is life, time for new rain pants. (Yes I know some of you hardasses say "just get wet" but it was +2c and 18km home. Imma keep replacing rain pants periodically and wear my rubber boots and be as warm dry and happy as possible)
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Feb 17, 2023 20:41
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Invalido posted:Raining hard today, rain pants have developed a leak in the crotch again. Such is life, time for new rain pants. (Yes I know some of you hardasses say "just get wet" but it was +2c and 18km home. Imma keep replacing rain pants periodically and wear my rubber boots and be as warm dry and happy as possible) I haven't noticed anyone saying that, and can't imagine why folks would advocate for being uncomfortable. Personally I don't use rain pants because they do seem to wear out too quickly at all the friction points - but I'm fortunate to have a locker room and shower at work so I can just plan on changing. Have to rely on fenders for keeping me from getting too drenched.
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Feb 17, 2023 21:04
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bicievino posted:I haven't noticed anyone saying that, and can't imagine why folks would advocate for being uncomfortable. It’s rain or sweat for me; either way I’m getting doused.
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Feb 17, 2023 21:23
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I can deal with being wet. I can deal with being cold. I cannot deal with being cold and wet.
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Feb 17, 2023 21:25
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It was one of those days. Hard gusty winds, standing water in the parallel car lane, deep brown nasty sheets of ice cold wheel spray thrown my way. Something amazing happened though. There's this one place where a huge car lane puddle always forms where I've been sprayed badly before in the MUP. I meet a taxi. Driver sees me, sees the puddle and slows way down so I don't get sprayed at all. i don't think I've ever seen anything like it.
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Feb 17, 2023 21:57
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raggedphoto posted:Do auto high-beams work on cars traveling at slower speeds, I thought there was a limiter on when they would come on? I've been blinded several times in the past couple weeks by cars turning on their high-beams when I am clearly in front of them only to have them turn them off when I have to shield my loving face. It's been happening when I am walking my dog at night too, the same stupid Mach-E flies down my street with it's brights on to the point where it feels almost intentional that he's trying to blind everyone. A combination of car lights getting MUCH brighter over the last few years plus the eternal problem of morons not keeping their lights alligned properly means like a third of the cars on the road appear to have their brights on.
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Feb 18, 2023 00:22
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Invalido posted:It was one of those days. Hard gusty winds, standing water in the parallel car lane, deep brown nasty sheets of ice cold wheel spray thrown my way. Something amazing happened though. There's this one place where a huge car lane puddle always forms where I've been sprayed badly before in the MUP. I meet a taxi. Driver sees me, sees the puddle and slows way down so I don't get sprayed at all. i don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Be careful, you have used up all your good karma.
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Feb 18, 2023 00:50
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I feel like bike lights on the MUP have also got unreasonably bright and poorly aimed in the last couple of years. Maybe it's just my eyes getting older, but those low-mounted ones seem brighter than stadium floodlights.
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Feb 18, 2023 00:53
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Albinator posted:I feel like bike lights on the MUP have also got unreasonably bright and poorly aimed in the last couple of years. Maybe it's just my eyes getting older, but those low-mounted ones seem brighter than stadium floodlights. Absolutely. I regularly tell people to aim their lights down and it's 50/50 they ignore me or give some bullshit excuse about wanting to be seen better. LEDs are amazing but if people don't have critical thinking skills they can be a curse.
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Feb 18, 2023 01:00
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:A combination of car lights getting MUCH brighter over the last few years plus the eternal problem of morons not keeping their lights alligned properly means like a third of the cars on the road appear to have their brights on. It can be hard to tell sometimes but what I experiencing is the headlights going from normal to blinding while I am in front of them going the opposite direction. Apparently this is a unique problem i experience…
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Feb 18, 2023 07:10
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