Sunday, April 20, 2008

dirt cheap helmet mount system for lights






D: A year ago, I didn't want to shell out the 50 bux for a proper helmet light mount system. They are elaborate and not cheap. I ran a screw through the foam and, with some duct tape and crazy glue, jury rigged a mounting system. It was invasive and likely weakened the helmet. Also, that means some bits of metal could end up in my skull. All in all, not ideal.

D: recently, the button on the rear light failed. Rather than destructively jury-rigging a new light, I pondered whether there is a better way. After my cruddy Canadian Tire 15 buck headlight special by Raleigh failed (it doesn't have a true off button, forcing me to unscrew it to shut it off!), I had purchased one of those fancier 50 buck ones with a helmet mount. Neither me nor my handier friend Ryan could figure out precisely how the straps go. I guess I'll go back to the store and ask. I never figured out my cheap odometer either.
At any rate, I realized by simply rearranging standard helmet straps, they could be used to hook those cheap 15 buck 3-LEDs-across lights. You know,the kind that clips on a belt too. It succeeded admirably. With some foam and tape to build a horizontal hump, they should work fine. They are reasonably visible even flush with the helmet.

(OK this blog interface sucks. All the pics go to the top of the page. Grr. %^*(&%^%^)

I like lights on my helmet for a coupla reasons.
1) LEDs are highly directional. Vary the angle by even 15 degrees, and the brightness diminishes suddenly.
2) by looking at a car, I can point the front light at the driver, or keep the rear light in the eyes of a driver behind me.

This would be a good time for me to mention my latest fave light.
http://bikehugger.com/2007/10/reelight_review.htm

The 2 closest suppliers seem to be:
http://www.hiawathacyclery.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=26
and http://www.cycleslambert.com/customers/en/.
D: these are no-contact dynamos. They clip magnets onto yer spokes and mount on yer tire axles. I plan to modify some no-capacitor 100 series lights with orange filter material and have them point sideways as running lights.
I'll show you that project when my buddy picks some up for me.
I'd like to see cycles coming out of stores with stuff like this pre-installed.

Cheers.

Monday, April 14, 2008

bike stands uptown waterloo


D: sorry about the formatting. I am still trying to figure out templates and such. Not happy!
Anyway, this is a pic from last fall. The bike stands uptown are often full. Bikes are then attached to other nearby objects like trees.


D: here is some damage this spring.

D: here is some more.

D: every second alternating lamp-post lacks a bicycle stand. So we have overcrowding, wear and tear and a relative absence of sufficient bike stands. This despite the ease of simply including a bike stand by every lamp!

I will look at a relative lack of bike stands, and review the types of bike stands, in tomorrow's entry.

D.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

bicycles and Ontario/ Waterloo law/bylaw

D: I looked up the various regulations, and was sometimes surprised by what I found.

http://www.safecycling.ca/programs/roadreport.html (neat idea but the links don't work)

Under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) of Ontario, the definition of a
vehicle includes a bicycle. A driver of a bicycle has the same rights
and responsibilities as a motorist. Like motorists, a cyclist must
follow the rules of the road as specified in the HTA.

Improper Lane Choice

Section 154 (1)(c) requires drivers to move in the direction designated
for the lane they are in. This includes cyclists. Despite this, it is
common at any multi-lane intersection to observe cyclists riding
straight through from the "right turn only" lane, usually from the right
hand side of the painted line separating the through and turn lane. A
cyclist who practices this typically does it out of fear of being hit
from behind by a motorized vehicle moving through the intersection. In
reality, there is more to fear from being in the "right turn only" lane.
The cyclist not only impedes right turning vehicles, but also risks
being struck by vehicles crossing his path because vehicle drivers will
assume that he is going to turn right from the turn lane. Should a
collision occur, it is likely that the cyclist will be held liable.

Riding in Crosswalks from Bike Paths

Section 144 (29) forbids riding in crosswalks. The law makes no
distinction between crosswalks at bike path/roadway intersections and
crosswalks at regular intersections. Therefore cyclists using bike paths
should be dismounting at intersections and walking their bicycles in the
crosswalk. Few do.

When a bike path intersects at the intersection of roadways (those on
Riverside Drive along the Rideau River are examples), navigation for
cyclists becomes more complex. Not only is there the normal traffic flow
on the road, but there is the two-way bike path traffic heading in any
one of three directions to contend with. Intersections are where the
largest number of car/bike collisions occur. The addition of a bike path
at an intersection explains why more car/bike collisions occur on bike
paths than on the adjacent roadways.

D: don't use the following generally- just follow the rules.
The second key point is that you will not receive demerit point on your
driver's license if you don't /volunteer/ it as identification to the
police. If you simply state your name and address when asked, that is
enough in Ontario, and in any jurisdictions where actual ID is required,
then show your student card, credit card, birth certificate, YMCA
membership card, or /anything/ but your driver's license (unless you
/specifically/ have to, which you don't in Canada). If you don't offer
the police your driver's license, you will not get demerit points.


* Bicycles are slow vehicles, and so must travel as far to the right
as practicable [HTA 147], except when turning or passing. You can
ride out from the curb as far as is needed to stay in a straight
line path, typically a metre or so, but you may occupy any part of
the lane if it is warranted by your safety.
D: even though you may need to occupy a line for safety, you still cannot ride two abreast. Tough luck- single file! Of course, with 2 lanes, this doesn't really block traffic. But without a good road edge or a bike lane, you risk hitting the curb if you try to hold too far right.
I occupy about a metre, allowing for my width plus buffers. Oddly, that is the size of a typical bike lane! There is a very good reason to not have bike lanes too wide- but wide enough.
Cars will turn or park in them. But at the same time, a typical recumbent trike needs a full metre - no less. Old folks on old-style trikes also need the extra width. This makes bike lanes inclusive for our aging population.

D: helmets, reflectors and lights are NOT optional.
If a police officer sees a minor without a helmet, or with their
helmet not done up, a warning is guaranteed, and the $75 fine is
not unlikely.

* If you ride between 30 minutes before sunset and 30 minutes before
sunrise, you need a white light (not just a reflector), and a red
rear reflector or red rear light [HTA 62]. Technically, a light
mounted on the body doesn't count. The fine is $35.

You need a bell or horn attached to the bike [HTA 75 (5)]. The
idea is to maintain courtesy, such as with pedestrians, and they
only cost a few bucks. The fine is $105.

* All bicycles must have brakes, at least on the rear wheel. The
fine is $105.

* You need reflective tape on stays and forks, white at the front,
red at the back [HTA 62 (17)]. The tape must be at least 2.5 cm
wide and 25 cm long...

D: tally up these fines. Riding a beater home at night could cost you c. $500.
It is silly for a cyclist to cheap out on this stuff. You are hurting nobody but yourself.
I am bewildered by cyclists riding at night, in dark clothing, on the edge of the road with no lights. My friends have very nearly accidentally hit such foolish persons, who were saved by a lucky flash off a pedal reflector- a tiny one square inch piece of material. It is your head and body - and your wallet. I will say no more.

D: local Waterloo bylaw are as follows.


1. DEFINITIONS:
For the purposes of this By-law, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) “Bicycle” shall mean and includes a tricycle and unicycle but does not include a motor
assisted bicycle.
2. BICYCLE includes a tricycle having a wheel or wheels of more than 50
centimetres in diameter.
D: Huh! In theory, a small-wheeled bicycle... isn't?!

BICYCLE LANE is a dedicated portion of the road for bicycle use, which is
designated by a lane marking separating the portion of road used by motor
vehicles from the portion of road used by bicycles.

Driving On Other Than A Roadway
No persons shall drive a motor vehicle, a motor assisted bicycle or a bicycle
along any sidewalk or boulevard except at a driveway.
D: note that a motor-assisted bicycle... isn't. It is akin to a moped or scooter.
I think it requires licensing and all that. Of course, if you can keep up to 50kph traffic, there is no need for special bicycle lanes. Travelling at 10-40kph just makes a bicycle a traffic hazard!
3. BICYCLES
(a) Operation of Bicycles
Every rider of a bicycle shall when riding such a vehicle on a roadway
drive with due care and attention giving regard to pedestrians and other
vehicles.
(b) Riding Abreast
No person shall ride a bicycle on any roadway abreast of another bicycle
except in the course of passing the other bicycle.
(c) Passengers
(i) No persons shall on a roadway, while riding a bicycle designed
to carry one persons only, carry another person on the bicycle unless
in a carrier specifically designed and attached thereto for that
purpose.
(ii) No person shall while riding a bicycle on a roadway carry any
goods thereon in such manner as to interfere with the rider having
full control of the bicycle.
(d) Parking
(i) No person shall park a bicycle on any roadway.
(ii) No person shall park a bicycle on any boulevard, sidewalk or
shoulder except in an upright position.

D: I ran into some obscure stuff about bicycle parking. I am not sure where they are legally allowed to park. Without sufficient bicycle stands, the point is moot anyway.

http://therecord.blogs.com/take_the_lane/bicycle_advocacy/index.html
D: here is a terrific local bike blog through the Record.
It has a different emphasis than what my blog is aiming at.

D: after some thought, I have chosen as an adult to wear a helmet.
Here is an article on bike helmets from our very own UW prof:
http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=184
"

Michalenko is appalled by the views of anyone advocating "wind-in- your-hair carefree cycling" in opposing bicycle helmet legislation. He and Cheryl Hendrickson, a staff member with Alternatives Journal in UW's Faculty of Environmental Studies, have sparred over conflicting views about enforcing lids on cyclists. She believes there's too much government "interference" into guarding personal safety or risk-taking.

"It's a totally insupportable viewpoint because if I wear this simple device, I could save my brain and I recognize that," she says. "When it came down that we were going to be legislated into wearing helmets, I got very angry. It's not so much that I think that I have the free right to smash my brains all over the pavement -- it comes from a feeling that society or the state is so safety conscious as to eliminate any sort of risk."

D: well, actually... there IS a position against this.


Last September a plucky psychologist at the University of Bath in
England announced the results of a study in which he played both
researcher and guinea pig. An avid cyclist, Ian Walker had heard several
complaints from fellow riders that wearing a helmet seemed to result in
bike riders receiving far less room to maneuver?effectively increasing
the chances of an accident. So, Walker attached ultrasonic sensors to
his bike and rode around Bath, allowing 2,300 vehicles to overtake him
while he was either helmeted or naked-headed. In the process, he was
actually contacted by a truck and a bus, both while helmeted?though,
miraculously, he did not fall off his bike either time.

His findings, published in the March 2007 issue of /Accident Analysis &
Prevention,/ state that when Walker wore a helmet drivers typically
drove an average of 3.35 inches closer to his bike than when his noggin
wasn't covered. But, if he wore a wig of long, brown locks?appearing to
be a woman from behind?he was granted 2.2 inches more room to ride.

http://readingt.readingcities.com/index.php/toronto/search/to_serve_and_protect_as_long_as_you_are_not_a_cyclist/
D: here is a very frustrated writer about the state of cycling in Toronto.
"What I'm talking about is how poorly cyclists are treated in this city. For anyone who has seen the cycling cultures of Europe - or even that perennial, so-called third-world city of Bogota, Colombia - the backwardness of this city is frustrating.

What is more frustrating is that cyclist put up with it. If ever there was a situation where the analogy of the frog in a pot of boiling water could be fairly used it is this one. You know, if a frog is put in a pot of room temperature water on a stove and the heat is gradually increased, the frog will not jump out until, well, it is too late.

Cyclists in this city are like that. In spite of the number of people who own bikes and would like to commute if they felt safe, city officials continue to dismiss us as just a bunch of disenfranchised bike couriers (no offense to bike couriers here who know exactly what I mean because they have to deal with city streets all day long). Yet we do nothing even with the potentially significant political force we represent.

In spite of the number of preventable injuries and deaths caused by policy decisions made by city hall, cyclists just sit back and take it. In spite of cyclists who get ticketed for riding the wrong way down streets they live on because traffic planners designed them for cars, not cyclists, they take it. Why? Because over time we have come to think that it can be no other way. Cars and their drivers are king or so we've come to accept."

D: Since I never smack my head except when being run over by vehicles, I am not terribly worried about that aspect - catching a 30-50kph vehicle in the head will be terminal anyway.
No, I use my helmet as a mounting system for lights. You see, my bike-mounted lights, frame or handlebars, don't point where I want to go, or at a driver I am concerned about. I jury-rigged a very cheap helmet fore/aft light system with a few dollars of hardware parts.
The helmet light is not to illuminate road features for me. I use it, flashing, strictly to be more visible to cars. The need to see glass and objects and roadkill on less illuminated stretches of bike lane is handled with a powerful new bike-mounted light on the handlebars. It needs to show obstacles on the road with enough seconds of warning that I can react to them.
I tried mounting a mirror, but they are flimsy, annoyingly in the way and cause eye strain. There is one helmet on the market with this nifty integrated mirror, but it did not pass safety standards.

Sure I look unbelievably dorky. But I think not getting run over is kinda cool.
I don't want to die young and leave a good looking corpse.
I want to die old, having lived a full life, and leave an ugly one.

Friday, April 11, 2008

pics of the laurel creek not-quite-stop-sign






Aside: I had an interesting encounter last night. I was biking in a bike lane on Parkside, and encountered a truck parked in it. I got out and took a pic. The driver was returning and asked why I was doing that. I said for my online bicycle blog- it is parked in a bike lane.
BTW, the law says you can park in a bike lane to pick somebody up. This is primarily intended for taxis, but a driver briefly idling while his passenger arrives also qualifies. However, parking and leaving the car there and going inside for an indefinite amount of time is not allowed.
I encourage you, my readers, to take a pic of the vehicle, with license plate, time and place to send them to my "Hall of Shame". Alternatively, you could call the traffic police.

I'm in a bit of rush today so I'll be brief.
I am calling the city about those 3 patches of broken glass on the way to work.

The pics of the Laurel Trail traffic pinch point follow. It is by the animal zoo.
The left pic is from the driver's POV, the right from somebody on the trail. There is small sign asking one to get off one's bike. However, that means you are walking when hit instead. And what about joggers moving at a decent clip? I suggest the stop sign should be for those on the trail instead, while drivers should see a warning to watch out for trail-goers. If they won't stop, then there is something wrong with this road feature.
I'll try to get live video for this and the University & King spots. You need to see the methodical ignoring of road rules to believe it!
My other blog for pedestrians will list 2 spots that are roadkill zones. They share the same features and I think the parking lot exit is the problem.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

broken glass in bike lanes






D: Well spring is here. The roads are clear. The side of roads and bike lanes are not.
The problem with gravel in bike lanes is the looking down. Rather than looking for traffic, I am trying to spot broken glass.
The route I take to work is:
-uptown Waterloo, Caroline Street
- the Laurel Trail
- past UW
- to Parkside
- then over to Kumpf drives on the sidewalk near it. I walk my bike across the crosswalk.

Last year, I attempted to phone the city about broken glass. They asked for the precise location. I admitted I had only the vaguest idea, since it is beside a nondescript patch of generic wall with no landmarks on Parkside.
I am curious about how often the street sweepers bother with road edges. I will ask the city about this, but don't expect them to answer.
Today, I am calling about the THREE piles of broken glass on the way to work.
I will tell you how the conversation went. Then report when it is finally cleaned up.
I would like get to the point that I can do so methodically.
I would like to use various pic/map sites online to indicate present temporary road hazards.
First, I gotta figure out how to use those services.
I need more exposure for this blog. I hope to approach bike stores about it with some reciprocal deal. I wish to eventually offer a viable service to the community. That requires word of mouth.
I would need folks to contact me with info I can post about traffic pinch points and temporary road problems.
How cool is that!?

Flat tires from broken glass has been my highest cost cycling the past few years. I know on Regina the sides of the road can have glass for up to a month before the sweeper gets it. How many sweepers go down that road in a month? That is in student territory, and the amound of broken glass from drinkers and recycling boxes is high.

Things have improved on Father David Bauer. A few years ago, there were stones the size of hen's eggs in the bike lanes. No longer. The sewer grates and pavement in the bike lane are pretty choppy, though.

Anyway, I will post a pic of today's traffic pinch point tomorrow. The pic last night didn't look like much. It is on the Laurel Trail in the park near WLU and UW. Through the park, to the parking lot there is a car lane. I checked, and it definitely has a stop sign. Nobody at all stops - nobody. Most don't even try the compromise 'slow rolling stop'. That is where I would have been hit a coupla nights ago. I have a flashing lights all over the place- even a cursory check would have detected me. Nobody stops. I sure wish somebody would tell the police that.

I think the stop sign there cannot work. I think it should be a yield/caution sign.
The trail users ought to stop, just due to vested self interest.
But they need to be told to do so.
That trail is great for all modes of transportation except rollerblades. There is a long stretch of gravel, then flagstone towards uptown Waterloo.

A lady had her dogs off their leashes yesterday. A coupla years ago, I got run down by a big family dog off the leash on the Iron Horse Trail. The dog's teeth scraped my denim pants. Just because your family dog is a member of the family, don't assume it won't run down a cyclist like they were an antelope. I don't wait to see what the dog is gonna do anymore. Sorry about your dog... but leash it. It's the law, after all.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

map of bike lanes in K-W. Next traffic pinch point.

Check out The Record online- it has great local coverage. Search for "snow removal" and "winter cycling" to get started.


http://k-wbikeblog.blogspot.com/
D: this indicates the extent of bike lanes in town.
You can sometimes make it across town in lanes and on trails.
Sometimes not.
It often feels like 'islands' rather than a continuous path.

Today's traffic hazard picture is located behind the uptown Waterloo mall at Erb and Father David Bauer Drive. I plan to post these on Google Map and Flickr eventually.
It is a bit of work since I lack a GPS capable camera for geocaching. Anyway, this pic is from the uptown Waterloo side looking up Erb. To the right one can see a one-way street onto Erb. To the left is Caroline street behind the uptown mall. I am not sure what to make of this area.
In theory, a cyclist riding towards Erb on Caroline from behind the mall has a turn lane. The turn lane is between 2 car lanes. This left turn lane onto Erb spills out BETWEEN the lanes of traffic. Keep in mind, at the same time, one-way traffic is turning right off the opposing street onto Erb. Not only does this leave the cyclist moving 10-30kph between 2 lanes of 30-60kph traffic. No, it gets worse. We all know many lazy drivers like to drift across 2 lanes of traffic on a turn, despite being illegal. Well, I tried this cycle turn lane ONCE. Never again! I was in mortal terror for my life.
Without the one-way across the intersection, this could have worked. But I talked to another cyclist yesterday about this. We were both walking our bikes across the pedestrian walk instead.
I am curious if any cyclists use this lane at all.

Tomorrow: Ontario/local bicycle laws - not what you expect!
Plus: Another bike pinch point. Last night, if I had asserted my right of way, I would have been hit. Nobody I see ever stops their cars at this stop sign.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Spring has sprung. A traffic pinch point.



K-W bike blog D: this is one other link of mine.
View Blog in New Window View Blog

D: I have 2 pics here. One is my standard bike uniform. Hunter orange raincoat. Helmet with fore and aft flashing lights. Bike with heaps of reflectors. The bike also has steady road-illuminating fore and aft lights.
I tried winter biking this winter for the first time. And for the first time I was hit by a car.
I was in a bike lane. The visibility at night was great for a block. I had right of way. He had a stop sign. If he had stopped and not looked OR not stopped and looked, I would have been fine.
I was pointing my flashing helmet light directly in his face through the window. Annoying, but that is pretty hard to ignore. He ignored it. Having made a cursory scan coming up to the stop light, he did a rolling stop. I had NO time to react.
Trouble is, I bike at 30kph. My helmet is rated for 20ish. For the record, falling off a bike will tend to make your head impact on the road at 15ish. Eating his driver side door was more dangerous than swerving in front of a 10-20kph van with a low bumper and gradual hood contour. So, choosing the lesser of the evils, I swerved in front of him.
I was fine. My bike was not. It is in the shop right now. I didn't bike the rest of winter.

Nonetheless, I was pretty shook up by being hit by a car. I had taken precautions. Steel studded tires, huge visibility, et al. And still got hit. Again, my helmet is only rated for about 20kph impact. Much above that and I get seriously hurt.

The second picture above was taken yesterday at King and University at WLU. See that bike lane? Well, traffic is using it as a turn lane. I expect we'll see some bikes get creamed there this year. If that spot needs a turn lane, then maybe building a turn lane is desirable.

The roads are gonna be a bugger this year. Those potsholes are HUGE! I heard a Cooper Mini got stuck in one in front of the Chill 'n Grill! Wow.
Our region tried to use cold fill. It lasts a day in high traffic area.
There is some new airblast/epoxy combo out there. And infrared paving is vastly superior to the usual patching method.

Like the joke goes, there are 2 seasons in Canada: winter and construction. <:
Cheers.

Spring has sprung. A traffic pinch point.