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you are crazy if you ride a bike downtown or on campus.
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion
The death of cyclist Jeffrey Stevenson and my ambivalence toward bike lanes
[164 posts] [59 contributors]
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lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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cheap
Westgate
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lifeontwowheels said:
Speaking from experience or ignorance? I rode downtown and campus for years without issue.let me straighten this out right now.
just because you ride a frigging bike doesn't make you an authority on anything.
your eyes see the same thing as everybody else,your ears hear the same thing as everybody else.
when i say you are crazy for riding downtown or on campus,it's because i have seen the behavior of drivers in both areas.
the lane changing and fast turning is very dangerous downtown.
drivers downtown speed up to turn to beat the walk light.do you really think they are looking for a bicyclist?
on campus you have people flooring it to beat red lights and boom,somebody eventually goes flying.
watching out for a bicyclist is not a priority to drivers downtown or on campus.it's actually worse than other areas like 161 or Bethel Rd.on those roads,ive seen drivers just get in the other lane.
Posted 1 year ago # -
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Never claimed I was an authority but having ridden and knowing the area there are some great, low traffic streets to avoid the messes you speak of.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I am 3
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I think riding a bike in the city on the road is very dangerous. just driving a car is dangerous enough due to dealing with drunk drivers, people not paying attention, people in a hurry - I have wanted to buy a scooter for myself for years, but just would not feel safe ridding it. I have just seen to many accidents on the city streets that would have seriously hurt someone if they had been on a bike.
so i agree with cheap 100%
Posted 1 year ago # -
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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I am 3 said:
I think riding a bike in the city on the road is very dangerous. just driving a car is dangerous enough due to dealing with drunk drivers, people not paying attention, people in a hurry - I have wanted to buy a scooter for myself for years, but just would not feel safe ridding it. I have just seen to many accidents on the city streets that would have seriously hurt someone if they had been on a bike.so i agree with cheap 100%
Might as well not drive then either. Work from home and have everything delivered.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Corrin Radd
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I've been riding my bike through campus and downtown for nearly 20 years now, and for the most part feel very safe doing it. I have ridden a few roads in those areas that have not felt safe and I have found alternate routes through those areas. I have been in one bad accident (broke my elbow) in all that time: it took place on the Olentangy bike path near campus and not on a road.
Posted 1 year ago # -
0Angle
Home-Northwood Park, Breweries-43215
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I just replaced my much adored 2007 Prius today because a driver didn't look both ways 2 & 1/2 weeks ago and plowed into my wife and kids (and car). Totaled. Could have been infinininininininininetly worse. No one was hurt. E. 17th or 11th. Highway patrol at the fairgrounds wherever that is. Careless drivers are everywhere. I ride and drive as if everyone is trying to hit me. Sometimes that's not enough.
Wear a helmet when you ride a bike. Look out for bicycles when you are in your car.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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columbusfoodie
West Side
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Twixlen said:
It really is... I didn't realize that I've met Shawn a few times, at various events... and he's a swell fella. I really hope he recovers completely and isn't staggered by debt - I can't quite wrap my brain around how much money it costs to stay in ICU that long, plus surgeries, plus who knows what sort of rehab.But, ya know, universal healthcare, terrible idea.
Rough estimate? 1.5 million. Same thing as Shawn had - about the same recovery time including ICU, stepdown, and rehab. I was lucky enough to have insurance (in retrospect, the $1,000/month we were paying for COBRA ended up being worth every penny). Hopefully he's low enough in income to qualify for charity care. It's s daunting amount of debt, regardless - but I've also found that as long as you're making an attempt to pay something every month, it's usually enough to keep you out of collections.
Posted 11 months ago # -
geoyui
West Side
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I'm more of a recreational cyclist (bike paths over by hilliard). Just reading this thread has made me appreciate the need to wear a helmet. I actually tumbled over my handle bars one day avoiding a bird on the path :P Could have been much worse when I look back.
Posted 11 months ago # -
pedex
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geoyui said:
I'm more of a recreational cyclist (bike paths over by hilliard). Just reading this thread has made me appreciate the need to wear a helmet. I actually tumbled over my handle bars one day avoiding a bird on the path :P Could have been much worse when I look back.why not wear one in a car? ever broken a window with your head?
why not wear a decent bike helmet? most people don't that actually do wear helmets
Posted 11 months ago # -
geoyui
West Side
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pedex said:
why not wear one in a car? ever broken a window with your head?why not wear a decent bike helmet? most people don't that actually do wear helmets
I'm not quite sure what you're getting at pedex. For me I've had a handful of accidents while riding, and I've never worn a helmet. Odds are I'll fall on my head eventually, might as well start to protect it.
Posted 11 months ago # -
pedex
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geoyui said:
I'm not quite sure what you're getting at pedex. For me I've had a handful of accidents while riding, and I've never worn a helmet. Odds are I'll fall on my head eventually, might as well start to protect it.it's my back handed dig at the whole helmet issue
most roadie style bike helmets are junk, disposable with not much protection
OTOH, I have been in my share of car accidents too where a helmet would have saved me breaking my head on a window, I just find the US helmet mentality kinda strange.
Posted 11 months ago # -
groundrules
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pedex said:
it's my back handed dig at the whole helmet issuemost roadie style bike helmets are junk, disposable with not much protection
OTOH, I have been in my share of car accidents too where a helmet would have saved me breaking my head on a window, I just find the US helmet mentality kinda strange.
1) fact: helmets are disposable. even the good ones. they absorb energy by allowing the foam innards to collapse. They do this exactly once, and then the deformation will negatively effect the helmet's ability to absorb another hit. Replace 'em every once in a while. brittle isn't good.
2) you need to be a better driver.
Posted 11 months ago # -
0Angle
Home-Northwood Park, Breweries-43215
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groundrules said:
1) fact: helmets are disposable. even the good ones. they absorb energy by allowing the foam innards to collapse. They do this exactly once, and then the deformation will negatively effect the helmet's ability to absorb another hit. Replace 'em every once in a while. brittle isn't good.2) you need to be a better driver.
I usually replace mine once it transmogrifies into a "smellmet". Luckily, mine has never absorbed an impact.
My nephew's did, and his mom seemed incredulous when I told her to replace it. The bike shop did it for free.Posted 11 months ago # -
pedex
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groundrules said:
1) fact: helmets are disposable. even the good ones. they absorb energy by allowing the foam innards to collapse. They do this exactly once, and then the deformation will negatively effect the helmet's ability to absorb another hit. Replace 'em every once in a while. brittle isn't good.2) you need to be a better driver.
some are more disposable than others, much more disposable
ever worn a decent BMX helmet or skateboarding helmet? football helmet? Lacrosse helmet? motorcycle helmet?
being broadsided by a driver causing me to break a side window with my head when they left a parking garage without looking isn't driver error on my part
being t-boned when someone runs a light isn't my fault either
getting doored or hit by a car is pretty serious shit while on a bike, most roadie helmets are of little use in those cases
Posted 11 months ago #
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