 | The Bullroarer - Monday 3 December 2007 | The Oil Drum: Australia/New Zealand | Peak Oil In The Australian |  |
126 comments on How Big is your Bicycle?
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
| Show without comments | PDF version
126 comments on How Big is your Bicycle?
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
| Show without comments | PDF version
User login
Contact
- anz at theoildrum dot com
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Archives
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
GAIA Host Collective
There was a children's tricycle in there. That's the only one that made me stop and think. On a side-street or a cul-de-sac, perhaps, but I wouldn't think that would be appropriate on a main road.
I also would be pretty unhappy if I couldn't ride my electrically-assisted bicycle (has a "motor" but one must pedal it) in bike lanes or paths. It is quiet, the size and shape of a regular bicycle, and the assist fades out as it approaches a speed of about 17 mph, so it does not endanger or inconvenience other users of such lanes/paths. As a matter of fact, using it, I cannot keep up with really strong people who are riding un-assisted bikes. But for those of us who are not very strong, the electric assist makes bicycle-commuting far more feasible, especially when the commute is long and hilly (relative to the person's strength - in my case the commute is 9 hilly miles each way).
I would make a distinction between an electric assist and an assist with a little gas motor. I wouldn't want to be stuck behind one of those stinky things on a bike trail. An electric bike I wouldn't mind very much (I would only start to mind if the trails started to get crowded :-).
OK, but then where do you draw the line? What about an adult tricycle? How about an adult tricycle operated by an elderly lady who doesn't go much faster than a kid on a tricycle? Do you mean that kids shouldn't be allowed to operate on main roads? What if the kid is biking with parents? Triking along with mom pushing a stroller in a bike lane with no sidewalk? What if this main road is 20 years post-peak and has almost no car traffic?
There's a trike club in my area. Yep, trikes. They call them, proudly, trikes. And they are usually Harley-based, 3-wheeled motorcycles. Apparently they're meeting at the local McDonald's because I saw like 4 of the things parked there, should have stopped in and said Hi.