On 2018-07-20 12:09, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, July 20, 2018 at 10:01:15 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-07-20 09:29, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, July 20, 2018 at 7:53:52 AM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 7/20/2018 5:04 AM, Duane wrote:
On 19/07/2018 8:31 PM, sms wrote:

snip

Perhaps they opened some new parking lots for those bike
paths. That has got to be it. As we recently learned
"almost ALL trail users in almost all areas use a car to
haul their bike to the trail." LOL. Usenet is always
amusing.

I don't live out in the wilds with mountain lions and sabre
tooth tigers. I live in a city so the paths I'm talking
about are ALL close to parking. Like my driveway. Or my
office parking lot. Or the streets they parallel.

Yes, that's how the bike paths are where I am to. Occasionally,
if they pass through a park, there are parking lots. Many of
the paths are along creeks and rivers which had many parks next
to them long before a path was put in. The American River Path
is one such example. It's often convenient to put paths next to
waterways because the path can take advantage of the existing
underpasses under roads.

I was astounded to learn that "almost ALL trail users in
almost all areas use a car to haul their bike to the trail."

Seriously, some people need to learn that life exists outside
their own neighborhood, and that not all areas of the country
are exactly the same, so they don't make statements that
generalize based on their own limited experiences. Certainly
people from Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, that have never
experienced the eastern U.S., experience culture shock when
they go back east, or to the deep south.

Sort of OT, but I was riding to work this morning through the
South Waterfront in a road surface bike lane, and two
suburbanite young women -- one with a baby jogger -- came running
straight at me. I said something to the effect of "what the f***
are you thinking?" And then there was an older guy doing the same
thing. This is like a bike lane super-highway area and yet you
have these clowns who just don't get it. I'm seeing a lot of this
lately -- it has become a thing to run in the bike lane, and it
is the same young hip demographic for the most part. I'm getting
tired of yelling at them. We need some of Muzi's shooters to
clean out the bike lanes.


An 800 lumen front light takes care of that. It triggers their
flight instincts. In bike lanes I always have it on. Rarely on bike
paths or MUP but when I encounter too many distracted or
inconsiderate joggers I turn it on. It makes a substantial
difference.

A light would have done nothing -- on a flat, straight stretch with
two riders headed straight at them in bright sunlight, ...


My light has a bit more oomph than one lone watt :-)


... it was just
sneers. You think your cougars are dangerous, these two had no fear.


Mountain lions fear humans except when they are desperately hungry. A
week ago one was seen a mile from here on my regular dog walking route
but (hopefully) has moved on.


Also, if you blind them, then it turns into a confrontation -- and
sometimes even if you don't blind them.


Surprisingly only one other guy (a road bike rider) ever complained
about the brightness of my light but I had accidentally left it on the
road setting, full power. I normally turn it off on bike paths.

The trick is to equip it with an aftermarket diffusor lens which also
results in much better illumination to the sides.


... I was running a 1 watt blinky
on a MUP at dusk, and some dope with his dog running all over the
place was complaining about my light. I about cartwheeled over his
dog. Note the sign: "dogs on leashes." It does not say "no 1 watt
blinkies." I'm absolutely sick of the dog owners ignoring the leash
laws.


They should keep them leashed but most of all short, not the leash being
all across the path becaus that's more dangerous than no leash. So far I
never had a problem with dogs except on singletrack where they got out
and chased me. Sometimes when I see a loose dog and the owner
frantically trying to pull him/her back I holler "Let it go" and
sometimes they do. Then we meet and greet. I like dogs and horses. Cats,
not so much. Squirrels and trueksy not at all. They must be the
stupidest animals on the planet, they can look at you and then run right
into the bike.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/