Journalism and cycling

I love Sean nos

josip wrote: »

Cycling on the 8th of f***ing September at 9:15pm without a helmet - negligent bordering on Darwin award.
FFS.

Why the 8th of September?

CramCycle

I presume josip meant without lights, not sure what the helmet has anything to do with.

I love Sean nos

CramCycle wrote: »

I presume josip meant without lights, not sure what the helmet has anything to do with.

This is why one should just throw out all of the usual canards at once. One of them is bound to fit, even if it still doesn't make sense.

Chuchote

Seville's bike network

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/landmark-study-from-seville-shows-massive-power-of-a-bike-network

Which is more important to making a city great for biking: the number of high-quality bikeways, or whether they're connected to each other?

A new study from Spain offers an unexpected answer: The amount of biking actually tracks most closely with the number of bikeways, while the safety of biking tracks most closely with the connectedness of bikeways.

(snips throughout)

The paper by R. Marqués and V. Hernández-Herrador, published this month in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, provides one of the first academic studies of one of the largest rapid bike-infrastructure investments in world history.

In 2003, the 2,200-year-old Spanish city of Seville (population 700,000) voted more Communists than usual onto its city council. (Yes, this is a thing that happens in Seville.) The left-wing party had pledged a major investment in bike transportation — and after they joined a coalition with the center-left Socialist party, they delivered. In 2007 alone, the city built 40 miles of protected bike lanes, a 542 percent increase to the existing 7 miles citywide. It created an imperfect but connected network through the central city.

Another 46 miles were installed over the next six years, along with a popular new bike-sharing system. (These six years overlapped, it's worth noting, with the global financial crisis and a particularly deep recession in Spain — national unemployment peaked at 27 percent in 2013. Seville's tourism-heavy region, Andalucia, had the worst job market in the country, and the city itself fared only a bit better.)

Two things started happening in Seville almost immediately: the number of bike trips soared and the risk of a bike trip plummeted.

Generally speaking, every additional mile of protected bike lane somewhere in the city improved safety. But network connections improved safety most.

Chuchote

Irish Times letter from John Thompson of Phibsboro:

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/new-speed-limits-and-traffic-lights-1.3104501

As part of the plan to reduce speed limits in Dublin city to 30km/h, will the council at the same time alter the traffic light sequences to reflect this? At present traffic light sequences in central Dublin are configured to favour drivers travelling at the prescribed speed limit. In theory, at least, drivers who go too fast would be frequently halted by red lights, while those who cruise carefully at the speed limit would experience fewer stops.
In practice, cars at rush hour frequently move at average speeds of less than 10km/h approaching the centre, and so this fine-tuning of sequences makes little real difference.
This policy is, however, extremely disruptive to forms of transport that typically travel below the 50km/h limit or which have to stop between lights, such as buses, bikes, heavy good vehicles, etc.
In fact one of the main reasons cyclists give for breaking lights is that frequently the light is red for no apparent reason, other than to regulate the flow of cars, which are at a virtual standstill anyway. Were traffic light sequences to be reconfigured to reflect the average cycling speed (about 20km/h) then frustrations might be reduced all around.

mr spuckler

"Cycling is underfunded admits Minister Ross"

magicbastarder

“What the Deputy said about cycling facilities being underfunded is fair. I intend to address that after the mid-term capital review and, if possible, before that,” said Minister Ross at the end of the debate.

well, we'll see what changes varadkar (well, barring a big upset, it'll be varadkar) makes to the cabinet. he'll probably have a few favours he wants to dish out.

Chuchote

This involves targeting cyclist and motorist attitudes and behaviour, an education programme, the provision of cycle tracks and the rolling out of the Cycle Right campaign

Doesn't sound like he has any notion of what's needed.

I love Sean nos

Chuchote wrote: »

Doesn't sound like he has any notion of what's needed.

That's unfair. He's identified that more meetings are needed.

As a result of what is a crisis of fatalities on our roads, we have doubled the number of those meetings per annum in recent times.

magicbastarder

what does doubling the number of meetings actually take us to? four? eight?

buffalo

magicbastarder wrote: »

what does doubling the number of meetings actually take us to? four? eight?

Two?

magicbastarder

theoretically, it could even take us to one.

I love Sean nos

magicbastarder wrote: »

theoretically, it could even take us to one.

Is it possible to have half a meeting?

Can't have been zero as 0 x 2 is still 0.

Unless...that's exactly what he meant.

magicbastarder

could have been one meeting every two years.

flatface

http://m.independent.ie/life/motoring/badly-behaved-cyclists-are-giving-the-lycra-fraternity-a-bad-name-35785989.html

Campbell Spray plays cliche bingo in the motors section - this is the sort of relentless repetition of bald anti cycling rubbish that sticks in people's heads. I despair.

RobertFoster

The Lycra Fraternity? I must still be a Fred, they've not taught me the handshake yet.

AndrewJRenko

flatface wrote: »

http://m.independent.ie/life/motoring/badly-behaved-cyclists-are-giving-the-lycra-fraternity-a-bad-name-35785989.html

Campbell Spray plays cliche bingo in the motors section - this is the sort of relentless repetition of bald anti cycling rubbish that sticks in people's heads. I despair.

https://twitter.com/CampbellSpray/with_replies?lang=en

Chuchote

Cian McCormack (@cian_mccormack) will be reporting on his cycle next week from Mayo to Fermanagh to Kerry and other counties on Morning Ireland and RTE News, RTE Radio 1.

irelandbybike@rte.ie

flatface

.

Pinch Flat

Initiation to the fraternity takes place in a secret ceremony that takes place on the first full moon of the year atop the Shay Elliott.

Pinch Flat

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/midlife-crisis-trying-not-to-turn-into-an-ahole-cyclist-35783162.html

Kind of weird articles cropping up in the Indo of late, obviously the "Motorists v cyclist" articles have run their course. So here's on that puts cyclists against cyclists. Jesus wept. Anyone tried the W200 on a Dutch bike BTW? Perhaps the author could take it on in a pair of skinny jeans and lumberjack shirt and report back.

ThisRegard

To save anyone giving them the clicks they so desperately desire, what's the gist of the nonsense?

I love Sean nos

ThisRegard wrote: »

To save anyone giving them the clicks they so desperately desire, what's the gist of the nonsense?

Something something cyclists should be grateful for not getting killed too much for not paying road tax.

Kaisr Sose

flatface wrote: »

http://m.independent.ie/life/motoring/badly-behaved-cyclists-are-giving-the-lycra-fraternity-a-bad-name-35785989.html

Campbell Spray plays cliche bingo in the motors section - this is the sort of relentless repetition of bald anti cycling rubbish that sticks in people's heads. I despair.

Did not think about the Journalism thread and posting it up. It's a shocking and very polarising piece.

P_1

So what is the list, from worst to best, kind of cyclists then? I'll go with:

Triathletes
Full kit wayne kerrs on a 5k commute
Full kit wayne kerrs
Couriers
Hipsters on fixies
Businessmen on a Dublin Bike
MTBers in summer
GAA shorts on a rusty hybrid during a bus strike guy
Teenage son's rusty BMX during a bus strike guy
WA putting us all to shame on a 500km loop of Wicklow
Somebody on a Dutch Bike
Those hardy souls who do a 150km sportive on a rigid MTB with bull bars
:P

Lemming

P_1 wrote: »

So what is the list, from worst to best, kind of cyclists then? I'll go with:

"Cyclists" apparently.

No need for a list judging by how much of the media spews sh1te.

Kaisr Sose

Lemming wrote: »

"Cyclists" apparently.

No need for a list judging by how much of the media spews sh1te.

Yep. Apparently we are all the same. But there are all types of motoring types, even a particular breed that do some commuting by ordinary bike during the week and have a faster lighter bike for the weekend spins (with the fraternity).

Chuchote

P_1 wrote: »

So what is the list, from worst to best, kind of cyclists then? I'll go with:

Triathletes
Full kit wayne kerrs on a 5k commute
Full kit wayne kerrs
Couriers
Hipsters on fixies
Businessmen on a Dublin Bike
MTBers in summer
GAA shorts on a rusty hybrid during a bus strike guy
Teenage son's rusty BMX during a bus strike guy
WA putting us all to shame on a 500km loop of Wicklow
Somebody on a Dutch Bike
Those hardy souls who do a 150km sportive on a rigid MTB with bull bars
:P

You left out one:

The Mammy, in her tweed skirt and headscarf, handbag dangling from handlebars, on her Raleigh with skirt guard, looking straight ahead and ringing the bell at crossroads.

plodder

Lemming wrote: »

"Cyclists" apparently.

No need for a list judging by how much of the media spews sh1te.

The human brain seems to have an amazing capacity to divide the world into two categories of "them" and "us". So, when he's driving it probably is just "cyclists" generally. When on his bike, it seems to be those cycling bikes like his, and the a**holes, ie everyone else. Sad.

magicbastarder

plodder wrote: »

The human brain seems to have an amazing capacity to divide the world into two categories of "them" and "us".

one of my favourite single cartoon strips.

http://www.extrafabulouscomics.com/comic/200/

Fian

nice piece about mizen - malin in the guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2017/jun/07/mizen-to-malin-bike-blog-six-days-ireland-lands-end-john-o-groats

mr spuckler

a greenway update from irishcycle

couple of really interesting ones here. the linked picture of the dead end at the Limerick / Kerry border is both funny and ridiculous in equal measure!

The paper reports that the “plan is to have a greenway from Dungarvan to Dublin, from where a greenway will stretch to the west coast. He said funding of €100m is planned to be allocated to this.”

also potential for precedent to be set in Kerry with CPOs planned for purchase of land there. this is what was planned for the Roscommon part of the Dublin - Galway greenway but seemed to fail to cross the first hurdle because of the lack of consultation with landowners.

Chuchote

mr spuckler wrote: »

also potential for precedent to be set in Kerry with CPOs planned for purchase of land there. this is what was planned for the Roscommon part of the Dublin - Galway greenway but seemed to fail to cross the first hurdle because of the lack of consultation with landowners.

You'd wish they'd use CPOs in Connemara, where the Clifden-Galway route and the abandoned West Clare Railway route seem to have come to a halt because of greedy, selfish landowners.

Esroh

Chuchote wrote: »

You'd wish they'd use CPOs in Connemara, where the Clifden-Galway route and the abandoned West Clare Railway route seem to have come to a halt because of greedy, selfish landowners.

And at the same time the Sligo to Athenry rail line is left to fall apart while Galway and Mayp Co.Co.s continue to block any plan for using a greenway to protect it.
Despite Irish Rail saying they will hand it over and the Dept of Transport saying it will not reopen.

Fian

And another peice from the guardian - cycling round the world in 800 days.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/jun/07/in-praise-of-cycling-very-slowly-around-the-world

Moflojo

Article in the Irish Times today:

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/cycling-scary-and-hazardous-particularly-for-young-men-1.3110533

Cycling ‘scary and hazardous’, particularly for young men

The study makes several recommendations for increasing cycling safety including improving cycle lanes, introducing traffic calming measures in residential areas and encouraging awareness of cyclists among drivers.
“In light of the positive impacts for the local population and for the majority of cyclists, it remains important to promote economic incentives like the Bike to Work scheme,” said co-author, UCD professor Vikram Pakrashi.

buffalo

Moflojo wrote: »

Article in the Irish Times today:

Interesting choice of headline and standfirst:

Cycling ‘scary and hazardous’, particularly for young men

Study also finds enormous health benefits to cycling and calls for improved infrastructure

Why not...

Cycling has 'considerable physical and mental health benefits'

Study calls for improved infrastructure to end 'scary and hazardous' conditions

Pinch Flat

Yeah the article wouldn't get as many clicks if it went like this:

"Study finds enormous health benefits of cycling

The study also calls for improved infrastructure in order to change the perception of cycling as a ‘scary and hazardous’ activity, particularly for young men."

mr spuckler

just reading the independent's version of this story.

The risk was found to increase with each kilometre travelled

the more i read this line the more it makes me resemble this chap ->

i remember some ad on tv from my younger years - "here comes the science bit".

edit: i see now that the same line was in the IT article

2nd edit: it costs $31.50 to see the science bit

rubadub

mr spuckler wrote: »

the more i read this line the more it makes me resemble this chap -> :confused

But the study also highlighted that men aged 20-29 have a particularly high risk of collisions with other vehicles on the road.

This risk was also shown to increase with every extra kilometre they travel, so that some individuals within this category experience a net negative health impact of switching to a cycling commute.

As it is so highly likely that the risk increaes the further you go I would not have expected them to say it. Therefore I took it to mean that the further your journey the more risk per km.

So if a guy only goes 5km 5 days a week he is less likely to have a crash than a guy going 25km once a week. Even though they have the same km my money would be on the higher distance guy having a higher chance of being in collisons, simply as longer distance guys tend to be on road bikes, going faster, possibly in more of a hurry so willing to take risks, and not on cycletracks, and in the thick of traffic. I see lots of casual commuters using pedestrian lights to avoid roundabouts etc.

mr spuckler

that makes more sense than the way i'd read it but as you've said if that is the meaning then why say it?

either way i'm still curious about how they came to these conclusions from census data alone, as they seem to suggest.

on the 20-29 front i wonder is it just extrapolating from risk associated with driving for this demographic?

cdaly_

rubadub wrote: »

As it is so highly likely that the risk increaes the further you go I would not have expected them to say it. Therefore I took it to mean that the further your journey the more risk per km.

So if a guy only goes 5km 5 days a week he is less likely to have a crash than a guy going 25km once a week. Even though they have the same km my money would be on the higher distance guy having a higher chance of being in collisons, simply as longer distance guys tend to be on road bikes, going faster, possibly in more of a hurry so willing to take risks, and not on cycletracks, and in the thick of traffic. I see lots of casual commuters using pedestrian lights to avoid roundabouts etc.

I would have expected it to be the other way around. The person cycling 5km at a time, on the cycle track is more likely to encounter conflict zones (driveways, junctions, pedestrians) where they lose priority and hence more opportunities for collision while the 25km trip on road doesn't encounter these conflict zones.

Chips Lovell

Is it possible, for example, that cycling 100km a week has the same approximate health benefit as cycling 200km a week, but your collision risk doubles because your time cycling doubles?

rubadub

cdaly_ wrote: »

on the cycle track is more likely to encounter conflict zones (driveways, junctions, pedestrians).

we would have to see exactly what is meant by

high risk of collisions with other vehicles on the road

are they being exact/pedantic and not including a crash on a cycletrack. But also how is the info gathered, it could well be from hospital reports, so the slow commuter might bang into a car but not end up in hospital and so not in stats. Are they counting other bicycles as vehicles, I see far more kitted out guys on road bikes commuting who have crashed into each other.

I don't recall ever being hit or hitting a car or pedestrian. I have come off due to ice many times, and fallen off due to having to avoid idiot pedestrians & cars/buses. I think a pedestrian did run into me once, but he strolled off totally grand, if I had been going high speed in skimpy lyrcra I might have needed stitches.

tomasrojo

I assumed at first they were referring to cumulative risk (the likelihood of having been in a collision rises continuously as you clock up more kilometres), but that's such a trivial observation that I doubt a decent study would highlight it. (rubadub said this already.)

Think this study will have to be read to find out what the authors actually said.

(Also "high risk of collision with other vehicles" could include bikes, which would be the most common type of collision for people on bikes, I think, after collisions with pedestrians.)

mr spuckler

funding allocated to assess feasibility of Farmleigh bridge into Phoenix Park

John_Rambo

There's a rumour that Paul Williams claimed he wrote of a car uninsured with no licence on air this morning.

Kaisr Sose

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/garda-warn-against-dangerous-modification-over-risk-posed-to-cyclists-35800224.html

Would not want a close pass with these wheels..like something out of Ben Hur!!

Pinch Flat

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/garda-warn-against-dangerous-modification-over-risk-posed-to-cyclists-35800224.html

Would not want a close pass with these wheels..like something out of Ben Hur!!

I've said it time and time again. An IQ test before you get your licence would sort this non sense out. It's terrible we have to share the road with such half wits.

rubadub

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/garda-warn-against-dangerous-modification-over-risk-posed-to-cyclists-35800224.html

Would not want a close pass with these wheels..like something out of Ben Hur!!

someone posted a link earlier, I was thinking Mad Max, but Ben Hur is closer to what it does.

"looks cool", wonder how old this tit was, and how much he paid and how long it took to fit them. Prize tosser, can picture him standing back "jobs a good un".

EDIT: they were calling them mad max on an aussie site, more like Sad Max...

Outcry over 'Mad Max' truck spikes

A load of ignorant assholes defending them with this "they are only plastic" line.