La Flamme Rouge **off topic discussion**

buffalo

cdaly_ wrote: »

As seen here, many countries only have a traffic light on the road to which it applies and from the centre of the junction, there are none visible at all. This removes all the confusion: If you see a red light in front of you, you stop. Once you've crossed the stop line, there is no traffic light to see.

I've been thinking about this while pedalling around the last few days. If we started following this example then:
a) obviously there'd be a lot less street furniture, which is good for people with disabilities as well as making the street more attractive
b) there'd be less electricity usage (a minor point)
c) cyclists, drivers and all road users might stop the annoying and unsafe habit of advancing beyond the stop line, because they wouldn't be able to see the traffic light any more. (Or they'd do it anyway, and proceed on red because "I couldn't see the red".) This would mean less vehicles and bikes stopped on pedestrian crossings and less vehicles in ASBs. Wins all round for VRUs.

Idleater

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Apologies for going off topic but I'm just curious as to why you mount the pannier on the near side.

I put it on that side under the assumption that any imbalances would fall left, out of traffic rather than right, into it. This has never happened, thankfully, but it has fallen over when parked, again not damaging the drive side derraileurs. Coincidence possibly.

magicbastarder

buffalo wrote: »

I've been thinking about this while pedalling around the last few days. If we started following this example then:
a) obviously there'd be a lot less street furniture, which is good for people with disabilities as well as making the street more attractive

on the specific junction i saw this at, there are 16 poles for lights. based on the way the junction is laid out, all are used for pedestrian crossing lights, some exclusively so. on most they've hung signals for road traffic on the poles also.

but to simply cross the main road on foot you have to pass 6 poles (three crossings) - one crossing to cross the northbound lane to get to the median, a second crossing from the median (across the southbound lane) to get to a traffic island, and finally a crossing to get to the main footpath on the other side.
at least if you're crossing over glasnevin avenue (just up from the credit union) it's a standard single set of lights to cross.

i think the worst junction i know for lights is one beside blanchardstown centre. 48 poles, i think i once counted?

Macy0161

dahat wrote: »

Yeah, it's hard in the heat nessecary to achieve certain goals.

https://www.cleva-uk.com/air-mover-am1502

magicbastarder

looks like my memory was exaggerated. about 30. i think 48 may have been the number of light 'units' on the poles.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3912857,-6.3821286,3a,77.6y,124.98h,79.64t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sqryH-KL-f6V1XgFcIDEkVA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DqryH-KL-f6V1XgFcIDEkVA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D2.1942337%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100

Weepsie

magicbastarder wrote: »

looks like my memory was exaggerated. about 30.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3912857,-6.3821286,3a,77.6y,124.98h,79.64t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sqryH-KL-f6V1XgFcIDEkVA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DqryH-KL-f6V1XgFcIDEkVA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D2.1942337%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100

I hate that junction. It's just so bloody awful. Whenever I stayed in my parents and cycled it could add at least 5 minutes onto a journey just as you wait for the light sequence to end.

Wishbone Ash

Weepsie wrote: »

... it could add at least 5 minutes onto a journey just as you wait for the light sequence to end.

It's the 'slowest' junction I know of in terms of light sequence. It can take a full 5 minutes to get a green. I know that doesn't seem long but most lights involve a wait of 1-2 minutes.

check_six

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It's the 'slowest' junction I know of in terms of light sequence. It can take a full 5 minutes to get a green. I know that doesn't seem long but most lights involve a wait of 1-2 minutes.

Feels like an infinite amount of time to wait. Especially as, if you are driving, you may not even make it through on your sequence. Return to waiting mode! There are other ways to get around this junction though!

Spotted a fella in Drogheda today wearing full current team Ireland kit. Wasn't aware of anyone local representing Ireland. Best of luck to him in what ever he's training for. Kids were a bit miffed he didn't notice them waving at him

manafana

buffalo wrote: »

There was a Garda on foot duty at the Featherbeds?

Yeah not sure if part of that film set or some other event

Rechuchote

magicbastarder wrote: »

on the specific junction i saw this at, there are 16 poles for lights. based on the way the junction is laid out, all are used for pedestrian crossing lights, some exclusively so. on most they've hung signals for road traffic on the poles also.

Where exactly would the lights be if they were hung rather than planted?

but to simply cross the main road on foot you have to pass 6 poles (three crossings) - one crossing to cross the northbound lane to get to the median, a second crossing from the median (across the southbound lane) to get to a traffic island, and finally a crossing to get to the main footpath on the other side.

It's sensible for the lights to close off all four (or five) roads at the same time during pedestrian crossing; then the pedestrians can cross diagonally. In Japan they formalise this with X-shaped additional zebras called scrambles.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It's the 'slowest' junction I know of in terms of light sequence. It can take a full 5 minutes to get a green. I know that doesn't seem long but most lights involve a wait of 1-2 minutes.

Pffft, sissies, the Kenilworth crossing in Harold's Cross - crossing off five roads - is 2.5 minutes on a full cycle, of which 23 seconds is for pedestrians, 18 seconds of that on an orange light.

manafana wrote: »

Yeah not sure if part of that film set or some other event

It really annoys me the way gardaí are apparently hired by film companies to block off roads. A local friend up there (+RIP+) used to simply say "This is my local road, yiz can feck off" and drive on through, rather than going the 10km around the diversion.

Rechuchote

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/no-extra-time-for-bike-theft-on-bail-38106951.html

A man with 73 previous convictions committed while on bail will not face any extra jail time for burglary and stealing a bicycle, despite an appeal by prosecutors.

Darragh O'Hare (27), with a last address at Hamlet Square, in Balbriggan, pleaded guilty to theft of a bicycle and burglary of a separate property the following day in Balbriggan, in May 2017.

He was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 28 months imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan on April 22, 2018, having spent five months in custody on remand.

The Director of Public Prosecutions unsuccessfully sought a review of O'Hare's sentence on grounds that it was 'unduly lenient"' The Court of Appeal held that the sentence was "lenient" but not so far outside the norm that it required intervention.

Wishbone Ash

Rechuchote wrote: »

....Pffft, sissies, the Kenilworth crossing in Harold's Cross - crossing off five roads - is 2.5 minutes on a full cycle, of which 23 seconds is for pedestrians, 18 seconds of that on an orange light....

2.5 minutes is only half the length of the sequence I was referring to in Blanchardstown. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

Weepsie

Dropped into Humphries for something small in the bike yesterday. They duly obliged but warned it would be 20 mins (normally a 5 mins job that o always feck up and they undo my mistakes) as they were glued to the Giro closing stages.

They had their priorities straight

Rechuchote

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

2.5 minutes is only half the length of the sequence I was referring to in Blanchardstown. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

Misread your post; thought you were saying Blanch was 1-2 minutes.

manafana

iv spent near 5mins waiting for the bloody lights at lesson st bridge to change for cyclists/peds

ED E

Velomobile taking many dozens of KOMs: Yay or cheating?

Fighting Tao

Merrion Road outbound at the gates. Some times if you are unlucky it can take exactly 6 minutes on red.

magicbastarder

ED E wrote: »

Velomobile taking many dozens of KOMs: Yay or cheating?

not cheating, certainly. but a different sort of KOM.

probably not a good analogy, but i'll shoehorn it in anyway - i'm a lone warrior on the bike usually but i don't think it's 'unfair' that many KOMs on certain types of segments are completely out of my reach because you stand a far better chance of getting near the top in a group of cyclists.

it'd probably be way too difficult and too clunky in strava to separate out different styles of bikes - or solo efforts from group efforts.

OleRodrigo

Or wind assisted, or vehicle drafting etc..

manafana

magicbastarder wrote: »

not cheating, certainly. but a different sort of KOM.

probably not a good analogy, but i'll shoehorn it in anyway - i'm a lone warrior on the bike usually but i don't think it's 'unfair' that many KOMs on certain types of segments are completely out of my reach because you stand a far better chance of getting near the top in a group of cyclists.

it'd probably be way too difficult and too clunky in strava to separate out different styles of bikes - or solo efforts from group efforts.

racing is easy, so simple tell its a race kom

Wishbone Ash

magicbastarder wrote: »

.... i'm a lone warrior on the bike usually but i don't think it's 'unfair' that many KOMs on certain types of segments are completely out of my reach because you stand a far better chance of getting near the top in a group of cyclists....

It might be on a very long flattish segment but in my experience, on short segments, if you are going for it, it's much easier to do so when solo.

My best performance in terms of the number of others on a leader board is probably joint 5th out of 5,200 on the descent into Naul. I certainly wouldn't be doing that in a group. (I've a few KOM's but they are in relatively obscure segments).

magicbastarder

yeah, no argument from me there. it was the longer stretches i was thinking of, where most of the KOMs are out of your reach unless you're incredibly lucky with wind or with a fast group.

statto25

Right so I am picking up my new bike tomorrow and am doing Connemara 140km on Saturday. Would you folks recommend using my current steed or would a short spin on the new bike give me enough of an idea if my setup is right for Saturday? Ill be fitted by the bike shop so not worried about that. I'm more worried about cable stretching etc.

daragh_

statto25 wrote: »

Right so I am picking up my new bike tomorrow and am doing Connemara 140km on Saturday. Would you folks recommend using my current steed or would a short spin on the new bike give me enough of an idea if my setup is right for Saturday? Ill be fitted by the bike shop so not worried about that. I'm more worried about cable stretching etc.

I would go with the current bike. Tiny niggles can become big issues over that kind of distance.

Weepsie

daragh_ wrote: »

I would go with the current bike. Tiny niggles can become big issues over that kind of distance.

I spent the first 70km of a 2 day 300km cycle constantly adjusting my saddle on a new bike a few years ago. I eventually dialled it in, but was a pita up til then.

statto25

Weepsie wrote: »

I spent the first 70km of a 2 day 300km cycle constantly adjusting my saddle on a new bike a few years ago. I eventually dialled it in, but was a pita up til then.

My head says the same as you but my heart says "oohh shiny new bike"
Ill spin it out for 50km and see how it feels and fallback on my current bike if im not happy

magicbastarder

Weepsie wrote: »

I eventually dialled it in

sometimes it's just adaptation too; i've gotten on bikes that have felt a little strange until you've been on them for an hour or two, and just gotten used to their ways.

brocbrocach

[QUOTE=Rechuchote;110223553
It really annoys me the way gardaí are apparently hired by film companies to block off roads. A local friend up there (+RIP+) used to simply say "This is my local road, yiz can feck off" and drive on through, rather than going the 10km around the diversion.[/QUOTE]


Yep I've had words with them before. The guard was laughing it off but what principle is behind it? You'd feel like a crank but really it can be very cheeky. Nth Great George's st was very prone to it. I hope local councils take a hefty cut for that kind of thing.
Don't get me started on the outriders blasting "VIPs" through traffic.

I see Bora have signed Ion Gottlich

https://www.bora-hansgrohe.com/en/press/argonnews201905ion/argonnews201905ion/121169262