Stupid bloody recumbents have no place on any road. Too low and hard to see, there's a few "look at me" types around here who lie / ride in them; must have a death wish.seriously.
i-n-horz,
Dec 19, 11:14am
True that everyone has a responsibility to be safety conscious of all other road users but.also meaning that if other road users find it visibly hard to be aware of your presence then it is the hard to see road user to be safety conscious and make him/herself visible as much as possible.
jkm,
Dec 19, 2:34pm
Cyclists have a right to use the road too, but it seems to me why put your self at risk. Bikes rely on the fact that drivers are not drunk, are not distracted, and are in control of their vehicle. The recent reported bike deaths were all cases were the car driver was one of the 3 situations mentioned.
pollymay,
Dec 19, 2:49pm
Um excuse me if a bike rider is doing all those things they aren't going to be very well of either. Just saying.
I know some people cycle and I'm fine with kids and adults riding as long as they aren't arrogant lycra dickheads, however they are second place to cars. Cars are bigger, faster, heavier and deadly so you stay out of their way. You can assert your rights all you want, 1500kg of metal at 100 clicks isn't going to care if it rounds the corner and you are right THERE.
jkm,
Dec 19, 3:02pm
You miss read my post. I was not saying bike riders are drunk!
My point is the same as yours, in that bikes are at the mercy of cars drivers. If the cars driver is drunk, high on drugs, distracted, lost control and the bike rider is in the line of fire ,then it is the bike rider who will pay the price!
pollymay,
Dec 19, 3:15pm
If the bike rider loses control they pay the price to. I used to ride on the footpath with no one around until the cops had a word with me about it. I ignored them and later got a severe telling off for doing that. So much for using common sense and available means to be safer.
trogedon,
Dec 19, 8:07pm
"arrogant lycra dickhead" here. Both sets of road users are to stay out of each others way. You don't seem to realise that and so you should either refresh yourself of the road rules or don't go on the road.
gadgetman,
Dec 19, 10:31pm
I have "a rego plate", thanks to Vital Signs in Invercargill. It says B2C, no points guessing what it means.
gadgetman,
Dec 19, 10:45pm
. I thought about avoiding SH6 from Garston to Cromwell and take that High Altitude Nevis Road. Unfortunately I can not ride a mountain bike at the moment as the gravel and steepness combined it too much for my recumbent trike. So I need to stick paved roads. I might take the steep but sealed Crown Terrace Road instead of Cromwell Gorge. I checked out Mavora Lakes Road from Te Anau to Walter Peak but that was also horrible gravel where 3 wheels would sink. I might try Rainbow Valley Road from Hanmer to Nelson Lakes!
And as you Kevlight, drive that low BX GTi sportscar of yourself according to your profile, do you find that other motorist don't see you because you are so low!
I have tried Blokart landyacht and found it much fun. I might make a sail for my recumbent like this Whike: http://www.whike.com/en/ That would be nice across long flat roads like Canterbury Plains but I wonder if there is advantage having a sail on the hills!
gadgetman,
Dec 19, 10:50pm
In cities I often ride my trike on the footpath, safer that way and having my walking sticks at the back gives me a pardon.
gadgetman,
Dec 19, 11:00pm
Having a sail on my trike would make it more visible to other road users and I would be faster so would spend less time on the road. Good idea, eh!
zkaku,
Dec 19, 11:05pm
I push bike around the small village i live in,but there is noway that i would ride on the open road. As for a low slung recumbent trike it is a death machine as you are very hard to see at about 1 meter tall They are dangers to the rider and should be ruled of the road.
pollymay,
Dec 19, 11:09pm
Circumstance isn't going to exempt you from being run down. Road rules don't change physics, they merely stop people trying to defy them. There is a cycling road out clevdon way and lots of large boat trailers go through there with a narrow windy road with cyclists. You can get mad but if you are cycling too far out on that road and two boat trailers come along someone will either get nailed or there will be a big crash.
Rules can't stop circumstance which is why you should avoid putting yourself in a position like that. You can't legislate for it or argue this that or the other person should read the rule book cause it won't stop it happening.
gadgetman,
Dec 19, 11:16pm
As I used Blokart on their racing track next to Blokart base in Papamoa, I found that I did not need to do any tacking. I could ride around the circuit track without problems.
If the wind is coming from straight on the front then you won't go forward. Wheeled vehicle with a sail against a sailboat goes steeper into the wind because of much lower drag.
gadgetman,
Dec 19, 11:28pm
Tell that to millions of Chinese or Dutch cycle riders. I have found that lot of Kiwi drivers have an attitude problem. Make cycling illegal and then I might consider not riding on the road. Media makes a meal out of every cycle crash and you alarmists make the problem worse. Before my flying accident I used to ride my mountain bike everywhere except motorways of course here in NZ. When I lived in Sydney I used my mountain bike in amongst the traffic like courier cyclists. I did not have any road accidents in either country. The advantage of riding a bicycle is that you can hear vehicles and having a mirror help as you do not need to bend you head to much.
Ban paragliding, kayaking, rock climbing, skiing, or any activity without motors and metal cage. Lot of people injure or get killed on those activities.
gadgetman,
Dec 19, 11:38pm
There seems to be very selfish attitude amongst drivers as many on this thread show. The roads are not for a game or a war zone. We are there together and the goal should be for everyone arrive safely to their destinations.
One basic rule drivers ignore is to drive according to conditions. Speed is a killer and stupid selfish drivers or riders make the statistics worse.
What is the hurry that you can not slow down or stop for the occasional cyclist, pedestrian, sheep, cow or your own child on the road! Being late for a meeting or work is better than not to arrive at all.
gadgetman,
Dec 19, 11:43pm
You seem to be the one having a death wish towards me Theresa. I am sad about your attitude. Do you drive your kids on a 4WD troop carrier to the school gate by any chance! I ride in Nelson often so what type of vehicle should I avoid to avoid you!
pollymay,
Dec 20, 12:15am
It's not being selfish, no one can control everyone on the road. Who are you preaching to! I'm saying if you are dumb enough to travel a narrow road during peak hours and not take blind corners during clear spots you will get nailed, rules cannot stop you unexpectedly popping up halfway round a narrow bend with a truck oncoming or as you wobble slightly from a rock or avoiding a slippery patch. Speed has 2/5 of fu** all to do with it as unforseen cyclists are a condition you can't predict for, it's like rounding a corner to see a farm animal, it's there and the car is either going to miss or it isn't, rules can't stop the car.
Also I find the kids of most parents tell them never to cycle dangerous roads and highways cause that's just common sense so I'm unlikely to come across them on such roads.
blackcat17,
Dec 20, 1:30am
Wrong, that would be covered under the general fund
sudsy99,
Dec 20, 1:37am
If you were a genuine 'Bluff to Cape Reinga' rider, wtf are you doing in the Southern Lakes,these roads prove a challenge to tourists at the best of times.They are narrow, winding, and are frequently in a less than maintained state, yet you seem to want to blame drivers for giving you a rough time on what is quite clearly a sympathy sponsored holiday. I say this because if you were serious, you'd be on SH1 !
sudsy99,
Dec 20, 1:42am
And while I'm on the subject, you didn't take the Kawarau Gorge because it's dangerous yet you took on the Crown Terrace and The Cardrona Valley road.Does this conveniently have anything to do with one road going thru Wanaka and the other not! Pfftttt Over your type sorry.
blackcat17,
Dec 20, 1:51am
You've read the road code right! There's as bit in it about being able to stop in the visible distance ahead, there's a reason why they put that law in place (but it's also common sense) it's called being safe. On a modern car with the good brakes its hardly an onerous thing either.
zkaku,
Dec 20, 3:59am
gadgetman "Scary but I managed to show my mid finger" This shows arrogance and is not a good attitude,i think it is called road rage
trogedon,
Dec 20, 6:02am
No, it??
gadgetman,
Dec 20, 7:26am
I would not have sign writing on my van if I was not serious. That is about the only sponsor I have managed this far. For charity I have collected all up $7 and that came from two people. I would die of hunger if I relied on donations to pay my way. Luckily I live in my campervan so I have home where ever I go. Freedom camping does not cost much but I could stay at camping grounds if the owners sponsored me ;) Mainly I do this to get my legs stronger. I was totally paralysed from waist down but I have recovered so much that I do not use a wheelchair anymore but need sticks for walking. I am not blaming drivers in general but there are the odd ignorant ones. I just ask for space and patience. How often you come across a recumbent rider going from Bluff to Cape Reinga!
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