[ronwalf]

@Tim Kelley 12027 wrote:

How does the bike handle with the extra weight on the front?

Like butter. It takes some getting used to, especially the starts and stops and turns are a bit wider, but the extra weight up front balances the weight between the wheels a bit better and irons out much of the road’s bumpiness. You can’t stand in the saddle or bunny-hop pot holes anymore, though.

And what do you do with it when there isn’t a child in it? I have a Co-Pilot II and I drop my daughter off at daycare in the mornings and ride the rest of the way to work with an empty seat. I feel odd enough riding around with an empty rear seat and think an empty front seat would be even stranger.

Dunno, I always leave the seat with the child. It pops off and on easily. The iBert has a mounting bar that I only occasionally curse. It’s not the obvious problem (racking – never done it, doubt it’s really an issue) but it comes far enough back that my knee can hit it on the turns or when mounting.

[ronwalf]

Once you blind a buck, you need a way to take him down:

[ronwalf]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]468[/ATTACH]

Riding with 38 pounds of toxic waste in a kitty litter bucket hung off the back rack isn’t exactly relaxing.

[ronwalf]

@Dirt 1240 wrote:

I got a few interesting comments when I rode my unicycle to the Metro last winter in a snow storm. Need to see if I can hook up a moped motor to it. NOT

Here you go.

[ronwalf]

@Dirt 10575 wrote:

I guess the bottom line is what bike do you want to put them on? If the answer is “Mountain”, then the Extreme will do better than pretty much anything I’ve seen. They’re very heavy and you’ll feel that on the hills and on pavement.

What’s on the unicycle? I’m threatening to get one for “winter commuting” purposes. My wife is threatening back.

[ronwalf]

@Greenbelt 10452 wrote:

There’s an Advance Auto Parts in Greenway center.

They don’t even mind me dragging my bike in. I’m pondering my options, since the battery I’m looking at is a bit overweight for my rack (though not for my child seat – wonder what the wife would think about that?).

[ronwalf]

Just don’t puncture the battery (LiPo 18650).

[ronwalf]

@Mark Blacknell 10038 wrote:

So – what could make *you* think that a class would be worth your time? Taken a class and been disappointed by it? Taken a class and been impressed by it? I’ve got my own answers to these questions, but I’d like to hear from others, first. I’m speaking of both classroom and street instruction, fwiw.

I took a short tutorial on slow maneuvering at UMCP. It was fun, free, and convenient.

[ronwalf]

@Roscoe 9950 wrote:

So I guess ALL cyclists EVERYWHERE (in MD, that is) should ride in the center of the lane at all times then ?

No. But cyclists, in accordance with the law and through experience and education, should choose the lane positioning where they feel safest. It is both their prerogative and duty.

[ronwalf]

@Roscoe 9943 wrote:

First, most cyclists (at least right near me) are only moving “at the speed of traffic” because they have in fact slowed down the traffic. It’s clearly a very small minority of riders that maintains a pace at or near the posted speed limit.

The conditions are a disjunction. Any one of them is sufficient for a cyclist to take the lane, and they are a plain description of Maryland’s law regarding the matter:
(a) Each person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter at a speed less than the speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing on a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable and safe, except when:
(1) Making or attempting to make a left turn;
(2) Operating on a one-way street;
(3) Passing a stopped or slower moving vehicle;
(4) Avoiding pedestrians or road hazards;
(5) The right lane is a right turn only lane; or
(6) Operating in a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle or motor scooter and another vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

I certainly won’t dispute that these rules you post are apparently factual. But neither can you dispute that following them as written would cause situations of total traffic backlog and demonstrate a complete lack of courtesy on the part of cyclists, who would be CHOOSING to make no effort whatsoever to convenience the traffic. Just as the 2-abreast riders do.

MDoT put that book out to educate cyclists on safe cycling. Their recommendations have nothing to do with conveniencing drivers. When I take the lane, I do it for safety reasons, not out of ego or to provoke drivers behind me.

[ronwalf]

@Roscoe 9926 wrote:

Please don’t ever ride on a road near me.

I have the Maryland DOT’s publication “Safe Bicycling in Maryland.” It says:

When to Ride in the Middle:
It’s safest to ride in the middle of the lane when:
(a) You’re moving at the speed of traffic; (b) the lane is too small for cars to pass you safely; (c) you’re avoiding potholes or the doors of parked cars

Since the state of Maryland says cyclists should be taking the lane on the roads described, and riding two abreast doesn’t change the passing dynamics, you are specifically advocating against the recommendation of experts.

[ronwalf]

@CCrew 9663 wrote:

By both of your definitions I can ignore walk signals and stop signs…

The definitions he gave were quoted from VA law. They do not let you ignore walk signals (that’s elsewhere), and stop signs on the trail do not change the duty of approaching drivers. I’m not sure why there’s such a difficulty in interpreting this clear section of law, other than that it so plainly contradicts the everyday behavior of drivers.

[ronwalf]

I’ve compromised. The PDW RadBot 1000 has a slow pulse mode which is unlikely to blind. I use it in conjunction with a steady-on taillight.

(also, the Radbot is mount-compatible with the superflash, and comes standard the with rack mount shown above that PB sells for $5)

-Ron

[ronwalf]

Anyone else have light creep? First I had my 1/2 watt Blaze and superflash. Nice light for the rear, but the 1/2 watt Blaze is a bit anemic for a front light.

Then I got a dynamo and a IQ Cyo (plus tail light), but I kept the blaze and superflash as supplemental blinkies. Life was good, and this setup sorta made sense.

Then I bought lights for my wife – a Romisen RC-N3 flashlight and mount (bright, but not the best optics for cycling), and a Radbot 1000 (same mount as a Superflash, good for interchangeability!) for the rear.

I decided my wife wasn’t biking enough so I confiscated them. Now I’m up to three headlights up front, 2 tail lights and carrying a spare. Now I’m pondering helmet lights….

[ronwalf]

Here I was hoping ‘wonky’ meant your computer started giving you the truly nerdy info, like how fast you have to peddle to make the next green.

Check that the sensor and magnet didn’t get misaligned?

[Author]

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