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Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

citylab.com

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Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#131

Post by akvadrako »

lagadu wrote: post #118
Xylakant wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Training does not seem to help much. Here in Berlin, I regularly see Dutch and Danish coaches parked on cycle lanes in busy traffic, forcing cyclists to veer into traffic. Enforcement seems to be the key, and that’s sorely lacking here.

As someone who lives in Copenhagen: that's because the cycling lanes system in Berlin is pretty terrible and is set up opposite to how it's set up here, in regards to where the cycling lanes are. Having seen it I'd never try to use it myself whenever I go to Berlin. No offense, but the way people cycle there is also scary: here I can count 100% on the cyclists (myself included when cycling) to follow the rules and be…

Cyclists in Netherlands are skilled, but they don't follow any of the rules. Red lights just indicate the one moment when cars going cross-ways have priority.

However, it's still predictable - the biker will always go first and take any space left on the sides and will often go the wrong way or on the sidewalk.

Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#132

Post by Fnoord »

_Codemonkeyism wrote: post #72

Berlin is a very bad place for cyclists right now. The governing SPD is a car maker party, always was and always will be. Working in Wedding near my work where the SPD governed since forever there is a bicycle lane on the pavement but unmarked for a decade with countless run ins with pedestrians. After doing nothing for 50 years there was a referendum and the SPD did a 180 and painted themselves as a cyclist party. S…

The public transport in Berlin (I've been in Mitte only though) is amazing compared to Amsterdam. Far easier to get around to the locations, clean communication (simple German), and you don't need a stupid RFID/NFC card. Only thing I disliked was the heroin junkies at some places.

And, well the traffic lights for pedestrians go from green to red like poof while in The Netherlands they will blink green before going to red. Germany should adopt that system from us, it informs pedestrians about their situation.

Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#133

Post by lebski88 »

masklinn wrote: post #116
dirktheman wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm Dutch. The Netherlands is one of the most bicycle-dense countries in the world, and we have a, well, less than ideal climate to say the least. Rain, wind or snow really isn't that much of an issue when you have the right outfit.

As the scandinavian saying goes, "there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes". Of course it can be hard to know/find good clothes when you have not grown up in such a culture.

If you live in a hilly city then snow and ice are pretty bad for cycling even if you are wearing the right clothes! Rain is fine though.

Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#134

Post by xxs »

lagadu wrote: post #118
Xylakant wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Training does not seem to help much. Here in Berlin, I regularly see Dutch and Danish coaches parked on cycle lanes in busy traffic, forcing cyclists to veer into traffic. Enforcement seems to be the key, and that’s sorely lacking here.

As someone who lives in Copenhagen: that's because the cycling lanes system in Berlin is pretty terrible and is set up opposite to how it's set up here, in regards to where the cycling lanes are. Having seen it I'd never try to use it myself whenever I go to Berlin. No offense, but the way people cycle there is also scary: here I can count 100% on the cyclists (myself included when cycling) to follow the rules and be…

Copenhagen is in a class on its own when it comes to cycling both culture and traffic organization. Pretty much I can't think of any other European capital that comes close (missing Amsterdam out of the bunch, though).

Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#135

Post by matt4077 »

lobster_johnson wrote: post #46
sharpercoder wrote: post #4

I was in Valencia (Spain) a few weeks back. This city is one of the most ideal cities I have been to for cycling; flat, perfect climate, riverbed running right through the middle of the city, spacious roads and high density. One of the inhabitants told me they dedicated cycling lanes a year back or so. That was visible: They had painted bicycle lanes right over roads & pedestrian areas. I guess when the Valencian peo…

Having wide streets where you can set side space for bicycle lanes also helps. After WW2, Berlin was in ruins, and the city was never built up to the density of many other European cities. The Soviets, in particular, were particularly fond of wide, open spaces. (The earlier Prussian kings also liked wide avenues they could march their soldiers through.) Berlin is definitely a great city to bike in.

Berlin Actually survived the war relatively intact, compared to, for example, Cologne.

Even in places where every second house was destroyed, street layouts remained unchanged. Mitte, Kreuzberg. Neukölln, Wedding: all These suburbs are mostly unchanged. Karl-Marx-Street was renamed twice, but was originally build at today’s width.

One of the problems with biking in Berlin are actually the cobblestone roads in many residential areas.

Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#136

Post by jdietrich »

icebraining wrote: post #124
jdietrich wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cycling doesn't need to be any more strenuous than walking. It keeps you much cooler than walking, because the higher speed creates a windchill effect if you're lightly dressed. People from non-cycling cultures tend to think that cycling is inherently hot and sweaty, but that's completely inaccurate. It's perfectly comfortable if you ride at your own pace rather than busting a gut in an effort to keep up with traffic…

Maybe if you're a good cyclist, but I can't cycle uphill as slowly as I can walk and still maintain good balance.

It's partly fitness, partly technique and partly equipment. If you're totally sedentary, you're probably going to sweat until you develop a base level of fitness. If your bike is badly over-geared, you're going to have to push hard just to keep the bike moving uphill. If you haven't learned to hold your gaze on a distant point, you overcorrect your steering inputs and your pedalling technique is extremely choppy, you're going to struggle with balance at low speed. If the going gets really steep, there's nothing wrong with just getting off and walking.

None of this is rocket science, it just takes a bit of experience. Half the battle is developing a culture in which cycling is treated as an ordinary mode of transport rather than a sport. In places with a very strong cycling culture like Amsterdam or Copenhagen, you see all sections of society on bicycles - ordinary people in ordinary clothes riding ordinary bicycles at an ordinary pace.

Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#137

Post by matt4077 »

mpweiher wrote: post #123
hawski wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate when cyclists don't yield to people going in or out of a tram or a bus. They mostly ring at you when you cross the bike lane from bus stop to the bus. Cars would stop in the same situation as this is sanctified. It happens from all the places next to Hauptbahnhof and it infuriates me, because there are far more passengers than cyclists. I know that is because cyclists want to maintain inertia, but it's just ru…

Hmm...would you simply walk across the busy street in front of the Haubptbahnhof and expect the cars to stop for you? Or would you take the overpass, or wait at the traffic light? Definitely someone is being rude in the scenario, I don't think it is the cyclists. (And no, you are not allowed to cross a street just because a bus stopped).

The bike lanes are often on the sidewalk, right where bus passengers exit. A stopped Tram legally requires the traffic in the lane to its right to stop.

Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#139

Post by [deleted] »

matt4077 wrote: post #137
mpweiher wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm...would you simply walk across the busy street in front of the Haubptbahnhof and expect the cars to stop for you? Or would you take the overpass, or wait at the traffic light? Definitely someone is being rude in the scenario, I don't think it is the cyclists. (And no, you are not allowed to cross a street just because a bus stopped).

The bike lanes are often on the sidewalk, right where bus passengers exit. A stopped Tram legally requires the traffic in the lane to its right to stop.

[deleted]

Re: Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

#140

Post by kasey_junk »

walshemj wrote: post #101
kasey_junk wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Chicago and my family and our neighbors transport our children to school/stores/activities via bikes or feet. When the snow gets real bad we switch to sleds. Anecdotally from observing my kids school I’d say that yuba bike linked is very popular. As are the Dutch bikes with the big front thing for hauling kids. That of course relies on living in a place with infrastructure that enables it. Which is what Ber…

you mean a cargo bike not very safe for the kids though

This thing:

https://jclindbikes.com/cargo-bikes/nihola-family/

Not sure why it would be any more/less safe for kids.

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