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Berlin's Plan to Become a City for Cyclists

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

#91

Post by kayoone »

kazinator wrote: post #58
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…

If the cycling commute is flat, it has to be long to get decent exercise, because you have to apply a flat-out effort and you cover a lot of ground. If my bike commute were flat, I'd prefer to be some 14 miles from work rather than the current 7. Or else I would have to run it (more often). To me, what would make an area ideal for cycling (if it has good roads and such) is: dry climate. No rain, no snow.

My bike commute is only 5km one way, but it helped me a lot losing 10kgs of weight and developing good overall fitness and even some visible leg muscles. I try to go at a fast pace though, i agree that when you drive normally there is not a lot of effort involved on a 20 minute commute.

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

#92

Post by rorykoehler »

kqr wrote: post #82
kazinator wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the cycling commute is flat, it has to be long to get decent exercise, because you have to apply a flat-out effort and you cover a lot of ground. If my bike commute were flat, I'd prefer to be some 14 miles from work rather than the current 7. Or else I would have to run it (more often). To me, what would make an area ideal for cycling (if it has good roads and such) is: dry climate. No rain, no snow.

People often seem to miss this. In many ways, cycling is a terrible form of exercise precisely because it is such an efficient mode of transport.

As someone who gets repetitive strain injuries from running and isn't a great swimmer cycling is a God send. I can go biking 7 days a week. If i need a blow out then i push a harder gear without dropping cadence... Or i do tabata.

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

#93

Post by rorykoehler »

_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…

Half the drivers in wedding think they're acting in Tokyo drift. You can quite safely take back roads however to get anywhere in Berlin.

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

#94

Post by piva00 »

kazinator wrote: post #58
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…

If the cycling commute is flat, it has to be long to get decent exercise, because you have to apply a flat-out effort and you cover a lot of ground. If my bike commute were flat, I'd prefer to be some 14 miles from work rather than the current 7. Or else I would have to run it (more often). To me, what would make an area ideal for cycling (if it has good roads and such) is: dry climate. No rain, no snow.

But cycling commute isn't about exercising, it's about commute. I live in Stockholm, it's cold, it's wet and not as flat as Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, etc., even then I bike to work even during winter because it's fun and a good way to get around the city, the exercise is just a bonus for me after biking 30+ km in a day because I had to go places.

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

#95

Post by woodpanel »

always_good wrote: post #40
woodpanel wrote: post #11

Well, hopefully by the time this plan is realized Berlin cyclists will have developed things like respect, manners and a basic concept of not being the most important thing on the road. While its true, that car priorization pushes pedestrian‘s quality of life down - the idea that pedestrians aren‘t as pushed by road rage cyclists is wierd. For pedestrians Cars at least are identifiable (via license plates), can be sl…

These kinds of posts are downright bizarre to me. The only explanation I can see is if you've never had to walk nor bike around, only drive, and only talk to other people who also grumble "fucking cyclists" when they realize they have to share the road with them. > German car owners fear nothing more than damages Well, cyclists and pedestrians have to fear bodily injury from all collisions. You yourself admit that au…

Its precisely comments like yours that illustrate perfectly the arrogance of proponents of the cyclist movement.

I ride bikes and am an pedestrian since all My life in said cities. Yet people like you feel inclined to judge any one who doesnt agree with them into the class of „unworthiness to talk to“.

You people cant even read my Statement correctly: I was talking about the dangers to the pedestrians by the cyclists.

Not everybody who rides bikes is a dick, and yes car driving dicks have the advantage of their bodies being protected.

But my Main point, that got lost in peoples mouth foam is, that at least dick-drivers are accountable. Cyclists arent. They can leave marks on cars and ride off. They can insult „fucking pedestrians“ and ride off. They can attack other (slower) cyclists, and ride off. Cars cant because in dense urban areas they arent as easy and as free to navigate.

And besides from being stolen, in all those interactions the cyclists doesnt have to fear damageto his vehicle.

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

#96

Post by Improvotter »

I'm from around Ghent in Belgium and study in Ghent and last year the city introduced a plan where no cars except for taxis and some public transport is allowed inside of the city centre. It's absolutely awesome because Ghent is a student city and you can get anywhere in Ghent using the bike but you can also get anywhere by car by parking nearby in an underground parking lot and walking the rest of the way. But it has made it so much safer and easier for cyclists (and people on foot!) to just get around.

Antwerp also recently introduced a measure where only cars with a low amount of "exhaust gases" (can't really find the proper name as of writing this) are allowed in the city centre. I haven't been there since, but it's also something I truly admire going into the future.

I visited San Francisco last year and it was a true nightmare to get around in Mountain View by bike. I have never felt more unsafe on a bike in my entire life to be honest. I am driving on a bike without a biking lane next to cars that are going close to 100km/h. It's truly insane. Visiting other cities in the US as well have been awful from a cyclist's point of view compared to most of the European cities and cities from the Netherlands are amazing as well (something you don't hear very often from a Belgian).

So all in all, please just ban the car in most places in the city imo or do something like Antwerp that drives (pun intended) people towards electric cars faster.

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

#98

Post by laingc »

Svip wrote: post #90

Another important point often missed in these discussions is training. If you take a driving licence in Denmark, a big part of the training is how to deal with bicyclists. I have also taken a bus driving licence in Denmark, and there it becomes an even bigger thing. Like counting bicyclists as you approach a junction you wish to turn right, placing the bus correctly, so you can see the bicyclists coming towards you i…

I’m not sure about the explicit training, but drivers in Germany are generally pretty excellent when it comes to dealing with cyclists.

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

#99

Post by Grumbledour »

laingc wrote: post #98
Svip wrote: post #90

Another important point often missed in these discussions is training. If you take a driving licence in Denmark, a big part of the training is how to deal with bicyclists. I have also taken a bus driving licence in Denmark, and there it becomes an even bigger thing. Like counting bicyclists as you approach a junction you wish to turn right, placing the bus correctly, so you can see the bicyclists coming towards you i…

I’m not sure about the explicit training, but drivers in Germany are generally pretty excellent when it comes to dealing with cyclists.

Ha! Good one! Maybe compared with other countries? But that doesn't stop them from ignoring your right of way, parking in the bike lane, pushing you to the side at red lights or pushing in front of you dangerously even when its not you who is blocking traffic, because obviously there is nothing worse than being stuck behind a cyclist.

Not to pile on to much on the drivers, because other cyclists are also often terrible in their behavior on the street, but they at least are less deadly to other cyclists. So while it could certainly be worse, there is a lot you have to deal with when sharing the road with drivers who either ignore or outright hate you.

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

#100

Post by walshemj »

ThankYouByeBye wrote: post #89
ThankYouByeBye wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you can ride fat bike

ride a heavy fat steel bike with both front and back suspension and low tyre pressure and tyre treading for slowing the speed. Sit upright and keep the seat position low for inefficient pedalling.

good luck Riding a skiny tired racing bike in the snow when compared to a fat tired MTB
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