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People going to work on bikes.

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On 01/05/2019 at 08:50, carosio said:

 

Presuming that cyclists on here are familiar with it, isn't the straight stretch of Manchester Rd up to the Bell Hagg also known as a "magnetic hill" ?

 

On 01/05/2019 at 14:12, Top Cats Hat said:

Yes or now more commonly known as a gravity hill. The only true magnetic hill is somewhere in the Andes I think, where an iron ball on the end of a piece of string doesn't hang vertically because of the magnetic pull of a nearby mountain which is practically made of iron ore!

 

Most 'gravity hills' are a combination of no visible horizon in combination with a physical feature like a row of wind blown trees or telegraph poles which are all leaning at a similar angle. In the absence of a reference like a horizon, the brain will see the trees or polls as vertical because that's what it expects. The result of this is that the road which slopes in one direction appears to be sloping in the other direction.

???

This stretch of road is on my commute and I ride it practically every day.

I've cycled both up and down it thousands of time but have never, ever noticed such an effect.

Perhaps you could give more info - I'm intrigued!

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6 minutes ago, Bargepole23 said:

Your analogy is wrong. You assume that everyone riding a bike is doing it for the exercise.

 

People might take a bike into the city because it's an appropriate and easy way to get around in a localised area. The long journey to/from the suburbs might be too long for them.

 

It's called multimodal transport. Ask your youngest grandson to explain it to you.

Most buses here in Toronto and neghbouring Mississauga are fitted with bike racks at the front of the bus. Not sure how many bikes the racks hold and I have not seen them on streetcars (trams) as yet.However, I have seen folks allowed to bring bikes on the streetcars,at times.

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18 minutes ago, Bargepole23 said:

Your analogy is wrong. You assume that everyone riding a bike is doing it for the exercise.

 

People might take a bike into the city because it's an appropriate and easy way to get around in a localised area. The long journey to/from the suburbs might be too long for them.

 

It's called multimodal transport. Ask your youngest grandson to explain it to you.

Multimodal has a several definition but it is less associated with the public transport and more with of items freight using different carriers.

Intermodal has several definitions but is more associated with passenger transport when transfers between modes of transport occur than with freight.

Needs to be a very clever boy.

The idea of putting a bicycle inside a city tram is fraught with problems particularly at rush hours.

Probably the costs of being sued by the public being their greatest worry.

Many UK railways limit the number (usually 2 or 3) and times (total rush hour bans and compulsory reservation) when bikes can be carried and they can use criminal and civil law to enforce these rules. Buses and trams do not have such powers.

 

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On 1 May 2019 at 22:26, Cyclone said:

That's not any reality that I see, nor what you said.

It's a pain.  I've had a flat on the way to work and had to walk about 2.5k pushing the bike because I'm not allowed to hop on the tram with it.

A puncture repair kit (or spare tube) is your friend!

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40 minutes ago, Top Cats Hat said:

A puncture repair kit (or spare tube) is your friend!

 Omg, that brings back a lot of childhood memories. Tell you what, had I not had a repair kit, I would have been in big trouble as I went trainspotting on my bike to Doncaster lots of weekends when I was 11 or 12ish and I had my share of punctures. Mind you, one could knock on a door almost anywhere in those days if you needed help.

Edited by Ontarian1981

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I imagine that a lot of people are put off by the weather as well.  It looks a bit grey and damp right now, I expect I'll be damp by the time I get to work and my face will need a wash to get the road spray off.

8 hours ago, Top Cats Hat said:

A puncture repair kit (or spare tube) is your friend!

I'm not repairing a puncture or changing out a tube at the side of the road on my way to work, it's quicker to just walk the rest of the way and sort it later.

9 hours ago, Annie Bynnol said:

The trams and tram/trains are not designed to carry bikes. 

There are no storage areas or restraints.

There is no protection from damage to the person or damage to clothes and property by bicycles. There is no insurance to cover these. 

The design means the bikes will block emergency access and disabled access.

Journey times particularly at rush hour would be extended.

No ability to control the number of bikes being allowed on particularly during the rush hour.

There are two obvious alternatives and still use the tram:

Get a bike for both ends of the route.

Get a Brompton with case. Can be used on buses as well.

 

 

 

There is no general restriction on taking items onto the tram, so if you have a new 60" tele in a box, carry it onto the tram.  Has exactly the same problems, no restraints, nowhere to put it, blocks exits.  But you're allowed to do that.

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1 hour ago, Cyclone said:

I imagine that a lot of people are put off by the weather as well.  It looks a bit grey and damp right now, I expect I'll be damp by the time I get to work and my face will need a wash to get the road spray off.

I'm not repairing a puncture or changing out a tube at the side of the road on my way to work, it's quicker to just walk the rest of the way and sort it later.

There is no general restriction on taking items onto the tram, so if you have a new 60" tele in a box, carry it onto the tram.  Has exactly the same problems, no restraints, nowhere to put it, blocks exits.  But you're allowed to do that.

 

A 60" TV in a box does not have sharp and oily surfaces to injure or damage and anyway if the a staff member decides that a new 60" tele in a box, " could be reasonably expected to cause or does cause obstruction, inconvenience or danger to any person"(Bylaws 9.1b).

Any authorized person can then insist(9.2) on, moving it a safe place and/or on making the item safe or having it removed(9.3).

So if your view is similar to that of an authorized person, the 60"  TV,  would not be carried.

 

(Supertram by-laws ) 9. Bicycles and luggage

9.1 No person shall cause or permit to be brought onto, or permit to remain upon any vehicle or any tram stop:

a) any bicycle or other wheeled vehicle (save for wheelchairs, pushchairs and prams) unless authorised by the Conditions of Carriage; 

b) any luggage or other article which by reason of its nature could be reasonably expected to cause or does cause obstruction, inconvenience or danger to any person (whether a passenger on the system or not) or damage to any property (including but not limited to the system).

 

 

Edited by Annie Bynnol
double copy

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11 hours ago, Annie Bynnol said:

The idea of putting a bicycle inside a city tram is fraught with problems particularly at rush hours.

it works really well in countries where they do it.

 

when you say 'fraught with problems' you mean : they need to install some kind of bike rack.

 

today was/is a ride-to-work day, the rain was a bit annoying, how did i cope ? - i wore a jacket.

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10 hours ago, Ontarian1981 said:

 Omg, that brings back a lot of childhood memories. Tell you what, had I not had a repair kit, I would have been in big trouble as I went trainspotting on my bike to Doncaster lots of weekends when I was 11 or 12ish and I had my share of punctures. Mind you, one could knock on a door almost anywhere in those days if you needed help.

Used to do the same Mr T.  Often think back to them days, Shiregreen to Donny on my bike, easy peasy. must have been fit in them days, mind you I don"t think we ever mastered Whinney hill.

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On 01/05/2019 at 15:36, Top Cats Hat said:

I don't get why anyone runs. It eventually damages the knees, hips and lower spine. Cycling supports the hips and back* and if you use gears properly and ride with a constant cadence your knees won't be damaged either.

 

(*remember to set up your riding position properly and index your gears. It will take a lot of effort out of riding a bike.)

That is fast becoming an old wives tale. Various studies seem to show that runners are no more prone to osteoarthritis than non runners, and that they might even do better. 

 

The thing that is really dangerous to health is not doing exercise so I'd say that having a ride, run or walk it into the daily routine with commuting is very sensible when possible. :)  Most people working in the city centre could walk to / from work in about an hour which is probably not much slower than using the bus in reality.

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14 hours ago, Annie Bynnol said:

Multimodal has a several definition but it is less associated with the public transport and more with of items freight using different carriers.

Intermodal has several definitions but is more associated with passenger transport when transfers between modes of transport occur than with freight.

Needs to be a very clever boy.

The idea of putting a bicycle inside a city tram is fraught with problems particularly at rush hours.

Probably the costs of being sued by the public being their greatest worry.

Many UK railways limit the number (usually 2 or 3) and times (total rush hour bans and compulsory reservation) when bikes can be carried and they can use criminal and civil law to enforce these rules. Buses and trams do not have such powers.

 

And yet when I Google "multimodal public transport" I am inundated with articles about the linking of different modes of public transport, including bicycles, as being described as multimodal.

 

 

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15 hours ago, gordius said:

 

???

This stretch of road is on my commute and I ride it practically every day.

I've cycled both up and down it thousands of time but have never, ever noticed such an effect.

Perhaps you could give more info - I'm intrigued!

I'm really alluding to what my father always said about it on the presumption he was referring to that stretch. There is 15m difference in height between the last bend and the Bell Hagg. Whether it's more noticeable when travelling by car (higher speed) I can't say.  Also there been some tree growth alongside the road in the last 40 years or so which has screened, to some extent, the adjacent landscape. I'll leave the question open.

Edited by carosio

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