Haphazard Harold’s latest missive “Will these people ever give up?” Maj Kilgore Apocalypse Now

 

Haphazard Harold

 

 

 

 

Having recently returned from the ACT it’s disappointing that Harold has to go trolling against bicycle infrastructure, particularly shared user paths. The Big Canberra Bike Ride as previously reported took riders both on a journey through Canberra both on the road and on Shared User Paths. Everything about it went well. No bogans yelling at the riders from the safety and comfort of their cars, shared paths that were in good repair and riders who used common sense when using the shared paths.

It seems that Haphazard Harold has decided to keep the issues raised in his previous missive in an interview for the Inner-West Weekly, which was posted in their on line edition. In this report Haphazard Harold had decided to extend his ambit claims that cycle paths should be abolished with “

a plan that includes insurance for pedestrians, fines for speeding and other offences such as negligent cycling, and a comprehensive identification system such as numberplates on bikes.”

Fortunately the reporter for the Inner-West Weekly was principled enough to seek out an opinion from the RTA which stated

all cyclists in NSW were governed by state laws which prohibit riding in a “negligent or reckless fashion”. “The legal advice obtained by the Pedestrian Council does not raise anything new which would warrant a change to existing RTA policies,”. Pretty much what I and everyone else thought and it would appear that Harold’s desire to get rid of shared paths will go the same way that his efforts to get rid of bull bars from four wheel drives went. Nowhere!

It is worth refuting some of his latest claims. Firstly Haphazard Harold claims “

said shared bike paths, such as the Bay Run foreshore and Cooks River bike path, were “a farce”. The only people who have made The Bay Run foreshore a farce have been pedestrians who won’t stay in the pedestrian sections of the path. Many walk two abreast and use the sections marked for cyclists. As for the Cooks River bike path there are usually no problems the path is wide enough for everyone’s needs.

The hypocrisy from Haphazard Harold continues with “

councils must enforce a 10km/h speed limit on bike paths ”. Given Harold’s backing of the state government’s decision to reduce the demerits for motorists exceeding the speed limit by more than 15 km an hour it this sounds too cute by far. If it is just a “misdemeanour” for motorists to exceed the speed limit by not more than 10km per hour what about cyclists doing the same? Haphazard Harold’s proposal for a “comprehensive identification system such as numberplates on bikes” is similar to the other idiocy that came from Paul (Pot)tinger and the Mosman Farmer. The best response to those proposals came from the Cycling Promotion Fund http://www.cyclingpromotion.com.au/images/stories/factsheets/Issue_Sheet_5_Bicycles_belong_on_the_road.pdf

As seen from this document the amount of money raised from the registration of cars and other government imposts on cars is way overshadowed by the costs to society incurred by motor vehicles.

If Harold really wanted to improve the safety of cyclists and pedestrians he would be pushing for more safer cycle paths not less.

Just to sort things out It seems to my mind to be a good idea to provide a rebuttal of arguments for bicycle registration. The long and the short is

It’s too costly, It’s unenforceable, It would be detrimental to the broader social benefits of cycling, Compliance would be minimalist (especially among those it’s supposed to catch.

 

Bicycle Victoria spokesman Harry Barber said The Germans tried to do it to the Dutch during World War II and it didn’t work,” to quote Treadly and Me (see http://treadly.net/2007/04/05/bike-number-plates-dumb-idea-redux/) “it only provoked resistance. And without taking the comparison to Nazis too far, how much fun would cyclists have swapping registration plates backwards and forwards between themselves, and between all sorts of different bikes”. Something that has come up during the spate of petrol thefts during the recent period where petrol was $1.50 and above, was the number of numberplates stolen from cars, there has also been issues with people modifying numberplates with electrical tape and texta pens and what has become an urban legend about people using hair sprays to fool speed cameras – no one can say the same cannot happen to number plates on bikes.

As Chris Gerhard points out “

Consider the effectiveness. Number plates on cars don’t stop them jumping lights or speeding so there is no reason to think this measure would be effective for cyclists”. There are a huge number of hit and run drivers who have not been caught. It seems Harold Scruby (now known as Haphazard Harold) doesn’t do anything to urge continuing investigation of these cases. These drivers would have been driving registered cars and the fact that they were registered did not deter them from committing homicide with their registered motor vehicles.A number plate on a bike no more identifies the rider than a number plate on a car identifies the driver.

The impracticality is screamingly obvious when as Gerhard points out again “

Consider the size of a number plate. It has to be unique to cope with the 30 million bikes so seven digits. Seven digits on the back of a push bike. Pretty big then or not readable. If it is big that will make most bikes, like the ones I ride to work on illegal as there is no room for a number plate once you have lights, reflectors etc. All “racing” bikes would be illegal and most mountain bikes”

In short what Haphazard Harold is trying to do is pretty much like most anti-cycling whingers try to do and deter cycling – by pushing for a registration system, a system that would be

prohibitive in cost and would deter people from owning and riding a bike. In short Harold’s plan sounds about as futile as a plan that would force pedestrians to wear number plates and carry lights at night (red at the back and white at the front).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The week that was – shit happens to good people (including me)

Well it looks like this week has been one of those weeks where anything that could go wrong did go wrong. I had a relatively easy week commuting. I was able to get an early mark at work on Thursday. I went to Ashfield Cycles where I had dropped the Red Hybrid off for a service. I was able to made it on time and collected the bike. The price of the service had grown due to the number of parts that were needed (Mainly brake pads and a bidon cage). I got the bike back and took off to the Cooks River Cycleway.

Unfortunately I missed the park where I was able to get on to the cycleway and wound up going through the streets of Ashfield, Campsie and Canterbury, until I found a point were I was able to join the cycleway. When I got back I wound up going to Tempe Velodromefor the spin session with Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club – my club. I rode to the velodrome only to have the chain snap at Tempe station. I lost half the removable link.  I searched desperately but could not find it.

I met another guy on his way to the velodrome who suggested I continue on to the velodrome where someone would be able to help me. I went to the velodromeand caught up with Lindsay Munks who sorted out the chain issue. He had the tools and was able to get the chain linked together. It was strongly recommended that I see the guys at Ashfield Cycles and find out what went wrong. It was also recommended that I get a new chain as the chain was too tight.

On Friday I rang the guys at Ashfield Cycles and was told that they did not remove the chain for the service. I get the feeling that things were not going to get any easier despite the dead chain. On Saturday I got up and prepared for Slowies only to find that the rain was going to put the kybosh on the event.

I went out to Coles in Monterey for a Birthday present for a friend of mine and a carton of UHT Skim milk. I took the fearless gear-less to see how it would handle the path. There has been some changes but the fearless gear-less handled everything quite well. I got the milk but did not get the present as it was not in stock. As I went back to Tempe my rear tyre blew out. I cursed and swore and got the bike to a shelter used for picnics. I took the rear wheel off using a spanner from my multitool. I found that the tyre was worn out at the side rim, with the tyre coming away from the bead. I replaced the tube with a thorn proof tube. I intended to get back to Tempe pushing the bike but wound up riding it.  Towards the end the issues with the tyre became problematic. I copped the fishtailing as I turned and wound up slowing down. I got the bike in and changed the tyre. I will now be running WTB slicks from the Iguana.

I will write back with details of how the Fearless Gearless preforms with Slicks.

The other issue was major. On Sunday I was still in Sydney for some overtime. I decided to go to Waterfall with DHBC and had prepared myself for the event. It would have been my first Waterfall and I got myself down to Mick Mazza cycles at 06:30 after getting a new chain from Mick I headed off. The drive train seized up with on the way which was the reason for the new chain. After the Club President gave his speech outlining the risks of cycling and stressing that we accepted the risks if we rode with the club that morning, we headed off. We headed down Warren Rd and went through to Gannon Street. We got on to the highway and went past a RBT station and were going down Marsh Street when the rear derailleur came off.

Geoff said it was the end of my ride and I concurred with him. I walked the bike back to Tempe and met a guy who left the peleton due to concerns about rain. He said that the bike may be dead because the hanger is bent and may be elongated as the derailleur bolt has been sheared off. However he reckoned it would be repairable. I got the bike back and put it into the car for the trip to Bike Minded in Wentworth Falls. I took the Green Trek out for a ride. Woolys Wheels was open but it is booked out till the 18th. I dropped into the Addison St Markets at Marrickville after checking out Cell bikes and Stanmore Cycles (both closed due to the long weekend). After the week end I went back to Lithgow.

This morning I took the Red Hybrid to Bike Minded in Wentworth Falls. They reckon it may be dead but it will be wait and see. They will try to get the bolt out and then straighten the drop out. If all is well there will be a new derailleur and everything realigned. If not I may either make the Red Hybrid a single speed or take it and stip it for parts to be put onto a frame either from Europa Cycles or Peter Bundy in Riverwood. In short it was not a good week. God has had an ear bashing from me and I am not a happy boy. But there is always next time. I will also be willing to get out and give everything a go when the Red Hybrid – or it’s replacement is ready to roll.