Home on The Range

[MattiThundrrr]

My town has converted a few lanes to bike lanes to reduce traffic, and it seems like the drivers have taken it personally. Almost as though they're mad at cyclists for the decision, like we are taking their gawd given right to have 4 lanes away.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

My town has converted a few lanes to bike lanes to reduce traffic, and it seems like the drivers have taken it personally. Almost as though they're mad at cyclists for the decision, like we are taking their gawd given right to have 4 lanes away.

THIS

Thank you for posting that, @MattiThundrrr

I've been saying this for many years now, but a large amount of bicycle "infrastructure" does this everywhere. In fact, it just happened in my little corner of the World, where lanes were needlessly taken away on an arterial roadway and it has the drivers on that particular roadway being more aggro than ever. Most vehicle operators seem to think that their tax money is better spent elsewhere and I agree with them. Bicycle "infrastructure" is already in place as the road itself. If drivers were properly educated about their responsibilities on the road as far as "at risk" road users go and proper enforcement was employed, we wouldn't NEED all of the fancy lines and other kooky and expensive things the Bicycle Infrastructure Industry is coming up with. Funny how they want to copy Europeans in this realm when the USA is NOT EUROPE. I learned a long time ago how to put myself in the proverbial shoes of anyone from any walk of life in emergencies in order to manipulate them into providing critical information as a 911 Telecommunicator and know what has the highest probability of working in the Idiocracy the USA has become. Throw what they need to know in their face and if they don't get it, hit them in the wallet with a traffic citation or even jail time. Also, increase penalties for those who assault and/or kill at risk road users. Spend all of that "infrastructure" money on education/enforcement and the aggro attitudes about the physically seen "waste of money" or their percieved "right to four lanes" should disappear.

Lastly, "Share The Road" signs SUCK. It's not instructional as much as it is merely a weak suggestion. Throw them all away and replace them with "Rider Has Full Use Of Lane", which we do (at least here in Colorado and most other states).

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Thanks to Bicycle Colorado and others who made SB 22-1028 happen!

From Bicycle Colorado:

Intersections are by far the most dangerous locations for bicyclists, in Colorado and elsewhere. The most recent data we have from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), which is comprehensive for the state from 2017-2019, indicates that in that time frame 72.2% of reported crashes between bicyclists and drivers took place at intersections or were "intersection related." When bicyclists are able to get out of the intersection and away from that conflict zone before a potential crash can even occur their safety improves.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

My first post about the pump track being built in Erie, CO was in early October 2021 when the asphalt work and wooden wallrides were already in place. Swinging through the area and checking since then has seen the slowest progress of any landscaping job at a park I've ever witnessed. The pace seems to be a day's worth of work getting done every week. Ridiculous would be an understatement.

After scoping the sadness above, I took the John Player Special and Big Orange Machine to the local proving grounds so a friend could demo The Big Orange Machine. The JPS is absolutely ridiculous there and riding that compared to TBOM was like a surgeon going from a butter knife to a proper scalpel. I followed my friend down the tracks a few times and he applied the instructions provided with fantastic results. TBOM is sold.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

the slowest progress of any landscaping job at a park I've ever witnessed. The pace seems to be a day's worth of work getting done every week.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Ha, they finally opened the Eerie pump track this week, though the landscaping toads are still "working".

Better news, I met with a local business owner today and we talked about getting the ball rolling on a Velosolutions pump track in Longmont. We have a lot of support already and may only need to raise a nominal amount of money to get it done.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

I roll my own smudge sticks from Giant Sage and have not done a cleanse in a while, until this morning.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-178...al-to-cleanse-your-aura-clear-your-space.html
Though it may seem hippy-dippy to some, it works for many.

My last smudge stick is about half played-out, so I'll be rolling a few more in the near future. If anyone here would like one for themselves, let me know and I'll roll one for you and send it.

 

[Captain Awesome]

I roll my own smudge sticks from Giant Sage and have not done a cleanse in a while, until this morning.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-178...al-to-cleanse-your-aura-clear-your-space.html
Though it may seem hippy-dippy to some, it works for many.

My last smudge stick is about half played-out, so I'll be rolling a few more in the near future. If anyone here would like one for themselves, let me know and I'll roll one for you and send it.

You and my wife would get along well. She's always smudging the bad juju

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

You and my wife would get along well. She's always smudging the bad juju

I learned about smudging from friends in the Four Corners area back in the late 1990's. They taught me how to roll my own properly. I use locally sourced hemp strands to tie them up. The casa feels better now.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I don't buy into the hippie mumbo jumbo, but I have been to a sage ceremony by the local tribe (Mohawk) to honor the graves found at the residential schools and hopefully guide the lost children home. It was extremely powerful, there is something there for sure. I still choke up thinking about it

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

I don't buy into the hippie mumbo jumbo, but I have been to a sage ceremony by the local tribe (Mohawk) to honor the graves found at the residential schools and hopefully guide the lost children home. It was extremely powerful, there is something there for sure. I still choke up thinking about it

I'd wager that most neo-hippies lack full comprehension, if even an awareness of most Native American practices. Attending cermonies goes a long way in that understanding and you obviously felt the power of it.

Beyond the Spiritual Benefits of smudging with sage, the physiological perks are believed to include antioxidant properties, antimicrobial properties, repelling insects and is also thought to release negative ions that help reduce the effects of positive ions and allergens present in things such as dust, mold, pollution and pet dander.

 

[Gimp]

I'd much rather sweat it out in my underwear. Rolled way to many dobbies in my day. I get my peace In my shop listening to rock music and building

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

While rolling around my 'hood with my brother when he was visiting, we encountered a lot of false driver courtesy. It was fun to see him handle it the same way I do, not even looking at the goofball who is blocking the roadway and waving almost frantically at us to proceed when we do not have the right of way. George Carlin had some .... things to say about these pseudosanctimonious idiots:



The convo following one of these encounters brought up the fact that there are a boatload of permitted/licensed drivers out there who have no idea what they are doing, especially around cyclists. Funny, he didn't rant about anything in his visit to that point and went into one about the current lack of education and enforcement that is making our roadways more unsafe for all users, but especially to at-risk users on foot and non-motorized conveyances. He doesn't expect the money flow destined for the bicycle infrastrucure industry to be diverted to education and enforcement either. Sad Unreality for those who ride bicycles on our roadways.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Truth. Except for his post Vietnam motivations, because this excess politeness is something Canadians excell at. People causing accidents in the name of politeness...

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

I had some doofus chirp at me yesterday, "I was waiting for you to go." when if I had gone, a car passing him on the right would have run me over. Clueless and yes, he was being a pseudosanctimonious ...... I said something very un-nice to him.