Van clocks recumbent cyclist on Anzac Parade

It’s a rule for newer bikes but not illegal to ride an older bike without that system in place.

Kind of like how it’s legal to drive a car without seatbelts if it’s never had them fitted.

I used to ride a 3 wheeler recumbent – loved it on the bike paths, avoided the road like the plague – never felt safe. I was once waiting to cross the road at a crossing when a big friendly dog ambled up and was looking down at me and dribbling 🙂

Recumbent bike = donorcycle,

(aka c**t bikes.)

Seriously, cyclists are bad enough, but these things take t**tishness to a new level.

Just saw one shoot across a PEDESTRIAN crossing by Woden library, with nary a care if there were any cars approaching, or, if there were, their ability to see him.

Mind you, he did have a little yellow flag on an arial, so that’s his safety assured.

Solidarity said :

YOU are responsible for YOUR personal safety. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure YOU are visible. YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.

How do you leave your house everyday?

gooterz said :

Its a god damn road rule the motorbikes ride with lights on during the day for visibilty

This is not a road rule, it is a suggestion.

johnboy said :

I’m not so sure about the visibility argument.

In almost every circumstance the car will overtake the cyclist on the right, giving plenty of time to see them if, frankly, in any sort of state to be driving.

Coming full tilt down a mad hill I’d agree the cyclist should, like anyone, not go sitting in blind spots.

Anzac Parade is a tricky one though, it’s possible the cyclist really was undertaking if coming down the hill there. If so they really should have been anticipating left hand turning traffic.

I’m not talking about who is at fault in any situation.

If you’re the venerable one, you need to take every step you can to ensure you stand out and are noticed. Why would you put your life in somebody elses hands?

YOU are responsible for YOUR personal safety. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure YOU are visible. YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. This has nothing to do with who is at fault in the event of a collision.

Brandi said :

Much as I hate defending them, mainly on the basis of their beards and 1960s eyewear, recumbent cyclists are no less visible than a child on a BMX or a person in a wheelchair crossing the road.

Except that kids on BMXs and people in wheelchairs don’t tend to ride alongside you in traffic. Obviously they’re visible when crossing the road, it’s when they’re beside and behind you that it’s a problem.

Much as I hate defending them, mainly on the basis of their beards and 1960s eyewear, recumbent cyclists are no less visible than a child on a BMX or a person in a wheelchair crossing the road.

All too often I hear this nonsense about “such and such is a deathtrap, these people must be suicidal”. It’s actually motorists, and the dynamic of driving inside a big metal box at high speed. “Sorry, I didn’t see you mate” is code for “S***, I wasn’t looking”. Slow down and use your eyes.

Recumbent bikes are an accident looking for somewhere to happen.

I understand that recumbents are more efficient, but I can’t understand why anybody would choose to ride one on the roads in traffic.

I almost cleaned up a guy on a recumbent while driving home from work in Fyshwick a year or so ago. The sun was going down, visibility wasn’t great and there was moderately heavy traffic at the time. He had a flag on his ride, but was otherwise entirely obscured below the window line of my car. I was looking for cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles but I completely failed to visually process his pitiful little orange triangle in my peripheral vision as he went past me. It was one of the closest shaves I’ve ever had, and I don’t want to repeat it.

melon1234 said :

Wouldn’t surprise me if it was this guy

http://youtu.be/ZufNmJIlVsE?t=25s

I’ve seen that guy fly across in front of traffic against the lights twice at the very same intersection.

There should be visibility restrictions for cyclists

Its a god damn road rule the motorbikes ride with lights on during the day for visibility they’re much bigger than a recum-bent.

Its crazy you can’t ride a Segway on a road but you can a bike where your lying down with head pointed at the car

Wouldn’t surprise me if it was this guy

http://youtu.be/ZufNmJIlVsE?t=25s

smee said :

Here I was thinking they caught a cyclist speeding. Nice misleading header johnboy…

Did the cyclist run a red light?

Yeah I think you have to have no brain or a death wish to use one of those.
If something bad happens you are even more dead than on a bicycle.

KB1971 said :

While I like the idea of the comfort of a recumbent, I think about their visibility in traffic. Quite often you will see a cyclists head above a cars roof so yo know he is there, a recumbent not so much.

Yep, as a motorist I’m not a big fan of them either for the same reasons you mention.

At this time of year it’s not as bad, but in winter when it gets darker sooner they can be nigh on impossible to see at times.

To be fair many recumbent cyclists will have orange flags to increase their visibility, but I’d still rather they weren’t on the road.

While I like the idea of the comfort of a recumbent, I think about their visibility in traffic. Quite often you will see a cyclists head above a cars roof so yo know he is there, a recumbent not so much.

Here I was thinking they caught a cyclist speeding. Nice misleading header johnboy…