first ride in downtown traffic ...

[bpong]

this is my first experience riding my ewheel in downtown toronto.  i was terrified at the thought of riding beside vehicular traffic on an ewheel.

basically, i started at bloor and sherbourne,  and went to a mexican supermarket in kensington market,  and then headed to mountain equipment at peter st. and king st.

then,  i headed back from mec.  it was around 10kms total ride.

since its my first time, i did the following:

used mainly the bicycle lanes,  when possible.  if not the bicycle lanes,  i used quiet streets.  i walked across certain intersections that were very busy like college and spadina.

i avoided some bicycle lanes that merged beside parallel streetcar tracks cause im not used to riding over those rails as yet.

all in all,  it was a very pleasant trip,  and it was much faster than walking the whole route.  the only thing im adding to my riding equipment is a small, light clip on rear view mirror that attaches

to my sun glass horn.  i find it abit distracting doing all those shoulder checks for bicycle traffic that may be behind me.  it is amazing how much ground you cover with the ewheel !!!

its abit of a workout for me combining alittle walking with alot of riding though.  glad i did it to get over the fear factor in riding with downtown traffic.

also,  i found eye to eye contact with car drivers was very important to ensure they know its okay to turn right as im slowing down abit.  hand gestures similar to ones used in

bicycle riding worked well too for signalling turns.

whew !!!

 

 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

 

[Marcglider]

10 minutes ago, bpong said:

the only thing im adding to my riding equipment is a small, light clip on rear view mirror that attaches to my sun glass horn.

not sure where I found it (some post on this forum) but some of us have velcro on our wrist protectors and small round mirrors made for car side view mirrors... you just lift up your arm and glance into the mirror... works great... 

[Stan Onymous]

Also always watch out for parked cars that may be about to open their doors into the bike lanes if they have those type of lanes there. Usually you will see a tail light flicker just before they open the door. If you can, give yourself 3 feet space in these scenarios. I like to use side streets and alleys to avoid these areas as well. So far over 3500 city miles in a year of riding the L.A. streets.

One would think that L.A., since we have over 300 days/year of great riding weather, would have spent more on bicycle lanes and city planning for this type of travel, but you would sadly be let down. These streets are so rough I wouldnt let my Mom ride on them.

[RayRay]

1 hour ago, bpong said:

bicycle lanes that merged beside parallel streetcar tracks

Yikes! Why would they do that? (Seems like asking for trouble.)

I know there's a movement to convert rails to trails, but remove or cover up the rails first; (please).

Edited August 18, 2018 by RayRay
Do streetcars still run there?

[bpong]

1 hour ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

 

damn funny !!!!!!!!!!

thanx !!!

1 hour ago, Stan Onymous said:

Also always watch out for parked cars that may be about to open their doors into the bike lanes if they have those type of lanes there. Usually you will see a tail light flicker just before they open the door. If you can, give yourself 3 feet space in these scenarios. I like to use side streets and alleys to avoid these areas as well. So far over 3500 city miles in a year of riding the L.A. streets.

thanx for the warning and advice !!!!

Edited August 18, 2018 by bpong

[bpong]

1 hour ago, Marcglider said:

not sure where I found it (some post on this forum) but some of us have velcro on our wrist protectors and small round mirrors made for car side view mirrors... you just lift up your arm and glance into the mirror... works great... 

that sounds like a better method than the eyeglass device.  i will use both to have some redundancy,  and thank you for the suggestion too !!!!!!

[bpong]

41 minutes ago, RayRay said:

Yikes! Why would they do that? (Seems like asking for trouble.)

well, i think it wouldnt be a problem for a seasoned ewheel rider.  the downside to the streetcar tracks is when they get wet.  they are then,  just like ice to an ewheel or cyclist.  when the tracks are perpedicular to my line of travel its no prob.  once they go 45 to parallel to my line of travel,  its too easy to drift into a rail and end up riding it or getting the tire jammed into its groove (which is really not good for the rider).  you are lucky where you live !!!! take care and have a great riding season too !!!

[Marcglider]

1 hour ago, bpong said:

that sounds like a better method than the eyeglass device.  i will use both to have some redundancy,  and thank you for the suggestion too !!!!!!

Here's a pic... you can see my Pepper Spray and pebble also...

[steve454]

18 minutes ago, Marcglider said:

Here's a pic... you can see my Pepper Spray and pebble also...

That's a good idea for the pepper spray.  Have you had to use it on a dog yet?  I've had a couple of encounters with aggressive dogs that made me start carrying pepper spray.

[Marcglider]

5 minutes ago, steve454 said:

That's a good idea for the pepper spray.  Have you had to use it on a dog yet?  I've had a couple of encounters with aggressive dogs that made me start carrying pepper spray.

Not yet, and I hope I don't have too... but This is is some bad stuff...

Sabre Defense Spray                                                                                                                                  Advanced 3-in-1 formula (Pepper Spray + CS Military Tear Gas + UV Marking Dye)

[RockyTop]

 I always feel like I am a telephone poll when riding down the city streets because my head is usually three feet lower when riding down the same street in my work van. ( wheel and work boots make me 6'10")

My first time riding in downtown traffic I was surprised how slow the traffic is.  It is usually below 25 mph.  If I do not have a bike lane I tend to ride down the center of the lane and catch up to cars.  I did have one guy that slammed on his brakes to mess with me.  I stopped a foot behind and two feet to the right of his bumper.  I waited for him to go again. I thought that he might have seen something that I did not.  After 15 seconds I started to go around him and he took off again. I got back behind him and he slammed on his brakes again.  This time I passed him on the sidewalk.  I had to turn right at the next intersection anyway.  In Tennessee the EUC is legally a bicycle and enjoys the same rights. 

 

 

[Marcglider]

hey @RockyTop I will be up in your neck of the woods end of October... big Fly-In at Lookout Mt... I will be there for maybe 10 days... we should try to hook up and do some wheeling if your interested... 

[Stan Onymous]

2 hours ago, Marcglider said:

Here's a pic... you can see my Pepper Spray and pebble also...

Wait, why do you have the mirror on your right hand too? You ride a lot in St Barts? Lol

You can get a directional one from Harbor Freight that pivots so you can get a better view at a quick glance. They make different shapes too, like rectangles and squares which give different frames and different magnification.

[Marcglider]

1 minute ago, Stan Onymous said:

Wait, why do you have the mirror on your right hand too? You ride a lot in St Barts? Lol

You can get a directional one from Harbor Freight that pivots so you can get a better view at a quick glance. They make different shapes too, like rectangles and squares which give different frames and different magnification.

Amazingly my wrists pivot much easier than anything I can buy... I did buy these from Harbor Freight actually and this setup for me works perfect... 

[RockyTop]

@Marcglider Sure, PM me in October. I usually ride with another EUC and two bikes. 

[Marcglider]

Just now, RockyTop said:

@Marcglider Sure, PM me in October. I usually ride with another EUC and two bikes. 

[steve454]

14 hours ago, Marcglider said:

Amazingly my wrists pivot much easier than anything I can buy... I did buy these from Harbor Freight actually and this setup for me works perfect... 

LOL    That cracked me up!

[Stan Onymous]

22 hours ago, Marcglider said:

Amazingly my wrists pivot much easier than anything I can buy... I did buy these from Harbor Freight actually and this setup for me works perfect... 

Ha! Well, just as your car has mirrors on both sides and yes you could just move and twist your head to see out of them, but what do you think they have so that when you look at them quickly for a sudden avoidance manuever? Oh they have adjustable swivels so you can adjust them once, and no need for swivel at all.

If there is a pothole or person exiting a car in front of you its good to have the mirror ready and in position if there happens to be a car coming up from behind. I know twisting takes a second, but it may take another second to make sure you were twisting it properly. It sounds silly, but it does help to have the mirror set for your natural position when you raise your arm. The swivel just helps in heavy traffic or on city streets, where every second counts on these things.

Also the swivel mirrors were only $2 for a pair. I am thinking I paid twice as much as you now, but still a bargain.

Edited August 19, 2018 by Stan Onymous

[Marcglider]

1 minute ago, Stan Onymous said:

Well, just as your car has mirrors on both sides and yes you could just move and twist your head to see out of them, but what do you think they have so that when you look at them quickly for a sudden avoidance manuever? Oh they have adjustable swivels so you can adjust them once, and no need for swivel at all.

If there is a pothole or person exiting a car in front of you its good to have the mirror ready and in position if there happens to be a car coming up from behind. I know twisting takes a second, but it may take another second to make sure you were twisting it properly. It sounds silly, but it does help to have the mirror set for your natural position when you raise your arm. The swivel just helps in heavy traffic or on city streets, where every second counts on these things.

Stan... here's the way I do it... first concept... muscle memory.... when I lift my arm in the same motion as lifting up a beer my arm (s) go to the same position I have trained them to stop... the twist of my wrist is the same as every time if I am just doing my standard looking for cars coming up behind me... If I just passed a "HOT CHICK" then I can bring my mirror to its standard position as always due to my muscle memory, I can then "TWIST" my wrist accordingly so I can have a better view of her Front Side... If this happens with more frequency, I will take your advice and go back to Harbor Freight and get new mirrors with greater Magnification to enhance my voyeuristic experience... Thanks for all the input... 

[Stan Onymous]

5 minutes ago, Marcglider said:

If I just passed a "HOT CHICK" then I can bring my mirror to its standard position as always due to my muscle memory, I can then "TWIST" my wrist accordingly so I can have a better view of her Front Side

Now the two Wristed mirrors make Much Much more sense! Lol thank you for that.

[bpong]

i dont have wrist guards yet, may purchase next year.  the mounted mirrors look very practical.  i used my "Bike Peddler Bike Products Take  A Look Cyclists Mirror" for the first time today and i love this thing.  i simply clips onto my sunglass horn.  when i do get my wrist guards,  i will definitely add the mirrors to have more rear view capability.  since toronto has a leash law for animals,  i dont think i will need the pepper spray.  besides, i carry a nice small extremely sharp knife.  im pretty sure that pepper spray is also outlawed unless you are security or law enforcement.  i did add a bicycle light mount to my helmet so i can repurpose my bike lights.  the glide3/V8 has an okay headlight,  but more light is better for increased visibility both ways.

[Stan Onymous]

49 minutes ago, bpong said:

dont have wrist guards yet, may purchase next year.

I predict you will get them sooner than that.

Usually takes about 3 -5 months before the calculus awareness of risks, usage, and safety kicks in. My thoughts when I started were - I need my hands to grab and avoid obstacles in event of a fall or collision. - Possibly, but I also need them when I am not on the wheel. Since the hands are the first to protect in a fall, they are also the first to get injured since they feel the force first. Accidents are not always at the discretion of the rider. 

[RockyTop]

  I had my first unicycle dog attack yesterday.  Until yesterday I had never been attacked by a dog in my whole life.  I have been charged before.  I just take an aggressive stance and the dog has always stopped and turned around.  That is hard to do on a Unicycle.  The dog that attacked me was a Border Callie.  He seemed to attack the MSuper more than me.  I was in a bike trail parking lot going 10 mph.  It was a confined area so I could not just take off with great speed. He saw me from 100 feet away on my right and came running straight for me.  He ran into the side of the wheel with about half of his speed.  It was a low solid hit. I still have the image in my head of the dog folded in half, but against nose pressed against my leg and wheel as he slammed into me.  I had leaned into the impact and only got a wobble out of it.  The dog was ok and looked embarrassed of his show of aggression.  He got up, turned and ran back to his owner.  I did not stick around for apologies.  The owner was loading them into his car when the one dog got loose. 

 I am a dog person and have had Boarder Collies and now have two Brittanys.  It looked to me like he was offended by the wheel not me.  I wounder if the wheel sounds like a dog whistle.  Also I am sure that a few dogs have watched me pass by with a WTF look on their face. They did not look at the bicycles before me like that and most dogs don't have a firm grasp of physics that my wheel would impress on.

 EUC ......The dog whistler. 

[RockyTop]

1 hour ago, Stan Onymous said:

 the hands are the first to protect in a fall, they are also the first to get injured since they feel the force first. Accidents are not always at the discretion of the rider. 

I have not done any extensive impact testing on my wrist guards yet.  I have watched my wife and friends test them repeatedly and I am quite impressed with the results.  I am happy to say that we have not shared any of the results with the medical profession.  

Edited August 25, 2018 by RockyTop
changed hand guard to wrist guard