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Bike Crimes!

Did Pinarello get the design idea for their forks from this old Peugeot?!?
Interesting detail: only the left side fork blade has the characteristic shape.
Anyway, I think it's a nice looking bike, but I actually hope that the owner finds to nice spot on the wall for it or gets the fork fixed before riding it again.
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Today, cycling home from the supermarket on the left hand side of the road, shortly to take the right turn. A woman on her bicycle comes down the pavement on the right side of the road, takes the turn without stopping or checking what is coming along the road (you can't see due to the wall; there is a mirror, but don't think you can rely on it 100%)...standard...but once she has turned, I notice she has a young child in a sling on her back, no helmet. Obviously, she doesn't follow the news. Why is there no seeming 'reckless endangerment' law?
 
Today, cycling home from the supermarket on the left hand side of the road, shortly to take the right turn. A woman on her bicycle comes down the pavement on the right side of the road, takes the turn without stopping or checking what is coming along the road (you can't see due to the wall; there is a mirror, but don't think you can rely on it 100%)...standard...but once she has turned, I notice she has a young child in a sling on her back, no helmet. Obviously, she doesn't follow the news. Why is there no seeming 'reckless endangerment' law?
It beggars belief the lunacy that we witness on the streets of Japan and in particular Tokyo.
They cycle around like they are living in the middle of a paved Sahara Desert not in the biggest metropolis in the world.On the wrong side of the road,going around blind corners on the wrong side,shooting through intersections without the slightest hint of a sideways glance,nearly all high school kids and JHS kids that ride to school doing so with ear pods in while looking at their smartphones.
I'm really surprised that there isn't carnage on the streets of Japan.
Somehow their system works....it is mind-boggling.
 
I'm really surprised that there isn't carnage on the streets of Japan.
Somehow their system works....it is mind-boggling.

I think egos maybe aren't as strong here as they are in Western (English-speaking?) countries, which I guess keeps down the road rage and raises cyclist tolerance levels.
 
I think you might be on to something.
Like in the West where we consider someone pulling out in front of you a personal affront in Japan it is just brushed off as being par for the course.
I've lived over here for a long time and even though I often think that I have seen it all regarding being bloody idiotic on a bike the next week I witness an even worse bit of lunacy,but for such a huge city like Tokyo most people go unscathed......it is unreal.
 
I think egos maybe aren't as strong here as they are in Western (English-speaking?) countries, which I guess keeps down the road rage and raises cyclist tolerance levels.
I think that's not enough to explain it, because in part it contradicts with all the other aspects of life where Japanese tend to follow a set of rules. When it comes to cycling, though, it seems like the wild west. Akin to umbrella theft, for some reason it seems that cycling is one of these areas where there are few enforced rules.

I had people on bicycles approach me on the wrong side of the road or cross me, nearly hitting me, suddenly swerving from the sidewalk to the road and side swiping me, crossing the road on a red light and nearly colliding with me … Plus, pedestrians don't seem to be familiar with the concept of a bike path — we have some here in Sendai, but they are unusable as such because pedestrians regard them as part of the sidewalk.

Most of the drivers, though, are comparatively well-behaved. Of course, there are a few a-holes, often cab drivers or people in expensive non-Japanese cars, but on most occasions, Japanese drive very defensively and are patient.
 
It can't be overstated how much benefit comes from cyclists being a common sight on the roads that drivers generally know how to deal with. Tokyo could definitely benefit from tackling some of the more ridiculous bike crimes but the weight of numbers keeps most people safe(ish)
 
It can't be overstated how much benefit comes from cyclists being a common sight on the roads that drivers generally know how to deal with. Tokyo could definitely benefit from tackling some of the more ridiculous bike crimes but the weight of numbers keeps most people safe(ish)
I agree.
There are so many near scrapes that result in no collisions that the numbers must be people safe.
I'm sure most TCC members who commute have at least one near miss a week.
 
My wife told me that bikes aren't allowed to use the roads in the same way as cars. Basically she said bikes can't make a direct right turn on an intersection. My thought was that this might create some of the more random bike riding I sometimes see. I'm very happy to stand corrected on any of this, as I'm always looking to make more sense of the roads in Japan🙏
 
bikes can't make a direct right turn on an intersection

That's true at an intersection with traffic lights when there's more than one lane in your direction of travel. In that case you should cross to the far side of the junction, swing through 90º, wait for the other light, and then proceed across to complete your turn. It's usually the same for <50 cc scooters.

Ain't nobody got time for that shit.

@Sikochi (bless him) has derailed this thread from its original intent, which was to share footage of 'criminally'-constructed or -neglected bicycles. (Did you get your bike yet, mate?)
 
Just to get back on track, I'm not a big fan of the road bikes with the brakes on the hoods (reg style) and then then the extra ones inline. I actually saw a guy on a Bianchi with that set up the other day. Definitely not for me.
 
A little collection of encounters at Uni and on my commute.
I love the wooden handle bar, but it seems it didn't work out that well. Finding a somewhat fitting branch must take more time and energy than just getting a new handle bar from your LBS.
 

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