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Today November 2020

looks like I swapped the two wheels for... eight? should be taking delivery tomorrow or the day after of my first ever set of... rollerblades haha

I don't have much time for cardio recently, and it ends up being about an hour of walking or maybe 90 min of cycling nearby. that got repetitive a bit by now, so I'm hoping the blades can spice things up somewhat, since the routes have to be pretty much the same for efficiency. I also hope for some hip challenge in the coronal plane, as opposed to sagittal, in which the vast majority of my movement happens usually (incl cycling, walking and most resistance training)
 
Every now and then I have a bad day on the roads of Tokyo/Japan. A driver will pass me a little too close or I'll have to dodge more than my usual share of pedestrians who shuffle out into the street without looking. Very occasionally, I find myself bleating about Japan's cycling infrastructure. But then I see some news from home and get a reality check. I remember the terrifying stuff I used to put up with on a routine basis in Sydney, where I grew up.

(Apologies in advance to anyone who's not from a Cth country, who finds a particular word offensive.)



I realise there are ******* motorists in every city, but I challenge any of you to name a city with a higher percentage than Sydney. It's often named as one of the most cycling-unfriendly cities in the world. I'd be interested to know if there's a worse place to ride a bike.
 
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I realise there are ******* motorists in every city
Yeah. The cult of the car. (Did I spell that right?) There've been psychological studies - I think the one I read recently was from Australia - that demonstrated how some motorists mentally dehumanize anyone on a bike and somehow impeding their intended trajectory. "Us" and "Other". It's very sad. I have no idea what can be done about it.

Found it: https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections...ully-human-leading-to-aggression-on-the-road/
 
Yeah. The cult of the car. (Did I spell that right?) There've been psychological studies - I think the one I read recently was from Australia - that demonstrated how some motorists mentally dehumanize anyone on a bike and somehow impeding their intended trajectory. "Us" and "Other". It's very sad. I have no idea what can be done about it.

Found it: https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections...ully-human-leading-to-aggression-on-the-road/
Making the latest death especially sad is that it was yet another food delivery guy, a fact that predictably triggered a pile-on by people right across the board. I'm well past being fed up with entitled, obnoxious d**kheads who s*** all over these guys, many of whom are immigrants working like crazy to earn less than the minimum wage, for breaking road rules -- something which is standard behavior for many cyclists, especially the mamachari riders in this country. We live in a world where a horribly inequitable gig economy forces a lot of people to cut corners and do stupid things. (Incidentally, there's no suggestion that the poor bloke who died this week was doing anything illegal.)
 
Every now and then I have a bad day on the roads of Tokyo/Japan. A driver will pass me a little too close or I'll have to dodge more than my usual share of pedestrians who shuffle out into the street without looking. Very occasionally, I find myself bleating about Japan's cycling infrastructure. But then I see some news from home and get a reality check. I remember the terrifying stuff I used to put up with on a routine basis in Sydney, where I grew up.

(Apologies in advance to anyone who's not from a Cth country, who find a particular word offensive.)



I realise there are ******* motorists in every city, but I challenge any of you to name a city with a higher percentage than Sydney. It's often named as one of the most cycling-unfriendly cities in the world. I'd be interested to know if there's a worse place to ride a bike.


Challenge accepted: Washington DC or Los Angeles
 
Challenge accepted: Washington DC or Los Angeles
I've cycled a lot of the west coast, but not LA. I hear it's a bit like Sydney, insofar as the public transport system sucks and people drive everywhere. But does LA's most widely read newspaper constantly run hyper-aggressive, bloodthirsty anti-cycling campaigns, like Sydney's Daily Telegraph (a Murdoch toilet-rag)?
 
can't say for sure but I'd expect the densely populated south and SE asia, or places with non existing infrastructure, like most of the southern hemisphere, would be much less cycling friendly than anything in the "developed world" can match

 
can't say for sure but I'd expect the densely populated south and SE asia, or places with non existing infrastructure, like most of the southern hemisphere, would be much less cycling friendly than anything in the "developed world" can match


I'll grant you that. I suppose my question should not have been: Is there a worse place to ride, but rather: Is there a city where the drivers are more hostile and physically violent toward cyclists? While riding on the streets of Sydney, I was spat on, screamed at, deliberately clipped with a side-view mirror, deliberately hit with a variety of projectiles, punched, etc. It was never for breaking the rules. It was simply for being on the road.
 
Stood on the corner of Shinkawabashi and Route 15 waiting for the light to go green. Beside me was a police officer observing the traffic. Guy comes in on a bicycle staring at his phone while moving, looks up as he was about to hit the another pedestrian, fortunately he did not hit her but he fell on the ground. Police rushed to the scene and asked if he was OK, cellphone guy stammered his daijobous and left. Was expecting the Police Officer to give the cellphone guy at least a light telling off for staring at his phone while riding the bicycle.
 
Police rushed to the scene and asked if he was OK, cellphone guy stammered his daijobous and left. Was expecting the Police Officer to give the cellphone guy at least a light telling off for staring at his phone while riding the bicycle.
I reckon a gaijin would not have been so lucky.
 
Looking at this one as I feel a bit unseen at night even with bike lights front and rear. Actually bought those plastic reflector strips that attaches to things but somehow they dont fit my biceps (where i want to place them for maximum visibility) so thinking of doing the full neon jacket.

Amazon product ASIN B01EAOQ01Y
Any other recommendations? :)
 
Looking at this one as I feel a bit unseen at night even with bike lights front and rear. Actually bought those plastic reflector strips that attaches to things but somehow they dont fit my biceps (where i want to place them for maximum visibility) so thinking of doing the full neon jacket.

Amazon product ASIN B01EAOQ01Y
Any other recommendations? :)

No, but that looks good, even in 3XL, which would seem to my size (their chart). The reviews give the size a customer ordered, but it'd be nice if folks added their height/weight to that.

What size are you considering?
 
Looking at this one as I feel a bit unseen at night even with bike lights front and rear. Actually bought those plastic reflector strips that attaches to things but somehow they dont fit my biceps (where i want to place them for maximum visibility) so thinking of doing the full neon jacket.

Amazon product ASIN B01EAOQ01Y
Any other recommendations? :)
If you're a big guy, I have a Proviz reflector jacket that I don't use and you are welcome to have. It's size 2XL and in reasonably good shape.
 
No, but that looks good, even in 3XL, which would seem to my size (their chart). The reviews give the size a customer ordered, but it'd be nice if folks added their height/weight to that.

What size are you considering?
I just recently ordered a jacket and was having similar issues between the size chart and the reviews.
Then I found one where the guy was 1cm shorter than me, same weight and same size chest... He stated which size he ordered and the fit. Boom! I ordered with confidence for once. But it was a MTB jacket - so it doesn't fit the description of reflective.

I do have a Hincapie jacket in a 2x or 3x. It is too big for me, but I have used it anyway.
if interested, I can ship it out to you. (I am 188 and 84kg)
 
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Thanks for the inputs and generous offers @bloaker, @jdd and @Kangaeroo! The Proviz jackets look nice with the white reflective color!

I am 180cm at 118 kg (with a big gut) so I am looking at the 3XL :) Will try this one in Amazon first to see how it goes.

Thanks again!
 
Last week I sent an inquiry to the Atsugi Civil Engineering Office about when Rt70 (Miyagase-ko to Yabitsu toge) would re-open. Sadly, the answer that arrived today was that they are still working on the repair and they haven't got an idea how long it will still take. So most likely no rides there before the snow!

For details I was referred to the following persons in charge:
道路維持課 宇角、松本(電話(046)223-1711)
 

Aussieinjapan was hit by an uber eats cyclist yesterday. smashed his bike up and the popo were summoned.

Damn, that's terrible. I hope he's okay. And I hope Uber Eats, a vampire squid company if ever there was one, compensates him quickly and fully.
 
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