SAB
Active Member
One of the big risk factors putting me off the bike only life atm is that 1.7 miles of rural road between my village the the next small town over is a DEATH TRAP. Even in a car at a normal speed the hidden dips, bends and 'national speed limit+' attitude makes it dangerous. It's also part of the main road from Dublin to Derry where I live putting large HGVs and everything in between them on that road at all times of the day.
IF ONLY it wasn't for that stretch, that unavoidable stretch of road, I'd have a perfectly calm, river side cycle path which goes the remainder of the route into the city, breaking away from the road past playing fields etc reducing fumes. A truly beautiful, mostly flat light gradient commute into the third largest city in Ireland geographically and a way to study, work and get my supplies. I despise it.
I live with parents for university and have a car at the minute. Funds are too low to buy my own house, but when I do I plan on moving to the next village down - the one that does have that beautiful car-free cycle path.. then I plan to commute to work and everywhere else on bike. Hiring a car for road trips and getting the bus when it's icy. Goodbye £900 per year insurance. Goodbye £120 a year tax. Goodbye £20 a week petrol. Goodbye odd flat tyre £40 per wheel. Goodbye oil leaks. Goodbye contributing to the fuel problem and Co2 problem that's increasingly killing us.. That's a few years off at best.
Because in the future I'll be on cycle paths and shared paths virtually all the time I'll not be 'lane sharing' with cars, but rather pedestrians which I find easier to deal with. Particularly as even if a collision does occur it's not as fatal <I'm not a fast rider>. I was wondering from you commuters, do you have major incidents / dangerous stories of times you've been on a non-vehicular path on your bike?
Everybody laughs at the idea of car-free. Especially for someone who has a car already. Whilst right now it gets me in past that dangerous road to get me through uni, I'll embrace it. But I seriously dream of the two wheeled life when I can.
Some of you will probably tell me to man up and face that road. Others might agree. But what do you think? Am I leaving anything important out? I've posted before about various angles on the matter but have concluded that any car-free plan is a few years into the future for me.
IF ONLY it wasn't for that stretch, that unavoidable stretch of road, I'd have a perfectly calm, river side cycle path which goes the remainder of the route into the city, breaking away from the road past playing fields etc reducing fumes. A truly beautiful, mostly flat light gradient commute into the third largest city in Ireland geographically and a way to study, work and get my supplies. I despise it.
I live with parents for university and have a car at the minute. Funds are too low to buy my own house, but when I do I plan on moving to the next village down - the one that does have that beautiful car-free cycle path.. then I plan to commute to work and everywhere else on bike. Hiring a car for road trips and getting the bus when it's icy. Goodbye £900 per year insurance. Goodbye £120 a year tax. Goodbye £20 a week petrol. Goodbye odd flat tyre £40 per wheel. Goodbye oil leaks. Goodbye contributing to the fuel problem and Co2 problem that's increasingly killing us.. That's a few years off at best.
Because in the future I'll be on cycle paths and shared paths virtually all the time I'll not be 'lane sharing' with cars, but rather pedestrians which I find easier to deal with. Particularly as even if a collision does occur it's not as fatal <I'm not a fast rider>. I was wondering from you commuters, do you have major incidents / dangerous stories of times you've been on a non-vehicular path on your bike?
Everybody laughs at the idea of car-free. Especially for someone who has a car already. Whilst right now it gets me in past that dangerous road to get me through uni, I'll embrace it. But I seriously dream of the two wheeled life when I can.
Some of you will probably tell me to man up and face that road. Others might agree. But what do you think? Am I leaving anything important out? I've posted before about various angles on the matter but have concluded that any car-free plan is a few years into the future for me.