: An interstate is designed with no curves that an 90 year old : grandmother in a Studebaker can't take at the speed limit safely. : The shoulders are wide enough to park huge trucks on.  I've had : interstate riding permits - probably the SAFEST riding I've ever : done on a public road.  No cross traffic - no intersections - lots : of separation from traffic. I wish we had roads like that! Safe and very fast. Why do you need a permit for it? Most Interstate Highways [1] prohibit all traffic that can not maintain the same speed as the general traffic flow, i.e. bicycles, mopeds, farm implements, and pedestrians. [1] Except in some mountain areas where there are no alternative public roads. Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) Perhaps in Illinois.  In Washington, Oregon, and Montana, (the three states I know about for sure,) it's perfectly OK to ride on interstate shoulders, with the exception of certain metro areas where you wouldn't want to be riding anyway.  I suspect that most other Western states are alike in this.

: I think what Tom was saying- and if I read his comments correctly, I agree with : him- is that some of the 'bent boosters that have joined the NG lately seem to : think that the best way to convince others of anything is to give their opinion : and then launch personal attacks on anyone that has a different opinion. That Flamewars in general are uninteresting, so I find it best to just   ignore problematic threads or posters. : The damage to cycling in general can occur because it divides cyclists and that : lessens any political clout we may otherwise be able to generate. Hmm, social damage... Do such community splits come about between other cycling subgroups? Mountain bikers, roadies and commuters? Even in bent circles I've seen some pretty tough cultural hurdles - eg. somebody might not give much worth to racing at all... Bent and upright riders probably have much more in common than in difference. For example, smooth, fast, safe and wide transitways are nice for any pedalling commuter, though for a bent user they have special importance. Careful bent advocacy could even repair some community damage, if it is able to establish that bents have something to offer to cycling in general, and thereby earn better appreciation for bents and benters alike. I see that threads with a topic along the lines of bents vs uprights could be very dangerous. It establishes sides in an argument which can lead to an antagonism. People will even fuel the fire because they see a need to defend their cause. Perhaps it would be best to advocate bents and uprights as complementary solutions? This could melt away some artificial cultural hurdles as well.

In article < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ,         Tom Sherman < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it writes: This was not intended to be a thinly-veiled suggestion as the context in which it was posted should have made clear to anyone with the ability to comprehend written English. Your contention that it is anything else implies that you have some agenda you are pursuing that requires you to twist my words, since the quality of writing in your posts leads me to believe that you do have the ability to understand the English language. Therefore, your behavior is rather offensive. Okay.  I apologize for, and regret my misunderstanding, and causing bad feeling in you.  I took your statement the wrong way, and shot my mouth off without enough forethought, or due regard for you.  But please consider how the quote in question might be taken more than one way. Especially considering the barrage of pro-recumbent/anti-rampant propaganda r.b.m had been experiencing (it seems to have gone away, now).  And extra-especially considering how a guy (me) pulling an all-nighter of transcribing a video documentary of stoned-outa- their-heads, street-kid graffiti artists (I had to transcribe every stinking umm , err , like, you know ... ), could colour one's perceptions, and aggravate one's mood.  That ain't may excuse; that's just my explanation.  I don't have an excuse.  From now on, when I'm winding down from such exertions and so much coffee & Bavarian cream doughnuts, I'll listen to old Fibber McGee & Molly radio shows, instead of reading from, and posting to Usenet. I just hope you understand my intent wasn't malicious

Hey Joe, just started lurking r.b.misc.  you really cracked me up with the nutsacks and vagina bit.  A good laugh there! I just finshed my first tail box, it sure does work nice.  my DF riding buddy says there is no sweet spot to draft at all. I went for looks but it works, too I will be adding more below Here's a _link_: http://www.mindspring.com/~michaelross/BikeStuff check out the largest jpg for a good side view. Keep on, I love your work, Mike

common bike injury is simple road rash.  This is true of even those few that feel compelled to visit an emergency room. IOW, most bike crashes are inconsequential.  This has _always_ been true.  It's only in the last twenty years that people have started believing that falling off a bike is a near-death experience.  We don't need more people spreading this lie.         Although the statistics might say that bike riding is relitavely safe, I would rather treat it as dangerous. If you want to think that way, fine.  However, I'd ask that you keep your attitude to yourself.  Cycling is being hurt, in my view, by all the people who falsely proclaim it to be dangerous. All those statistics are no good to me if I get killed in a bike-car crash tomorrow. Not to be harsh, but: that sort of attitude indicates an inability to understand numbers.   The statistics were compiles by mostly pro bike people. I know how statistics can be produced to show almost anything. I am not sure how safe bicycling really is. It is just hard for me to believe that it is safer than walking or driving a car.The last time I read statistics was from Effective Cycling who said that bicycling by mature riders is as safe as cars. EC also said that bicycling is safer than walking. I have been spending all my time building bents that I myself like to ride. I have not been paying much attention to any new saftey statistics. I do not have time to figure out if someone is distorting the statistics. I have certainly learned a lot from your messages. If I build fast bents then I will just add that there MAY be more crash saftey in an enclosed bike. Nobody will know for certain until some statistics are produced and studied.     If anyone ever asks me how safe it is to ride a bike, any bike, I can always say that the cost-benefit is much better than driving a car or walking.I don't think that bicycling is any more dangerous or safer than driving a car. My goal is to show that bike riding can be as safe as commercial air travel.

: than driving a car. My goal is to show that bike riding can be as safe : as commercial air travel. Per miles of travel? Think we still have a bit of ways to go, aircraft have the advantage of a less congested environment...