Author Archives: jm

The “anillo ciclista” II

Few weeks ago I talked about the “anillo ciclista” as one the most important cycling infrastructures in Valencia. It was inaugurated with the obliged cut of the ribbon. This change has been demanding by Valencia en bici for more than 23 years. The former government of the city demonstrated a total rejection towards bicycles and sustainable movement. It has became possible thanks to the new government. Not only has it constituted a symbol for the change in the urban movement, it also has represented an improvement for pedestrian as we enjoy more space on the sidewalks. Furthermore, cars do not drive at so high speed since the new bike line has reduced one car line. This fact has helped to correct part of the infamous highways inside the city, although there is still a lot of work to do.

Hundreds of urban cyclists have met to celebrate it. The inauguration has took place in an informal way. The new government has proposed itself not to inaugurate anything due to the fact this was a form of generating manipulated pieces of news by the former government. Indeed, the opening party has been made by people from Valencia en bici. The mayor and the councilman of sustainable mobility have been presented looking the event. After that, we have rode it forming two groups which in turn have divided in subgroups. One of the first has started riding clockwise whereas the second big group has done it the other side. We have coincided in front of the Serranos towers at the end.

Meeting point

End point

The helmet

The use of a helmet when riding a bike is always a controversial issue. Some people argue that it can save your live in an accident. Some politicians have pushed its use with specific laws just to follow the previous point. Curiously, the same politicians do not ride bikes. They prefer driving cars. They also think helmets are a kind of titanium armor, able to stop bullets and space rockets. I think the statement is false in most of the cases. The true key is that the helmet does not save your life in a car accident, the car speed does. Studies show that the more car speed, the more probability a cyclist has to die. The probability a biker lives in an accident driving the car at 50 km/h or approximately 31 miles/h is less than 10% and it diminishes as car speed increases. Moreover, the low speed bikes reach, normally bellow 25 km/h or 15.5 miles/h, makes it unnecessary. The helmet use is compulsory in some countries and areas. What was its impact on the number of biker use the next months after approving by law? They have discouraged bikers to use the bike.

 

To sum up, forcing bikers to wear helmet is not a correct way to improve bike use or reduce cyclist deaths. It is better to force cars to drive slower, not to mention the fight against climate change.

The anillo ciclista

A great transformation is being done in Valencia regarding bike infrastructure. The most incredible bike line is the perimeter of the former city wall above the important projects. Let’s learn a little bit of history. The city wall was built in the XIV century by Pedro el Ceremonioso to protect the city against pirates and muslins. It accomplished quite well this function until it was pulled down in the XIX century to allow the city growth. Historic documents show it.

It has been transformed in one of the city highways following its former perimeter in the century XX. It has been formed by four to six lines (mostly car lines) which produced noise and pollution, and locked downtown up in an unhealthy circle. The local government is transforming it in the anell ciclista (cyclist ring).

In a few words, it consists in a bi-directional bike line with a physical barrier so that cyclists can ride it in a safe way without worrying about cars. Cars lose one or two lines and traffic is calmed down. Moreover, more bike racks have been implemented in the route. At the same time pedestrians are safer and do not feel cars pressure so stifling as before.

White bikes

In this post I am not referring to white bikes as opposite to black bikes. The white bikes are put in the places where a cyclist died, mainly as a result of a car accident. Those bikes are a kind of gravestone to remember the tragic event and in memory of the person who died. It is common that among the events to remember this cyclist, candles and/or flowers are placed next to it. Friends and local bikers offer their respects to the white bikes as they were the lost people. These monuments recall us we have to obey the traffic law, indicate our movements and use lights at night.

 

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The Clàssic Ride

Have you ever imagined how could be the bikes in the late 20’s? Do you like dressing as in 1940? All these questions and much more can be answered in the Tweed Ride. The Tweed Ride is a global movement in which cyclists dress in traditional attire and ride classic bikes for fun. The event is usually done with no fixed date once a year. It depends on the desires of the local organizations. The ride goes mostly through the city center in order to evoke a vintage, magical picture card. Above all, it is a celebration.

The Clàssic Ride is the name of this exceptional event in the city of Valencia. The organizers worked hard to plan, design and advertise every aspect. We started from the Serrano towers (one of the ancient entrances to the city) and made a stop in the middle of the ride to recover energy by drinking horchata (a typical, sweet, refreshing beverage made from tiger nut). Then, we continued until a charming square in the neighbor of Campanar. Here, a group of swing dancers of the Spirit of St. Louis made a demonstration of their skills under lindy hop music. And finally, we enjoyed a picnic in the gardens.

Here, you can see a bunch of photos of the special atmosphere.

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United bikers

It is a common believe that when people unite, they are more powerful. History has shown that what is almost impossible to reach for a single person, it can be done when dozens, hundreds or millions join together. The biking movement is not an exception. Organizations like BiciRed México or Conbici are clear examples at country level. The first one represents the bike throughout Mexico. Not only does it promotes people moving in a sustainable way, but also launches campaigns to improve human health and environment. Who would deny slogans like “more human cities” or “let’s reduce death in roads”? These messages aim to realize people the benefices of bikes in a friendly, universal way. BiciRed México, Conbici as well as other national associations coordinate movements of smaller, usually local associations. Conbici is the Spanish coordinator of dozens of smaller associations. Sometimes there are more than one association by city. It acts as a catalyst of the main tendencies in biking and defends bikers rights against undesirable law changes. And finally, the more we are, the more power we have.

Bike line or street?

There has been a recurrent discussion among bikers who live in large cities regarding which infrastructure is the best to ride. On the one hand, we have bike line and on the other one the whole street. Both sides offer points in favor and against. Cyclists who ride on a bike line enjoy a dedicated space for them which is respected specially in the cases in which it is separated by a physical barrier from pavement and car lines. They feel this separation as a privilege with a potential effect on avoiding traffic accidents. This fact encourages those who are learning to ride and makes bikers who do not want to ride at high speed happy. It seems to say “Hey, we drive a vehicle, but we live in a peaceful manner not as the pollutant cars”. On the contrary, pro-street bikers say “Hey, we drive a vehicle, so we are traffic and must share the street”. They feel traffic has to be calmed down, not by cornering them but by forcing cars to reduce speed as bike do not usually reach high speeds as cars do. This type of cyclists often complain about the facts that bike lines often zigzag and their surface imply deficiencies, whereas streets often follows direct lines with better asphalt. Which position is the best? Neither, it all depends on the particular circumstances of infrastructures and the way of thinking of every biker.

Sharing traffic, main problems in Valencia (5/5)

Distraction is the last main traffic problem in Valencia. They can affect to every driver whether they drive a car, a bike, a truck, a motorcycle, etc. Causes are variate like the mobile phone, radio, disc reader, gps, you name it. In this post, I am going to center in the distractions due to exclusively the road. In the next picture, one can see a cross with the cars coming from a one-way road.

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The problem here is that the bike-line is bidirectional and car drivers often forget to see to both sides. As a result, car accidents have occurred here.

Another example is given in conjunction with multiple traffic problems I have explained in this series. If we mix distractions plus high speed plus amber traffic-light, we have the next photos.

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Cars come with excessive speed from the avenue named dels Tarongers. They can see the amber traffic-line, but they do not stop unless a pedestrian or a bike is really close. Nor do they see on both sides and as a result of bike reaching speeds of 10-20 km/h it is a miracle that there had not been any death biker at this point.