I’ve recently noticed while just doing recreational rides that I tend to push myself a lot harder and ride much faster on roads than I do on MUPs. I think its because the passing traffic makes me work harder to keep up, while on the local MUP I can ride easily and still pass everyone on the path. I think it all has to do with perception of speed. Has anyone else noticed anything like this? Discuss.
Also the fact that moving flesh pylons (was this bonechilling?) make it a lot harder to go fast.
That said, I still use the MUP around here quite a bit.
Multi-use-path?
^Yes. I go fast everywhere because I’m a perpetually late person. I can go faster on roads though. Less roots and blobstacles
I’ll push myself hard on some 20-25mph roads if I feel like trying to keep pace with traffic. Mostly though, my speed depends more on wind and road incline than how fast those around me are moving.
i tend to push myself whenever and wherever i ride. it actually kind of sucks. I mean, I get sweaty riding the 1.5mi to the grocery store.
Haha.
Me too.
I’ve worked hard to break myself of the rushing habit. It’s hard on the roads here that are long, flat and straight. Thats mostly what my commute is. The constant traffic coming and going from the shops and food stalls on the side of the road make it a little easier to stay slow because you never know when someone is going to pull out. Of course, the best option is to sit in the draft of a truck going 30mph. Not only do I get to work faster, but it’s a whole lot easier.
On the city streets, it’s easy to ride mellow. Riding faster than the traffic and passing is dangerous because people here don’t use their mirrors. There’s a lot of superstition about looking behind you in a mirror. They think you’ll be able to see spirits and stuff following you. I usually only do it when the cars are blocked in by other traffic.
As for MUP’s, I hardly ever use them, and when I do it’s b/c I’m too tired to ride on the road. Keep in mind, if you hammer on a MUP, you’re no better than the weekend tri-freak struggling to maintain 20mph in the aero-bars while constantly yelling “on your left”.
[quote=“TimArchy”]. . .
On the city streets, it’s easy to ride mellow. Riding faster than the traffic and passing is dangerous because people here don’t use their mirrors. There’s a lot of superstition about looking behind you in a mirror. They think you’ll be able to see spirits and stuff following you. I usually only do it when the cars are blocked in by other traffic. [/quote]
My city streets are 35+ mostly. I’d like to say that was mellow for me. I know what you mean though, big city traffic moves at like 15.
[quote=“TimArchy”]
As for MUP’s, I hardly ever use them, and when I do it’s b/c I’m too tired to ride on the road. Keep in mind, if you hammer on a MUP, you’re no better than the weekend tri-freak struggling to maintain 20mph in the aero-bars while constantly yelling “on your left”.[/quote]
Ouch, you cut me deep. If I didn’t yell, how would all the families know how serious I was about my training? Answer that one Tim, answer that one.
This is among the litany of reasons why I’ve stopped taking the MUP altogether. It’s much faster and actually less stressful for me to take the road, even though it’s a major four-lane stretch. I still have to hop on the path for a short jaunt in order to catch my connecting road, but it’s only about a mile, so I don’t have to spend much time with MUPers. Even then, I manage to get stuck behind some fat guy with a carbon Colnago and Zipp 808s, “hammering” at 17 mph.
I keep it below 15mph when on the MUP, just not safe for other people to have cyclist whizzing by at high speeds. Some even have speed limit signs and I think they are set to 10mph.
[quote=“peedtm”][quote=“TimArchy”]. . .
On the city streets, it’s easy to ride mellow. Riding faster than the traffic and passing is dangerous because people here don’t use their mirrors. There’s a lot of superstition about looking behind you in a mirror. They think you’ll be able to see spirits and stuff following you. I usually only do it when the cars are blocked in by other traffic. [/quote]
My city streets are 35+ mostly. I’d like to say that was mellow for me. I know what you mean though, big city traffic moves at like 15.
[quote=“TimArchy”]
As for MUP’s, I hardly ever use them, and when I do it’s b/c I’m too tired to ride on the road. Keep in mind, if you hammer on a MUP, you’re no better than the weekend tri-freak struggling to maintain 20mph in the aero-bars while constantly yelling “on your left”.[/quote]
Ouch, you cut me deep. If I didn’t yell, how would all the families know how serious I was about my training? Answer that one Tim, answer that one.[/quote]
My streets aren’t very fast. I’m pretty lucky. Inside the moat (yes, the old city is still surrounded by the moat they built to keep the Burmese raiders from constantly over-running the city), the streets are all narrow. It doesn’t keep all the people going slow (the exception mainly being the 50,000 kids on motorbikes), but a lot of the traffic stays under 20 or so.
Ok, you got me on the training thing. I figured the families knew i was serious by my Discovery Channel jersey and World Champ Stripe shorts.
I almost never use chicago’s famous Lakefront Trail unless it’s raining or winter. On a nice day it’s imposable to go faster than five mph. It gets so crowded with oblivious morons and rollerbladers and people on tandems, I stay away at all costs.
i feel way more connected to the bike on the road. The MUP is merely for transportation, although it’s not bad when rocking headphones
But then how whould you hear the tri freaks shout “ON YOUR LEFT!”
In my case it just depends on where I am going. There is only one MUP near my house that is along a river, and if I am going somewhere in that direction I will take it. No lights to deal and people are well mannered.
i have never lived in any place with one.
This is among the litany of reasons why I’ve stopped taking the MUP altogether. It’s much faster and actually less stressful for me to take the road, even though it’s a major four-lane stretch. I still have to hop on the path for a short jaunt in order to catch my connecting road, but it’s only about a mile, so I don’t have to spend much time with MUPers. Even then, I manage to get stuck behind some fat guy with a carbon Colnago and Zipp 808s, “hammering” at 17 mph.[/quote]
pfffft.
i don’t even have a colnago.
Everyone rides on the MUPs here, commuters and roadies alike, probably because they’re so extensive and quite wide. They also have a dotted line down the middle and each lane is wide enough to ride two abreast, so passing foot traffic and slower riders isn’t really an issue except maybe around lunchtime on weekdays. If you want less traffic, all you have to do is go further away from downtown. I usually follow the Southwest Trail into the next county(s) where it’s just countryside and the occasional roadie.
For commuting the MUPs are kind of like highways, with exits onto the nearby sidestreets, so you really don’t have to spend much time on the actual road. Downtown/State Street/campus is different, of course.
Like most people here, it seems, I also have to resist hauling ass at all times.