Georg Lentze: Physics and More
| Home | Physics | Photos | Pictures | Writings | More |
So far you may feel that you haven't learnt all that much about me. But you'd be wrong.
Just look at my pictures or my writings , not to mention my photos or my physics.
Nevertheless, let me give you another little morsel of information: I'm a cyclist. Always have been. I've never owned a car and I don't drive. Not yet.
"There were no counter-flow cycle paths, merely signs informing motorists that cyclists are exempt from the one-way rule - a great sign of a cycle-friendly culture."
Distances of up to say 15 km are still easily doable by bike, beyond that I can use public transport or a combination of the two, the children can be ferried around on bike seats, trailer bikes and tandems...
It's true that the town where I live is not great for cyclists, at least compared to some places on the Continent.
A recent visit to Rotterdam reminded me of how poor the facilities for cyclists in Reading really are.
The cycle paths I saw were broad, smooth and clearly separated both from the road and from the pavement. They were also present along nearly all major roads.
Wherever I went, cycle paths gave cyclists the same priority as motorists at T-junctions or crossroads without forcing them to take any detours.
This is also the case in any other city I have cycled in on the Continent.
"Yes, I know, cycling on the pavement is unlawful in this country, as it is in the Netherlands for that matter, but I much prefer the apparently more relaxed attitude of Rotterdammers to that of some Reading folk."
The first photo shows how cyclists crossing a major crossroads in Rotterdam are given priority over all other traffic.
The second photo shows a cycle path crossing a small by-road.
Although there are no markings to indicate it, the friend I was visiting in Rotterdam assured me that here, too, cyclists have the priority over traffic coming out of or moving into the by-road.
I saw many one-way streets that were open to cyclists in either direction.
As shown in the third photo, there were no counter-flow cycle paths, merely signs informing motorists that cyclists are exempt from the one-way rule - a great sign of a cycle-friendly culture.
In the quiet residential street where I was staying, I saw some people cycle on the pavement to bypass roadworks. My friend told me that in Rotterdam nobody minds if people cycle responsibly on the pavement where there is no suitable alternative. How refreshing.
It is true that, in Reading, I have never had any hassle from the police for cycling considerately on the pavement where the road is not a sensible option - indeed, I have seen police officers do likewise! But I have repeatedly been shouted at by irate pedestrians.
Yes, I know, cycling on the pavement is unlawful in this country, as it is in the Netherlands for that matter, but I much prefer the apparently more relaxed attitude of Rotterdammers to that of some Reading folk.