Thread started by hal jehlikakik at 01.11.07 - 5:51 am

I'm visiting LA soon, used to cycle as a messenger in NYC, now cycle in london daily, trying to find out what the realities of cycling there are like from people with day-to-day experience, all the official websites just give the standard/official information. I remember visiting LA in the 60s and everyone observed the rules of the road, stopped for lights, etc, is this still the case with respect to cycling? In NYC and london, everyone jumps lights with bicycles and jaywalks, please let me know what to expect when i get there? Additionally, how easy is it to cycle in LA, car-driving friends have told me it's next to impossible due to the freeways, are bikes allowed on the larger roads? Can you cycle on them without getting killed? Any advice anyone feels like offering would be appreciated

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Hal,

You can ride anywhere in LA if you want to. LA is great to see by bike. Yes, some places are not as easy as others. We have a lot of hills here as opposed to NY city. Most car drivers in LA don't seem to recognize that cyclists share the road with them. There are areas of LA where they have done a good job of making the road bike friendly, but the majority are not. I think most people are too lazy to get out of their SUV's and turn off their damn cellphones. We generally run reds when it is safe. Freeway off-ramps make riding a bike hard sometimes.

I dont know how riding in LA relates to anywhere else, but I think we have the ability to bring more bicycle awareness to the city, and other cities. I think Midnight Ridazz has affected a lot of interest in bike culture and autonomous gatherings. Not just MR alone, but most of the communal cycling groups out there. Riding with others takes you to people and places in LA that you might not normally see or experience in a car. Ride with us!




Joe Borfo
01.11.07 - 9:16 am

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Here's my $0.02.

The most obvious jumping-off point on the whole discussion is LA's reputation: Car Capital USA. However there's an interesting beneficial paradox there -- drivers aren't used to seeing cyclists, so (a) we stand out, and (b) drivers tend to give us a lot of room. Since you've cycled NYC, you probably know how to assert yourself on the road, and you may be pleasantly surprised at what drivers will afford you more often than not.

Cycling LA can be a daunting proposition for the uninitiated, but with a little experience I found it's great. It sounds like you have a good amount of experience, so give it a shot and see what you think.

Additional thoughts:

1. Roads are typically wide.
2. With a little searching you can usually find routes with roads in good repair.
3. Not many bike lanes or sharrows or anything like that.
4. Distances can be quite long.
5. The average person will tell you that cycling is impossible because you must take freeways. But that's because the average person drives on the freeways, so they don't know the surface street arteries.
6. After a few months of cycling you'll know parts of the city better than drivers who have lived here for years.
7. Choose your own adventure with traffic laws.

Mileage will vary (no pun intended.) I personally love cycling in LA. After 1000s of miles of commuting in this city I'm hooked, and I'm even considering selling my car.

And yes, I love the LA cycling community. Good peeps.



City Hobgoblin
01.11.07 - 2:34 pm

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keep in mind...Los Angeles and many of its surrounding communities actually hand out tickets for jaywalking...so beware of the long arm of the law...



adrian
01.11.07 - 5:12 pm

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Every non-biker will tell you it's impossible not to drive around everywhere, but it's simply not true. My main commutes take just as long by bike or bike/subway as they used to while driving.



Masland
01.11.07 - 7:34 pm

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