Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleats

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adrian_d
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Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleats

Postby adrian_d » Mon Aug 20, 2012 10:59 am

Hey all,

I was wondering what the laws were to crossing while on the bike at a set of lights at an intersection in Melbourne?

I am still a bit too scared to get out on the road and try and stick to bike paths as much as possible, but there are 2-3 intesections I must cross which doesn't have bicycle path green lights to cross.

I'd find myself more likely to want to cross with my cheats in than get off and scratch them up.

Could anyone advise me on the situation? Could I suggest to the council to include on there? The actual bike track ends just before the lights which is pretty silly personally. It then continues after the intersection.
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Mrfenejeans
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby Mrfenejeans » Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:32 am

Not from Vic myself, however if it is a Pedestrian Crossing you should dismount and walk.

http://www.melbournebikeshare.com.au/safety
Last edited by Mrfenejeans on Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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adrian_d
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby adrian_d » Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:39 am

Mrfenejeans wrote:Not from Vic, myself however if it is a Pedestrian Crossing you should dismount and walk.

http://www.melbournebikeshare.com.au/safety
thanks for the link mate,

I'm thinking I might just go on the road and follow the lights for that section of the road.

I find myself struggling to see how certain rules are trying to make cycling more safer with less and less spots to use them off the road. And getting to these safe points require going through rings of fire lol

Your link was a great insight to more details mate thanks :)
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby human909 » Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:54 am

If you are that nervous about riding on roads or scratching up you cleats then in my opinion you shouldn't be using cleats until you have a stronger set of skills.

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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby adrian_d » Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:05 pm

human909 wrote:If you are that nervous about riding on roads or scratching up you cleats then in my opinion you shouldn't be using cleats until you have a stronger set of skills.
Thanks for the advice. I feel the same way about riding on the road even without cleats, its just knowing that there are cars flying past so close to me. Its a confidence thing on the road more so.

I can spin out the cleats soon enough at the moment and i'm remembering to unclick nice and early, I think its more so knowing that I had to walk across the pedestrian crossing off the bike as this would scratch up the cleats.
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adrian_d
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby adrian_d » Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:10 pm

Oxford wrote:cleats are a consumable, they wear out, you replace them, simple.
Makes sense, I think I should get used to keeping my feet in the pedals for longer and getting used to riding on the road.

Any bits of advice for someone getting used to riding on the road? I'll hopefully remember to ride on the right side of the road lmao
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby KenGS » Mon Aug 20, 2012 1:00 pm

adrian_d wrote: Any bits of advice for someone getting used to riding on the road? I'll hopefully remember to ride on the right side of the road lmao
For a start - riding on the left side of the road would be better :wink:
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adrian_d
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby adrian_d » Mon Aug 20, 2012 1:17 pm

KenGS wrote:
adrian_d wrote: Any bits of advice for someone getting used to riding on the road? I'll hopefully remember to ride on the right side of the road lmao
For a start - riding on the left side of the road would be better :wink:
Your right there, technically the "right" side of the road is the "left" side haahhahaa.
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby CatCanRide » Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:26 pm

Hi Adrian,
I feel your pain and know where you are coming from. I'm still building my confidence with riding, and currently not quite confident enough to ride with cleats. Got all the bits but not the courage to use them at present. :D

Pedestrian crossings in the middle of bike paths lack any sort of common sense a lot of the time. I've come across points where the path crosses a major intersection and to cross legally you would have to get off the bike to cross the slip lane to get to a pedestrian safety area, you can then ride across the main roadway with bike crossing lights, and then there is another slip lane with a pedestrian crossing with no bike crossing sign where you should dismount to cross the slip lane. I personally ride across those pedestrian crossings on the slip lanes. Bad me. But if you saw my highly inelegant method or mounting and dismounting my pushbike you would understand (and yes I know I need to improve my riding skills - I may as well say it first).

I would say, use your own sense of judgement. Make sure first and foremost that you can cross safely and without causing hazard to others. Write to your local council and ask for bike crossing signs.

If you should decide that the most logical and wisest course is to ride the crossing and a policeman should decide to give you a ticket for it, smile and just accept it as part of the game of trying to ride a bike logically.

Oh and one last thing, no one is going to see the scratches on your cleats except for you.

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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby jpgibson » Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:02 pm

The other option is to use SPD shoes and cleats. These are designed to be walked in. I use A600 pedals ( which look like road ones anyway) and good shimano mtb shoes. Much better when stopping at lights etc as you actually have soles! They arent as sexy though!

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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby damhooligan » Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:33 pm

adrian_d wrote:Hey all,

I was wondering what the laws were to crossing while on the bike at a set of lights at an intersection in Melbourne?

I am still a bit too scared to get out on the road and try and stick to bike paths as much as possible, but there are 2-3 intesections I must cross which doesn't have bicycle path green lights to cross.

I'd find myself more likely to want to cross with my cheats in than get off and scratch them up.

Could anyone advise me on the situation? Could I suggest to the council to include on there? The actual bike track ends just before the lights which is pretty silly personally. It then continues after the intersection.

Define ; at a set of lights at an intersection at melbourne...
there are a few of them in melb... :wink:

I would say legally, if you are on a bike, you are a cyclist and in charge of a vehicle, and must obey the rules that aply for cyclist.
if you dismount , you are a pedestrians and must obey the rules that apply for pedestrians.

A pedestrians crossing is as the name says for peds, so you must dismount.
If you have to use them frequently, i agree with mentioned before, use the spd type cleats.
Or do not use cleats, or accept they wear out, as that is what they do.

Personally, I would say, try on quiter roads,when traffic density is lower, to ride on the road.
Try to gain that confidence. 8)
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby AndrewBurns » Tue Oct 09, 2012 9:06 am

Personally I just ride over pedestrian crossings, I know it's technically illegal but I slow down to near walking pace anyway and look both ways properly just like I would on foot. My rationale is that if I took the time to dismount, walk across and get back on I'd hold everyone up more than if I just rolled across slowly and there would really be no safety benefit. But if I get a ticket for it so be it, fair cop.
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby queequeg » Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:36 pm

I am wondering about the law for not cycling across pedestrian crossings. On my daily commute I have to cross a lot of pedestrian crossings. Most have bike lanterns, but quite a few don't.
Other than the lack of a bike lantern at the crossing, there is nothing different about these crossings. Same layout, same markings. So, if the lantern is the only thing missing, what exactly is the big issue about cycling over the crossing instead of dismounting?
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby Xplora » Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:58 pm

If you've stopped and proceed to roll through the crossing at the same speed as a walker, then there really shouldn't be a problem.

The main justification for stopping bikes going through zebra crossings and so forth is that a bike could legally go through that crossing MUCH faster than a car could be reasonably expected to respond. Imagine a pedestrian sprinting as fast as they could and charged across the zebra. Legal, but incredibly dangerous - a bike can outpace a runner easily. A zebra crossing is a unique situation where a car can't realistically be defended in court when a collision happens. Banning bikes cleans up a grey area. Honestly though - a lot of the drama is entitlement syndrome in motorists. Don't ever cross the zebra without checking for cars in Sydney - you MAY be cleaned up. :shock:

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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby queequeg » Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:28 pm

@Xplora, that is zebra crossings you are talking about. I am referring to crossings that have a pedestrian lantern but not a bicycle lantern.
In those cases I can't see any logic behind dismounting as the crossing is exactly the same as if it had dual lanterns.
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby adrian_d » Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:46 pm

I have found a solution for the intersection I need to cross to get to the bike track, I follow the path next to the road for a bit then cut across the road a bit further up at a right hand turn.

Its a pity as I would have been much safer crossing from the pedestrian crossing. I always give pedestrians first priority to cross and i'm always courteous to others.
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Re: Crossing Intersections On Pedestrian Crossing with Cleat

Postby Mulger bill » Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:04 am

queequeg wrote:@Xplora, that is zebra crossings you are talking about. I am referring to crossings that have a pedestrian lantern but not a bicycle lantern.
In those cases I can't see any logic behind dismounting as the crossing is exactly the same as if it had dual lanterns.
You and me both, I'll trundle across these ones but I always dismount for zebras.
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