Hmm. OK, I checked a little into these claims. As far as I can tell, all these cycle ways are ONLY for mountain bikes. While there is some mention of "on-road" but if sealed roads are part of the plan, the project sure is hiding that fact.
The latest one open (Oct 2010) is on the South Island, the Saint James Great Trail, 60km that follows river valleys and traverses the St James mountain range.
I know many mountain bikers, but I'm not interested in mountain biking. I'm hardly alone in this. I like to walk on single track, rather than ride my bike on it. I like nice sealed roads, which are the perfect surface for bike riding. After a few days' cumulative experience on the North Island, I can report this about the state of "Share the Road" in NZ. It's a work in progress. For a country full of people who love sports, the behavior of motorists is a bit discordant. I've been chatting with a Swiss woman cyclist at my New Plymouth backpacker, who is finishing up a tour of the North Island on a rental bike. She's in her mid-20s, blond and cute, so what she tells me seems so disappointing. She says many motorists pass her too close, either honking, or yelling, or otherwise acting like idiots. Now, this method of picking up women didn't work when I was younger, and it sure doesn't work these days, either. This polite Swiss gal tells me she's taken to giving people the finger in response.
We are both bemused by the behavoir of motorists on a road with a PASSING lane. The signage always says: "Keep left except when passing." But, to kiwi motorists, apparently, when passing a cyclist, this means "Always keep left when passing someone on a bike." Even when there is a passing lane and no traffic in either direction, motorists will not change lanes, and insist on staying in the left lane. What do you not understand, folks? Pull OUT! Pull OUT! It won't kill you, but it might kill me. The draft from your car/van/tractor trailer can suck under a cyclist who's clinging to the white line. I am very glad I put a rear vision mirror on my handlebars, as now I see how it works, I'm always scanning back up the road for approaching morons.
Kiwis love travel and seem to love travelers. I wish they'd apply this logic to bike travelers in their own country. The only people so far who seem to pull out are foreigners driving rentals.
It appears that New Zealand powers that be are adopting the "totally separate" approach to making cycling more feasible in their country for visitors. This theory is that cyclists and motorists shouldn't have to share the same routes. I respectfully disagree with this logic. Why not both? A campaign to educate road users might also be a good part of this "Great Rides" initiative.
It's a thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment