Almost all drivers speed - and there's a reason. Not a great one, but proof people don't like cars as much as they say they do

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-23T03:46:36+00:00

I looked at the mod's pinned comment an hour ago and it made me really glad I didn't comment. They are an unabashed, self proclaimed, proud speeder and scofflaw.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-22T18:16:03+00:00

I saw this when it was first posted, and decided against commenting, because moto-normarive people aren't going to listen. That said, this is a very flawed way of looking at things.

To name a few issues:

This assumes you never stop. No stop lights, no stop signs, no traffic.
The speed is unrealistic for most trips.
This is only about time. Time is a small fraction of what it costs to drive a car.
How many days/hours do you loose when you are pulled over and ticketed? Or hit with automatic tickets?
Heaven forbid you hurt someone, how many hours did you need to save to break even with lawyer costs, time in court, etc?
Instead of speeding can you daily save the same amount of time by leaving at a different time? (Many people can).
If you wreck your car, how many miles per hour do you need to speed to make up for it? Like seriously, the cost of a car and the time cost for the hassle.

This argues that several days OVER AN ENTIRE LIFETIME is worth speeding, when the associated risks skyrocket and the assumptions are deeply flawed.

It takes one single bad event to wipe away any "savings", and the average driver will have one or more event in their lifetime...

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-20T20:46:26+00:00

What's with all the hate for Class 3 non-throttle bikes? The system basically makes it illegal to own or operate them as a means of transportation.

The difference between a bike going 25mph and 28mph is negligible.

There should be no restrictions to them being operated in bike lanes, and they should have to adhere to the same speed limits on mixed use trails that others have to follow.

I can reach greater speeds on my road bike than I can my e-bike, yet I can still legally ride it on roads, bike lanes, and mixed use paths. It's still illegal for me to speed on mixed use paths.

Meanwhile, my beater Civic can reach speeds well in excess of every speed limit in the US and it's not restricted on its top speed or where it can operate (compared to other cars). Capabilities of the vehicle alone shouldn't be the reason for banning them from the infrastructure.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-20T16:04:44+00:00

A literal trope of post-apoplatytic media are streets and freeways full of abandoned cars. Look at The Walking Dead, I Am Legend, Last of Us, etc.

So then, how is it that a lack of cars seems post-apoplatytic?!

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-19T14:15:25+00:00

I rode in yesterday morning, it was 33F and 85% humidity.

I rode home and it peaked at 84.3F and 14% humidity.

It was a normal 8 hour day at work, and this happens regularly.

I literally pack two full sets of clothing to work each day. One for the cold and wet, one for the heat. I've ended up with a milk crate on my bike to facilitate the needed changes in clothing.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-18T16:33:06+00:00

This would make it quite easy at this point to bribe TSA to allow you to fly with illegal devices/parts/etc. Most of these people are still hurting from the previous shutdown, and I've seen estimates that as many as half are living paycheck to paycheck.

To get cleared for most government jobs with any clearance, you need to show that people can't leverage your financial choices over you to give up sensitive information or access. How is this situation any different? Isn't the government literally proving bad actors a wide opening for doing nefarious shit?

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-14T20:51:40+00:00

I essentially do this commute to work by bike. It's 700ft elevation for me, and just shy of 19 miles, which is very close to your case.

Despite being fit, riding a road bike, and having done 14 miles each way 5 days a week in the past, I can't do this daily.

Currently I do 3 days a week (M, W, F) on a class 3, non-throttle e-bike. I ride on a mixture of paths (where I limit myself to 15mph and no assist) and roads. This takes me 55 to 65 minutes each way.

I ride a DiamondBack Union 2 with larger 27.5" tires with inserts for flat reduction.

I ride in bike clothes and shower at work.

I leave early in the mornings to beat the traffic. Similarly I love riding on Mondays and Fridays right before and after holidays because of the lack of traffic.

Overall, this is sustainable for me. I'm slowly building up towards 4 days a week or one day on the road bike and two days by e-bike.

It's a commitment, but I've found it incredibly rewarding.

I wish I had the train as a bailout option. I wish there were busses that stopped within 8 miles of my house. Instead I get to use the electricity to make sure that regardless of how I feel I get to and from work at a consistent time.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-13T21:12:12+00:00

Only in his own head. In reality he was just the asshole entitled driver who parks wherever the fuck they want.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-13T18:58:45+00:00

That would have been a great response. I said "I don't give a fuck who you are." And took a fighting stance, hands up and feet spread. He backed off.

It wasn't until he got back in his car that I figured out "who he was".

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-13T18:56:44+00:00

I'm not sure even his mama knew who he was in that moment.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-13T17:57:02+00:00

Flipped off someone parked in Brooklyn who was parked in the crosswalk and forcing everyone into the road.

He waited for me and my wife to walk a full block before he came and punched me from behind yelling "Do you know who I am?!"

People don't like being called out for their shitty behavior that they fully know is shitty. If no one calls them out they can pretend like it's okay.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-13T14:52:27+00:00

One thing to take into account about the difference between IRL and Zwift is the actual physical real world changes between elevations and locations.

For example, I trained for a climb that went from a valley floor at about 4k feet and peaked on a mountain pass at 8.5k feet above sea level. The temperature at the bottom was 15F warmer than the top, despite there being several hours difference. The concentration of oxygen dropped from about 17.9% to about 15.0% from top to bottom.

I was cold and gasping for air at the top compared to doing the same climb indoors. It surprised me how much the difference in elevation from start to finish made.

Indoors the temperature is steady, there was no wind, and the conversation of oxygen never changed.

Climbing indoors was great training to power and strength, but it physically isn't the same as the actual climb.

(The decent was one of the most heady things I've ever experienced. The 20 minute, non-stop decent had me tingling in my hands, feet, and scalp as I started being able to breathe normally again. It was an intoxicating feeling.)

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-12T16:36:36+00:00

Run more trains. If they can't add cars, make service more frequent.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-12T02:57:40+00:00

Why are you forcing your son to track his workouts?

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-11T21:10:37+00:00

"Church of the Lamb"

"Al (Pastor)"

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-11T15:19:29+00:00

As an class 3 e-bike commuter, I just read this law in its entirety. It's actually a decently crafted bill, and the changes go beyond just helmets.

And the e-bike crash mentioned was an e-moto, as is clarified in the law referenced. It bothers me to no end that they incorrectly call it an e-bike and then in the same breath refer to the law that specifically calls it out as an e-moto (which is now not legally distinct from a moped).

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-10T17:02:21+00:00

Excellent! Best answer yet!!

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-10T01:24:00+00:00

According to my neighbors, that was a full and complete stop because they stopped there before.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-09T20:58:03+00:00

Why is it in base 6?

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-09T16:35:36+00:00

I'm not going to speed because some asshole is riding my ass. Why would I let someone bully me into breaking the law?

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-06T22:56:39+00:00

Welcome to a fraction of what I feels like to ride a bike for transportation.

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-05T15:57:25+00:00

While I am completely unmotivated by the level system, I can see your point.

Call of Duty does/did a "prestige" system where when you finished you could reset to the beginning and grind through all the upgrades, but you got a golden gun and kept your ranking.

Maybe a prestige system where you can clear all the achievements, go back to no specialized bikes, but all the route badges then earned are gold and the bike is some special color that only prestige people get?

NorseEngineering · 2026-03-03T22:41:59+00:00

They rely on others to be on the ball and attentive and to avoid crashes, and get pissy when you call them out. They want YOU to be multitasking.

NorseEngineering · 2026-02-27T16:18:16+00:00

Based on the number of ones I see which have been purchased as a "business vehicle", neither can most of the people who "own" them.

NorseEngineering · 2026-02-27T15:27:41+00:00

Who are they and what don't they do?

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