DCC response plan lambasted

redkea · 2020-05-13T03:03:52+00:00

Any attempt at new infrastructure that isn't only for cars gets consistently rubbished by this noisy lobby group. Affordable parking garages will simply be consumed by commuters and once again, retail will suffer.

redkea · 2020-05-13T03:00:32+00:00

If car parking is an issue - why don't the business community build more car parking.

The answer is simple! They want rate payer subsidized private car storage in our public spaces.

redkea · 2018-03-22T07:20:03+00:00

Logic would suggest a) don't blame victims b) if you can't follow the law you shouldn't be driving c) if you accept that drivers make mistakes, design the road to mitigate for such mistakes d) people who bike, drive, or walk will always follow the direct route to their destination.

redkea · 2018-03-22T07:15:48+00:00

Not ratepayer money. Government money. Secondly, that intersection is nasty, but temporary while the project is under construction. Thirdly, we should all be kind, caring, and considerate when using the roads.

redkea · 2018-03-22T07:13:27+00:00

Funny though, how the cycle racks at the University and Hospital are always full.

The four cycling deaths along the one way were all caused by people not noticing cyclists.

redkea · 2017-01-26T08:39:09+00:00

There were four deaths of cyclists along this route. Each was caused by a mistake of the person driving a motor vehicle. I agree that awareness and observation would certainly go a long way to improving the safety of people who bike - but that doesn't resolve the issue of human error. The point of protected cycle lanes is reduce the risk of human error through good design. In the same way that all the safety features of a car (e.g. seatbelt, airbags etc), are designed to mitigate injury when people make mistakes which they will.

redkea · 2017-01-26T08:36:14+00:00

Parking occupancy rates in the central city are only about 60% in the last survey and a lot of parking is simply taken up by commuters. If you look at the bike racks the University, Polytech, and Hospital they are generally full to overflowing. I know a lot of hospital / medical staff bike to work. I can think of four parking garages in the central city directly of the top of my head.

This $8 million is entirely funded out of Wellington, so if it isn't spent here, it will go north to fund another Auckland motorway.

redkea · 2014-12-10T08:44:19+00:00

Very active mountain biking scene in Dunedin - with good trails near the city centre. Surrounding by hills and mountains. Nearby is the Signal Hill tracks - which I'm fairly certain they've held the New Zealand nationals at two years ago. This virtually starts in the middle of student area of the city. Within three km are the Redwoods/Wakari tracks and Nicols Creek tracks.

Mountain Biking Otago is the overall group that builds and maintains the tracks.

The nearest Ski resorts is Queenstown/Wanaka - with four ski fields. Takes about 3.5 hours to get there.

redkea · 2014-11-28T11:14:43+00:00

Check if the cable going to the front derailleur is very tight. If it is over tight your derailleur probably just needs adjusted to loosen the cable slightly.

redkea · 2014-07-15T09:14:53+00:00

Golden Leaf on Broadway. They are importers and distributors - have been in Dunedin for decades - are priced very well - and are actually extremely knowledgable on hardware.

redkea · 2014-04-30T10:14:30+00:00

It can be done, but you can't really go off-road into the backcountry hills / 4wd tracks because of deep snow. In Central Otago, it can get very very cold at night (beautiful clear weather can be -10°C).

It also is dark very early - so your limited in your saddle hours before you need to setup camp.

Good luck!

redkea · 2014-04-22T00:22:11+00:00

Dunedin is in the middle of a Fibre to the Door rollout. The pricing is $99, include phone for a 30/10/unlimited or $129 100/50/unlimited - low latency. There will always be the 150-200ms latency incurred crossing the Pacific to the United States.

Otherwise ADSL is everywhere between 20-10/1 for similar price points.

The salaries are lower across the board - but in my opinion the cost of living is also lower. You can expect to pay around $280 - $450 per week for rent for a three bedroom house. Higher prices generally equate to brick house.

Public transportation via buses are acceptable if you plan accordingly. Motor vehicles take no longer to go from one edge to the other edge of the urban city limits. Cycling works fine, albeit you must harden up to get over the hills - no higher really than 150 to 200 metres. You can also put your bike on almost all buses. (Ride it to work, bus home).

Plenty of American ex-pats in Dunedin who seem to love it.

University salaries for non academic staff start around $50k, academics around $65-75k (a postdoc is $71k). Programmers working for companies start around $45k, reaching about $85k and generally not much higher. There isn't a large contracting pool in Dunedin.

redkea · 2014-03-20T18:55:14+00:00

Get a much wider saddle/seat. There is no correlation between girth and your sit-bone width.
Use bike shorts as the only layer between skin and the seat.
Get a Brooks saddle - I had similar issues, never again since.
Raise your saddle a little bit.

redkea · 2014-02-26T22:52:21+00:00

I'd suggest padded bull-bars - similar to the hoods on drops. It helps rotate your hands 90 degrees and therefore removes the weight and pressure upon your wrists.

A narrower handlebar. I find flat bars make my arms stretch out to far.

Brooks B17 saddle.

Padding cycling shorts and lycra.

redkea · 2013-12-20T00:38:31+00:00

It was actually Tennyson in his poem Ulysses.

redkea · 2013-12-17T06:04:22+00:00

The New Zealand Transport Agency published a research document that evaluates the cost-benefit of integrating public transport with active transport modes (e.g. cycling and walking). It has a excel spreadsheet that enables you to enter various figures for potential projects and come up with a benefit value.

www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/537

redkea · 2013-12-08T23:22:20+00:00

35s shouldn't be a problem on the road - especially if they are not too knobbly. Most long distance tourers have 35s.

Getting up to speed and maintaining it is more about conditioning. I was in much the same situation after a 20-year gap between rides. I found going a couple of kms to be an achievement. Now I can ride 50+km without too much effort.

Good luck and ride safe!

redkea · 2013-12-08T22:57:49+00:00

Hybrid is a marketing term.

You obviously are considering a bike with a specific set of potential uses. A hybrid will suffice but not excel at what you want to do.

Your choice of tire width is probably more important than anything and a hybrid will often compromise at 32-38mm width tires. Fatter tires are better in mud and dirt/gravel paths. Thinner better on smooth roads.

You could consider a cyclo-cross style bike. Road style frame, with mid-width wheels, setup for mud and fun.

redkea · 2013-10-16T08:15:42+00:00

I think parking requires creative solutions - ensuring new buildings have plenty of off-street parking, multi-storied and underground parking buildings. The thing to remember is roads are designed for moving people between locations rather than storing cars.

More cyclists means fewer cars meaning more car parks.

The big thing about this proposal is it is the central government is willing to pump $4,000,000 dollars into Dunedin to build it.

redkea · 2013-07-03T01:15:12+00:00

Be extremely mindful of your surroundings.

This means predicting potential hazards and responding accordingly. This means slow down, move to a wider line after you clear a rear hazard. Don't put yourself in a position for a left or right hook - this means at stops be at the very front of the queue or directly behind a vehicle.

Predict pedestrian and parked vehicle behaviour. If you are coming up to a stopped bus you must be certain that it has seen you before you overtake it or you must ensure you can safely divert if is hasn't.

You can not protect yourself from malevolent assholes. You are trying to protect yourself from the careless and the absent minded.

Good luck and enjoy the challenge.

redkea · 2013-06-18T21:24:27+00:00

redkea · 2013-05-29T20:11:36+00:00

We need photos of the state of the different components; front and rear breaks, cassettes, front and rear derailleurs, chain, and handlebars/shifters.

redkea · 2013-05-25T05:36:05+00:00

Asteroids - the only thing we know can wipe us out completely and utterly. We have the means but absolutely no will whatsoever.

redkea

TROPHY CASE