Milan, Florence, Rome - Why aren't all cities like this?

Sunder

Sunder

10 MW
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
3,054
Location
Sydney, Australia
Doing a tour of Europe at the moment, and just coming into Rome. So far, every city has been bike friendly. Bikes mingle with cars and nobody tail gates and honks. they ride on bike paths and foot paths. Helmets are optional, and there are plenty of places to lock up your bike - also, the main rail terminals all have bike hire places outside of them.


About 1 in 20 bikes are electric, but I have no idea why its needed - 9 in 10 are fixies and the terrain justifies it - its flat as a tack most places.

I'm loving this place. we're going on a bike tour of Rome tomorrow, and now looking for similar tours in Salzburg and Paris. Wish I could have brought my electric bike over now.
 
still remember what I call 'the running with the bulls', I once spend a glorious 10 days in
Rome riding around on one of those little 150cc gas scooters. At the lights all the scooters
filter to the front. When the lights go green they all take off full throttle like angry wasps,
trying to stay in front of the cars... so much fun :D
 
Lebowski said:
still remember what I call 'the running with the bulls', I once spend a glorious 10 days in
Rome riding around on one of those little 150cc gas scooters. At the lights all the scooters
filter to the front. When the lights go green they all take off full throttle like angry wasps,
trying to stay in front of the cars... so much fun :D
Click to expand...


My last trip to China was the same way. Riding a "motorcycle" (I put it in quotes, because it felt like it had about 5hp lol) in Chinese traffic just felt like urban riding perfection. You just continuously filter through the trucks and buses and cars, change "lanes" as often as you like, turn any direction down any road you like, regardless of on-coming traffic etc, and it all works out and nobody minds a bit. Just happy smiling faces everywhere you look as you speed down a 1-way the wrong way. It's pretty damn nice.
 
And I thought I was the only one having fun riding in traffic. It's a bit different here, because the cyclists are too slow and there aren't enough motos to create congestion or swarm behavior, which combine to make more open space and more speed. I love being the only ebike (I've seen only 5 others in 4 years), because I get all the space leftover by cars pretty much to myself. :mrgreen:
 
China actually sounds kinda nice when you put it that way..

In the land of the free, I'm pulled over regularly for dead lights and other BS. I was pulled over last night for a dead brake light. It's to the point that I keep my truck full of nasty trash so that they won't want to search for whatever weed fell out of someone's pocket and onto my floor....and the bastards still wanna search it from time to time. :evil:

I'm gonna get a dummy phone and "call my lawyer" while I record being pulled over w/ my camera....maybe that'll get them to leave me alone, or taze me.

Or they could say nothing and just take me straight to the hospital again, because I like waking up in a different county w/ bruises on my arms. That's only happened 3 times. I even got a free t-shirt out of it once. :lol: :evil:
 
That sounds like a great place to own an E-bike, thanks for the heads-up.
 
SamTexas said:
Sunder said:
Bikes mingle with cars and nobody tail gates and honks.
Click to expand...
I've never been there, so here's the question: Are you exaggerating? It sounded too good.
Click to expand...

I'm not exaggerating from what I've seen, but bear in mind I've only been here a week, and today will be my first ride. I'm sure it does go on, but certainly far, far less than it does in Sydney, Australia. There, in my home town, not a day goes by where someone doesn't openly abuse a cyclist within my earshot.
 
Lebowski said:
still remember what I call 'the running with the bulls', I once spend a glorious 10 days in
Rome riding around on one of those little 150cc gas scooters. At the lights all the scooters
filter to the front. When the lights go green they all take off full throttle like angry wasps,
trying to stay in front of the cars... so much fun :D
Click to expand...

Ha ha, if that was me, Id be modifying my scooter to have more power so I didn't have to do that.

Considering hiring a scooter here,but possibly in a smaller town where traffic isn't quite so chaotic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top