2008/5/2 vector_180 <myforums@...>:
> Its only fair to put the good in as well as the not so good ;) It
> rounds off my first week and if anyone follows my footsteps maybe of
> some use.
>
> Some excerpts from my blog at
> http://mec-symonds.eng.monash.edu.au/twiki/bin/view/SymLife/MyCycleDiary
>
> Day 2 Return
..snip..

> Day 3 towork
> Spent some time at Huntingdale and found the cycle trail. somehow
> missed the signs before hand. I was turning left after the up ramp not
> right. The signs maybe camouflaged with graffiti ill check next time.

Further towards Oakleigh the signs were painted over, then ripped out
of the ground, then put back, then ripped out of the ground, then put
back, then ripped out of the ground again. After the third go, Monash
City Council took the signs away in the dump truck.

> The other end,Monash end, of the cycle path is a bit lame. It ends at
> Clayton rd I returned to the dark side and went up the bus lane, there
> is no other way?

At Clayton/North roads the "bike path" ends in the centre of the
traffic island, then you have to cross north at pedestrian lights,
then east at pedestrian lights, then continue up the footpath to
Dandenong road. This footpath, past the primary school's gates, has
for 40years been illegal to ride along like all other footpaths in
Victoria, it has now been relabeled as a bike path and is now safe and
legal to ride along (according to Vic Roads.). Just beware of the
kids going in to the school, mums coming out of the school, people of
mixed nationalities walking on mixed sides of the footpath with mixed
behaviors and reactions when they see a bicycle, and people driving
out of the seven or eight driveways before you get to Dandenong road.
Or you could just ride up North road.

Note that the particular set of "pedestrian lights" at North
rd/Clayton rd are legally *pedestrian* lights and I've been advised by
police that cyclists are required to *walk* if they wish to use them
as if is no "cyclist" crossing light.

> This time the bus came past much closer, cant blame
> him tho. I guess we wait for the cycle path to be finished.

Can't blame him? Not sure which part of Victorian law allows road
users to take vigilante action, you might have to find that section
for me. Doesn't matter if you are illegally riding in the bus lane or
legally riding in it for the 50m before/after an intersection where
you've turned or are turning, the onus is still on the overtaking
vehicle to do so safely and to avoid a collision.

> My route map
>
http://mec-symonds.eng.monash.edu.au/twiki/pub/SymLife/CycleToWork/Huntingdale-m\
onash-cycleroute_sm.jpg
>
> * The path is not as bad as I first thought, I wish that all the
> crossing buttons were on the left and they had a bar for me to hang
> off. Putting the button on the right, as some are, puts you and your
> bike on the wrong side of the path.. if there were others coming the
> other way.
> * The little giveway crossings do break up your momentum but to be
> honest you get used to it. Its purely a bump thing, maybe its a way to
> slow you down but in fact its worse, you have to stand on your pedals
> to absorb the shock and keep your eye on traffic from the road ie
> looking over your shoulder as you hit a bump, whilst pedalling uphill,
> not pleasant/easy.
>
> So after only a few days I have ironed out or gotten used to most bugs.

Adrian