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> Bicycles generally accelerate much more slowly from a stop than motor vehicles. Usually ( and I say this as a cyclist and pedestrian with no driving license
by dingaling 13y ago
> Bicycles generally accelerate much more slowly from a stop than motor vehicles.
Usually ( and I say this as a cyclist and pedestrian with no driving license ) that's because the majority of cyclists stop in a high gear, and then have to 'tread molasses' to start moving again.
It takes very little effort to shift-down when approaching a stop, which means that on my bicycle I'm ready in the lowest gear and can move off much faster than the motor traffic and have 20 metres or so lead by the time they clutch / gear / brake-off / move.
- dredmorbius 13y agoFew cyclists will reach a top-end velocity of much over 20 mph on city streets. A car can be moving at 30 miles an hour quite rapidly from a stop, and 60 mph+ within a few seconds. And I write this as someone who's drafted behind tractor trailers at highway speeds, ridden in 30+ mph pacelines, and topped 60 mph on descents. There's a reason the word "generally" was loitering near the opening of that sentence ;-)