Recently moved to Basel and currently living a temporary apartment building which seems to be full of people from the same company as me.
Just shared the lift with a guy who had been cycling and got his bike stuck in a tram track with the inevitable outcome.
Really, really painful road rash down one side of his body. He'll be sticking to the bed sheets tonight with all those wounds, poor guy!
But I can imagine it does happen, especially when you're not used to it.
I consider myself an experience cyclist. I cycled to work in London for years (21km each way) and also cycled across America a couple of years ago.
But when I rode to work on Thursday for the first time, I was very conscious of the tram lines and did make me feel a bit nervous. And ride very cautiously!
Anyone else ever had a run-in with them?
If I see him again, I'll tell him to make sure he checks his mailbox for a fine!
If your front wheel falls in the tram tracks, it stops almost dead and you fall straight off. Hopefully not in front of a bus or lorry. You quickly learn to avoid being too close to the tracks and cross them at an angle.
However, it seems many people can't learn this lesson untiul they've had one accident. I got mine out of the way around 12 years ago in a track in Frankfurt. Not at all hurt (usually you'll be fine as tram tracks that you need to be close to are in cities where you cycle slowly) but annoyed and a scratched new bike. Never had that accident again.
I was working a year in NYC as a bike messenger and thought I knew it all. Next thing I know is I am face down on the main ring street in Budapest, wheel stuck, tram is coming. The driver seemed to be used to it though Anyhow I tore my favourite coat and I was very angry at myself for that. Up until I got to look at my face in the mirror...
Tram lines are like tar snakes and wet leaves on the road and gravel in a curve, hit them at the wrong time at the wrong place at the wrong speed and you will be glad for ATGATT.
Does actually allow me to post one of the road signs from my trip across the states
[](http://postimg.org/image/4hk12leij/)
This was in Astoria, which was the official endpoint, and had a tramline.
Although my favourite road sign was definitely
[](http://postimg.org/image/3uiwmwvgh/)
This road had a couple of large hills, but also some spectacular scenery...
Not really sure what all the fuss is about, never had the problem with my bike below:
http://fat-bike.com/wp-content/uploa...paper-1440.jpg
On my commute, a guy fell onto the tram-tracks, directly in front of a tram. It couldn't brake anymore...
(That's what these white tents are for...).
Although you see a lot of people cycling here, it's not really a cycle-friendly country.
The tram always has the right of way. Always.
can also happen if you have a broad tire and you may think you are safe as it can't get stuck within the track. I onced ended on a sidewalk (fortunately) cause it was wet and slippery and the tracks were like a black ice.
Trams in London and San Francisco and New Orleans and Alexandria ?
[](http://www.google.ch/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Gz6uHO4uFh9MEM&tbnid=RTLYX0QSC8HTvM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fusuaris.tinet.org%2Fklunn%2Ftrams-trolleys.html&ei=AWbiUdOyGYaC4ASrp4GICA&psig=AFQjCNFq_TVcqLwYq8hn0Gt3vx0AGAL0hA&ust=1373878145442209)
London in the past
[](http://www.google.ch/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=TzpzoWLnVw8IcM&tbnid=dc3eRMMd6GSB8M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skyscrapercity.com%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D484240%26page%3D13&ei=oWbiUdugKsfWPcK7gagO&psig=AFQjCNG0az1Zt2DBQdmBinnRpSfoEmGT0Q&ust=1373878214446814)
London in the future
[](http://www.google.ch/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=39tFVe4ftuTDdM&tbnid=RMZUybqC4FlL1M:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tundria.com%2Ftrams%2FUSA%2FSanFrancisco-1950.shtml&ei=MGfiUdmnAeO24ATxy4HgBw&psig=AFQjCNH5zL_tSQyD77USc5Oz7_oBMWwKQA&ust=1373878448059027)
[](http://www.google.ch/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=khedtusOmp1_MM&tbnid=WS-f6jqyw6c-0M:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcepolina.com%2Ftram-cars-San-Francisco.html&ei=XGfiUbrEM8Wv4QS8wIDwDA&psig=AFQjCNF22mW243QzjTf1ULwyeQnIaXy1Hw&ust=1373878492874528)
both in SFO
and
[](http://www.google.ch/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=eiHtoJL5zcLJuM&tbnid=D__e_wO85_g0RM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripadvisor.com%2FLocationPhotoDirectLink-g60864-d89083-i28826822-International_House_Boutique_Hotel-New_Orleans_Louisiana.html&ei=32fiUY6mNoi24ATjo4DwAw&psig=AFQjCNFE5y7ZzCa5pHw8KXyEdU7mSvAUHA&ust=1373878623937824)
in New Orleans
---
plus
[](http://www.google.ch/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=PeAa9tgtk8Bt-M&tbnid=d7m0BnvdlMQtpM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fde.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FStra%25C3%259Fenbahn_Alexandria&ei=M2jiUdr3KLLW4ATQ44HQAQ&psig=AFQjCNFtuC00XXJSR2FprDRLRyBmF-1PkA&ust=1373878707712615)
[](http://www.google.ch/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=eL93krhUD0y5NM&tbnid=i808vDMV1mxTCM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eurosis.org%2Fcms%2F%3Fq%3Dnode%2F1485&ei=dWjiUfmgGci84ASlooHICA&psig=AFQjCNEDy9rR4vFHI3aDvOBl1Tm1Vq1GsA&ust=1373878773450921)
twice Alexandria above
and once in Oran below
[](http://www.google.ch/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=F0w7txetbsxUmM&tbnid=KANyEwRlmELHNM:&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skyscrapercity.com%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D104771922&ei=82jiUaGCC8WE4gTJ3IEI&psig=AFQjCNGtd_n5bJ4_hY6zAUFpgTMxR27iAg&ust=1373878899226424)
Yeah there are trams in London, but only in specific area (Croydon, right on the outskirts of Greater London) so most cyclist won't have encountered them.
My cycle ride across the States avoided any big cities, so never had to deal with them there either.
I've no doubt I'll get used to the ones here - I think I'll have to curb my natural tendencies to try and go as fast as I can and just take it steady. It's not like I'm going to have a long journey anyway.
Every single person who takes up cycling in Basel will be bought down by tram tracks at least once.
The technique to deal with them is simple: Never cross the tracks at a slight angle (i.e. nearly parallel) especially in the wet - your tyres will get trapped in the groove and a face plant is inevitable. Cross them as close to 90 degrees as possible. You won't fall again if you do this.
Yes everyone does it once. I did it at Bellevue, Zurich when I first moved here. Plenty of people to look and stare at me, with the cars just waiting for me to scrap myself up off the road.
The aunt of a schoolfriend in those times once saw us departing in Wollishofen and then again at the airport, and once saw us departing from her apartment at Schaffhauserplatz and got a call from her mum when we arrived. She did some calculations. SHE was not surprised at all but WE were shocked. The danger of going by bycicle is that you are far far faster than you are aware of
Have you got your ten posts yet?
Duh, while we are at it playing with fire is dangerous too and boiling water can be dangerous too!
That's because a tram can't stop suddenly (it has a very large braking distance), not because town planners felt it must be somehow privileged.
