Bradford Cycle Lane

[NorthernDave]

I saw a cyclist on the Inner Ring Road last week (you know, the urban motorway!). From York Rd, towards Armley Gyratory. Straight through the tunnels, no lights, no helmet, on an MTB...
Presumably he thought that was the correct route since there doesn't appear to be a city centre cycle superhighway section?

 

[classic33]

I saw a cyclist on the Inner Ring Road last week (you know, the urban motorway!). From York Rd, towards Armley Gyratory. Straight through the tunnels, no lights, no helmet, on an MTB...
Presumably he thought that was the correct route since there doesn't appear to be a city centre cycle superhighway section?

Ended up on there years ago. Choice of going under a lorry that that decided against turning off at the last minute or going straight on.
Got a police(range rover, with light elevated) escort off at the first junction.

I got on from the opposite, Armley end. I did put the rear lights on though.

 

[growingvegetables]

 

[classic33]

Given the choice, which would you take. Continue or ride under the back wheels of a lorry?
I considered it the safer(easier) option, exit was elevated, and I'd just gone past that. Road layout has changed since then.

Headed out to the Irish Club on the other side of Leeds. Intention was to cut through the city centre.

 

[growingvegetables]

Dunno!

But I would have drunk the Irish Centre dry on arrival!

 

[classic33]

Dunno!

But I would have drunk the Irish Centre dry on arrival!

Apart from the near miss it wasn't that bad. Range Rover seen headed the opposite way, they saw me. I knew they'd be back. Explanation given, as well as the registration, and then the escort off, with that elevated light and instructions not to overtake them!

I'd tickets to pick up and get back home.

 

[MarkF]

I'll probably never use the Leeds side, tbh I was only being nosey, I can get to Leeds centre from my house in Thackley traffic free anyway, along the canal, it's a lovely ride now that the Calverley woods stretch has been re-surfaced.

 

[marknotgeorge]

Phil, a lot of Bradford taxi drivers are not even licensed by Bradford, they are licensed by Rossendale! Thus removing the local councils right to spot check the cars and drivers. Still, the drivers have lot to lose with few other employment prospects, I don't think the standard of taxi driving is bad.

We've even got the occasional Rossendale cab this far south.

 

[NorthernDave]

I'll probably never use the Leeds side, tbh I was only being nosey, I can get to Leeds centre from my house in Thackley traffic free anyway, along the canal, it's a lovely ride now that the Calverley woods stretch has been re-surfaced.

This is part of the problem - in the usual "trying to be all things to all people" carry on, it ends up being unsuitable for most.
For the eastern end where I live, the fastest route into Leeds isn't down York Road and I doubt many cyclists would choose to go that way.
There seems to be a misapprehension that the scheme starts / ends at the Barwick Road / Ring Road roundabout, but cycling provision starts beyond the Old Red Lion Pub on York Road. There is (for example) a new off road cycle track along the section of York Road opposite the hand car wash, shared space alongside Pogson Cottages that continues through the underpasses at the Windmill Roundabout, a frankly terrifying route to cross Seacroft Gate / York Road and then another cycle track briefly alongside the Ring Road, that leads onto a very quiet residential road (Hansby Drive?) which leads into more cycle track and onto the scheme at Barwick Road.
Yet if I was cycling from here into Leeds I'd only follow the cycling provision across the Windmill roundabout, then take the direct route to Leeds via South Parkway and Wykebeck Valley Road (or even more directly via Brooklands Ave and on the tarmac route across Fearnville Fields if I was on the hybrid), then up Coldcotes Circus (or Fairway Hill) and straight through Compton and down Stoney Rock into Leeds.
A shorter route, less hilly and significantly less traffic - so why would you go out of your way on the hillier council approved route?

 

[mjr]

Yet if I was cycling from here into Leeds I'd only follow the cycling provision across the Windmill roundabout, then take the direct route to Leeds via South Parkway and Wykebeck Valley Road (or even more directly via Brooklands Ave and on the tarmac route across Fearnville Fields if I was on the hybrid), then up Coldcotes Circus (or Fairway Hill) and straight through Compton and down Stoney Rock into Leeds.
A shorter route, less hilly and significantly less traffic - so why would you go out of your way on the hillier council approved route?

Because South Parkway looks like a 30mph rolling rat-run with some large roundabouts, Wykebeck Valley Road/Coldcotes Circus/Compton/Stoney Rock seem fairly poorly-maintained minor roads with traffic-calming of the usual sort that encourage motorist-cyclist conflict (pinch points, speed cushions and so on), plus the whole route is rather non-obvious. While the likes of thee and me are OK riding that sort of road, it's not good enough for mass cycling - heck, Street View captures plenty of people along that route - like this guy - who appear to have been scared onto the footways.

Of course, that route could be made good enough (for starters, filter out some motorists, put more 20mph, sign+surface it) and it's not to say that the York Road route is good either, but can you really not understand why people will go out of their way to ride something that they think is designed+signed for cycling?

 

[classic33]

Because South Parkway looks like a 30mph rolling rat-run with some large roundabouts, Wykebeck Valley Road/Coldcotes Circus/Compton/Stoney Rock seem fairly poorly-maintained minor roads with traffic-calming of the usual sort that encourage motorist-cyclist conflict (pinch points, speed cushions and so on), plus the whole route is rather non-obvious. While the likes of thee and me are OK riding that sort of road, it's not good enough for mass cycling - heck, Street View captures plenty of people along that route - like this guy - who appear to have been scared onto the footways.

Of course, that route could be made good enough (for starters, filter out some motorists, put more 20mph, sign+surface it) and it's not to say that the York Road route is good either, but can you really not understand why people will go out of their way to ride something that they think is designed+signed for cycling?

Too many use the pavements because they are easier use than the roads. In the same way people are driving/parking on pavements.

When you're walking, where do you go when a bicycle, being ridden at speed, appears on the inside of a queue of people at a bus stop?

 

[mjr]

When you're walking, where do you go when a bicycle, being ridden at speed, appears on the inside of a queue of people at a bus stop?

Bicycles don't just appear - they get ridden there - but ideally, I stay on the footway and the bicycle passing on the cycle track doesn't bother me, or gives way to me if I'm crossing to join the queue.

 

[classic33]

Bicycles don't just appear - they get ridden there - but ideally, I stay on the footway and the bicycle passing on the cycle track doesn't bother me, or gives way to me if I'm crossing to join the queue.

Only there's no cycle track there, in the link you provided.

 

[mjr]

Only there's no cycle track there, in the link you provided.

In post #162? Nor is there any bus stop in that link.

 

[growingvegetables]

This is part of the problem - in the usual "trying to be all things to all people" carry on, it ends up being unsuitable for most.

Eeeeh - that's a wee bit harsh, surely? It's not like it is really a "council approved route" - it's just a set of improvements to cycling on York Road, some of them good, some of them ... "not so good" (like the lights controlled junctions by Asda ).

Bits of it will be real handy for me
- from the bottom of South Parkway, if I want a fast ride into the station for example, I go along Wykebeck Valley Rd, up Gipton Approach, and York Road; very slightly longer, less climbing, and (normally) much freer cycling. Riding through the Comptons and Stoney Rock is a lot slower.
- the climb to Seacroft Tesco. Shorter and steeper via South Parkway (and unpleasant just before East Leeds Academy). Or half a mile longer, much gentler climb, and cycling friendly, via the CSH and old York Road (and Aldi ).

Kinda depends where you are, and where you're going?