Mundane News

[classic33]

Sat at work doing my coursework, because there's feck all else to do!!

No work!!

 

[fossyant]

Went out earlier, and found the 'heavy gate' had ripped itself off the garage wall. Bugger. I'd left it propped open, but the wind must have caught it and it swung in the wrong way, taking it clean off the wall. All repaired now. Thank god it didn't hit the missus car !!!

 

[summerdays]

I was distinctly unimpressed by any of the cycling infrastructure that I saw. But impressed that there was a good number of cyclists going about the town despite half-hearted provision. While the traffic's going nowhere the cyclists aren't going away...

It will be interesting to see what the centre looks like once it's finished from a cycling point of view.... at the moment it's a little chaotic, and I'm still working out the best way through the centre (the road layout has changed but not yet completed in the last month or so).

Did you see the yellow YoBikes, I've yet to have a go on one but I intend to...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Did you see the yellow YoBikes, I've yet to have a go on one but I intend to...

Yes, they're hard to miss! Not that I hit any.... I looked at one and it said download the app, less than £1 a ride, bikes are GPS-equipped, they looked like they're 3 speed, and they had a rear wheel lock. That said I only saw a couple actually on the road but they're highly visible. I got the impression that they'd have to reach a kind of critical mass uptake, where the chances of a free bike being nearby become high enough for it to take off. I hope they have enough support to reach that point.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

That sounds ideal. No formal provision at all and loads of people on bikes using the roads. What's not to like?

Funnily, I saw a great number of people riding on the pavement, far more than I've ever seen in London. The road layouts (without cycling infrastructure) are distinctly bike unfriendly. The cyclists there do the work arounds, the local highway engineers are doing the things to make them have to work around.... Just a weekend impression but perhaps @summerdays will correct me.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

You do get lots of cyclists mixing with pedestrians but it seems to work well. The small bit I am familiar with would be from Temple Meads through Radcliffe and across Queen Square to the head of the floating dock. Every time I have been there, there have been lots of cyclists riding on the broad pavements but no adverse issues.

At risk of politicising Mundane News, why are the cyclists mixing with pedestrians and not riding in the roads? The question asked, I didn't see any conflict between pedestrians and pedecyclists. Impression was that the the great uncycled masses tolerated bikes on the pavement because there's no way they'd cycle on those roads.

 

[steveindenmark]

I rode Jannies new Croix de Fer 20 for 10 miles yesterday. What a lovely bike that is. It takes a while to get going but then the weight of the bike seems to take over. You can really get it moving and the gearing is lovely. I said I was going to get one but she said I can share hers. I think that is N+1

 

[Illaveago]

Don't drive in central Bristol.... especially near Roll for the Soul.... we are hopefully getting near the end of the chaos of the centre redevelopment for Metro-bus (though it's a bit silly that currently the buses can't get past each other near the harbour), but they are bound to just move the distruption elsewhere.... did you check out the cycle provision on the street outside? It's the one with a zig-zag cycle path going in and out of the trees

I thought Bristle was aiming to be a cycling friendly city or was it frenzied?

 

[Illaveago]

Morning, it is sunny here at the moment but it looks like there is misty cloud to the South.
Yesterday was a complete wash out for me, apart from doing some washing up , watching qualifying for the Monaco GP and managing to fit another bike into my garage I was asleep. The walk along to a newly opened pub and back again the night before has worn me out.
The weather seems to be on par for the Chippenham Folk Festival as it usually rains, but there was quite a lot of sunshine yesterday, enough to dry some washing on the line.

 

[Illaveago]

I have been downstairs to make another hot drink, whilst down there Schrodie came in and we had big tummy tickles, he even let me rub my chin on his ear, I think it was mainly for his benefit.

 

[mybike]

We are in Tiverton on the way to our first camping trip.

It is raining.

WTAF! Q

Makes the ground softer.

 

[summerdays]

You do get lots of cyclists mixing with pedestrians but it seems to work well. The small bit I am familiar with would be from Temple Meads through Radcliffe and across Queen Square to the head of the floating dock. Every time I have been there, there have been lots of cyclists riding on the broad pavements but no adverse issues.

Lots of the pavements are shared use, for example there is a share use route (Brunel Mile) which runs from Templemeads to the harbour/centre via Queens Square. However the signage is done to not "stand out" in Queens Square which leads to lots not realising it's legitimate to cycle there. The centre was also shared use but is currently a construction site and I've yet to work out exactly where I should be cycling as it changes frequently.

Bristol is better than S.Glos (Almondsbury) at providing for cyclists, and they do seem to improve little areas now and again, some places we don't need help and the road is fine, other places need the cycle provision because what's there currently puts off cyclists from even trying (for example the M5 junction at Almondsbury is really horrible unless you are a confident cyclist, if you aren't it's a major barrier to go into Bristol - you have to cross a slip road without being able to see any traffic lights!!!)

The YoBikes have only been around a few weeks and are getting up to all sorts.... they have been spotted swimming, on top of shipping containers etc! But I've also seen kids just mucking around on them for fun, and isn't that good?

 

[summerdays]

At risk of politicising Mundane News, why are the cyclists mixing with pedestrians and not riding in the roads? The question asked, I didn't see any conflict between pedestrians and pedecyclists. Impression was that the the great uncycled masses tolerated bikes on the pavement because there's no way they'd cycle on those roads.

I cycle through out the city using a combination of roads and shared space, and don't mind cycling on the roads in the centre as with loads of other cyclists. You do get the normal amount of pavement cyclists who don't care but some are also new returnees to cycling who are building up their confidence on the smaller roads first.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I thought Bristle was aiming to be a cycling friendly city or was it frenzied?

My experience from the central areas is that it's a great place for cyclists of which there are many :-)

 

[Fab Foodie]

Last full day of holibibs today :-(
We are of on a 'Premium' gastronomic food walk in the Piedmont hills :-))))