Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Non of it is mandatory, that is all you need to know.
Pavement cycling
- Thread starter alicebimbles
- Start date
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Non of it is mandatory, that is all you need to know.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
The rectangle one indicates a cycle route which may not have any infrastructure at all. It may just be a carriageway. The round ones indicate a cycleway but use is not compulsory. Police may harass you but they really ought not.
In most countries, round sign ones are compulsory and blue rectangle ones indicate optional infrastructure, but not in the UK now.
The governing law is the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 and the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 if you want to look it up on www.legislation.gov.uk but it's a bit awkward to follow.
The riders riding three abreast on a carriageway have broken no law, no matter whether you consider it wise or not. There are times it may make sense, even though it contradicts the advice in the Highway Code booklet.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
I'm pretty sure the turn left/right ones are compulsory unless they have "except cycles" underneath.
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
This PDF might help @ericmark and others...
know-your-traffic-signs.pdf
...although it is a bit on the ambiguous side in places
know-your-traffic-signs.pdf
...although it is a bit on the ambiguous side in places
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youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
How about this one?
Can't be just advisory, can it? Surely it is mandatory to use the cycle lane as otherwise you'd be riding the wrong way down a one way street? The whole issue of cycling provision signage is a dog's breakfast - exemplified by the notorious 'cyclists dismount' sign.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
The only thing mandatory about the lane is that motorists may not use it. Note that the same sign exists without a line and that you'd only see it if you were travelling in the all traffic direction anyway, when you shouldn't use the contraflow cycle lane. Plenty of one way streets in London, Cambridge, Norwich, Lynn, Dunkerque, Bruges, Gent... where you just ride the opposite way to motorists down a one way street.
I agree that UK cycling signs are a mess.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Two way for cycles and one way for motorised traffic.
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
OK - I see it now - it's really a sign for motorists to obey.
mustang1
Legendary Member
- Location
- London, UK
Went out for a leisure ride with the family today. SO was with us too so we spent time in the sidewalk.
We soon caught up with another family and then a few other cyclists and since we were all heading in the same direction, there was about 11 of us zig zag going amongst the pedestrians, but going only slightly quicker than walking pace.
Was kinda fun .
We soon caught up with another family and then a few other cyclists and since we were all heading in the same direction, there was about 11 of us zig zag going amongst the pedestrians, but going only slightly quicker than walking pace.
Was kinda fun .
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Sidewalk now there is an American term. You are not an American Werewolf in London are you?
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Some people refer to them as sidepaths to avoid calling it a footway when cycling is allowed but to avoid calling it a cycleway because that may legitimise cycling there.
mustang1
Legendary Member
- Location
- London, UK
I get confused with the terms pavement and footpath. I think there are some very minor differences between them and no doubt someone will tell me what they are; I will then forget the differences after 5 minutes. I sometimes use sidewalk to mean the place for people to walk on the side.
Edit:
There we go: @mrj refers to footway as well. So many terms for such similar places to walk!
A side note: motorway is one where you can drive at 70mph and cyclists are not allowed due to danger of high speeds. Dual carriage way is also a road where you can drive at 70mph but cyclists are allowed.
Oh, and one more thing: traffic lights. When the lights go from red to amber, it signifies we should get ready to go. But what about those traffic lights that have a left or right green arrow where the main traffic light remains red, but also a smaller green arrow; why does the green arrow bit not have a corresponding yellow arrow to signify we should get ready to go. All these rules mean so much, yet so little.
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Although you could consider it "advisory" for the cyclist, cycling head on into two lanes of traffic coming the other way is likely to greatly shorten your life as a cyclist. We have a lot of these in London .What's frustrating is that quite often you have no choice but to head into the traffic due to illegally parked vehicles, pot-holes etc, and motorists are often startled when the road markings have completely disappeared due to age / roadworks etc.
My least favourite one of these is Concert Hall approach. The lines have all but disappeared and the council decided to make it a level road with block paving that tourists assume is pedestrianised until a black cab or hydrogen bus comes the other way. If that doesn't happen they just look at you like you are mad.
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
They're not illegally parked... all drivers know that a cycle lane is a parking space, regardless of any double yellows.