ukoldschool
Senior Member
Stupidity?
Tales from today's commute....
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
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Stupidity?
ukoldschool
Senior Member
Here's the one in question...... defend this:
Cyclists on the road in the direction of the red dotted line, causes car traffic along a 40mph section of road to bunch up and/or causing near misses as they try to go around the cyclists and then cut in front of the bollards..... they could just use the nice, safe, well lit, well paved cycle lane where the red line is...
Cyclists on the road in the direction of the red dotted line, causes car traffic along a 40mph section of road to bunch up and/or causing near misses as they try to go around the cyclists and then cut in front of the bollards..... they could just use the nice, safe, well lit, well paved cycle lane where the red line is...
lazybloke
Today i follow the flying spaghetti monster
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Working at home today so not strictly a commute but just did the 2 mile school run by bike (daughter on scooter) and it is WILD out there. A perfect storm of mud, rainfall, flooding, leaf mulch, wind, fallen branches, mobile wheelie bins and drivers doing their usual hurtle of entitlement.
If it's nasty in Surrey then watch out everyone who gets proper weather. Good luck, folks!
If it's nasty in Surrey then watch out everyone who gets proper weather. Good luck, folks!
nickAKA
Über Member
- Location
- Manchester
Without wishing to 'defend it' as such, it would depend upon the cycleway itself; it looks quiet there but if you're moving along at 20mph plus and there are pedestrians/joggers/dogwalkers/space cadets meandering along then the road may well be the safer option for all concerned. Whether we like it or not, shared paths are treated mainly as footpaths and so they aren't fit for purpose for use as cycle lanes, especially on commuter routes where people are shifting along. Fine if you're going at walking pace, but that's about it.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7372548,-0.3069243,3a,75y,44.54h,80.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHgNE6st32UEhSv17SVXK-Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
They're turning left ?
Even if they're continuing straight on, the 'cycle path' appears to become unlit and go off into woods, probably becoming a puncture fest.
Looking at it, coming either N or S on the A1081 I would be on the road.
'Cyclists Dismount', Really ? And look at the crap you're tyres will be picking up.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7...4!1sU6Mkmv6E6lIzwECnijrgrw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
The cars who can't share the road correctly are the issue, not the cyclists ....
ukoldschool
Senior Member
no, they arent turning left (thats a sports centre..) the cycle path continues on the other side of the road, and is well lit and well paved
should cars have to share a road when a council has ploughed money and effort in creating a cycle path?
If the road were blocked for some reason, would you be happy with cars driving along the cycle path?
should cars have to share a road when a council has ploughed money and effort in creating a cycle path?
If the road were blocked for some reason, would you be happy with cars driving along the cycle path?
Last edited by a moderator:
Arjimlad
Tights of Cydonia
- Location
- South Glos
Just took
St Albans ? Just took a quick gander. Reminded me of a shared use path which I tried to follow in Hampshire along Botley Road between Romsey & North Baddesley, It kept switching from the left to the right of the road, and was painfully slow compared with staying on the road. This one looks a bit better but does appear to change sides every now & then so you'd need to stop & wait, stop & wait, stop & wait... or is that unfair ?
St Albans ? Just took a quick gander. Reminded me of a shared use path which I tried to follow in Hampshire along Botley Road between Romsey & North Baddesley, It kept switching from the left to the right of the road, and was painfully slow compared with staying on the road. This one looks a bit better but does appear to change sides every now & then so you'd need to stop & wait, stop & wait, stop & wait... or is that unfair ?
ukoldschool
Senior Member
Are we therefore saying we dont want cycle paths? I can understand those that dont want to use badly designed afterthoughts, but this one is clear, well lit and 100 times safer than the 40mph reduced width road so why the bluster?
I ride to and from the station. I only have to use about 500m of the actual road as the cycle lanes are so good. Yes you get the occaisional dog walker but you do not get cars that can kill you. Im all for choice, but this seems idiotic
I ride to and from the station. I only have to use about 500m of the actual road as the cycle lanes are so good. Yes you get the occaisional dog walker but you do not get cars that can kill you. Im all for choice, but this seems idiotic
ukoldschool
Senior Member
It switches sides once, and then back again (which means you avoid a main roundabout, hardly a bad thing). I ride it every day, the road isnt that busy that you have to wait more than a second or two to cross, but the cars fly up there at 50mph so the cycle lane is very safe and very clear (no houses mean very very few pedestrians). Maybe its just me? after all I am not a 'proper' cyclist
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
Well, I'm not going to say anything definitive having never cycled there.
But from a quick scan of google maps:
1. That stretch of road is about 400m from one roundabout to the next. That would take me about 40 seconds on a bike, probably 30 seconds in a car. I'm really not going to be holding anyone up.
2. If you're using it to go straight on you have to stop and cross the road - inconvenient.
3. The cycle lane then continues on the other side of the road, but forces you to give way to all side roads - dangerous and inconvenient.
So yes, it looks very good from your photo, but it actually seems pretty inconvenient in context. I doubt I'd use it cycling solo, and if I did, it would slow me up far more than my presence on the roads would delay any motorist. If I was cycling with a slow group, I probably would use it.
As I said, that's based on a quick glance at google satellite images. Maybe it's different to my perception if you're actually there on the ground.
But from a quick scan of google maps:
1. That stretch of road is about 400m from one roundabout to the next. That would take me about 40 seconds on a bike, probably 30 seconds in a car. I'm really not going to be holding anyone up.
2. If you're using it to go straight on you have to stop and cross the road - inconvenient.
3. The cycle lane then continues on the other side of the road, but forces you to give way to all side roads - dangerous and inconvenient.
So yes, it looks very good from your photo, but it actually seems pretty inconvenient in context. I doubt I'd use it cycling solo, and if I did, it would slow me up far more than my presence on the roads would delay any motorist. If I was cycling with a slow group, I probably would use it.
As I said, that's based on a quick glance at google satellite images. Maybe it's different to my perception if you're actually there on the ground.
My two-pennorth - I think you are both right.
Cycle lanes are great and I, like UKOldSchool, use them all the time. The important detail is that I cycle at about 12mph on a bike made of steel (15mph with a tailwind and a slope!)
If however you are the ultrashaved, streamlined, lycra clad super-cyclist on a machine made of angel's hairs, then you are usually doing around 25mph, if not more. For this elite breed of cyclist, cycle lanes are pointless.
What gets my goat is when someone is toddling along at 7mph next to a perfectly good segregated cycle lane. It's those cyclists who are putting themselves in danger. Of course, there are many utterly rubbish cycle lanes too. I think any councillor approving a cycle lane should be made to cycle it regularly for 2 weeks so they can order the remedial work when they realise how dangerous the things are.
On the flip side I think things will improve as we move to electric vehicles, as they should start to combat the "i've got to be at the front" drivers that pass close and then stop 20 feet down the road as they wait for lights / someone to turn etc.
Cycle lanes are great and I, like UKOldSchool, use them all the time. The important detail is that I cycle at about 12mph on a bike made of steel (15mph with a tailwind and a slope!)
If however you are the ultrashaved, streamlined, lycra clad super-cyclist on a machine made of angel's hairs, then you are usually doing around 25mph, if not more. For this elite breed of cyclist, cycle lanes are pointless.
What gets my goat is when someone is toddling along at 7mph next to a perfectly good segregated cycle lane. It's those cyclists who are putting themselves in danger. Of course, there are many utterly rubbish cycle lanes too. I think any councillor approving a cycle lane should be made to cycle it regularly for 2 weeks so they can order the remedial work when they realise how dangerous the things are.
On the flip side I think things will improve as we move to electric vehicles, as they should start to combat the "i've got to be at the front" drivers that pass close and then stop 20 feet down the road as they wait for lights / someone to turn etc.
'What gets my goat .....'
I didn't start the bluster, you did ...
If you're all for choice, then why can't I choose to use the road or the facility. Going to the sports center with the kids, then yes. Going thru St Albans on a 100+mile ride, then I'll use the road. Courses for horses,
Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
Guess what I'll be doing yet again tomorrow morning?
Damp on the way in, but very wet & filthy roads from overnight & morning rain, them more rain this evening for the return leg. It was that sort of fine, windblown rain that you think "I don't need waterproofs for this" only to find out a few miles later that you were wrong.
One piece of good news - the ride in took me to 9000 total miles this year.
Cut the ride short today, the thought of Nirvana into today's wind, and hitting the years goal yesterday made for a lazy day. Just as well, ended up donating a tube and CO2 to a chap who had a puncture and was wheeling his bike with kid in trailer behind. Had a nice chat whilst he got his hands dirty ;-).
