Is It Just Me That Thinks This Cycle Highway Is A Joke?

[BMWBen]

Kermit power said:

v12Legs said:

I think this is long overdue.

There must be a great number of people who would like to cycle but don't feel able to due to the current hostile road network.

IMO segregated infrastructure is a necessary precondition for mass cycling. And mass cycling will be good for everyone, even the people who decide not to cycle.

And are people still seriously going on about "road tax"? How many times must road funding structure be explained?

I'm actually slightly concerned about the whole idea of segregated cycling.

My ride in is 15 miles each way, with most of the second half of it being CS7 from Colliers Wood to the Elephant. At present, I can do it in a shade over an hour, but the only reason for this is that the bus lanes are wide enough to have (and frequently do have) 4 or even 5 cyclists riding abreast, all overtaking those inside them.

I don't see that there is any way in which you could segregate that route and keep the same width available to cyclists, so the added volumes of people looking to take advantage of the newly segregated safety would, I fear, slow the experience down so much that I'd be forced back onto the train to get into the office quickly enough. Bear in mind that even with today's "dangerous" unsegregated route, there will frequently be 30 or 40 cyclists per set of traffic lights once you get past Clapham on a nice morning.

I don't commute into town any more, but when I did I had the same feeling. If you're doing a 20 mile commute it's only really viable if you can do a certain speed. I used to cycle along the main road from tower bridge to canary wharf duking it out with the HGVs rather than take the cycle superhighway down the backstreets with it's endless red lights, people wandering around in it, and generally 12mph speed. I could go at the same pace as the cars on the main road, take a lane, and get there 5 minutes earlier.

For the same reason I'm kind of against 20mph speed limits as a solution as well.

[v12Legs]

Greg66 said:

Hoofy said:

Dunno why anyone bar delivery drivers and taxis drive in central London during the daytime.

I get all my expensive bike stuff delivered to work so that Mrs66 doesn't see it. Then I drive in, bring it home in the car, and smuggle it in from the boot once she's out of the house. "No dear, the wheels have always looked like that. You're *so* unobservant..."

Driving in at the weekend would raise suspicions.

Haha, I like your style.
"No, I've always had that bike, it's only shiny because I just washed it!"

[Kermit power]

heebeegeetee said:

Kermit power said:

I suspect that rather more important if we want to emulate the Netherlands would be to bulldozer the entire country flat. The notion of masses of middle-aged women on Dutch shopper bikes is all well and good, but chuck in just a couple of hundred yards at 5% gradient and then see how many stick with it.

If we do well, maybe we'll have as many cyclists as Switzerland.

https://www.spokefly.com/blog/top-10-countries-bic...

http://www.cyclorama.net/viewArticle.php?id=125

Didn't someone post some TFL statistics earlier saying that 16% of London journeys were already carried out by bike?

[heebeegeetee]

Kermit power said:

Didn't someone post some TFL statistics earlier saying that 16% of London journeys were already carried out by bike?

Overall I think we're rated at 2%.

[TheLemming]

BMWBen said:

Kermit power said:

v12Legs said:

I think this is long overdue.

There must be a great number of people who would like to cycle but don't feel able to due to the current hostile road network.

IMO segregated infrastructure is a necessary precondition for mass cycling. And mass cycling will be good for everyone, even the people who decide not to cycle.

And are people still seriously going on about "road tax"? How many times must road funding structure be explained?

I'm actually slightly concerned about the whole idea of segregated cycling.

My ride in is 15 miles each way, with most of the second half of it being CS7 from Colliers Wood to the Elephant. At present, I can do it in a shade over an hour, but the only reason for this is that the bus lanes are wide enough to have (and frequently do have) 4 or even 5 cyclists riding abreast, all overtaking those inside them.

I don't see that there is any way in which you could segregate that route and keep the same width available to cyclists, so the added volumes of people looking to take advantage of the newly segregated safety would, I fear, slow the experience down so much that I'd be forced back onto the train to get into the office quickly enough. Bear in mind that even with today's "dangerous" unsegregated route, there will frequently be 30 or 40 cyclists per set of traffic lights once you get past Clapham on a nice morning.

I don't commute into town any more, but when I did I had the same feeling. If you're doing a 20 mile commute it's only really viable if you can do a certain speed. I used to cycle along the main road from tower bridge to canary wharf duking it out with the HGVs rather than take the cycle superhighway down the backstreets with it's endless red lights, people wandering around in it, and generally 12mph speed. I could go at the same pace as the cars on the main road, take a lane, and get there 5 minutes earlier.

For the same reason I'm kind of against 20mph speed limits as a solution as well.

Same here, although arguing with the cycling campaign types who have the ear of local government brings out the "think of the children" line when I last tried joining the debate on 20 limits in a public debate and was drowned out and shouted down.

In an ideal world, a wide road with a dedicated cycle lane, no width restrictors or speed humps, works best for everyone.

I normally avoid actual cycling infrastructure like a plague - with some local exceptions that I know are useable it's typically slow, constantly stops and gives way, often weed and debris choked.
Suitable for pottering, not suitable for putting any real speed down over distance.

[v12Legs]

TheLemming said:

I normally avoid actual cycling infrastructure like a plague - with some local exceptions that I know are useable it's typically slow, constantly stops and gives way, often weed and debris choked.
Suitable for pottering, not suitable for putting any real speed down over distance.

I'd agree that 90% of the crap we get gobbed off with is utter rubbish, and frequently worse than useless.

But we know what works, so if we put in infrastructure on the Dutch model there is no reason why we can't effect a significant modal shift from private motor vehicles to cycles for many short journeys. And that would benefit everyone.

As I said, proper quality segregated infrastructure is a necessary precondition to mass cycling. People are simply not going to do it in great numbers while they have to share space with cars and lorries.

It needs to be both objectively and subjectively safe for cyclists of all ages and abilities.

[Hoofy]

Greg66 said:

Hoofy said:

Greg66 said:

Hoofy said:

Dunno why anyone bar delivery drivers and taxis drive in central London during the daytime.

I get all my expensive bike stuff delivered to work so that Mrs66 doesn't see it. Then I drive in, bring it home in the car, and smuggle it in from the boot once she's out of the house. "No dear, the wheels have always looked like that. You're *so* unobservant..."

Driving in at the weekend would raise suspicions.

Everyday? I think you have a problem.

Problem? It's not a problem! I can give it up anytime I want. I just don't want to, that's all, not right now, anyway ...