That's it, I am no longer defending Cyclists!

[AllyBassman]

I am normally one to defend cyclists on the roads, but last night tipped me over the edge.

There is a main road that I use every day, it's on a hill and it is quite narrow for the volume of traffic it carries. It has a path on the side of the road going down the hill.

Naturally, when a cyclists decides to take this route (going up the hill) it causes massive hold ups becuase:

- The cyclist isn't as fit as they think they are, so start flagging half way up the road and go at a near crawl
- As the road is narrow and normally busy in both directions, traffic cannot safely pass, so quite rightly does not.

Recently, the council has put in a lovely wide path/cycle path so that cyclists can use that to go up, rather than using the busy and dangerous road. So it's now got a small path on the side of the road going down the hill (not suitable for cyclists) and a lovely wide one on the side of the road going up.

Have I seen any cyclists use it? Nope.

Was I stuck behind a massive throbber going up the road instead of the cycle path causing hold-ups behind? Yes.

Rant over, cool story bro etc, etc!

Thanks for reading.

[Pica-Pica]

Similar here. Massively wide and smooth cycle path. It is used by ‘working’ cyclists, but not by the Lycra set (a few good souls do - but not many).

[coldel]

Its quite a common thing though, cyclists often prefer to be in the road than on paths which are smaller and often littered with stuff. I drive up Priory Lane every week (yes the one with the Priory and the LTA on it!) and they installed a cycle lane on the pavement as again the road is a slight incline but also quite narrow and carries a lot of traffic. I think I see one or two cyclists but clearly cyclists prefer the road, hold everyone up, and its a road that leads to Richmond Park which is a cyclists favourite in the area.

So, I can see why cyclists would use the road because they can go faster than the lane, but, they are slower than the natural flow of the traffic so you end up with this 80% ignoring the lane and being in the road...

[BobSaunders]

Welcome to come and borrow my bicycle and see how bad said cycle lanes are from a cyclist perspective, and then realise why the road is used. Usually street cleaning pushes glass, debris etc. onto the cycle path which in turn is never cleaned.

The road is additionally free for all to use. Cycle lanes are optional. Until that changes, legally, then there is no discussion or argument.

I've seen better care given to a pigeon in the road than a cyclist on a bike.

[valiant]

Near where I work the council put in segregated cycle ways to keep cars and cyclists separate and safe. Quite a good idea in theory but unfortunately the council can’t fit one of their sweeping machines in it and so there’s an abundance of broken glass and other detritus that will damage the cyclists tyres and so they ignore the cycle way and ride in a now narrower road putting themselves in greater danger than before the cycle way was built.

[hornmeister]

So if the cycle lanes are unusable or unused, lets stop spending our taxes building them and concentrate on repairing road surfaces, making roads safer and possibly wider?

Or is that too sensible a suggestion?

[coldel]

BobSaunders said:

Welcome to come and borrow my bicycle and see how bad said cycle lanes are from a cyclist perspective, and then realise why the road is used. Usually street cleaning pushes glass, debris etc. onto the cycle path which in turn is never cleaned.

The road is additionally free for all to use. Cycle lanes are optional. Until that changes, legally, then there is no discussion or argument.

I've seen better care given to a pigeon in the road than a cyclist on a bike.

If the cycle lane was wide, clear, tidy and flat - would you still not use it then?

PS, lots of drivers are cyclists too, no need to offer the bike.

[BobSaunders]

hornmeister said:

So if the cycle lanes are unusable or unused, lets stop spending our taxes building them and concentrate on repairing road surfaces, making roads safer and possibly wider?

Or is that too sensible a suggestion?

It's sensible. But, build cycle lanes which are able to be cleaned.. or are actually cleaned.

This is a local road to me, please tell me how you get a street sweeper into/onto those cycle lanes...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4193349,-2.23192...

To edit.. you can actually see the glass in some of those pictures!!

[Type R Tom]

Down hill I'd agree with the cyclist can use either but up hill when you're going slow and possibly wobbling about use the lane. It just makes sense and I think the cyclists (assuming the lane is in good condition etc.) is being an idiot.

In the past when there is insufficient width for a lane in both directions I've installed them on the incline side for the exact reason of speed difference.

[BobSaunders]

coldel said:

BobSaunders said:

Welcome to come and borrow my bicycle and see how bad said cycle lanes are from a cyclist perspective, and then realise why the road is used. Usually street cleaning pushes glass, debris etc. onto the cycle path which in turn is never cleaned.

The road is additionally free for all to use. Cycle lanes are optional. Until that changes, legally, then there is no discussion or argument.

I've seen better care given to a pigeon in the road than a cyclist on a bike.

If the cycle lane was wide, clear, tidy and flat - would you still not use it then?

PS, lots of drivers are cyclists too, no need to offer the bike.

I would use it. It's much much much safer than the road.

But, legally, i can use the road if i wish - not all cycle lanes allow me to turn right into a side street.

[phil4]

hornmeister said:

So if the cycle lanes are unusable or unused, lets stop spending our taxes building them and concentrate on repairing road surfaces, making roads safer and possibly wider?

Or is that too sensible a suggestion?

Since it's about the only thing an "anti-car" council can do a) affordably and b) without losing the next election... they'll just keep doing it.

Oxford has decided to spend £9m on improving cycling and walking into Oxford... yet their own cycling expert says it won't be upto the job. Sounds like we'll have another white elephant in a few years time:

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16356258.9m-plan-...

[brimson]

I like cycling, nothing against the sport or the people but I was in a very similar situation on Monday evening. I was heading up the hill below and the light was green until the cyclist slowed down IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD and due to a red light I had to stop, (that is fine but hill starts grate my gears) Green light comes but this guy doesn't pull over to let me pass, he just stayed in the center of the road being a prick.

[TwistingMyMelon]

blimey you over dramatic tart

one bad cyclist doesn't mean you can hate them all

Go and ask your mum for a cuddle and get on with life

[cerb4.5lee]

hornmeister said:

So if the cycle lanes are unusable or unused, lets stop spending our taxes building them and concentrate on repairing road surfaces, making roads safer and possibly wider?

Or is that too sensible a suggestion?

That's far too sensible...cyclists just need banning completely from using roads/paths/any surface...cyclists are a complete menace to society full stop.

[greenarrow]

...The Op should come to Reading where every cyclist it seems, rides on the pavement, or through the pedestrianized shopping precinct, despite the "NO CYCLING" Signs dotted around everywhere.

I have huge sympathy for cyclists. For the first 10 years of my life I cycled to work and lost count of the number of times I was nearly wiped out by idiotic driving. In recent years however the increased popularity of cycling seems to have brought with it a number of cyclists who just do what they want. I've had to jump out of the way of cyclists who are on the pavement, with a cycle path running right next to it... there are no police of course to do anything about it....

[AllyBassman]

BobSaunders said:

Welcome to come and borrow my bicycle

Thanks for the offer, but i've got a few of my own! I have cycled on the road in the past, but mainly stick to off-road and Trail centres now. Hence why I used to defend road cyclists.

BobSaunders said:

The road is additionally free for all to use. Cycle lanes are optional. Until that changes, legally, then there is no discussion or argument

Well there is, my point is that something has been put in place so free up traffic (which is the main cause of hostility towards cyclists on the roads) but also to protect them. Too often have I seen dodgy overtakes and cars literally pushing past bikes on this road. While completley wrong on the drivers part, why on earth would you still insist of using the road? To make a point? Stuff car drivers, i'm entitled to be here too! Yes you are, but you're no good to anyone squished under a HGV!

[rgw2012]

valiant said:

Near where I work the council put in segregated cycle ways to keep cars and cyclists separate and safe. Quite a good idea in theory but unfortunately the council can’t fit one of their sweeping machines in it and so there’s an abundance of broken glass and other detritus that will damage the cyclists tyres and so they ignore the cycle way and ride in a now narrower road putting themselves in greater danger than before the cycle way was built.

^^^This - same on Southend seafront regards segregated cycle path (but it does actually get cleaned). However the MAMILs still have to use the narrow road that has pedestrian refuge islands so regularly that there is hardly any safe chance for cars to pass let alone the buses, so passing is often done too close and puts everyone at risk. Loads of money was spent on that cycle way so FFS use it for your own safety and to stop the congestion that follows the cyclists who don't!

[AllyBassman]

TwistingMyMelon said:

blimey you over dramatic tart

one bad cyclist doesn't mean you can hate them all

Go and ask your mum for a cuddle and get on with life

Haha! I did, she just told me to go post about it on PH instead.

[iphonedyou]

BobSaunders said:

Until that changes, legally, then there is no discussion or argument.

And yet here you are. Discussing.

[iphonedyou]

AllyBassman said:

Haha! I did, she just told me to go post about it on PH instead.