Bike paths /lanes

[vickster]

I had an idiot bus driver tooting me today to go onto the bike path. It lasts about a quarter of a mile if that, runs alongside the pavement. I was going at 15+ mph so I reckon it slowed him up by a whole 30 seconds between having to stop! I use the bike lanes on the road if possible even though they are strewn with holes, rubbish and the surface is often horrid, but I don't tend to use the pavement based paths if I have a choice.

What are people's views?

It seemed to be the evening for idiots as some other bloke decided to chuck his dog's ball across a bike path just as i was approaching so the hound ran across in front of me -path runs behind houses - and got uppity when I gave him a sarcastic thanks. Told me to slow down which he had forced me to do by not looking before throwing the ball... Grrr

 

[Hill Wimp]

For my route in London i use the Boris Blue lanes and i think they are great however i live on an American Designed estate that is very family orientated and encourages you to cycle everywhere ( its quite big) and the cycle lanes are quite narrow and full of crap and more often that not some numpty is parked in it so cyclists always end up back in the road. Its a shame that our cycle paths weren't as well maintained as the rest of the road.

I do say that with tongue in cheek as some of the roads in Kent are third world.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Stuff the bus driver!
Just because a local authority decides to create their token quota of red painted tar wherever they feel it's expedient doesn't mean there's a legal requirement to use it.
Maybe the bus driver can explain to his superiors if you choose to complain why he's using 15 tons of metal to bully people.

As far as I'm concerned, on road lanes are road narrowing schemes, and off road lanes are a token effort to obey some dimwit directive from central government. They do not assist us, they are built without our consultation and need, and the whole lot should be rethought by people that know the difference between a bicycle and their arse.

As long as we're training new drivers to be absolute self-gratification artists we're going to be getting this treatment.

End of rant

 

[vickster]

Cheers, he did annoy me, maybe he was miffed as he had to wait another 3 seconds while I rode past him before he could move away from the stop, he started indicating just as I started to go past and I did give him a wave to say thanks for waiting. Shame he couldn't afford me the same courtesy

Problem with most cycle lanes is they seem to be covered in buses and parked cars. I don't commute into London, but I have used cs7 quite a lot at the weekend and it's often impassable due to parked stuff. Presumably better in week day rush hour. Not a bad surface though when it is usable!