I have been lucky to be able to cycle down the St Ives - Cambridge Guided Busway. If you google it you will see its a concrete track etc, as its not yet open loads of people on bikes are using it and to be honest, although you have to concentrate a little on the tracks its just beautiful, for 80% of my commute I have
No cars
Few Pedestrians
Quiet, beautiful countryside
Quicker route
you can manage 20 mph with little effort
Super smooth surface
but I have been doing this for 2 months now but I have had 2 tyres ruined by punctures in the tyre wall, the second one today, and the tyre has less than 120 miles on it.
I just can't fathom out why this is happening as there seems very little debris on the busway, I am thinking of going back to the road as at this rate I will have gone though 6 tyres in 6 months !
Anyway thats my thought for the day ! Needed to get that off my chest.
I'm not sure what the status of the GBW is at the moment. Obviously it's not yet operational otherwise there would be buses on it. My understanding is that the LA is indispute with the people who constructed it over the composition of the cycle track and that it floods and also some of the huge concrete slabs that make up the GBW itself have begun to crack which isn't at all confidence inspiring. I think the contractor was Nuttal. I have no idea if a date has been decided when it will be operational.
I rode along it a couple of saturdays ago. Not the cycle track as that is crap as the grade of stones that have been used are far too large which could result in a few buckled road wheels let alone numerous punctures. I would rather cycle the cobbles in Paris.
Can't think why you are getting punctures .................. The concrete surface of the GBW bus tracks themselves ultra smooth. There are occasional patches of broken glass or stones where scrotes have smashed beer or vodka bottles or leaving piles of stones or bricks thinking that it would be a great idea. So these fragments might be the reason you are getting so many punctures. What tyres are you using? My bike has Specialised Armadillos All Condition Pros on. The back is almost bald so rolling resistance is pretty low. However I've not had any punctures and certainly not on the GBW.
In fact the saturday I cycled along it there were two girls sitting in the middle of the GBW approaching Histon and and one of them placed a sizeable rock right in the middle of the track I was on, so I had to slow from 23mph, stop, get off and kick it out the way which was quite tricky as I had panniers on the bike. I told them how big and clever they were and got a stream of abuse for my compliment. At one point nearer to Impington?? there was a huge branch across 3 of the 4 tracks whick looked like it had been there months as it was pretty decayed so they can't be planning to open it any time soon.
It's a great way to ride into Cambridge - traffic free and peaceful, you avoid using the local minor roads which are just rat runs for Chelsea tractors and self-gratification artists in Audis.
The other thing I was a bit worried about was the signs saying CCTV in operation at either end and at the stopping off points along the way. Mind you I thought this was in place to prevent the glass shelters and kiosks from being vandalised and graffiti'd by the pond life that lives in St Ives. St. Ives is a truly awful place to cycle. The roads really are sh1t and the drivers are really really agressive. One self-gratification artist in a huge Mondeo tried to squeeze past me even though I raised my right arm ready to hit his car if necessary to fend him off, then he 50 yds up the road going toward the Causeway he gets stuck behind a slow moving Porsche 911, a new one. He suddenly indicates left I move out to the RHS of the lane behind him so the self-gratification artist starts weaving all over the road to try to prevent me passing. The driver was a middle aged older guy the sort of eejit that shops in John Lewis and his car was a huge 59 plate Mondeo barge. Then leaving the town on t'other side on the A1123 some t0$$er in an old black 3 series BMW lent out the passenger window to scream foul abuse at me, WTF for, I haven't the foggiest???? Then a couple of 4x4 self-gratification artists deliberately close passed me with on coming traffic depsite me looking around at them numerous times and standing on the pedals rocking the bike from side to side. The road surface is particularly bad as well meaning you have to ride in primary to avoid all the holes on the nearside. God I hate cycling in St. Ives as most of the people seem to be knuckle draggers.
Also people walking dogs are a PITA as if the dog darts across the GBW from the cycle track alongside toward you or from the opposite carriageway of the GBW then you are definitely a gonner as you try not to swerve, lose balance and end up crashing over the handle bars as you come off. Ouch!!! I found most dog owners are sh1ts like this as they have no control over their dogs or those wretched extendable leads. At the Cambridge end there are lots of joggers listening to i-pods running along it who are a real nuisance as well. They can't even hear the few loud rings of the bell that some one is approaching from behind or they choose to ignore it being bloody minded.
I should imagine it is quite tiring cycling the GBW into a strong cross or head wind trying to stay on track as if you wobble too far off course it could be curtains, be costly and hurt! Also if you come up behind a slow rider then you are stuck until you can pass them at one of the bus stops unless of course they are decent sorts, stop, pull their bike out the way and let you pass. I managed to average about 23mph. It is almost like a spinning session as the surface is so smooth. Don't know what it would be like to cycle on in the wet or in icy conditions ....................
The GBW might turn out ot be a huge white elelphant. At least they have laid a pretty good 4 lane cycle track for 14 miles. If they had put the width of the 4 tracks together and made the concrete the cycle path it would be a superb surface.
Anyway Kevin if you have been using the GBW for some time I can now see why you have lost so much weight so quickly as one can easily get into the "zone" riding along it and maintaining a very steady rythmn. Great for TT training I would think.
Just seen your update. Continental Gator Skins you say ...................... It might be worth getting some more durable tyres. So many on club rides used to puncture with these tyres. I was never impressed with them.
Could some one be cutting your tyres where you store your bike at work? I know a long shot .......... but it could be some malevolent twisted person ...............
