Cycle facilities are rubbish - reason # 4792

[CotterPin]

I had another reminder of just bicycle facilities are rubbish last week and I wasn't even using one!

I was cycling along a road where you have to ride out from the edge of because of the appalling road surface. This car - a little hatchback type thing - started to overtake me with a few inches to spare. Neither of us were travelling at any speed so I didn't feel in any immediate danger but it did make me think "Whooah!"

My first thought was to leave it but the car pulled up to turn right at the end of the road and the passenger window was down so I thought I could at least point out that they should give a little more space when overtaking.

The mood was definitely not ranty and the driver initially mumbled a bit of an apology to me. His passenger, however, came out with a classic comment that left me gobsmacked:

"Well, bike lanes are only narrow, so you don't need that much space!"

 

[Keith Oates]

To which I hope you retorted 'but not as narrow as your mind'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HLaB]

I always have a laugh at the cr@p facilities on this site, was it that narrow

 

[Cab]

"Well, bike lanes are only narrow, so you don't need that much space!"

Its a real problem, isn't it? We're ghettoised by bad cycle lanes, to the point where if theres a lane there and we're not in it we get abuse. And because the lanes are narrow and useless, we're assumed to be needlessly causing problems for others if we're not elsewhere in narrow, useless road positions.

The solution is to have rigidly enforced standards for cycle facilities. Ain't happening any time soon though

 

[stephenb]

Its a real problem, isn't it? We're ghettoised by bad cycle lanes, to the point where if theres a lane there and we're not in it we get abuse. And because the lanes are narrow and useless, we're assumed to be needlessly causing problems for others if we're not elsewhere in narrow, useless road positions.

The solution is to have rigidly enforced standards for cycle facilities. Ain't happening any time soon though

sunday ride, car load of square heads pull alongside screaming get in the cycle lane "where you fkcng belong". The lane was littered with glass and other crap, runs across a couple of RABs and give ways and unusually I was travelling at around 25 mph (tail wind). Smiled and shook head, cue hard left swerve by the yobs dumping me up the pavement. Am seriously thinking of junking the bike, have copped too much of this sort of sh1t and don't enjoy it anymore.

 

[CotterPin]

stephenb - that's assualt by any name.

I am not sure what the answer is but I am not totally convinced it is better and more rigidly enforced standards of bike lanes. Personally I would like to see the whole lot wiped off the roads.

No, I think the answer is less emphasis on doing something to the roads and more emphasis on doing something to the roadusers - ie training them and enforcing the laws of the road. In the long run it will make life better for everyone and will surely be a lot cheaper than building cycle facilities that are barely used.

Bit of a pipe dream?

 

[dodgy]

You need to get the plate when this happens. I routinely memorise almost every car that overtakes me, it's a kind of game to strengthen my memory really, but every so often it comes in handy. Like the time a car with yobs decided to smack my arse at >40mph. The driver spent the evening in a cell because of that - without me pressing charges. I was tempted to press for sexual assault (haha - imagine ), but I'd calmed down by the time the police had called me to tell me they had 'their man'.

Dave.

 

[Joe24]

sunday ride, car load of square heads pull alongside screaming get in the cycle lane "where you fkcng belong". The lane was littered with glass and other crap, runs across a couple of RABs and give ways and unusually I was travelling at around 25 mph (tail wind). Smiled and shook head, cue hard left swerve by the yobs dumping me up the pavement. Am seriously thinking of junking the bike, have copped too much of this sort of sh1t and don't enjoy it anymore.

What you say to them is:
"I'm the Police officer, let me decide that"
And watch them shoot off. Or just keep saying pardon and smile. They will soon get bored.
Dont give up the bike because of these idiots.

 

[stephenb]

You need to get the plate when this happens. I routinely memorise almost every car that overtakes me, it's a kind of game to strengthen my memory really, but every so often it comes in handy. Like the time a car with yobs decided to smack my arse at >40mph. The driver spent the evening in a cell because of that - without me pressing charges. I was tempted to press for sexual assault (haha - imagine ), but I'd calmed down by the time the police had called me to tell me they had 'their man'.

Dave.

yeah, I know maybe just feeling sorry for 'self but couldn't cope with it. About 4th time in a couple of months someone's tried to do me mischief (one TBH I contributed to). All involved cars with Polish or eastern European plates. I'm a "b****y foreigner" meself so can't throw stones but it does get you down.

 

[HJ]

Get yer self a helmet cam, then when they try it on, just say "Smile your on camera..." it can make them thing twice...

 

[Cab]

It can be argued that the concept of cycle lanes is mistaken. It ain't us causing accidents and increasing risk to others, its motorists, so remedial action should be targetted at those causing problems. To reinforce the view that cyclists should be out of the way, to tell those who believe we can or should be pushed aside that they're right, well, if you look at it that way then cycle lanes are flat out a bad idea.

But I'm not entirely convinced by that; theres the occasional facility that gives us the road space we need, that actally stands against the idea we should be marginalised. I'm happy for those to say, I'd like a lot more of those.

 

[Origamist]

Worth reading if you have the time:​

Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from
the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany​

John Pucher and Ralph Buehler​

Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy


http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf

 

[magnatom]

Get yer self a helmet cam, then when they try it on, just say "Smile your on camera..." it can make them thing twice...

Are you trying to steal my commission?!!?

A friend of mine just sent me the following cycle 'facility' picture today. I'm not sure what to make of it!! Cars are allowed over this thin bridge, so where exactly is the cycle lane?

 

[redjedi]

There's no cycle lane. I've seen a few of those marking around London.

It's just to let motorists know that its a route often used by cyclists, usually on quieter roads.

 

[Bollo]

Worth reading if you have the time:​

Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from
the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany​

John Pucher and Ralph Buehler​

Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy


http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf

Interesting, I've not seen this one before (can't miss it with that font). It's right up my stato-like street.

I posted a close shave with a taxi, partly caused (I think) by the false impression of segregation created by some sorry cycle lanes. My worry is that the money given to sustrans will be wasted on more of this guff. Then the motoring lobby will turn around and say "you've had your cash, so stop moaning (and get off our roads)".

Talking to a car-loving colleague recently about the sustrans money, I described most of the cycle farcilities around our work as a kind of cycling apartheid. Its an emotive phrase to use, but the analogy holds up pretty well.