Cycle paths adjacent to main roads
- Thread starter travellingwest
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Stevenage has a lot of cyclepaths on a similar model and there is something different about the mentality of peds. Maybe its because its not a broken up network and there's a critical mass of cyclists so they are expected and there's light segregation 🤔
This sort of thing
View: https://youtu.be/P7PdmnM6h1g?si=EBEsh9cVB_vKpA2y
Pottyboro has/had a similar approach but the network is more broken up and peds don't care. But the council are replacing one of the biggest roundabout/ underpasses with more friendly (socially secure) at grade crossings.
https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/cou...ent/regeneration/peterborough-station-quarter
Last edited:
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
I took part in 'Critical Mass' protest rides before I broke my Femur (not cycling related) and was a 'Reclaim the Streets' protest participant. With you not living in the UK I can well see that you have no concept of just how dire the cyclepaths here are, strewn with broken glass (bottles and windscreen debris) just generally 'not fit for purpose'
Cycle paths also reinforce the concept that roads are for cars/vans/lorries not for bikes/horses so drivers have scant regard for those users despite laws being in place (most drivers are unaware of these)
I've had no vehicles other than bikes (and now my trike) since 1985.
SteveH80
Active Member
Durham is pretty good once on the outskirts. It has some sensibly designed shared paths along newer roads and many of the outlying villages are linked by separate old paths. Accepted that these will be too rough for racing or time trialling (but so are the roads), but for leisure riding they are fantastic.
What always used to annoy me was the habit of painting a cycle path on the road. A green strip down the side is one thing but a small cycle island in the centre of a busy road just gives a false sense of security.
What always used to annoy me was the habit of painting a cycle path on the road. A green strip down the side is one thing but a small cycle island in the centre of a busy road just gives a false sense of security.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
I would still much rather be on that than on the road.
steveindenmark
Legendary Member
I
Of course I know the quality of UK cycle paths. I lived there into my 40s. I just find it crazy that people would demonstrate to be allowed to ride on the road, instead of demonstrating for better cycle paths and infrastructure. Riding on the road will not solve any problem. It will only create more. You can change cycling infrastructure. But you will never change motorists views.
I know I live in a cyclists utopia. The cycling things I complain about are trivial. Fortunately, if there is a cycle path, I have to ride on. But I would much rather be on a cycle path in Denmark than on a road.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
Your comments are true of *some* cyclepaths.
In some areas of the country, it is simply not true at all, and I am lucky enough to live and work in the parts of South Wales where it is not the case.
There are still some cyle paths round here I wouoldn't use just because of the side roads issue. But most of them I do use if I am going that way.
I'm also in an area (Vale of Glamorgan and surrounding counties) where there are a LOT of cyclists, so motorists are expecting us, and are generally polite and well behaved. The sorts of incidents many on here see pretty well every day, I only see a few times a year.
steveindenmark
Legendary Member
I like that roundabout. 😁 When you get inside ours, you hardly know there is traffic above you.
Katana
Well-Known Member
To start with I wasn’t very keen to cycle on roads given the state of roads in Edinburgh but having couple of accidents thankfully nothing major has completely changed me. I just cycle along the tow path and thankfully it goes all the way upto Glasgow. There’s no pollution and you can enjoy nature along the way. Having said that it has it’s own pitfalls especially dog walkers and idiots with ear plugs so you still need to keep your wits about.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
We do have some decent ones in this country, although tere are many like your example.
Not quite as good as the Danish one in yoyr example, but my company is moving offices next month, to the cenbtre of Cardiff, and I will then be using this one as part of my commute
Note the separate traffic lights for bikes (That is a pretty major road off to the left - Cathedral Road), two marked lanes, bollards to stop cars parking in it, separate from the footway, and it runs for a coilpe opf miles through the city centre.
Or this one, which I use frequently, running parallel to but well separated from the A473
The image is from the construction period, there is much more vegetation between the path and the road now, but the pat is still well maintained, and while it is shared use, and you do get walkers, families with kids and/or dogs, but not too many and as everybody knows it is shared, behaviour is generally good.
I know I am lucky to live in an area of the country which does have some good cycle paths/shared use paths, but please don't paint the whole of the UK as being so bad.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
I'm not entirely convinced those figures mean the road is the safer option.
While there may be more casualties on the shared use paths, I suspect (no way of proving of course) that a significant part of the reason for that is that less experienced cyclists are more likely to use the paths, while the more experienced (and hopefully therefore more aware of risks etc.) will tend to use the roads.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Widnes
In this area we have a lot of great cycle paths
BUT
the people who design then do not seem to think like a cyclist
main problem is very basic - how do I kno wthat it is cycle path?
The start - if you are riding along on the left and come across it - are generally OK
but when it ends - err
basically I just end up riding on a strip of tarmax at the side of the road - which is narrower than it was
and I start wondering it this is still a cycle path or not
and eventually I find a junction with no cycle type signs of any kind and a full kerb
so I assume it stopped at some unknown point a distance back
and if it does end the it often does so with a dropped keb along the normal kerb
i.e. you are supposed to join the main road - which is likely to be busy - at right angles to the traffic and somehow get started safely
there is one place where then paths ends on the shared pavement with a slope down on the road side and the rest of it continues as a pavement
then you end up on a cycle path at the side of teh road - at the same level
then that stops - delivering you into the traffic nice and safely
but that is just one
AND
in quite a few cases there is a really good two-way cycle path separated from the road by a grass verge
but no way of a cyclist getting to it from the other side without getting off and crossing the road, then pushing the bike up onto a wide central reservation (hence the pushing) and across the other carriageway as well
That one nicely ends up at a bridge with only steps to get over it - and fences to prevent you getting across the road any other way
Basically very good - BUT
BUT
the people who design then do not seem to think like a cyclist
main problem is very basic - how do I kno wthat it is cycle path?
The start - if you are riding along on the left and come across it - are generally OK
but when it ends - err
basically I just end up riding on a strip of tarmax at the side of the road - which is narrower than it was
and I start wondering it this is still a cycle path or not
and eventually I find a junction with no cycle type signs of any kind and a full kerb
so I assume it stopped at some unknown point a distance back
and if it does end the it often does so with a dropped keb along the normal kerb
i.e. you are supposed to join the main road - which is likely to be busy - at right angles to the traffic and somehow get started safely
there is one place where then paths ends on the shared pavement with a slope down on the road side and the rest of it continues as a pavement
then you end up on a cycle path at the side of teh road - at the same level
then that stops - delivering you into the traffic nice and safely
but that is just one
AND
in quite a few cases there is a really good two-way cycle path separated from the road by a grass verge
but no way of a cyclist getting to it from the other side without getting off and crossing the road, then pushing the bike up onto a wide central reservation (hence the pushing) and across the other carriageway as well
That one nicely ends up at a bridge with only steps to get over it - and fences to prevent you getting across the road any other way
Basically very good - BUT
BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
Agree with a lot of what is on this thread.
Most of the cycle paths I have come across in the UK (Outside of London) are suitable for shoppers, slow commuters, or children for sure.
Looking at the wonderful photo from Denmark, yes I would use that for sure, well maintained, free of debris, and no need to stop, unless you are giving way to another cyclist - perfect.
I have recently been riding in southern Spain, and despite the traffic not being that heavy there, they have some wonderful segregated cycle paths, alongside, and then going under dual carriageways, the first time I rode that route I missed their existence, and continued on the road (Which to be fair was fine) but after that I have used the paths, and they are a breeze, and so much more relaxed.
Additionally they have some well tarmacced canal paths which are in 99% amazing condition, and also WIDE, so no needing to pull in and wait for oncoming traffic, or struggling to pass slower traffic - there are km and km of it, it's a totally different world - and that's without mentioning the weather and tolerant motorists.
Cycle paths in my town, and in this culture driven by tabloids, are divisive at best, dangerous at worst.
There are some big wide roads here that were perfectly fine as they were, but they have decided to put cycle paths on them.
The issues are now that some of them have apples falling on them, as well as debris now pushed into them by traffic, and seemingly are never cleaned or swept.
Another stretch alongside a 60mph road which is perfectly wide enough for cycles and cars, we now have a lovely path, BUT we have to keep braking and giving way/checking for traffic coming out of the properties/establishments on that side of the road.
I'm fairly sure in other countries it is the cycle lane that has priority and traffic pulling out has to check and give way no?
Once coming down there, there was someone coming to pull out, so I braked, and eased off, but they waved me out, which is lovely, but they had no need to, and it's not something you can or would assume would happen.
And of course having built all these cycle paths here to great levels of publicity means that all the 'why aren't they spending money to fix the potholes instead / I've seen one cyclist use t in 4 weeks' people love to crawl out of their swamp and add their hatred to the pot.
I can't see any seismic change in cycling infrastructure that actually works in the UK to be fair, certainly not in my lifetime, maybe at the end of this century or into the start of the next one.
For that to happen the tabloids will need to be disbanded, a really strong and respected government will need to be in charge, and our inhabitants will need to start forming opinions for themselves, as well as not being so reliant on cars.
Most of the cycle paths I have come across in the UK (Outside of London) are suitable for shoppers, slow commuters, or children for sure.
Looking at the wonderful photo from Denmark, yes I would use that for sure, well maintained, free of debris, and no need to stop, unless you are giving way to another cyclist - perfect.
I have recently been riding in southern Spain, and despite the traffic not being that heavy there, they have some wonderful segregated cycle paths, alongside, and then going under dual carriageways, the first time I rode that route I missed their existence, and continued on the road (Which to be fair was fine) but after that I have used the paths, and they are a breeze, and so much more relaxed.
Additionally they have some well tarmacced canal paths which are in 99% amazing condition, and also WIDE, so no needing to pull in and wait for oncoming traffic, or struggling to pass slower traffic - there are km and km of it, it's a totally different world - and that's without mentioning the weather and tolerant motorists.
Cycle paths in my town, and in this culture driven by tabloids, are divisive at best, dangerous at worst.
There are some big wide roads here that were perfectly fine as they were, but they have decided to put cycle paths on them.
The issues are now that some of them have apples falling on them, as well as debris now pushed into them by traffic, and seemingly are never cleaned or swept.
Another stretch alongside a 60mph road which is perfectly wide enough for cycles and cars, we now have a lovely path, BUT we have to keep braking and giving way/checking for traffic coming out of the properties/establishments on that side of the road.
I'm fairly sure in other countries it is the cycle lane that has priority and traffic pulling out has to check and give way no?
Once coming down there, there was someone coming to pull out, so I braked, and eased off, but they waved me out, which is lovely, but they had no need to, and it's not something you can or would assume would happen.
And of course having built all these cycle paths here to great levels of publicity means that all the 'why aren't they spending money to fix the potholes instead / I've seen one cyclist use t in 4 weeks' people love to crawl out of their swamp and add their hatred to the pot.
I can't see any seismic change in cycling infrastructure that actually works in the UK to be fair, certainly not in my lifetime, maybe at the end of this century or into the start of the next one.
For that to happen the tabloids will need to be disbanded, a really strong and respected government will need to be in charge, and our inhabitants will need to start forming opinions for themselves, as well as not being so reliant on cars.
