Cycle Paths

[jud]

Went out yesterday in not bad conditions apart from every so often the weather decided to make sure that I got a soaking until I dried off and then decided to remind me who was boss again.

Decided on a flat 50 miler and have for some time found a route on cycle paths for about 20 miles from the north side of Doncaster to Bawtry and on a road bike.

Whilst I was out last week I suggested to a friend that we take part of this path on the way to his house to stop him being blown off the bike on an A road by wagons but he said no as there is too much glass.

He had not been on the path but the perception is that all paths are full of glass - not true in all cases and he was surprised out how pleasant it was even at 20-25 mph.

I have intentionally been looking out for paths to use them as I am fed up with road rage that keeps overtaking me when car drivers decide to see how close they can get their mirrors to my leg.

It is obviously illegal to cross a broken white line when nothing is coming the other way but not illegal to knock a cyclists off.

Anyway ranting over, when I do travel on these paths it appears that most cyclist still insist on travelling on the road at the side even when the path is better and although I can understand this especially on a road bike, there are paths being developed by councils and I feel that we should at least support this by trying them out otherwise we will loose them.

Thought for the day that's all

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Full of glass? I've not heard that before, but then I work on an industrial estate so get most of my punctures there!

I do thing some cycle paths are dangerous, there's a long stretch near me that cuts across the give way exits of about thirty roads, if you stick to the path you have to blindly cross these exit roads and hope motorists have the good sense to expect you to be there. Well, it's either that or stopping at each junction, but there's no hope of that making for a fun ride!

 

[ufkacbln]

We have a wonderful new cycle path!

Instead of cycling 50 yards along a road, we can now stop, dismount, walk on to the path, remount and cycle 30 yards or so, dismount short of the junction, try and squeeze the bike between the kerb and the queued vehicles, then set off an try to turn inside the traffic queue.

Why should I consider using the road, and safely travelling with the traffic stream when I can inconvenience and endanger my safety using this wonderful new farcility?

 

[Red Light]

Anyway ranting over, when I do travel on these paths it appears that most cyclist still insist on travelling on the road at the side even when the path is better and although I can understand this especially on a road bike, there are paths being developed by councils and I feel that we should at least support this by trying them out otherwise we will loose them.

Losing them is good by me. Most cycle facilities are, as illustrated by CFoTM, useless and we would be much better off as cyclists without them. I don't use them because most of them are rubbish, because most of them are not gritted or cleared in winter or cleaned of debris in summer, because most of them are less safe than the roads and because, while there might accidentally be a good one out there, experience says its not worth the bother of finding out because odds on you'll regret it. So road it is for me and I am very happy with that choice.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Here in Ipswich they have worse potholes than the roads, even on my mtb (with tractor tyres) I have to count my fillings.

 

[TheDoctor]

There's a truly delightful one near me. It crosses a major dual carriageway (A505 for locals) about 150 yards from the A1(M) roundabout at Letchworth, just where traffic gets up to about 60 mph.
Obviously it's on a bend, with a nice large hedge to obscure the sightline. While you wait, you get a lovely view of floral tributes on the railings opposite, to those who have come before you, but left in a body bag and a bucket.
Fortunately, it hasn't been swept since it was built about eight years ago, so it's far too cluttered for anyone to use it.

 

[jud]

Obviously Yorkshire is better than most then - Selby to York has even got its own dedicated cafe.

better shut up about them then otherwise you will all be moving up North.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Our cycling paths are also full of broken glass and potholes. I only use them if I have to travel at peak hours, when the traffic is just too much to handle for me

 

[TheDoctor]

Obviously Yorkshire is better than most then - Selby to York has even got its own dedicated cafe.

better shut up about them then otherwise you will all be moving up North.

Yes, and if you're very lucky it might even be open!!
You'd have to be luckier than me though...

Actually, the cycle paths in St Evenage are pretty good.
They get swept regularly and everything.

 

[gavintc]

The problem with cycle paths is that you have no confidence in the quality, surface or what hazards are put on them. Roads however, are typically engineered to a decent standard and you can have confidence that the road will work as a road. Sorry, but I have been down too many blind alleys on cycle paths, or been taken to a dangerous chicane for me to trust them. Unless I have been recommended one by a cyclist, I will avoid.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

The nearest cycle path to me is the london to southend A127.
I won't use it unless i really need to especially now that i have a road bike.
The paths on both sides are full of stones and glass.
Surely it's the responsibility of the local councils to sweep these paths?

 

[CopperCyclist]

The problem with cycle paths is that you have no confidence in the quality, surface or what hazards are put on them. Roads however, are typically engineered to a decent standard and you can have confidence that the road will work as a road. Sorry, but I have been down too many blind alleys on cycle paths, or been taken to a dangerous chicane for me to trust them. Unless I have been recommended one by a cyclist, I will avoid.

I'd probably be similar. I'd ride past one the first time out, but would be looking at it to judge it, without being on it. If it was a decent ne, I'd use it the second time.

Cycle paths that don't follow the road I'm very unlikely to ever chance, I've tried it once before and found it led through a gate in a field that was thick, churned impassable mud. (Well impassable for a thin tyre bike, and difficult of a MTB)