Harrow removing cycle lanes

[Alien8]

But what is the point of them - cycles lanes that is?

Why are they needed?

What is a good cycle lane?

 

[hackbike 666]

I'd say a good one is the enclosed one going up to Mansion House.I don't know when cycle lanes were introduced any ideas?

Bit like bendy buses,there I was minding my own buisness and then suddenly they turn up.

I tend to find with cycle lanes though is they are too near the pavement and as peds tend to walk on the edge of the pavement means I have to push out.Esp in C.London

I like them because IMHO they tell motons we belong on the road.

 

[just4fun]

I think the purpose of a cycle path is to provide a safe area where cyclists dont have to worry about sharing the road with more dangerous road users and are free to travel without the external pressure of keeping up with moving motorised traffic.
A good cycle path is a portion of the road (or track along the road side) allocated for use by bicycles only, it is free from glass and other materials hazardous to tyres and is made of a smooth and even construction which offers little rolling resistance. It may even detour slightly from the most direct route allowing cyclists more time to enjoy the pleasure or cycling.

 

[Alien8]

I think the purpose of a cycle path is to provide a safe area where cyclists dont have to worry about sharing the road with more dangerous road users and are free to travel without the external pressure of keeping up with moving motorised traffic.
A good cycle path is a portion of the road (or track along the road side) allocated for use by bicycles only, it is free from glass and other materials hazardous to tyres and is made of a smooth and even construction which offers little rolling resistance. It may even detour slightly from the most direct route allowing cyclists more time to enjoy the pleasure or cycling.

Well, okay, I think that's a mixture of different things.

Cycle paths: something which has no connection to a road - these are fine.

Cycle lanes: something connected to a road by a solid or dashed-line - these are bad, bad, bad.

The problem with cycle lanes is that they promote bad behaviour from all road users. They encourage mental disconnection with what's going on on the other side of the line - that's a recipe for disaster.

 

[hackbike 666]

How do you promote bad behaviour when some of the behaviour out there is appaling anyway?

They do it because they can gbet away with it.IMHO

Just realised they didn't do cycle lanes/paths in Thailand/Gran Canaria/Japan when I cycled there.Then again I found most of the road behaviour very good out there.Probably because it isn't so car orientated.

 

[Alien8]

How do you promote bad behaviour when some of the behaviour out there is appaling anyway?

Well, I guess it depends upon whether you believe that poor/inconsiderate/dangerous road usage is in the main intentional or generally born out of ignorance.

 

[gaz]

I'd say a good one is the enclosed one going up to Mansion House.I don't know when cycle lanes were introduced any ideas?

Bit like bendy buses,there I was minding my own buisness and then suddenly they turn up.

I tend to find with cycle lanes though is they are too near the pavement and as peds tend to walk on the edge of the pavement means I have to push out.Esp in C.London

I like them because IMHO they tell motons we belong on the road.

The first cycle lane in the UK was in the mid 1930.

There are a few cycle lanes that i will never cycle on, such as Croydon road going towards Beddington. The cycle lane is completely separate from the road, and thus it just collects all dirty and glass. The issue is that car drivers believe that you should be driving in it.

 

[hackbike 666]

The first cycle lane in the UK was in the mid 1930.

There are a few cycle lanes that i will never cycle on, such as Croydon road going towards Beddington. The cycle lane is completely separate from the road, and thus it just collects all dirty and glass. The issue is that car drivers believe that you should be driving in it.

Fair enough.

 

[GrasB]

There are a few cycle lanes that i will never cycle on, such as Croydon road going towards Beddington. The cycle lane is completely separate from the road, and thus it just collects all dirty and glass. The issue is that car drivers believe that you should be driving in it.

Typical, someone finally makes a cycle lane wide enough to be used properly in one direction & turn it into a 2 way lane. Also that's wide enough that you can get a small road sweeper down it so something that wide being contaminated with glass etc. is just appalling.

 

[trsleigh]

I like them because IMHO they tell motons we belong on the road.

On the contrary IMHO, it gives the message that we should be tucked away in the gutter, and not trouble the important traffic.

 

[hackbike 666]

On the contrary IMHO, it gives the message that we should be tucked away in the gutter, and not trouble the important traffic.

Yes but do you actually worry what motons think?

Road tax and all that blah blah,red light jumpers blah blah blah.

Hear it all in the messroom but nothing about cycle lanes.

No I don't use cycle lanes all the time esp if I think the conditions are dodgy for whatever reason,or glass as another boarder so rightly pointed out.

I was thinking it would be bad if they went but now I don't think I really care.It won't stop me from cycling and as you say it may be for the better.

 

[trsleigh]

Yes but do you actually worry what motons think?

As half of them don't appear to anyway that's hardly a problem.

I suppose my biggest objection is that they encourage poor road positioning by both parties.
For example. The other day I was in a fairly slow moving traffic stream, on a main road, with narrowish cycle lane which I stayed out of. In front of me a large tipper lorry. Traffic stopped for lights ahead, no left junction at lights, I stayed in the traffic lane. Lights changed, traffic moves off and then suddenly, without indicating, the tipper abrubtly turns left down a minor, residential road. The driver may have checked his mirrors but my feeling was that it was a "bugger this for a lark, lets get off this road down here" spur of the moment type of manoeuvre.
If I'd been tempted by that nice, empty cycle lane stretching off into the distance, I probably wouldn't be typing this now.

I've been cycling in London now for 35 years, but suppose a novice had been pootling up the safe cycle lane...shudder.

 

[hackbike 666]

I've been cycling in London now for 35 years, but suppose a novice had been pootling up the safe cycle lane...shudder.

That's me im just a boy (as they used to say in my job) as i've only done 32 years on London roads but I am always learning.

I *never* play games with lorries anyway.

Nice cat in your avatar btw.

 

[trsleigh]

I *never* play games with lorries anyway.

But... to anyone going up the nice clear cycle lane along a straight road, with no turnings to the left ( apart from minor residential roads which big lorries wouldn't use anyway, would they? ) it wouldn't appear to be risky in the slightest. That IMHO is a danger of cycle lanes. If there had been no cycle lane there, the temptation to go up the left would have been less.

Nice cat in your avatar btw.

Gizzy says thank you. It's nice to come across a discerning member of the servant class.

 

[hackbike 666]

But... to anyone going up the nice clear cycle lane along a straight road, with no turnings to the left ( apart from minor residential roads which big lorries wouldn't use anyway, would they? ) it wouldn't appear to be risky in the slightest. That IMHO is a danger of cycle lanes. If there had been no cycle lane there, the temptation to go up the left would have been less.

Fair enough (again)

Gizzy says thank you. It's nice to come across a discerning member of the servant class.