New cycle lane hazard... cyclists!

[barq]

I was cycling along an arterial road during rush hour. There is a cycle lane which starts in the lead up to the left turn. I'm not a big fan of cycle lanes, but it is moderately helpful in allowing me to filter (on the left) along the queue of cars and up to the traffic lights. The lights went green as I approached (yay!) and I headed off along the cycle lane at speed.

A guy riding along the pavement towards me was about to encounter pedestrians so to over take them he rolled off the kerb directly into my path. So at this point he is cycling the wrong way and we are on collision course with lorries and cars whizzing alongside me.

I'm not totally sure how I escaped but I guess I looked for the gap and tried not to fixate on the other bike. I think the van behind me saw what happened and pulled over enough for me to get through. Very dangerous, but no harm done (except to my nerves!).

 

[HJ]

Bloody cyclist aways getting in the way...

 

[Keith Oates]

Everyone needs to be trested with care, not just the car drivers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Terminator]

Everyone needs to be trested with care, not just the car drivers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I bet his spelling was atrocious.

 

[Cab]

I've had a similar one; I was foolish enough to be in a cycle lane going around a corner, saw someone coming head on straight towards me in the cycle lane, meaning he was on the wrong side of the road, with traffic on my right. Hopped on to the pavement, only just stayed on.

Cycle lanes often leave you marginalised, they deprive you of space that you need to react to the unexpected.

 

[Tynan]

had one going my way this week, and that was bad enough, anticipated and swerved past him, he looked like he thought I'd dropped from the sky

 

[Pete]

I've had a moan recently about a pavement rider who zigzagged across the road in my path: this was on a road without a cycle lane. Nothing much you can do except be aware of and anticipate possible hazards ahead. In my book, any pavement cyclist ahead of you is a potential hazard. Also, if filtering up on such a nearside cycle lane, be aware of (1) pedestrians who may step out in front of you (2) passenger side car doors opening (especially if you are near a school, station, etc.).

 

[domtyler]

It's fine to go in the cycle lane, but if you do you need to cycle at the appropriate speed and in the appropriate manner. This means at a slow pace and always being prepared to stop and give way to others.

You took yourself out of the traffic flow and yet continued to cycle as if you had not. Not saying the incident was your fault, but you were clearly not prepared for this kind of thing.

 

[Cab]

It's fine to go in the cycle lane, but if you do you need to cycle at the appropriate speed and in the appropriate manner. This means at a slow pace and always being prepared to stop and give way to others.

You took yourself out of the traffic flow and yet continued to cycle as if you had not. Not saying the incident was your fault, but you were clearly not prepared for this kind of thing.

Rather depends on the cycle lane of course; I know of some where I'm happy going at a decent pace. But generally you're right, they're the exception. Still, no matter how good such a facility is, there is still the vague risk that someone else will do something quite gobsmackingly stupid and endanger you. Thats just the nature of things really.

 

[Tynan]

oh give it a rest you cycle lane preachers, someone riding the wrong way is always a hazard, op did have enough room to avoid and did see it coming

primary isn't a sensible option in a whole stack of situations, the traffic is either going too quick or too slow an awful lot of the time

 

[LOGAN 5]

Stupid cyclist swerved into my path on a cycle route earlier in the week and had no idea I was there until I said "hello" rather loudly and she then swerved back over. By this time I'd stopped otherwise we would have collided. I had nowhere to go as there were railings to my left. Stupid woman wasn't looking where she was going at all. Accident waiting to get her.

 

[domtyler]

There should be speed humps on cycle lanes really, try and stop folk going about, say, ten miles and hour. I'm pretty sure this would put a stop to all these incidents.

 

[4F]

There should be speed humps on cycle lanes really, try and stop folk going about, say, ten miles and hour. I'm pretty sure this would put a stop to all these incidents.

But this would only get the pavement riders (the ones with bikes about 10 sizes too small for them and saddles set about 1 foot off the ground) onto the road using them as a take off ramp.