Use the cycle path!!

[MontyVeda]

On the other hand... sometimes a cyclepath simply works and the alternative road route is seldom used. If you want the slow route between Lancaster & Morecambe, there's the more or less direct A683 with its numerous roundabouts, ped crossings and traffic lights, not to mention a near constant slow flow of traffic headed for the industrial estates and port. Or you can use the more direct route which is the Lancaster to Morecambe shared use path. There's only one thing that lets this route down and that's the cyclists who think it's a race track.

 

[mjr]

'shared use' is a significant reason why cyclists don't use cycle paths - walkers and bikes don't mix well; dogs and bikes is just crazy - should never be allowed and isn't in many other countrys on cycleways

I remember seeing quite a lot of "dogs on leads!" signs on cycle tracks in the Netherlands... this sort of thing and variations:


The problem in this country is more a combination of cycle track and footway widths that are inadequate for usage, plus the prevalence of bungee leads - or, where it's not near a carriageway, no lead - and a widespread unwillingness to control dogs near other people. Out of control dogs are also a problem when walking because "he's friendly / only playing" isn't an excuse. I don't know where that dog's been and I don't want its muddy paws or slobber on me and the owner will probably get the hump if I control/correct it.

 

[nickyboy]

Not one. I don't really care how it looks to other road users, if a cycle lane doesn't go where I am it's wasted money

I have a shared use path that forces crossing of a roundabout, crossing over a layby, two hidden exits(one where Ive already been hit) and a ridiculously busy junction. The nearest ASL green box is 15miles

This is an interesting point of view, you just wouldn't use a cycle lane under any circumstances.

Here's one I use. It's the A34 near Alderley Edge. The surface is good, there are no junctions to give way at that I can remember and it gets you off a busy and fast road
https://goo.gl/maps/aWzK6wKs4U32

So is it still a no?

 

[mjr]

Actually I was thinking this. @RobWard posted here about his cycling.

Yep and that's why I didn't reply to the ignorant know-it-all original post here.

I initially thought (some 2 years or more ago now) that more cycle paths was better (it's obvious innit). Since then from my experience I find I mostly hate them (for all the reasons given here) and wouldn't touch most of them with the proverbial sh1tty stick.

In theory, it should be good. In practice, national government has so far failed in its responsibility to cyclists and only issued mediocre and advisory guidance that is almost never implemented in full by its agencies (including Highways England) and local government that is also failing in its responsibility. Some places are better than other, but what I've seen of Gloucestershire's cycle tracks (I've family there) makes me think they're nearer the bottom than the top. Relabelled lumpy footways with fences and hedges encroaching, acrobatics-required crossings of junctions and few signs seem widespread.

 

[benb]

I'd use a path if it:
-keeps priority over side roads
-isn't shared use with pedestrians
-is wide enough
-has a good quality surface that isn't going to give me a puncture

Sadly, ones that meet those criteria are rare

We desperately need enforceable minimum design standards.
We wouldn't let local authorities build roads to whatever haphazard standard they feel like, so why do we let them do it with cycle infrastructure?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

This is an interesting point of view, you just wouldn't use a cycle lane under any circumstances.

Here's one I use. It's the A34 near Alderley Edge. The surface is good, there are no junctions to give way at that I can remember and it gets you off a busy and fast road
https://goo.gl/maps/aWzK6wKs4U32

So is it still a no?

Yep still a resounding no.

 

[briantrumpet]

I use cycle paths only to go round stationery traffic

Me too. I'd not want to squash this with my bike...

 

[Rooster1]

Me too. I'd not want to squash this with my bike...

Where was the "a" when I needed it

 

[EnPassant]

Yep and that's why I didn't reply to the ignorant know-it-all original post here.


In theory, it should be good. In practice, national government has so far failed in its responsibility to cyclists and only issued mediocre and advisory guidance that is almost never implemented in full by its agencies (including Highways England) and local government that is also failing in its responsibility. Some places are better than other, but what I've seen of Gloucestershire's cycle tracks (I've family there) makes me think they're nearer the bottom than the top. Relabelled lumpy footways with fences and hedges encroaching, acrobatics-required crossings of junctions and few signs seem widespread.

The only ones I have used with any regularity were around Oxford (was there for a year). Specifically the ones that mirror the ring road and go out to Woodstock and Witney. But these are almost completely uninterrupted (or at least no more so than the roads they parallel) run for 10 miles or more and are largely devoid of peds/dogs/etc.
I cannot think of one in Gloucester that I use, most are only good for about 5mph or are in fact outright dangerous. I originally lived in Barnet in North London and that had barely any at all and none of any practical use.

 

[mjr]

I'd use a path if it:
-keeps priority over side roads
-isn't shared use with pedestrians
-is wide enough
-has a good quality surface that isn't going to give me a puncture

Sadly, ones that meet those criteria are rare

Pedestrians are almost never banned from cycle tracks (it's theoretically possible but I'm not aware of any where it's actually been done) so I suspect those criteria rule out every one in the UK today. Although this has gotten me flamed by some advocates before and I know it's not current best practice among groups I work for, personally I'm OK with sharing if the width is adequate for usage (both walking and cycling) - aren't you?

I wonder if the same unhelpful "this is mine!" attitude that seems to produce occasional belligerent walkers on cycle tracks in this country (especially if they haven't realised they're on a cycle track) would also appear among cyclists if we had distinct footways and cycle tracks like in other countries, so it may be better to leave it all as cycle track in law and just try to encourage people to cycle and walk in distinct places through markings and levels.

Edit: I agree with the other criteria, although I'd say "isn't going to rattle bits off my bike" as I've had my propstand come loose recently and it's not the first time something's come loose although some roads here are pretty lumpy too... but often a lumpy cycle track is alongside a smooth carriageway and then I'll often use the carriageway. I'd also prefer good layouts across side roads and not merely priority because the painted/signed priority doesn't really help that much when the motor vehicle can bully its way across... but my current routes are blessed with drivers who mostly look and give way to cycle track traffic despite not being required to do so by the markings.

 

[briantrumpet]

Where was the "a" when I needed it

On another sheet of Letraset, I expect. you might be able to get that at the stationers.

 

[RobWard]

Rob is relatively new to cycling, and cyclechat. He's just asking about stuff from the position of 'obvious innit' and many of us have been there over one topic or another... he ain't no troll guys & gals.

@RobWard ...now the nights are drawing in, and if you see any cyclists wearing dark clothes with no lights or reflectors.... don't mention it on cyclechat

Thanks.

 

[Origamist]

Yep still a resounding no.

It's a resounding 'yes' from me on the A34. It's 3 miles of smooth, widish cycle path with no junctions and few other users. I've only seen one cyclist use the road in 3 years. Each to their own though.

 

[r04DiE]

Actually I was thinking this. @RobWard posted here about his cycling.

I've been here about 6 months, and I haven't seen a lengthy thread on this topic in that time, so the reasons for use/not use of cycle paths from this august body of folks was interesting to me.
I initially thought (some 2 years or more ago now) that more cycle paths was better (it's obvious innit). Since then from my experience I find I mostly hate them (for all the reasons given here) and wouldn't touch most of them with the proverbial sh1tty stick.

I appreciate that for the old hands probably pretty much everything has been gone over numerous times and thus it's tedious to do so again, but short of posting "Cycling on the Martian River System - Is it safe?" pretty much anything pertinent to cyclists will have been done before. Chat is like that as opposed to a book I'm thinking...

I knew that the helmet debate was thorny, there are comprehensive warnings that it is. So I read the whole thread before commenting.
Any other topic though and you can't be so certain about whether you are re-opening a 'done to death' can of worms. It took me 3 days to get through the helmet debate, expecting newcomers to be cognisant of every topic that's been covered endlessly before posting seems unrealistic to me, you'd have to have read the whole board.

That said, the title could have been less inflammatory I guess.

Yeah, he could also have bothered to reply to everybody instead of ignoring people from the offset, in the hope that they would bog off, be forgotton, and stop bothering him with tedious facts.

 

[steveindenmark]

WOW...dont people get wound up about cycle paths.

I tell you what. If the cyclists in Denmark and Holland said " If you gave us cycle paths, we wouldnt use them". We would never have got them.

To me it a bit of dumb thing to say. I ride my road bike on our shared cycle paths without any problem at all and have done for 15 years. As do all the other Danish citizens. We all appreciate that they are shared paths and that includes mopeds that travel under 35km an hour. It really is not a problem at all. I will be on cycle paths on the way home travelling at 30kph. How fast do you want to go? It does not have to be a problem.

But you have to start at the beginning and that is with cyclists wanting good, well maintained paths that they can use. Denmark didnt have them and Holland certainly didnt have them but we do now and they are excellent.

If you start off with a negative attitude you will get what you deserve....nowt.

I think I will do a seperate post on Danish cycle paths. Maybe people will see that you can have a good cycle path system if you can get the powers that be on board.