It’s time for another forum cycle/vehicle disagreement

[Jimmy Choo]

I fairly regularly see people cycling as Alex describes - along dual carriageways where there is a relatively simple alternative of taking a parallel country lane. I don’t get it, though they are entitled to be there and I give them plenty of space obvs.

The A40 Golden Valley Bypass between Cheltenham and Gloucester is a good example. When I was at school, one of the parents was killed on his bike when a car didn't see him and hit him when it was taking the slip road to the M5. The council put in a ridiculous set of crossings for bikes that people ignored, then they tried banning bikes. Now they're digging up the parallel road to put in an ubercyclesuperhighway.

Stoopid people still gonna stoopid, though.

[Jobbo]

Now they're digging up the parallel road to put in an ubercyclesuperhighway.

Yes, the fuckers. That used to be one of my usual routes when it was a nice wide 50 limit but I avoid it as much as possible now it's been narrowed, reduced to 30 and has all sorts of traffic calming shit in it. It was fine to cycle along before!

One of my ex-father in law's cycling friends was killed in a similar way on the A46 dual carriageway near Kenilworth; a vehicle came down a sliproad and simply ran him over. No matter how much you have priority and can be there legally, it's not a risk I'd ever take.

[Gavster]

then they tried banning bikes.

One of my favourite routes to south of the river is via the Greenwich or Woolwich foot tunnels. They were built over 100 years ago and are about 500m long, slightly damp and spooky but very cool. Local bylaws say NO CYCLING and there are signs everywhere on the walls saying this, with also painted lettering on the floor repeating it.

I have never seen a cyclist walking through there, and of course, neither have I pushed my bike through them. I think this proves the point about how to deal with cyclists, you simply have to work with them, rather than trying to force them into their own space, or worse, try to ban them.

Cycle superhighways generally brilliant. I can cycle the entire way into central using one of them, and I love that fact. I can pootle along without concern about traffic. However, as soon as someone elevates their fitness to club cyclist level, they'll start cycling on the road again because the other traffic on the cycle path will hold them up, and they'll have a much greater risk of skewering a pedestrian.

[dinny_g]

One of my ex-father in law's cycling friends was killed in a similar way on the A46 dual carriageway near Kenilworth; a vehicle came down a sliproad and simply ran him over. No matter how much you have priority and can be there legally, it's not a risk I'd ever take.

Very common - my other half's ex's best friend went the same way on the A5 in Milton Keynes.

[dinny_g]

I have never seen a cyclist walking through there, and of course, neither have I pushed my bike through them. I think this proves the point about how to deal with cyclists, you simply have to accept they'll do whatever the fuck they want because they feel their entitled and know best and you can't expect them to obey even the simplest and least impacting rules because they feel they can be ignored

Fixed that for you

My post had nothing to do with being hit by a bike in the Greenwich Tunnel or the fact the cyclist jumped up and raged at me for it being my fault as "I can't walk in a straight line".

[Gavster]

I have never seen a cyclist walking through there, and of course, neither have I pushed my bike through them. I think this proves the point about how to deal with cyclists, you simply have to accept they'll do whatever the fuck they want because they feel their entitled and know best and you can't expect them to obey even the simplest and least impacting rules because they feel they can be ignored

Fixed that for you

My post had nothing to do with being hit by a bike in the Greenwich Tunnel or the fact the cyclist jumped up and raged at me for it being my fault as "I can't walk in a straight line".

Obviously a dickhead cyclist, I always give pedestrians lots of space incase they can't walk in a straight line like you

One of my favourite cyclist vs motorist online engagements happened on PH about 15 years ago, before advanced stop lines for cyclists had become a thing. A motorist was raging saying "why do cyclists ride down the wrong side of the road then push in at the front of the queue at traffic lights... grrrrr"

"Because we can"



The prevalence of mixed-use streets around here proves it can work, there's tons of cyclist/pedestrian pathways and pavements now.

[dinny_g]

- there isn't a massive amount of space in the tunnel and we were just dicking around and play fighting. Alcohol may have been involved. I jumped out into a Bruce Lee pose and he clipped me. It was a pretty busy Saturday early evening - lots of kids and buggies so perhaps he should have taken the 5 minutes it would have taken for him to walk.

Rules is rules... I know for a fact I can drive past a cyclist at a distance of less than 2 m and not hit them but I don't because that's the rule. It sometimes takes me longer to get where I'm going because of this - bit liking walking your bike through a busy "Foot Tunnel"

[Gavster]

- there isn't a massive amount of space in the tunnel and we were just dicking around and play fighting. Alcohol may have been involved. I jumped out into a Bruce Lee pose and he clipped me. It was a pretty busy Saturday early evening - lots of kids and buggies so perhaps he should have taken the 5 minutes it would have taken for him to walk.

Rules is rules... I know for a fact I can drive past a cyclist at a distance of less than 2 m and not hit them but I don't because that's the rule. It sometimes takes me longer to get where I'm going because of this - bit liking walking your bike through a busy "Foot Tunnel"

Rules is rules until any of us see a clear piece of "private test track" when out for a drive

[mik]

Cycle superhighways generally brilliant. I can cycle the entire way into central using one of them, and I love that fact. I can pootle along without concern about traffic. However, as soon as someone elevates their fitness to club cyclist level, they'll start cycling on the road again because the other traffic on the cycle path will hold them up, and they'll have a much greater risk of skewering a pedestrian.

And that's the biggest problem with cycle lanes. Mrs mik is a very nervous (and only rudimentary skilled) cyclist, so we went to a specific cycle path a while back (all hard-standing, but completely away from the road) to try and build her confidence a bit. It really wasn't much fun. Lots of families out - moving at very low speeds. Pedestrians or dog walkers wandering into the path etc. I don't think you'd need to be anywhere need club cyclist level to get frustrated - which I assume is why the roads are still full of cyclists ignoring that safe route.

[dinny_g]

Rules is rules until any of us see a clear piece of "private test track" when out for a drive

Outrageous - I NEVER speed...

[Rich B]

I only speed when driving on pedestrian paths.

[ZedLeg]

Cycle superhighways generally brilliant. I can cycle the entire way into central using one of them, and I love that fact. I can pootle along without concern about traffic. However, as soon as someone elevates their fitness to club cyclist level, they'll start cycling on the road again because the other traffic on the cycle path will hold them up, and they'll have a much greater risk of skewering a pedestrian.

And that's the biggest problem with cycle lanes. Mrs mik is a very nervous (and only rudimentary skilled) cyclist, so we went to a specific cycle path a while back (all hard-standing, but completely away from the road) to try and build her confidence a bit. It really wasn't much fun. Lots of families out - moving at very low speeds. Pedestrians or dog walkers wandering into the path etc. I don't think you'd need to be anywhere need club cyclist level to get frustrated - which I assume is why the roads are still full of cyclists ignoring that safe route.

Aye, I quite like the cycle path from the southside into town but going up Victoria Road is a nightmare. It's clearly demarcated from the pavement but pedestrians will just wander onto it without looking. I've nearly hit folk a few times and of course you always get a dirty look as you screech to a halt in front of them

[Jobbo]

Aye, I quite like the cycle path from the southside into town but going up Victoria Road is a nightmare. It's clearly demarcated from the pavement but pedestrians will just wander onto it without looking. I've nearly hit folk a few times and of course you always get a dirty look as you screech to a halt in front of them

Do they wander into it on those clearly marked zebra crossings where they have priority? Don't need a belisha beacon on a cycle lane - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/201 ... ph/25/made
Stupid layout though. You wouldn't put three zebra crossings within close proximity across any other road. If you want cyclists to use cycle lanes, don't make them come to a complete stop every few feet.

[nuttinnew]

My post

[Brannen]

They have proper bike lanes along Southsea sea front, but people use them to casually walk in or through and pay no attention to cyclists. I used to cycle down there a lot during lockdowns, but it's just way too busy these days which is a shame.

I never really understood why people would walk in the lanes, when there's electric scooters (the ones you can hire) and bikes using them a lot and the promenade is literally next to it.



Guessing having the parking along the side of the lanes probably doesn't help. I think it could have been thought out a bit better.

[dinny_g]

My post

Which one??

[Mito Man]

So we can deduce that pedestrians are stupid, car drivers are stupid and cyclists are stupid and this is why nothing works properly. And it shall forever remain so.

[dinny_g]

And electric scooter users are really stupid...

[Gavster]

The fact we allow 60+ million people in this country to roam freely on the highways via a multitude of transportation methods, both powered and unpowered, is inevitably going to result in a lot of conflict, regardless of how many rules, signs and segregated cycle lanes we create

[IanF]

The fact we allow 60+ million people in this country to roam freely on the highways via a multitude of transportation methods, both powered and unpowered, is inevitably going to result in a lot of conflict, regardless of how many rules, signs and segregated cycle lanes we create

So ban all women from leaving the house and we half the problem.. it’s easy when you think about it!