'A' gates on cycleways.

[timidtom]

Rant for a sunny day! Failed miserably to negotiate a way through one of those infernal 'A' gates on a local cycleway. (Part of the Mersey/Mercy Way). Bike just too heavy to rear-up and push through on its rear wheel. Handlebars and panniers are on the generous side too. Am I unique in this difficulty? Surely something designed to exclude motorbikes could be engineered to accommodate ebikes? Having to use the A49 with its cheery messages of '39 accidents' every few miles brings a chill to the air on a Summer day!
Other than that, what a nice day!
Tom

 

[mike killay]

These should be illegal and may well be.
Disabled people in 4 wheel pavement scooters cannot use them.

 

[Jackyh]

I quite agree. I have had the same problem on a cycle route here in Lancashire. Only option is to turn around and go back the way I came. So annoying. Bike just too heavy to manoeuvre. At least I have the option to do that. Disabled people do not have that luxury.

 

[funkylyn]

They are certainly an abomination, but I just twist my handlebars into the same direction of the wheels and it wheels through fine.

I quickly learnt, however, that I had to remove my front pannier basket permanently but that was no hardship, it irritated me anyway.....

And one night I had to help a disabled man on a scooter by calling his son on my mobile to come and fetch him as he was too tired to go all the way back.......not one warning sign to make people aware that they couldnt get all the way without encountering these gates.....although its only in winter, in summer they leave them open on the Stop Line down here.

Lynda

 

[Scimitar]

These should be illegal and may well be.
Disabled people in 4 wheel pavement scooters cannot use them.

Good point - perhaps one of the disabled lobby groups could mount a challenge to a council. It needn't be costly, just remind them of rights of disabled access, which is one of the good things to come out of the EU.

 

[Blew it]

....Am I unique in this difficulty?

No, you're not.

Swindon Borough Council installed a number of these contraptions to restrict access to the Shaw Community Forest, just one of my favourite "playgrounds". The ridiculous thing about these contrivances, which are designed to prevent dirt bikes entering the forest, is they also make it very difficult for bicycles to enter as well...even more so if the bike is towing a trailer carrying ankle -biters.

The fencing, including the "kissing gates" are constructed from wood, and rather mysteriously, a section of fencing adjacent to each gate was sawn through one night, allowing a clear passage for any two-wheeled vehicle. Even stranger, no attempt has been made to replace the removed sections....and the green oak gates are not now used by anybody.


** the forum spell-checker is working very well**