Pathway or Highway?

[Crossroads]

I've noticed that leisure cyclists and most fellow E Bikers seem to make good use of cycle paths and cycle lanes but these seem to be ignored by some cyclists. I personally can't see any merit in cycling along a busy A road holding up a line of HGVs, when a cycle lane or cycle path is available. Am I missing something ?

 

[Gubbins]

My view is its speed. If riding on a shared path or cycleway that is likely to carry foot traffic, or one that intersects road junctions and you are travelling at or above 10 mph then I feel you put yourself and others at risk.

 

[sjpt]

Depends on how you like to ride and the type of bike, which depend on each other. If you like going fast (post above) and have a road bike, the path or lane will very make for very uncomfortable riding. If you like to enjoy the surroundings on a fatter tyred bike, you won't go that fast on the main road anyway, and (if you are like us) a lot slower but quite comfortably at less than 10mph on the paths, and be happy to give way to pedestrians and horses.

 

[Gubbins]

One of the problems I face when using cycle lanes on the highway is at T junctions where cars wanting to join my road will always cross the bike lane and stop on it, often having to do a hard stop when they notice me causing me to swerve out into the road.
I feel that drivers might view a cycle lane the same way they view the amber traffic light.

 

[flecc]

Also the terrible state of maintenance of many bike paths rules out using skinny, thin tread tyred road bikes on them. The paths often never swept, they'd get punctures too frequently from hedge cuttings etc. And as remarked above, uneven path surfaces means they are very uncomfortable on those thin very high pressure tyres.
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[flecc]

My view is its speed. If riding on a shared path or cycleway that is likely to carry foot traffic, or one that intersects road junctions and you are travelling at or above 10 mph then I feel you put yourself and others at risk.

Indeed, and only the Dutch solution can put that right. There in The Netherlands the bike lanes crossing the road at junctions have priority and motor vehicles have to stop for bikes to ride through uninterrupted.
.

 

[Laser Man]

Also the terrible state of maintenance of many bike paths rules out using skinny, thin tread tyred road bikes on them.
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Sustrans and the council made a superbly smooth cycle path near us some years ago.
Most of It is totally ignored by the "high speed" riders and the lack of use has allowed weeds to grow up through the asphalt.
The bits in the village which are used more frequently are still in pretty good condition.

The lesson - if they give you a cycle path, use it or loose it!

 

[flecc]

Sustrans and the council made a superbly smooth cycle path near us some years ago.
Most of It is totally ignored by the "high speed" riders and the lack of use has allowed weeds to grow up through the asphalt.
The bits in the village which are used more frequently are still in pretty good condition.

The lesson - if they give you a cycle path, use it or loose it!

Indeed I know that can happen. I think much of the trouble is that once they've experienced the usual bad cyclepaths in their long rides, roadies give up on them and don't even try.

However there is another cycling faction who are opposed to cyclepaths as being the thin edge of the wedge, leading to bikes being banned on the roads where there are cyclepaths. They have a point, since police have tried to illegally enforce that in a few cases.
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