Safe cycle routes. Are there any really?

[guerney]

BTW, I bought Aldi's cheapo copy of the Hornit for £5.99 for the Dahon Espresso, and it's not nearly as loud. It's just about worth using on pedestrians, haven't tried it on drivers yet.

 

[guerney]

I've had the odd run-in with people who, despite me approaching at a very slow speed and ringing the bell, are startled away from their mobile phones sufficiently for them to give me abuse -"You shouldn't be riding a bike on this path!". Pointing to the clear cycling signs doesn't bring about a change in tone.

They object to my using cycle paths, which is why I've stopped using them. Cycle paths end too soon in strange places and are are too short and bumpy with tree roots - road is faster and usually smoother anyway. The uphill winding paths I use aren't marked. There are often MTBs hurtling downhill - sounding the horn ahead of bends alerts them to slow down. No chance of those guys hearing a little tinkly bell.

 

[snafu]

I don't know if it's just the level of intelligence of dog walkers in my area but the amount with dogs on those extendable lead thingys who without fail move to the opposite side of the path to their dog and seem genuinely surprised that I can't simply cycle between them and their mutt.

Agree with the Bell v Horn comments, I've fitted bells to my bikes simply because I get a calmer response from pedestrians compared to using the supplied horn..

TTFN
John.

 

[guerney]

This cycle path looks great, but there's no sensible way back onto the road when it ends at a 4 way junction, because of barriers. There are multi-lane intersections with busy traffic from factories further along from the view below. Then when you've eventually crossed over the busy road at the four way junction, there's no cycle path on the other side. Much less hassle to stay on the road. Do wish all of the roads in the UK were dug up, properties bought and built over to make protected lanes for bicycles using carbon negative Roman concrete and freshly printed money. A giant infrastructure project like that would stimulate the economy more than constantly enriching bankers and those with assets. Might push up property values as people scramble for alternative accommodation; some landlords will be happy. Perhaps the poor could live in bunkers built under these new cycle paths like hobbits, which solves our "Lack of accommodation" problem. Like the Colosseum, they'll still be standing two thousand years hence.

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It could eliminate the 2 gigatons of carbon dioxide annually pumped into the atmosphere through traditional cement production.

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[Oldie]

Those loud horns don't work. either people don't repond, it makes them panic or it makes them angry. The best warning is a "bring bring" type bell because that's what people associate with a bicycle coming. Ny friend and I tried a whole range of warning devices, but none worked other than the bell. the loud horn works better on the road for cars because they're tuned to that sound when driving.

The "bring bring" bells are great. It's a sound imprinted on people's minds either from when they were a child, or teaching a child to ride. Totally non-threatening. I always get a more relaxed reaction when approaching people from behind and quite often a cheery hello.

 

[guerney]

The "bring bring" bells are great. It's a sound imprinted on people's minds either from when they were a child, or teaching a child to ride. Totally non-threatening. I always get a more relaxed reaction when approaching people from behind and quite often a cheery hello.

They're also totally inaudible to drivers. I had a bell, and it worked fine on shared paths, but I nearly always cycle on the road. If I doubt a driver has seen me at an intersection, I sound a 120db beep. Bells are useless in that situation and similar.

 

[guerney]

I'm now trying different routes and keeping more to back roads Vs cycle paths because of the anxiety I'm getting.

If you're cycling on pavements, they can walk straight out of a doorway right in front of you - cycling on roads, there's more opportunity of seeing pedestrians approaching. My Hornit 140db has stopped many a pedestrian walking out in front, between parked cars. They looked surprised then sheepish, not annoyed. I might still have video proof of this somewhere, because I used to keep those snippets for a compilation video of greatest misses.

 

[jimriley]

So, you ask nicely, no joy, beep your 140db hornit, they still don't move over...

 

[Az.]

This Carbon-Neutral Cement Is the Future of Infrastructure

It could eliminate the 2 gigatons of carbon dioxide annually pumped into the atmosphere through traditional cement production.

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At 2 min... Is it your usual near death experience riding?

 

[guerney]

At 2 min... Is it your usual near death experience riding?

Well spotted! I'm glad someone is paying attention for more than the first few seconds of video. As I said, I nearly always use the road because it's faster and cycle paths are badly planned - that's one example of when my bright flashing front headlight shining on the tarmac ahead of my bike got me noticed and prevented a collision. The light flashing is brighter than the Gopro is capable of capturing, it's brighter looking in real life. You might just about be able to see the flashing mid frame. I really should have stopped and waited, but I was unfamiliar with the area and that path, and in a hurry. I'm forever catching trains to unfamilair places with weird cycle path solutions, some are a handful of yards long yet clearly signposted and fully marked with graphics lol. I've learned it's wise to avoid them all. I now have three very bright front flashers for greater conspicuity: 1800LM + 1800LM + 2400LM = 6000LM. Wish I'd had this setup in the 80s...

 

[Nealh]

There are very few cycle only routes , most are quiet byways/old railway routes for multiuse that prohibits motor vehicles so one has to expect ramblers/walkers/dogs/equines etc,etc and ride accordingly . If you want to ride fast without care then join the roads with the other idiots.

For quiet rides I can ride a couple of public forests around me and choose the quiet times when there is little to bup in to.
I also find the South Downs very good esp weekdays, same goes with the North Downs and then linking on to the Downs way to Shoreham. Choose the times and days when the most are at work, don't ride weekends or school holiday time .

 

[guerney]

If you want to ride fast without care then join the roads with the other idiots.

I agree, thats's exactly what this idiot usually does! Much quicker and safer to avoid all cycle paths in my experience: dogs, irrational shouty people, kids, cats and dogs off the leash, a feeling of guilt, people of a nervous disposition becoming discomfited to the point their state of health might be compromised by the sight of a bike rolling towards them, bloody huge tree roots, bloody deep holes etc. It's all well worth avoiding INMHExperience. It's why I ditched cycle paths for roads, and a useless little tinkly bell for a Hornit 140db.

Choose the times and days when the most are at work, don't ride weekends or school holiday time .

I can't choose what time I cycle, unfortunately. People inconveniently want to chat during office hours, usually in the afternoon, often somewhere I've never been before. It gets boring, so I get my laptop doing this sort of thing with my Gopro helmet camera's footage. 1080P is selectable, which makes it even weirder to look at, but less boring.

 

[Az.]

The light flashing is brighter than the Gopro is capable of capturing, it's brighter looking in real life.

Your strobe light is very visible on your video. Are people complaining of it?

Do you pay attention to other vehicles on the road? It seams like you are ramming through roads without slowing down or checking if there are any cars coming from left, right or behind you.
It wasn't a flashing light that saved you from accident. It was a driver who stopped on time.

BTW your Bafang makes a funny noise

 

[guerney]

Your strobe light is very visible on your video. Are people complaining of it?

I don't hear any complaints during the day, Even I can't bear to look at one light flashing let alone three at night, so I keep them constant when it gets dark, and they're all angled down.

It wasn't a flashing light that saved you from accident. It was a driver who stopped on time.

I disagree, being there at the time and able to see the driver's eyes.

Do you pay attention to other vehicles on the road? It seams like you ramming through roads without slowing down or checking if there are any cars coming from left, right or behind you.

I really should have stopped and waited,

BTW your Bafang makes a funny noise

It's funnier turned up to 11. Everyone's gotta have a hobby, and fortunately we don't have to be good at them.

 

[thelarkbox]

Shared cycle routes are just that - the clue is in the title. No amount of lights or audable warning devices will get around the fact that pedestrians have priority. Just read the Highway Code.

bad use of the word shared perhaps.. dual use track white line delimiting usage with cycle and people icons along with red ring signs indicating which side to use

 

[flecc]

Agree with the Bell v Horn comments, I've fitted bells to my bikes simply because I get a calmer response from pedestrians compared to using the supplied horn..

Agreed, I took my Air-Zound horn off for that reason.
.

 

[guerney]

Agreed, I took my Air-Zound horn off for that reason.
.

Whoa, even I wouldn't use that thing. The timbre of the Hornit 140db is far less unpleasant, yet still loud:

 

[flecc]

Whoa, even I wouldn't use that thing. The timbre of the Hornit 140db is far less unpleasant, yet still loud:

Effective against errant car drivers though !

But risks a manslaughter charge if it's use causes a pedestrian's fatal heart attack.
.

 

[guerney]

Effective against errant car drivers though !

That for me, is the important bit! People who pootle along on cycle paths and over pavements can probably get away with tinkling their little bells at pedestrians, but I'm almost exclusively a road cyclist, therefore use a loud horn. I'm not against putting the bell back on next to the Hornit 140db, but so far nobody has complained about my Hornit 140db on the rare occasions I'm on a trail. Besides, there's no more room on my handlebar and I'm not buying a new longer one in titanium (why else would I buy a new handlebar?)

But risks a manslaughter charge if it's use causes a pedestrian's fatal heart attack.

Correlation isn't causation.

 

[flecc]

Correlation isn't causation.

Many coroners don't agree.
.