Cycleblog

Tim replies to Ivo!
Interesting. I presume the contributor is an Audax cyclist. Because of the
speeds of cycle racing on roads I have always seen them using the road
rather a cyclepath provided in NL, B or F. For ordinary commuting cyclists
and children I think it is a different matter. I submitted the photos to
Wierdcyclelanes (we all have to agree that some of them are beyond belief)
to show what can be done. I or indeed other contributors can't advise, only
say what we like or don't like. If there is a better (to encourage more
cycling) and safer way than my photos show, then please advise my County
Council, as what they have suggested so far will only serve to force cars
into cyclists at pinch points making it even more dangerous than it already
is.

I can only speak from experience and that of my wife and son. None of us
feel safe on a road with a white line that vehicles enroach without a second
thought and have indeed cycled in the town that I took the photos in. I
would be happy for him to cycle to school using what is in the photos. I
will not allow him to use the zero infrastructure that we have in Worcs, it
isn't nice when an idiot turns out of a side road and stops blocking the
road infront of you and crushing you and your child into the kerb (I
hammered with my fist on that tw?ts door). A separate cycle path would keep
those idiots off him.

The comments re an inexperienced driver hitting a kerb, whether that be for
a bike path or a pedestrian path, are understood, but that is a risk we take
when walking, and so it is the same when cycling. I still feel more at ease
being separated by a kerb than a white line. The inexperienced would mow me
down with or without a kerb.

Islands I find are a deathtrap for cyclists in the UK, and pinched islands
just force cars to push into cyclists. It seems to me that the more distance
you can put between cyclist and car on an island the better, with a kerb as
per the picture, seems as good as you can get. Bear in mind that these are
urban areas with speed limits of 50km or less. I cannot understand how a
young cyclist could feel safer on a British roundabout, because I don't, and
I'm a big bloke who can give drivers a "come any closer if you dare" evil
eye.

For faster roads, there is normally some meters separating the cyclepath and
the road, the path is often protected by barriers, lines of trees or Trevi
kerbing (which vehicles cannot climb).

Generally because the cyclepath has right of way across any turning off a
main road (it is the same case here but but local authorities sign against
the cyclist and pedestrian incorrectly) then bikes continue at the same
speed in NL, B and elsewhere. In terms of evading a pedestrian stepping onto
a cyclepath, er what happens if the pedestrian steps into the road? A
cyclepath is just that, a cyclepath and one doesn't walk on one. We can cope
quite well with keeping off them when walking in other countries. My 9 year
old ambled onto one in a daydream, although he knew he should watch out. He
won't do it again, the moped gave him a fright! Even I can stop in a couple
of metres on my ordinary dutch bike, so not really an issue I have found.

We have to ask ourselves why we have 3% cycle to work and school in the UK,
15% in York, they are doing great things, yet in most countries from Denmark
to Switzerland, Belgium to Germany they have much greaters numbers? Could it
be something to do with infrastructure? IE We don't have it or when we do it
is difficult to use, with notable exceptions of a few areas in the UK
(please let me have examples of good and safe infrastructure in the UK and I
can show them to Highways on the next Safe Routes To School meeting).

It would make sense that 40% of Belgian cycle accidents happen on cycle
paths, because most of the time most of the cycles are on it. Also to bear
in mind these are commuters, they do not hang about. They are constant
speed cycling and can be a bit mad max at times. Also bear in mind that the
figures will include those coming out of nightclubs at 5am or later, with
their mate or "pull" sat on the rack, probably tanked up or on wacky-baccy,
or both. I would prefer them to have their accident on a cycle rather than
causing death by reckless driving.

I also drive a lot in other countries, a million miles in various 4 wheeled
vehicles, including 100 000 motorcycle miles, and as a driver I can also see
the benefits not only in encouraging cycling and providing a safer
environment, and rather than the UK situation that the cyclists are stuck in
the traffic too, but when you can see numerous cyclists making much faster
progress in urban traffic on their dedicated routes you wish you could be
with them rather than stuck in stationary traffic (which was the case with
me). Isn't this the problem that we are trying to address in the UK? And as
part of that is Safe Routes to School, the greater the separation between
young cyclists and motor traffic the greater success we'll have in turning
around the 97% being driven by car to school. Without that separation and
infrastructure, a point being missed by many UK highways depts, it won't
happen.

Whilst I am sure the Netherlands, Belgium and the many, many other countries
that provide infrastructure for everyday and inexperienced cyclists isn't
perfect, and could still be better, personally given the choice for my son,
myself and my wife's choice is, that we don't like to cycle in the UK, and we
do enjoy cycling in those other countries, this will be the same situation
for the 57% that would cycle (to school) given good infrastructure.

Tot ziens,

Tim.