AIBU to expect cyclists to use the cycle lane?

[Riddlemedee]

I am lucky to live in a lovely seaside town. There is a very busy 50mph costal road in and out. It is single lane. There is a substantial wide , well maintained, recently renovated cycle/walk path along the whole route. But some (not all) cyclists still use the road. This is dangerous, causes huge traffic backlogs and the more impatient (stupid) drivers take risks when overtaking the cyclists. I can’t see a reason why they would still use the road, any ideas anyone?

I do wish people would stop referring to cyclists as holding up the traffic. Cyclists ARE the traffic. We all slow each other down to a degree - if you were the only one out there you'd be going a lot faster, yes? I just came close to doing an emergency stop in my car because some twat who wasn't looking pulled out in front of me. The only reason it wasn't an emergency stop but was just sudden braking was because, as a person who also cycles, I anticipate that people will drive like complete twats. I was driving more slowly because I know I'm not the only one on the road.

I have commuted by bike for years. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't set out to hold car drivers up as much as possible. I actually plan routes carefully to avoid motor traffic as much as possible, because I don't like it and it's dangerous. So a route that might be 5 miles if I go on direct roads might be extended to 7 miles because I am trying to avoid busier roads - now that does cost me time. Cyclists' journeys are frequently made longer because we do this. We opt for slower and longer journeys to avoid cars as much as possible. People in cars slow down people on bikes as much as vice versa. Get over it and leave earlier, that's what people on bikes do.

The cycle Lane looks beautifully well maintained to someone who doesn’t use it. However if you want to progress at any speed they’re useless, and pedestrians don’t like to share! Just this morning I was out on the bike and had to excuse myself past a small group of walkers despite giving plenty of notice with my bell, and they all had a good grumble at me about cyclists on pavements (it was actually a track at this point, but I digress!). The number of times I have to stop, or go right up into a verge, or carefully go around dogs, it’s insane.

Some of those wide shared cycle paths are really and truly shit to cycle on. You have to go really slowly in case of pedestrians and there are often bollards and obstructions to force you to stop and get off. If you are actually cycling to get somewhere it's far quicker and easier to just go on the road.

I don't cycle on the cycle path to work because of pedestrians and also because it goes past lots of pubs and there is always a ton of broken glass in it.

@NigellaSeed

Rather this than cyclists biking on the pavements, I hate this! It's a FOOT path twats

I really don't care if they give way to pedestrians. The ones that expect me to get out of their way can bog off though.

It's worth remembering that a cyclist takes up less room sitting on their bike than they do wheeling it.

You wouldn't expect the motorised traffic to stop and make way for you getting a toddler out the car if your bay was to the side of the road

Huh? People do this All The Time. Open their cars on the side of the traffic to get their kids out and give you a filthy look for daring to drive past!

I do think everyone (assuming they don't have a disability that prevents them from riding a bike) should have to have their Bikeability level 3 before they are allowed to drive though. It would make drivers far more aware of cyclists. There's an argument for making cyclists go out with lorry drivers too, to stop them sliding up the inside of them and then wondering, in the unlikely event that they survive, why they got squashed.

We live in a coastal town. There are miles of cycle lanes adjacent to the beaches and dunes. Every warm day, hundreds of cars are parked across them and cyclists are forced into the busy roads or pavements.
I’m a pedestrian and a driver, have had a few issues with cyclists in my time but the entitled way drivers behave in this particular situation irritates me so much.
Don’t understand why the council doesn’t send out wardens to ticket all the cars.

Don’t understand why the council doesn’t send out wardens to ticket all the cars

It's another thread really but yes, people who park in cycle lanes or on pavements need ticketing. Every Time. Until they get the message and stop doing it.

It's worth remembering that a cyclist takes up less room sitting on their bike than they do wheeling it.

I've never heard of someone being killed or seriously injured by a cyclist walking alongside their bicycle.

@poppycat10

Don’t understand why the council doesn’t send out wardens to ticket all the cars

It's another thread really but yes, people who park in cycle lanes or on pavements need ticketing. Every Time. Until they get the message and stop doing it.

The other day I was cycling in the cycle lane and a van was parked in it (on double yellow lines) facing the opposite direction to the traffic so I could see the driver sat in it. I was sooo tempted to deliberately cycle into it but didn’t want to damage my bike.

Tell us the town, OP.

I will find the lane on StreetView and screenshot dozens of places where the cycle lane is crap.

I don't know whether it's the same situation, but in my town, there's a route I sometimes cycle, and if you're joining the main road from a side road the signs don't make it really obvious that you can cycle on the shared footpath in some places. I've been caught out by that several times.

I agree it is also difficult to know what to do when there are lots of parked cars on the cycle lane.

Just this morning I was out on the bike and had to excuse myself past a small group of walkers despite giving plenty of notice with my bell, and they all had a good grumble at me about cyclists on pavements (it was actually a track at this point, but I digress!).

These are very common experiences when cycling. On a bike you can get told off for:
Cycling on the pavement when you are on a shared path or dedicated cycle lane
Ringing your bell (apparently you should say 'hello' or not say anything because they know you're there)
Saying 'hello, bike behind' because apparently you should ring your bell (although horse riders are generally very grateful when you say there's a bike behind).

My personal favourite was the time a pedestrian told me I should not be riding my bike when I was in fact already wheeling it. That has just happened the once, but it was memorable.

Is it illegal to bike in the road in Holland?

I'd love it if people could share the links of where these wide, perfectly adequate cycle lanes are that are barely used by local cyclists. I fancy a day trip and from the way they describe it, it sounds like a Dutch-style nirvana and not a crappy glass and gravel half kilometre popular with the local dog walkers.

YANBU!

Out council spent millions on cycle lanes... and still they don't use it.

I am thinking Holland on Sea, too. It's on the wrong side of road for people heading East.

@DynamoKev - generally, if there's a separate cycle path (fietspad) you are expected to use it; on some streets the cycle path may be on the road, and on smaller side streets it's shared. You can't cycle on the road on dual carriageways or motorways. In several years of cycling in the Netherlands I've never actually encountered a road where it would be preferable to the fietspad, even when I've been going fast.

Just this morning I was out on the bike and had to excuse myself past a small group of walkers despite giving plenty of notice with my bell, and they all had a good grumble at me about cyclists on pavements (it was actually a track at this point, but I digress!).

It's bloody annoying having to jump out the way for cyclists all the time on narrow paths. If a cyclist can't get around then they should wait until they can overtake rather than ding ding dinging. They do it on the tow path here constantly. One after another all expecting you to move out their way (and quickly!). Ringing their bells like their the priority?

And on roads drivers wait for them until it's safe to overtake (or they should) and don't beep horns at them continuously. Why can't cyclists show more respect for pedestrians. Wait and overtake when you can. We want to walk along pathways without hopping out of cyclists way every 2 minutes.

And then there is rubbish like this. Physically impossible to pass. With a carbon copy 50 yards on. Then 50 yards after that there's bollards which don't have a gap wide enough for me.

I appreciate I have an unusual bike but even on a normal bike there's numerous chicane type things which necessitate a dismount. On my trike it's often impossible to use the cycle paths. God knows what disability legislation they're breaking.

@CovidCorvid

And then there is rubbish like this. Physically impossible to pass. With a carbon copy 50 yards on. Then 50 yards after that there's bollards which don't have a gap wide enough for me.

I appreciate I have an unusual bike but even on a normal bike there's numerous chicane type things which necessitate a dismount. On my trike it's often impossible to use the cycle paths. God knows what disability legislation they're breaking.

There’s a tall steep set of steps on our local cycle path! It has a narrow slope down one side for bikes that’s just about the width of one bike wheel. I ride a cargo bike with kids in so can’t use that stretch of path at all.

@poppycat10

Don’t understand why the council doesn’t send out wardens to ticket all the cars

It's another thread really but yes, people who park in cycle lanes or on pavements need ticketing. Every Time. Until they get the message and stop doing it.

Unless there is a specific by-law, parking on a pavement or a cycle lane with broken white lines isn't illegal.

New powers were issued last year for CL's denoted with a solid white line buts not the majority.

I don’t use the shared cycle path near me because there’s always pedestrians and dogs in the way, a couple of bits cross over roads and people are always parked blocking it, it’s too narrow for two bikes going in opposite directions to safely pass each other. One section isn’t even useable because the path suddenly gets very steep as it goes round the corner in a way that’s not even easy to walk up! The pedestrian side is on the outer side of the corner so much less steep. All of the cycle paths round here have broken glass on too

[quote MotherWol]@DynamoKev - generally, if there's a separate cycle path (fietspad) you are expected to use it; on some streets the cycle path may be on the road, and on smaller side streets it's shared. You can't cycle on the road on dual carriageways or motorways. In several years of cycling in the Netherlands I've never actually encountered a road where it would be preferable to the fietspad, even when I've been going fast.[/quote]
Thanks so it's really just our penny pinching, overcrowded cities and all round bad attitude that is the cause here (as usual).

Cyclists are like wasps-a hot days brings them all out in their bright yellow garb.

However, have you ever tried to use the cycle lanes. We have one narrow one round here that they've placed every single streetlight right in the middle, so cyclists need to swerve to avoid them onto the pedestrian side.
Then we've got a couple that just disappear in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason, so you suddenly have to bump down the curb.
Children run/scoot along them.

I'm not a cyclist, and as a driver, I wish they'd use them as I hate passing them. However having seen the positioning of some of the lanes I have every sympathy with them not wanting to use them.

Cyclists are like wasps-a hot days brings them all out in their bright yellow garb

What an awful comparison! Do you also use the other one "Road lice" too?
Cyclists are people, Doctors nurses, firemen, telecoms engineers, shop workers, retired, students, mums and dads/brothers and sisters/our children not fucking wasps.

a Marine, who had done 4 tours in Afghanistan was recently maimed by a driver doubtless with your attitude to cyclists, didn't stop.