Cycle Lanes

It was not so much a decision to commute to work, but a choice imposed by the fact that my car stuck in a garage waiting for parts. Not that I was resistant to the idea, the only factor having put me off was the time it would take and the thought of arriving in the office drenched with sweat..

A change of clothes in a backpack, and the anticipation of riding blissfully past the early morning traffic pushed these reservations to the side and I prepared my bike for travel, removing the chunky off-road tyres and replacing then with a semi-slick version more suited to the cycle lanes and paths

I soon discovered that, like the Sinclair C5 and garlic ice-cream, cycle lanes are one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time but don’t live up to expectations.

For their safety and convenience, pedestrians are segregated from road traffic so it does seem like common sense to separate cyclists too. At least that is what I thought until I experienced them firsthand. Less than a mile into my journey I had come to the conclusion that many cycle lanes are ill conceived, inconvenient and potentially dangerous.

The shared footpath versions are the worst by far. One the one hand cyclists are condemned for riding on the pavement and on the other someone has the bright idea of making some of them cycle lanes. Cyclists using these lanes are forced, when they end, to join the traffic again. It is evident to anyone, other than the non-cyclist who came up with the idea, that inconsistent regulations lead to confusion and widespread disregard.

While driving the same route I have often noted cyclists sticking to the road and ignoring the cycle lane. Now I know why. Either their bunny hop skills weren’t up to scratch or they were simply fed up joining, leaving, and rejoining the traffic.

More important than mere inconvenience is the fact that these cycle lanes are downright dangerous. There is inherent risk in allowing a bicycle travelling at speed to share a narrow strip with parents with pushchairs, people walking dogs, and children, separated by only a strip of white paint. It’s difficult to decide which of these is the most unpredictable.

More frustrating when you are trying to get to work and not just out for a leisurely ride is the fact that the cyclist is removed from the flow of traffic and so is no longer taken into account as a vehicle. The cyclist’s route is broken at every side road or turning point and is often forced to rejoin the road at totally unpredictable points.

But all is not lost. Some routes have a dedicated cycle lane at the side of the road. Separated from traffic and pedestrians they allow unimpeded travel but unfortunately I found some stretches to be poorly maintained. Littered with broken glass and dog excrement, and in many cases not wide enough to allow the cyclist to avoid drainage grills are a few of the obstacles encountered. Even those that are in good condition may not be as safe as they seem. One part of my journey takes me alongside a dual carriageway with a 50 mph speed limit. As it approaches the city it is joined by a second similar road giving a total of 4 lanes of fast moving traffic and the cycle lane finishes abruptly at the point where they join. Two lanes of busy rush hour traffic to cross before getting back to the cycle way and my annoyance only matched by car drivers wondering what that bicycle is doing in the middle of the road.

If cycling is to be encouraged then road planners must incorporate cycle routes into their planning. Tagging them on as an afterthought into an existing transport network is fraught with danger. As predicted I was covered in sweat when I reached the office, but it was more through stress than exertion.