[Albion] A small piece in praise of the Albion's cycling facilities.

[LamieRobertson]

Changing football to a summer sport would probably help the most!


That is the thing that makes me laugh most about all the anti cycling campaigning.
You hope to take an extra 1000 people out of the bus/train/car park queue and all you get in return is a shitload of negativity.

Nobody in the metal death traps seem capable of thinking:-
'crack on guys, what can I do to help you make my journey, by car, quicker and easier'.

I think its great that you have started this thread and the positive news re cycling ...but this sort of comment does you no favours ..imho

 

[wolfie]

I consider myself something of an expert on this, having cycled to most games staged at the Amex and many other grounds as well - all to follow Albion.
Our facilities are very good. If there was more uptake, I'm sure more cycle stands would be provided. I think a cycle lane (segregated) is needed along the path from the Station to the Bridge, as there are too many cyclists having to weave around pedestrians after matches. When my lock jammed recently, the stadium staff were very helpful and came out with a cutter to set me free. They did give away freebies in the early days (even programmes) - don't know what happened to that ?)

Other very well provided for grounds are:
Leicester (lockers provided too)
Arsenal (secure area)
West Ham (unsurprisingly - have to get through check point first though),
Doncaster

Adequate Facilities (some bike stands) : Rotherham, Chelsea, Coventry, Shrewsbury, Barnsley, Man U (limited for crowd size), Bolton, Northampton, Forest, Charlton, Reading, Oxford, Wycombe, Watford (but too close to roadway and crowds) Ipswich, Wembley (Yellow Car Park) Huddersfield.

Very little or nothing (sometimes able to use nearby supermarkets, parks etc): Spurs(WHL), Stoke, Sheff Wed, Stadium MK, Derby, Swindon, Tranmere, Wolves, Birmingham, Oldham, West Brom, Hartlepool, Fulham, Blackburn (although game was called off)

NB some of these were a few years' back - so there might have been recent improvements.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think its great that you have started this thread and the positive news re cycling ...but this sort of comment does you no favours ..imho

Yeah I know you're right, I can be just as much to blame, if not more so, for anti-cycling binfests on here, and I should do better.

I guess my little petulant dummy spit comes from having too many (considerably more than 1) vehicles used as a weapon against me.

 

[Stat Brother]

I consider myself something of an expert on this, having cycled to most games staged at the Amex and many other grounds as well - all to follow Albion.
Our facilities are very good. If there was more uptake, I'm sure more cycle stands would be provided. I think a cycle lane (segregated) is needed along the path from the Station to the Bridge, as there are too many cyclists having to weave around pedestrians after matches. .

Good for you.

Earlier I was thinking about a cycle lane down to the Bridge and decided it was a good idea that would end badly.

We all know it wouldn't be properly segregated.
The cyclist would feel embolden to ride faster.
The pedestrians would frequently stray onto the other coloured tarmac.
Accidents would end up being more serious than any that happen now.

Where cycling infrastructure is concerned there just doesn't seem to be any kind of 'do it once, do it properly' joined up thinking.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Yeah I know you're right, I can be just as much to blame, if not more so, for anti-cycling binfests on here, and I should do better.

I guess my little petulant dummy spit comes from having too many (considerably more than 1) vehicles used as a weapon against me.

 

[wolfie]

Good for you.

Earlier I was thinking about a cycle lane down to the Bridge and decided it was a good idea that would end badly.

We all know it wouldn't be properly segregated.
The cyclist would feel embolden to ride faster.
The pedestrians would frequently stray onto the other coloured tarmac.
Accidents would end up being more serious than any that happen now.

Where cycling infrastructure is concerned there just doesn't seem to be any kind of 'do it once, do it properly' joined up thinking.

You're probably right. At the moment it is just as quick to walk with the bike. Any segregated path would have to be the other side of the fence (on the other side to the railway) which is probably owned by the Uni.

 

[Dick Head]

Can anyone remember the name of the event the club put on for cycling to the AMEX, from the Level?
Or ideally find the Argus story.

https://www.letsride.co.uk/groups/brighton-bike-train

 

[Uter]

Changing football to a summer sport would probably help the most!


That is the thing that makes me laugh most about all the anti cycling campaigning.
You hope to take an extra 1000 people out of the bus/train/car park queue and all you get in return is a shitload of negativity.

Nobody in the metal death traps seem capable of thinking:-
'crack on guys, what can I do to help you make my journey, by car, quicker and easier'.

I think this thread has been generally well received and encouraged some thoughtful debate, but of course, there are a lot of entrenched negative opinions when it comes to cycling and some of that has (inevitably) surfaced too. 1,000 seems like an ambitious but achievable figure over a few seasons if the will is there, and also enough to register in match day transport surveys which the club could point to when negotiating the payments they make to the bus and train companies.

 

[Uter]

Good for you.

Earlier I was thinking about a cycle lane down to the Bridge and decided it was a good idea that would end badly.

We all know it wouldn't be properly segregated.
The cyclist would feel embolden to ride faster.
The pedestrians would frequently stray onto the other coloured tarmac.
Accidents would end up being more serious than any that happen now.

Where cycling infrastructure is concerned there just doesn't seem to be any kind of 'do it once, do it properly' joined up thinking.

I've certainly wondered if that would be a good idea too, and come to pretty much the same conclusions. I think it would have to be completely segregated to work, i.e. not just coloured tarmac. Then you have the circular argument about there not being enough cyclists to justify the investment.

 

[Stat Brother]

I've certainly wondered if that would be a good idea too, and come to pretty much the same conclusions. I think it would have to be completely segregated to work, i.e. not just coloured tarmac. Then you have the circular argument about there not being enough cyclists to justify the investment.

Yourself and others might find this read interesting:-

https://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/a-waste-of-space/

 

[Peter Grummit]

Amsterdam has a big bike culture and the intrastructure to boot. Brighton has neither. Your take on things is nothing more than wishful thinking, based on you having a bike and currently having somewhere to chain it up. Bless.

Of course there's a debate to be had about how many we could get to cycle, yes. But you dismissed any conceivable solution to providing the capacity to make that possible. Providing secure cycle parking infrastructure is relatively cheap and has obvious positive gains. Health; emissions, congestion and crowding reductions for all transport users.

What I'm struggling to understand is your approach to this debate: patronising at best and downright unpleasant at worst.

PG

 

[Peter Grummit]

I think this thread has been generally well received and encouraged some thoughtful debate, but of course, there are a lot of entrenched negative opinions when it comes to cycling and some of that has (inevitably) surfaced too. 1,000 seems like an ambitious but achievable figure over a few seasons if the will is there, and also enough to register in match day transport surveys which the club could point to when negotiating the payments they make to the bus and train companies.

It's also an important factor when making any planning applications for ancillary development eg the hotel. A track record of sustainable access for eg staff.

 

[Motogull]

I think this thread has been generally well received and encouraged some thoughtful debate,

Shame about the mong tags though.

 

[nigeyb]

I cycled from the Amex to Carrow Road for the 3-3 draw under Hyypia a few years ago, the cycle facilities here are far better than there I can assure you!

In the last few years, I've cycled to about 90% of the games I've attended, it's the best way. The cycle lanes on Lewes Road encourage cycling there and there are plenty of places to park up. I usually stay the other side of the footbridge so I can hop on the A27 immediately afterward without having to battle through the crowds on the walk down to the Bridge car park.

So where do you leave your bike Ninja Elephant?