Cyclist fatalities in London - what's going on?

[fosters headband]

The cycle paths in and around Coventry are generally in a sorry state of repair. I guess they are OK if you ride a mountain bike with suspension but on my racing bike the number of potholes and bumps make it easier and safer to ride on the road. Not sure what they are like in Brighton.

The Falmer Road cycle path from Woodingdean to the Amex (app 3 mile) is a brand new 6 feet wide path. This path has just been introduced after an online petition to get it, I think because of how dangerous it is to cycle on the road over this section, but we still get idiots cycling on the road.

 

[Stat Brother]

The Falmer Road cycle path from Woodingdean to the Amex (app 3 mile) is a brand new 6 feet wide path. This path has just been introduced after an online petition to get it, I think because of how dangerous it is to cycle on the road over this section, but we still get idiots cycling on the road.

Depends on what cycling you're doing.

If you're pootling off to the game, then happy days.

But I assume the path crosses many junctions (sorry I don't know the path in question) where correctly the car turning has right of way. Therefore making the cycling path pretty useless for those cyclists out riding their bikes for the sake of it, instead of using as a means of transport.

 

[fosters headband]

Depends on what cycling you're doing.

If you're pootling off to the game, then happy days.

But I assume the path crosses many junctions (sorry I don't know the path in question) where correctly the car turning has right of way. Therefore making the cycling path pretty useless for those cyclists out riding their bikes for the sake of it, instead of using as a means of transport.

Not one junction over the whole three miles

 

[Stat Brother]

Not one junction over the whole three miles

Fair do's.

 

[fosters headband]

Fair do's.

So can I now have my question answered, why do they do it, putting themselves and others in danger?

 

[Stat Brother]

So can I now have my question answered, why do they do it, putting themselves and others in danger?

I can not answer to that specific stretch of road.

But as for a general answer, that'll be #119.
On the road is the safest place for road riding, because of the speed the cyclist can be travelling at, and the reduced amount of danger.
As said the cyclist is at the bottom of the food chain and as a rule acts accordingly.

 

[Pantani]

So can I now have my question answered, why do they do it, putting themselves and others in danger?

On the Falmer Road cycle path I have no idea why people wouldn't use the path, yet to see any pictures of it. As for the coast road one it is mainly to do with all the bus stops. People getting off of buses are hugely unpredictable and on the downhill sections a cyclist could easily be doing 30 miles an hour. It is relatively easy to predict what a driver is going to do, pedestrians in cycle lanes are often so oblivious there is really no way to predict what they are going to do. For me by riding in the road in these situations cyclists are opting for the thing they know.

Also that particular cycle path does some weird things at various points along it's distance, sometimes it is on both sides of the road, sometimes not, in places it is on the pavement, in others not (mainly east bound); at one point you are directed round the back of the houses. When you get to Newhaven the cycle path turns in to a stony track that you cannot ride a racing bike on.

These type of things happen on virtually every cycle path in this country; faced with this cyclists inevitably choose to ride on the road as at least the conditions are consistent. Would you choose to drive on a road with five junctions over ten miles with a consistent speed limit; or one with ten junctions, four different speed limits, a detour through a housing estate and a loose gravel section at the end?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

So can I now have my question answered, why do they do it, putting themselves and others in danger?

It has not been made with road bikes in mind. It is not tarmacced, it has a gritty surface. This can cause damage to road bikes, and is also very uncomfortable and skiddy to ride on. A shame really, I don't know why they chose to surface it as they did - an opportunity missed.

 

[Stat Brother]

A prime example:-

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/artic...gated-cycle-path-into-obstacles-course-39123/

Although I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems, although the last signpost looks like an accident waiting to happen.
The point is, it's not as easy as it should be.
Ill thought out token gestures are worse than nothing at all.