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Thread: The Bike Lane Debate

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    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    The Bike Lane Debate

    I am a fan of bike lanes, and thought I'd wikipedia it.....

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bike_lane_debate

    How do feel about it, I'm a bit of a believer in the safety by numbers idea - however in London (I don't live there) I know that drivers really couldn't care less about the cyclists and their lanes [iirc Shiato has had quite a few run ins with bus and lorry drivers].

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    Studmuffin Flibb's Avatar
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    Well implemented bike lanes are great, badly done ones are a pain in the arse. Around the town I live in bike lanes are sometimes part of teh road sometimes part of the pavement and there is not one for going in each direction, instead the sigle lane changes which side of the road its on. Cycling on these lanes would result in you crossing the road 3 or 4 times on a 2 mile stretch, often where there isnt a crossing, imho it increases the risk of accidents. Also if im on my bike I tend to move at speed (2omph ish on the mtb) this plainly isnt safe on the pavement.

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    mutantbass head Lee H's Avatar
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    I'd use the bike lanes around Manchester if it wasn't for the egotistical muppets that think its fun to drive in the bike lanes, giving about 1mm of clearance space between you and their paintwork.

    educate car drivers to respect Bike lanes and I'm sure more people will use them, but I've had a few too near misses and thus the bikes now demoted to "rusting carcass"

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    Treasure Hunter extraordinaire herulach's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN
    I'd use the bike lanes around Manchester if it wasn't for the egotistical muppets that think its fun to drive in the bike lanes, giving about 1mm of clearance space between you and their paintwork.

    educate car drivers to respect Bike lanes and I'm sure more people will use them, but I've had a few too near misses and thus the bikes now demoted to "rusting carcass"
    My prefered method is to educate them with a pedal sized ding in their passenger door.

    Joking aside, some drivers are nobs, on my way back from uni today i was overtaken on the right while halfway into the carriage way, and clearly indicating that i was intending to turn, ive also run into someone in a car who pulled out from a side road beliving she had right of way, needless to say, she left with a huge ding in her door, (i was doing ~30 down hill and had about 15 feet stopping distance).
    Bike lanes in leeds are pretty crap, i do actually prefer cycling without them, however, if you go to york, where everything (nearly is completly seperated from both the road and kerb, they work awesomely.

    What i really dont see the point in is advanced stop lines, i fail to see how they help in anyway possible.

    Also, cyclists need to be educated about not overtaking on the left, i know i do it occasionally, but never more than 1 car, and certainly never at a junction.
    Last edited by herulach; 09-01-2006 at 05:31 PM.

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    Depends where I am going, there isn't many in Scarborough - I only know of some near my school.. and you have to go on and off the path all the time - Most of the time I just stick to the path, as it's mainly up-hill to school anyway, but on the way back it's mainly downhill so I stick to the roads as I'm going at about 30mph.

    The only thing that annoys me is old people - I'm pretty damn considerate and if I see someone vulnerble coming along (e.g. old lady/man, young kids etc) I'll slow down a very lot... and just go fast enough to get past them - but old people complain alot for no bloody reason, and if little kids are with their parents then they moan about it too .

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    www.5lab.co.uk
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    depends entirely on the location. ones that have just been painted on the pavement, and which you have to give way to all roads that cross them are just a waste of space - i stick to the road. i've hit 2 people who stepped out in front of me - one occasion i was doing over 20mph. it was messy to say the least, but entirely not my fault. lanes on the side of the road are imo a good idea - they encourage the drivers to give you a bit more lea-way..
    hughlunnon@yahoo.com | I have sigs turned off..

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    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    Oh dear god, what have they done?

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...0519&q=bicycle

    Wait for the bit with the bells... and you thought it couldn't get worse.

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    Hexus.Jet TeePee's Avatar
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    Thos on the pavements are fine, keeps the bikes away from road traffic. Those on the roads should be removed. They are dangerous and encorage the lunatic cyclists. It's very bad throughout london, where traffic struggles to pass a slow moving cyclist, then traffic gets to a set of traffic lights, stops, the cyclist pedals past in the 20 metre cycle lane, straight through the red light, then the traffic has to do it all over again. Cyclists should be banned from the roads. If cycle lanes separate from the roads would do this, then I am a supporter.

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    We have quite a few bike lanes around here and the number of cyclists I see on the road right next to these lanes is ridiculous. If Cycle lanes are present and an erratic cyclist pulls out infront and is hit by a car after cycling on the road next to a cycle lane - Is the driver still Liable? and should the driver be liable?

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    Treasure Hunter extraordinaire herulach's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TeePee
    Thos on the pavements are fine, keeps the bikes away from road traffic. Those on the roads should be removed. They are dangerous and encorage the lunatic cyclists. It's very bad throughout london, where traffic struggles to pass a slow moving cyclist, then traffic gets to a set of traffic lights, stops, the cyclist pedals past in the 20 metre cycle lane, straight through the red light, then the traffic has to do it all over again. Cyclists should be banned from the roads. If cycle lanes separate from the roads would do this, then I am a supporter.
    I think we should ban cars, some people drive them badly therefore everyone must.

    Why should cyclists be banned from using roads? When im out i can easily keep up with the speed traffic should be going (in a 30 limit), i obey red lights, i can probably set off and stop faster than most people driving your average fiesta shed on wheels, and my reactions are a damn sight better than most old people. Provided theres a continuous cycle lane along a road the only real danger is from moving into the normal road (either at a junction, where people should expect slow moving traffic anyway or because a car is parked in the bike lane (a common occurence round here)), or someone turning across the lane and not paying attention to cyclists. None of which are the cyclists fault.

    I arent trying to evangelise everyone who rides a bike, ill readily agree that the kind of people who think they dont have to obey the rules of the road should be banned, but the same goes for car drivers.

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    Treasure Hunter extraordinaire herulach's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ripper
    We have quite a few bike lanes around here and the number of cyclists I see on the road right next to these lanes is ridiculous. If Cycle lanes are present and an erratic cyclist pulls out infront and is hit by a car after cycling on the road next to a cycle lane - Is the driver still Liable? and should the driver be liable?
    It depends if the cyclist indicated their intent properly and left sufficient room, if so then yes, its exactly the same as someone in a car pulling out on a dual carriageway to avoid a parked car.

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    Hexus.Jet TeePee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by herulach
    I think we should ban cars, some people drive them badly therefore everyone must.
    In many years of commuting into Central London, and driving around the city all day as part of my job, I have ONCE seen a cyclist stop at a red light when he didn't have to. It was at night, and he had no lights.

    There are no law obiding cyclists in London, hence they should all be banned.

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    Treasure Hunter extraordinaire herulach's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TeePee
    In many years of commuting into Central London, and driving around the city all day as part of my job, I have ONCE seen a cyclist stop at a red light when he didn't have to. It was at night, and he had no lights.

    There are no law obiding cyclists in London, hence they should all be banned.
    London != UK.

    I'm pretty certain the assertion that no one obeys the law is pretty wrong, Ive never seen the london cycle network, but does it have seperate signalling?

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    Quote Originally Posted by herulach
    London != UK.

    I'm pretty certain the assertion that no one obeys the law is pretty wrong, Ive never seen the london cycle network, but does it have seperate signalling?
    dont think so..

    i'm much the same as you mate, i can sprint 30, hold 20-25mph and if i slipstream i can hold 30mph.. i sometimes (not always) signal, but i always make my intent known, and i rarely make late manouvers.. i'm a much better driver because a ride a bike, because i'm more aware of what other road users are doing - you need to be on a bike. however few bike riders are like this..

    bike paths on normal paths are a complete danger - it'd be no different to putting a footpath ON a normal road.. kiddies know to stay out of roads, but bikepaths aint the same. i also find bike paths which stop every 20 yards for a road frustrating - i'm barely up to speed in that time, so i just stick to the road. a proper cycle path on a road is (say) 2 foot wide, and means cars and cyclists can pass each other without interfierance. brighton has a reasonable proportion of these, and also lots of bus lanes which i use (think i'm allowed to).

    i think the real solution would be to have some sort of cycling test, and a licence with points, but thats not going to work because cyclists rarely danger people other than themselves..



    i've been hit by a car whilst on my bike, which was not my fault. wrote off his crappy polo though, which made me feel better -> www.5lab.co.uk/pics/ouch
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    Asking silly questions menthel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TeePee
    In many years of commuting into Central London, and driving around the city all day as part of my job, I have ONCE seen a cyclist stop at a red light when he didn't have to. It was at night, and he had no lights.

    There are no law obiding cyclists in London, hence they should all be banned.
    I cycle around london, stop at red lights and have my lights on, so please don't tar us all with the same brush. I also hate those cyclists who don't obey the laws of the road, but I hold the same venom for all of the terrible drivers I encounter in my car.
    Not around too often!

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    Hexus.Jet TeePee's Avatar
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    I've seen a 5 year old girl hit by a cyclist on the pavement. There were roadworks closing off Notting Hill Gate for gasworks, right outside where I used to work. Traffic was diverted around but the pavements were open. Cyclists took to the pavements in their hundreds. Some motorcyclists got off and pushed, and I even saw one snotty nosed brat riding his moped along. No cyclists got off and pushed, they all rode, and, of course, people got hit. The odd nudge, scratches and bruises, and the poor little girl that had to be ambulanced to hospital.

    You tar yourselves with the same brush. There may well be one or two who do obey the law, but there are so few that were better off banning you all. Of course, things might be better outside of central London.

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