Bicycles

[Tall Midget]

Here in rural west Wales we have miles and miles of expensively built, dedicated cycle tracks (I mean separate tracks, not just a dotted white line along the edge of the roads) which I would have loved to use as a kid, yet I regularly see cyclists cycling on the narrow main roads holding up lines of traffic and ignoring the cycle tracks which are just inches away! What is that all about?

My take on this is how easy is it to ride these cycle tracks at speed? I ride the Taff Trail. At one point (approaching the Radyr roundabout from Taffs Well) there is pavement for pedestrians and cyclists. I elect to use the wide road here because of the speed I am cycling and the hazard of passing oncoming people/cyclists. Once a bus driver took me to task about not using the cycle path and I retorted, 'When I see buses use the bus lanes on Manor Way and North Road (Mynachdy), I'll use the cycle path'. And that is the point. Buses do not use the dedicated bus lanes for a reason. I think of myself as a responsible cyclist. I obey traffic lights, use hand signals and rarely ride on pavements but given a choice, I'll use the way that is easiest and safest to ride.

[Gofer Blue]

My take on this is how easy is it to ride these cycle tracks at speed? I ride the Taff Trail. At one point (approaching the Radyr roundabout from Taffs Well) there is pavement for pedestrians and cyclists. I elect to use the wide road here because of the speed I am cycling and the hazard of passing oncoming people/cyclists. Once a bus driver took me to task about not using the cycle path and I retorted, 'When I see buses use the bus lanes on Manor Way and North Road (Mynachdy), I'll use the cycle path'. And that is the point. Buses do not use the dedicated bus lanes for a reason. I think of myself as a responsible cyclist. I obey traffic lights, use hand signals and rarely ride on pavements but given a choice, I'll use the way that is easiest and safest to ride.

What a strange argument - you won't use a cycle lane because buses don't use a bus lane! I can tell you the cycle paths here are "deluxe" - the tarmac is in better condition than that on the roads and the number of people walking on them is minimal so very little chance of being slowed down by a pedestrian. Anyway what's so terrible about slowing down?