Joggers in cycle lanes.

Kurtosis

oobydooby wrote: »

Was in Berlin recently which is fantastic to cycle in. Was surprised to see cyclists up on the footpath, weaving in and out of pedestrians (at reasonable pace) and nobody complained. Footpaths of course are very wide, as are the cycle tracks and the roads. However the population still waited for green men (or trouser-wearing ladies) before crossing the road even when there was obviously no traffic and I didn't notice any cyclists breaking lights either.

Same experience when I was in Berlin, all the cyclists and pedestrians seemed to wait for the green light. Found it quite contagious too, felt bad about crossing the road when everyone else was waiting for the green man!

studiorat

penguin88 wrote: »

Same experience when I was in Berlin, all the cyclists and pedestrians seemed to wait for the green light. Found it quite contagious too, felt bad about crossing the road when everyone else was waiting for the green man!

Always found Berlin more laid back anyway... In Berlin cycling is much easier, hardly any hills for starters. A lot more people cycle as a result. I'd like to compare percentages though. I did notice though that there were less sports cyclists, or else they were just pottering along on regular bikes.

If people are going to use their commute as a training spin they would do well to remember that not everybody on the road or cycle lane is trying to put in a personal best and just have a bit of patience.

We're talking about road rage here, obviously not just confined to filthy motorists.

kenmc

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

A Garda could form the opinion that 35mph on a cycle path was either inconsiderate or dangerous.

Yes, but he could also have the same opinion if you (illegally of course) bypass the cycle track and use the road. How the hell are we supposed to win?? There are no speed limits on cycle tracks, and if cars are allowed to do 50km/h on a stretch then obviously so should the cyclists.... I dunno how this can be solved.

Raam

kenmc wrote: »

Yes, but he could also have the same opinion if you (illegally of course) bypass the cycle track and use the road. How the hell are we supposed to win?? There are no speed limits on cycle tracks, and if cars are allowed to do 50km/h on a stretch then obviously so should the cyclists.... I dunno how this can be solved.

Does anyone know of any roadies who have been done for speeding on a cycletrack or even for not cycling on one?

I think Quigs mentioned that he was pulled over once.

cyclopath2001

kenmc wrote: »

How the hell are we supposed to win??

You don't. Cycle 'facilities' are not provided for the benefit of cyclists.

kenmc wrote: »

cars are allowed to do 50km/h on a stretch then obviously so should the cyclists....

Not obviously. Cars have better brakes & road-holding. I don't know about you, but 35mph on a bicycle feels like 100mph in a car. If anything pops out in front of you, you're going to lose it.

311

Just a thought on what was posted earlier in the thread about motor taxes paying for cyclists.


It's cyclists who pay paye ,who will be paying hospital bills in the future of the drivers of today.

cyclopath2001

311 wrote: »

It's cyclists who pay paye ,who will be paying hospital bills in the future of the drivers of today.

Since it would generally be agreed here (but not in 'Motoring') that cyclists are fitter, very socially aware and definitely more intelligent than average, it follows that they're high-income individuals who leave their cars in the driveway while cycling to well-paid jobs where they pay more tax than the average motorist.

kenmc

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

You don't. Cycle 'facilities' are not provided for the benefit of cyclists.

Not obviously. Cars have better brakes & road-holding. I don't know about you, but 35mph on a bicycle feels like 100mph in a car. If anything pops out in front of you, you're going to lose it.

Ah sorry I see we're talking the old fashioned numbers - mph rather than km/h . Even still, if they were to enforce limits which are significantly lower than the corresponding road speeds, then the commute may become a slower option than sitting in traffic for many, and thus push people from the bike back to the car.
I regularly hit the mid 40s km/h on my commute in, the road speed limit is 50km/h on those stretches - in fact the entire commute is at that limit for me. It certainly does not feel out of control or at all scary. 75km/h coming down from Sally gap though, does

cyclopath2001

kenmc wrote: »

if they were to enforce limits which are significantly lower than the corresponding road speeds...I regularly hit the mid 40s km/h on my commute in, the road speed limit is 50km/h on those stretches - in fact the entire commute is at that limit for me.

Since average motoring speed in city traffic is about 12kph, you've got quite a margin to work with. But, yes, I'd have to agree that smooth and quick transit for cyclists is not an objective of the cycle 'facility' designers.

It's not a question of enforcing lower speed limit, it's a question of your ability to stop safely, if circumstances demand it (for example when a jogger appears out of nowhere), while you're riding on a cycleway at 50kph. The law also requires 'consideration for others'. So even if you are supremely confident in your reaction and stopping ability at that speed, you could still be breaking the law (in the opinion of a Garda) by passing quite close to pedestrians at 50kph. The same constraint would apply to motorists.

Some years ago, a kid climbed over a railings outside a lady's house and impaled himself. He successfully sued, even though he was trespassing, the court found that the lady could have anticipated the accident. That's how the law works.