Cyclists obliged to use cycle lanes?

ZootHornRollo

Every day on my way to work i use the stretch of the A8 between Edinburgh and Newbridge. There is a cyclelane/footpath that runs along side with a grass verge seperating it from the dual carriageway.

Yet most mornings there will be at least one cyclist on the road forcing driver to slow down, brake and pull out to overtake. It can cause chaos if the road is busy.

The A8 is the road that takes you to the airport for which there is a big junction with on/off slip roads. The cyclelane takes you down the ramp and back up up the other side but the same cyclists decide to cycle across the entrance/exits to the slip roads again causing chaos.

Are cyclists obliged to use a cycle lane where present?

dzug1

Only if there is a traffic restriction order obliging them to - there isn't normally.

Bowling_4_Gold

Nope, what if they want to turn right and the cycle lane forces them straight on? Same with buses...

custardy

put it this way,if you were on a bike to work would you want to cycle down that slipway and back up?
bikes are vehicles and can use the road as such (yes i know many cyclists do this as it suits!)

the red line would be the route you want a cyclist to take?




sorry its rough but my vision isnt so good just now

blued

I can see why they might take the road in the picture above but if I dont think a cyclist should have any reason to complain about motorists if there is a designated cycle path and they aren't using it. We have a few cycle paths in our local area and I quite often see the problems they cause by not using them - same as the OP describes. When I use my bike I use the cycle paths and really have no respect for those that choose to cycle along the road right next to the path causing already busy traffic to slow down. Being on a road when you dont need to be is a danger to yourself and others.

ZootHornRollo

custardy wrote: »

put it this way,if you were on a bike to work would you want to cycle down that slipway and back up?
bikes are vehicles and can use the road as such (yes i know many cyclists do this as it suits!)

the red line would be the route you want a cyclist to take?




sorry its rough but my vision isnt so good just now

Yep, thats bang on! Surely a regular cyclist is fit enough to add on the small detour? It's there for them to use for everyone's safety.

Like i say, if they use the road they end up cutting across the sliproads that are not show in your image.

johnfarquhar74

If the cyclist is on the main carriageway, they are not 'cutting' across any slip roads, the slip roads are for leaving the main carriageway or joining the main carriageway, those on the carriageway have right-of-way.
What would you suppose the cyclist do for the RBS Gogar exchange(RBS Bridge)?
IMO, as a motorist, the safest route is the main carriageway as the cyclist is visible to all. Yes, faster road users will have to go round him but that can be applied to virtually any fast road and slower vehicles.
Incidentally, the cyclist probably has the fastest average speed on this road if you are talking about 0830hrs in the morning, some days it more like a car park!

Viper_7

I only cycle for leisure, but I sure don't stick glued to the verge or cycle lane if there is one.

First the edges of the roads are covered in cr%p, bits of metal, rubble etc etc which are thrown to the side by vehicles as are cycle paths.
Secondly and more importantly I don't want vehicles squeezing past me and oncoming vehicles at 60mph. Give them a gap and they will take it and put your safety at risk.

Better is good road position so you can be clearly seen AND so that vehicles may actually have to slow down and yes overtake you properly giving more room.

Billy-no-Money

As already said, there is no obligation on cyclists to use cycle paths unless there is a specific order to that effect.

IMHO most cycle paths are built with the aim of encouraging cycling by those who are nervous of riding on the roads - they therefore route the cyclist away from traffic, often on a circuitous route with multiple 'cyclist dismount' signs.

They do NOT exist for the benefit of drivers. Your frustration at having to slow down a bit until you can overtake the cyclist is no different from a cyclist's frustration at being expected to dismount and give way at every junction they encounter. If you're on a bike trying to use it as a mode of transport you want to go on a direct route with the minimum number of stops - just like a car driver.

Until I took up cycle commuting I too didn't understand why they don't always use the cycle paths - now it's clear to me that they're simply not a practical transport (as opposed to leisure) option.

....and don't get me onto the ones shared with pedestrians and their dogs!!! :mad:

NEH

Viper_7 wrote: »

I only cycle for leisure, but I sure don't stick glued to the verge or cycle lane if there is one.

First the edges of the roads are covered in cr%p, bits of metal, rubble etc etc which are thrown to the side by vehicles as are cycle paths.
Secondly and more importantly I don't want vehicles squeezing past me and oncoming vehicles at 60mph. Give them a gap and they will take it and put your safety at risk.

Better is good road position so you can be clearly seen AND so that vehicles may actually have to slow down and yes overtake you properly giving more room.

My husband is a keen cyclist and he knows one person who refused to sue the cycle lane because of the reason you mentioned....All the whatsit from the road, glass, stones etc is thrown into the cycle lanes....For his friend this kept meaning puncture after puncture and one day he had two in a row so it simply wasn't practical to use the cycle lane....Not only did it cost him money but it makes you late for work if you have to repeatedly deal with punctures......

thescouselander

We have the same problem round here, the local ring road is a dual carrage way with traffic traveling at up to 70 mph; some sections are unlit. There is a dedicated cycle path well away from the road which most people use however, there is always the hard core lycra lout that insists on using the road. As a cyclist myself I always use the cycle path - there is no reason not to unless you are a bit of a nutter.

In my view cyclists should be forced to use the cycle path in this case for safety is nothing else.