Sares wrote: New users will graduate to the roads eventually.
Correct!
I'm one of them. But that was over ten years ago.
I currently help out on a local cycling scheme (
Somer Valley Wheels) which is primarily aimed to get older people back cycling. We have a pretty fair local ex-railway cyclepath network (The
Colliers Way) and we start people off by using the cycle route. It doesn't take long for them to get their confidence back and even though virtually all of the new starters are vehemently opposed to going on the road to begin with they soon get bored with the path. It's then that we introduce them to the local country lanes. After that they are away...
We're talking here about mainly the 55-75 age group who haven't ridden a bike since their teen years, if at all.
Sares' statement is essentially correct. I and the Somer Valley Wheels clients can't be unique, can we?
So, in certain circumstances, off highway cycle routes do have their uses.
Having said that, I agree that most of what Sustrans and highway authorities call cycling facilities are indeed, by and large, pretty low standard, and largely unmaintained low standard, too.
High quality
Copenhagen style cycle facilities in UK are a very long way off and in my view unlikely ever to happen here within our lifetimes.