Cycling UK Forum

OSM tags are not what the O/P is wanting - he is looking for gpx route recommendations. So I will start a separate thread for adding/updating OSM tags to support routing for non-standard HPVs.

This is a great question.

There is quite a large population that have 'different' cycles e.g. trikes, cargo bikes etc. I have thought quite a bit how mapping apps can support these alternative forms of human powered vehicles. My suggestion is to add tags to the Open Street Map to cater for width, height, and grounding restrictions. Once the tags are in place then data can be added via the OSM route and apps supporting these specialised vehicles can be developed.

Really good initiative. Good luck with it.

Look to get actual support from your local Cllrs, MPs, and relevant council. If you do not get this support early and quickly then you know where the problem is.

@superficial Very important...

Contact your MP and insist that he/she campaign to change the law for vulnerable road users to 'default liability'.

These kind of laws already exist in civilised cycling countries such as France, Netherlands, Germany etc etc. The advantage this law change will give you is that the burden of proof is forced onto the driver. Basically their insurance will just pay up unless the driver can prove their version is correct and they were not at fault. The other advantage of this law change is that drivers are much more careful when around cyclists and pedestrians. I was very impressed with French drivers care on a weeks cycling in Normandy - for example.

This is too late to get a law change to help the O/P and I totally sympathise with the position of the O/P.

On the velomobile I use there is a shelf behind the riders head and I just chuck the bladder onto the shelf. I tried velcroe on the tube so I could park the nozzle at a known location on the 'trike'. The nozzle location had varied success - but make sure the tube cannot get caught in any mechanics!

For unfaired recumbents my tip would be to have an aerodynamic rear bag behind the riders head and place the bladder inside that. The OP suggests this is not possible on the arrangement the OP has. Can you not make it so?

Walking or cycling to most schools is completely viable. Anything under 10 miles each way should be possible for school kids.

What I might agree with (although the OP did not say) is that many of the trips would be very dangerous to cycle because of motor vehicles.

For me and the Mrs cycling during lockdown has been brilliant. At weekends we have counted more bikes on the road than cars. The motor vehicle traffic level has been so low that you can hear the birds singing. Distressing sights such as wild animals squashed on the road were just completely absent. What has been really nice to see are whole families out on their bikes. They would not be out in such numbers unless they felt it was safer.

As far as Covid-19 is concerned when out on my bike I have felt pretty relaxed. Most of our routes are in rural areas. It is always difficult to judge things when you have an unseen enemy. But if you cycle past someone fleetingly when outdoors then my information is that the risk is low. This virus does not have a high mortality rate, it is infectious yes. For folk under 45 years mostly they will be fine. Old duffers like me need to take more care.

My guess is that workplaces, schools, care homes, hospitals, and public transport are where more attention needs to be paid.

Killing by car seems to get a free pass.

The response by authorities has no proportions to the grief that is caused. Years later there may be an effectively secret inquest in a far distant city with no reporting by the local media from the area where the accident occurred. Meanwhile the perpetrator is likely driving around in a brand new vehicle. SMIDSY.

This is an interesting topic. My own experience from riding around on a Bacchetta Corsa (700C wheels) is that when on a rough road a recumbent without suspension will lose a lot of energy because the whole body weight has to see-saw back and forth whereas an upwrong pivots the rider about the cranks. I do not know if suspension on a recumbent solves this energy loss as I have no experience riding with good suspension.

What I noticed riding through a village was that I was keeping pace with a roadie but when I got to the end of the village where the road was much rougher then the roadie caught up like I was standing still. This experience seemed to be repeated in a group ride between Oxford and Cambridge. Any time the road was flat/downhill and good quality then I had the advantage but when the road was rough or uphill the situation was reversed.

So not scientific I know but for rough roads I think recumbents need something to improve the situation. I would not say the situation is painful because on long journeys I prefer riding the recumbent.

I worry about what they will do to Cambridge cycle infrastructure in that they will likely muck about with routes that are not dangerous or that are not really used by cyclists while do nothing about areas really needing attention.

Top of my own list is that they give default traffic light priority to the Greenway at Clay Farm. This track is massively used by cyclists and pedestrians and the lights at Clay Farm should give them default priority. At present the cyclists and pedestrians are expected to press a beg button and then to bunch up awaiting a green man. In addition the crossing has very dangerous lack of sight lines caused by the inconsiderate contractor installing opaque boards that obstruct vision (watch this space for a fatal accident).

It would be very simple to give default priority to the Greenway and use the vehicle detectors in the road to change the lights when required for the very occasional motor vehicle.

Even better would be Cranebridge CC looking at FixMyStreet to pick up and correct this kind of flawed design.

The right stuff (the video is silent):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ0s2sL8t28

Bailey bridge construction. Done under shell fire too.

I have never really understood all this faffing around with bridges.

My Uncle stuck one in in the Netherlands and I think it took them about 24 hours to do it. The bridge had to take tanks and they were at risk of being under fire at any time.

It was the one near Arnhem in the 1940s.

Bailey bridges are pretty good and the new ones can be man handled with I think 4 people.

C-A should come to Cranebridge. He would have a field day. But the bridges would need a new hashtag e.g. #stupidstupidstupid

@oneten a GPS unit needs to see the sky, that is why Garmins etc mount on handlebars . If you use a phone that also has GPS capability then there are fallback methods of navigation such as cellular mast triangulation. These methods are not as accurate.

I am not clear why you would want to prevent a GPS unit from working properly e.g. by putting it in a pocket.

1. They drive you round the bend. Cars continue on the main road but cyclists on the cycle track beside are required to stop and give way at every side junction. The route is also made deliberately less direct. All part or what I call malicious autocratic design.

2. They are dangerous to use - thorns at eye height, bad drainage causing riders to randomly weave as they avoid puddles, risk of being hit by car at side junctions.

3. Lack of maintenance - punctures are very likely, skidding and crashing because of rotting vegetation or broken or potholed path.

4. You are required to stop and press beg buttons to cross a road

5. They put posts right where you want to cycle (see malicious design philosophy above).

6. Fresh rainbow trout, toads, cows, and horses can cross roads quicker than cyclists because humans build special underpasses for them.