How long before someone ends up in the canal

[RobC]

For the millionth time: canal towpaths are not cycle facilities.

Many of them may be useful as traffic free routes, but they are not cycle facilities. so any ‘design guidance’ is irrelevant.

On towpaths cyclists are guests in pedestrian space. When you enter someone’s home you play by their rules.

Once you’ve figured that out and come to terms with it, you will relax a lot and cease to be indignant at bicycle calming features found on towpaths.

If you want to ride quickly, either use the road or lobby your council to provide a proper car free route away from the canal.

[Stevek76]

Thanks for that. I'm not sure I accept your 'which means illegal' premise, and resultant 'book throwing', but you have been clear that you don't think that the speed of cyclists (in particular, as potentially the fastest-moving users) should be regulated at that point.

I didn't say that, I said that if this measure is wide enough not to be illegal it isn't going to do much about the speed of problem cyclists either, most of whom are on nimble short road bikes and will zip through there with little issue. The inconvenience these measures place upon normal users is far greater than the supposed target audience.

As for illegal, yes, if an authority places a restriction that prevents the access of a disabled person including those on trikes and handbikes then that is leaving them liable to get sued by such a person in the event they get obstructed by it. Any access control narrow enough to actually have an appreciable affect on problem cyclists is very likely have this issue.

For clarity it appears to me that these barriers fall into the first category, i.e. ineffective but not illegal.

As for these barriers stopping people in wheelchairs or mobility scooters using the towpath,there are far worse obstacles mainly the actual state of some of towpaths in the area.

Well aside from that this whole project includes advertising as having 'smooth surfaces for ease of use by ... wheelchair users', if a local authority chooses to put forward a defence of putting up barriers against a disabled person because they already have plenty others, I can't think that's going to go down well with the judge...

[Pete Owens]

They might end up in the canal, obviously, if they attempted something that wasn't within their capabilities.

Except it is exactly the less skilled sort of cyclists that the National Cycle Network it targeted at. Indeed this is one of the routes that survived the recent Sustrans cull. These things are marketed and justified as routes suitable for all abilities - and the sort of less experienced cyclists that the path is aimed at are those least likely to be aware of the hazard - particularly if they have swallowed the propaganda of the inherent safety of these routes.

I expect they would either slow right down,

Have you ever ridden a bike? Seriously. If you had you would understand that at very low speeds bicycles become less stable and more difficult to control.

or stop and walk through, taking a moment or two longer than it might otherwise have done.

In that case here is another one you will like:
https://www.cyclestreets.net/location/155474/

It's obviously designed for the purpose of slowing things down, isn't it, thereby fulfilling its purpose?

OK lets apply the same principle to slowing down motor traffic.; plant a land mine triggered to explode if a vehicle passes over them at 31mph.
Again "designed for the purpose of slowing things down, thereby fulfilling its purpose"

[Pete Owens]

For the millionth time: canal towpaths are not cycle facilities.

but this one is:
https://www.cyclestreets.net/location/88297/
part of the national cycle network no less.

[mumbojumbo]

As I see it no horses can be seen towing.There are people who walk but as they are not footpaths they are open to all and sundry,even horse-riders.It is up to the various users to apply sense and negotiate.I would perfer to see canals drained,filled with refuse,and topped with gravel for cyclist.These leaves tow-paths for walkers and the odd horse.

[Tangled Metal]

This seems like a thread for cyclones, the cycling equivalent of morons! How dare you slow me down. I have a right to be here

Mixed use path, downhill from a road where I suppose you're going at your full speed, into a shadow from trees, possibly other more vulnerable path users, narrow path, etc.

Just what other speed reduction method would you suggest instead of this? I assume you agree that it needs a speed control of some sort there. If you don't then you're no better than what CH calls morons in a derogatory way.

Is there any better word than cyclons to call the cycling equivalent of motons?

[thirdcrank]

... I would perfer to see canals drained,filled with refuse,and topped with gravel for cyclist. ....

That might create more fuss about fishing rights than brexit, not to mention bargees, kayakers etc.

[Cyril Haearn]

A cyclone is a great storm, sorry Tangled
'Cyclard' is my suggestion

My solution is fitting all cycles with a 49" fixed gear, that keeps me outae trouble. Anyone still caught going too fast gets a lower fixed gear

[Tangled Metal]

My solution is a tight chicane at points of access to mixed use paths to encourage cyclards to slow down. Either that or regular lights based crossings with buttons pedestrians can press as they pass to slow the cyclards down. Anyone think that's a good idea?

Actually I doubt any cyclard would actually stop. Those cyclists that do stop are likely to be responsible and ride at a responsible speed anyway.

[reohn2]

Well aside from that this whole project includes advertising as having 'smooth surfaces for ease of use by ... wheelchair users', if a local authority chooses to put forward a defence of putting up barriers against a disabled person because they already have plenty others, I can't think that's going to go down well with the judge...

That remains to be seen,but having ridden in the area I can say that some sections of towpath are unusable for a wheel chair or mobility scooters.
Personally I'd rather there were no need for such barriers in the first place but idiots being what they are on illegal motocycles illegal e-bikes and bicycles,they're an attempt at deterring the first and slowing down the second users,it's debateable as to whether wheelchair and mobility scooters are stopped from using the towpath because of them though.
That said,I could show far worse examples on the L&L canal and a couple of country parks I ride through where I need to dismount and either step over a low horse 'hop up' or pass the bike through a narrow purpose made gate affair which a mobility scooter or wheel chair user would find much harder to negotiate than the slalom fences in the OP.
We have a potential problem with off road illegal motorcycles as well as(to a lesser,though growing,extent)converted illegal e-bikes being ridden wrecklessly on towpaths and footpaths.In light of an undermanned and under resourced police force,if slight inconveniences such as this help deter idiots that can only be a good thing.
But I repeat IMO the gates in the OP wouldn't pose a huge problem to a wheelchair or mobility scooter to negotiate

EDIT:- There's a couple of cross over bridges (where the towpath moves to the opposite side of the canal) that are steep and one is stepped(presumably for horses to better negotiate when there were horse drawn barges)that no mobility scooter or wheelchair could possibly negotiate.There are also some arched canal bridges which are quite low and would need an inexperienced cyclist to dismount to negotiate and which make the barriers in the OP seem a lot less of a problem.

[Cyril Haearn]

Ideally cycle ways could be built with appropriate gradients, up hill to places where one must yield

[Mike Sales]

Ideally cycle ways could be built with appropriate gradients, up hill to places where one must yield

That would be less than ideal for the wheelchair users.

[reohn2]

Ideally cycle ways could be built with appropriate gradients, up hill to places where one must yield

Unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world,and given the state of the UK economy that goal of idealism slips ever further into the distant future.

[reohn2]

As I see it no horses can be seen towing.There are people who walk but as they are not footpaths they are open to all and sundry,even horse-riders.It is up to the various users to apply sense and negotiate.I would perfer to see canals drained,filled with refuse,and topped with gravel for cyclist.These leaves tow-paths for walkers and the odd horse.

And pigs might fly.
That's a very selfish attitude to have if it's a serious post.

[Bonefishblues]

This seems like a thread for cyclones, the cycling equivalent of morons! How dare you slow me down. I have a right to be here

Mixed use path, downhill from a road where I suppose you're going at your full speed, into a shadow from trees, possibly other more vulnerable path users, narrow path, etc.

Just what other speed reduction method would you suggest instead of this? I assume you agree that it needs a speed control of some sort there. If you don't then you're no better than what CH calls morons in a derogatory way.

Yes, that's the point I've been making. Cyclists are really no different. The faster, more competent riders will slow down to pass. The slower, less competent may have to get off and wheel through, within their capabilities and confidence. Each is riding to their capability, and other, more vulnerable users are protected.