Mystery raised things in cycle contraflow ...

[gentlegreen]

Before I approach the estates department of this site, does anyone know what these are ?
Encroaching dangerously upon an already very narrow lane ...

[CliveyT]

They look a bit like armadillos http://www.cyclehoop.com/product/cycle-lane-safety/armadillos/ which I've seen discussed for use around here. Never seen them used at that angle though...

[[XAP]Bob]

They're there to encourage you to use primary on the traffic lane...

[mjr]

They're armadillos (known as zebra kerbs to the rest of the world, but that would be confusing in the UK) which have probably been knocked off their fixings by a motor vehicle. They're a cheaper-than-real-kerbs device meant to protect cycle lanes from motor vehicle encroachment but I don't think they work unless more dramatic things like planters or posts are also used. I also doubt they'll work on the outside of a bend like that.

Here they are apparently working: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... tain-25912

Here they are failing: http://madcyclelanesofmanchester.blogsp ... h-may.html

[gentlegreen]

They're there to encourage you to use primary on the traffic lane...

Indeed - which was exactly what I did.
The daft thing is that by that point I was actually happy to ride in it ...

[dbennett1882]

It looks to me like the council are trying to ensure that vehicles don't try to go illegally through the gap in the lane barrier on the one way system. I can see two traffic control cameras in view. The armadillos presumably deter vehicles swinging to the right in order to be able to get through that gap. If this is the case, it's attempting to stop vehicles infringing on the bike lane.
I'm just speculating on why the gap is there at all but possible occasional emergency access is needed?

[ferdinand]

They Iook IethaI if hit by a roadbike in the dark.

Ferdinand

[mjr]

They Iook IethaI if hit by a roadbike in the dark.

At least they've got white bits that should show up easily under bike lights. Some of the earlier obstructions were completely black

[gentlegreen]

I arrived today to find they'd been putting some in at a point on the "facility" where it is in any case near impossible to be - given this is at right angles to the road and path - unless you're riding a BMX ...

The things are a lot safer with barriers warning you off !

[[XAP]Bob]

Looks like they are tying to discourage corner cutting.

Of course any large enough vehicle to care about won't notice them... That's a design feature.

[Psamathe]

They're armadillos (known as zebra kerbs to the rest of the world, but that would be confusing in the UK) which have probably been knocked off their fixings by a motor vehicle.

I'm unsure about them being knocked off their fixings but only because they are all out of line at the same angle and lined-up with each other (at least it looks that way to me from the photo).

Ian

[[XAP]Bob]

They're just installed "wrong"

You can see that the new set are still being installed (barriers around) and they are also "wrong" by the same amount

[Postboxer]

They're also in the cycle lane, making them a feature of the cycle lane, not the other lane.

[bogmyrtle]

If it is a two way cycle lane is it possible they were put at that angle (first picture) to prevent cyclists leaving the cycle lane into the oncoming one way traffic/

[gentlegreen]

If it is a two way cycle lane is it possible they were put at that angle (first picture) to prevent cyclists leaving the cycle lane into the oncoming one way traffic/

It was barely wide enough to be a one way cycle lane even before those death traps were fitted there !
The irony is that people are rarely ever actually going to be travelling in opposite directions ...
I rather suspect that this is the work of the South Glos council planning department - they're famously mistrustful of the cycling culture that keeps leaking over the border from Babylon (Bristol) and are very fond of placing lethal bollards on shared paths.