Trikes blocked by barriers on permitted routes

ThePinkOne
Posts: 246
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 9:21pm

Re: Trikes blocked by barriers on permitted routes

Post by ThePinkOne »

pete75 wrote: 6 Apr 2023, 8:29pm
mjr wrote: 6 Apr 2023, 8:19pm
pwa wrote: 5 Apr 2023, 6:20pmIt is the daft suggestion of using an angle grider that is funny.

Are you recommending the OP to go out with an angle grinder? Please say so if you really are recommending that. My own advice would be to not do that because if they got caught they could be in trouble. Yes, they could engage a smart lawyer and fight it in the courts, but I doubt most of us would want to go down that path.
I wouldn't recommend it unless the OP is confident that they can do a tidy job, safely, and not get caught. But cycle campaigners have definitely been doing it for years. I know two barriers that I believe were removed by mystery men (for it is usually men) with angle grinders and hi-viz in King's Lynn, hastening their removal by years. I also know of one where money was wasted putting the barrier back, with minor modifications which still don't make it legal but do make it more difficult to remove (whether legally or not). And I seem to recall John Grimshaw likes direct action. So it's a proud tradition. I expect CTCers used to be a bit more direct-action-y before it became known as Cycling To Cake.

Compare that with the glacial pace of council work. Back in November, ours announced the removal of five barriers. They actually only removed four and forgot one. They said then that the remaining one (about four-fifths of the way along the route) would be removed imminently. It was still there last week.
I'd wager lots of money the early Clarion clubmen would have ripped them all down.
Indeed.

My suggestion of issuing a battery powered angle grinder was tongue-in-cheek (hence the emoticon) however there is a more serious point that you can campaign all you want but it will be a long wait for action. Perhaps the Kinder Scout ramblers should have been good citizens and not broken the law to obtain the access to the hills that we all enjoy?

On a pragmatic level, a barrier that is removed by direct action will probably stay removed (costly to replace) and by the same token, one that is not removed will probably stay there for a long time (costly to take out). As for community service- well the polis have to catch the remover first, and given how good the polis are at catching bike thieves and the miscreants who ride motorcycles through the anti-motorcycle barriers, I cannot see much chance of that.

I'm not normally one to contemplate breaking the law but sometimes the total ignoring of a community who only wants fair access is justified, so I'm not going to criticise those persons who have removed the barriers. I WILL strongly criticise anyone involved with Sustrans and any council cycle officers who condone these barriers, given that they present a significant barrier to any type of cycling except that done by fit persons (normally males) on standard DF bikes- so no tandems, cargo bikes, trailers, cargo trikes, hand cycles etc- in fact any form of cycle that makes the cycle a car replacement in fact.

Incidentally, I ride a trike by preference and am no longer strong enough to lift it over all types of barriers. However, for the record, I don't possess a battery powered angle grinder nor do I have access to one.

TPO
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plancashire
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Re: Trikes blocked by barriers on permitted routes

Post by plancashire »

I live in Germany. We don't have these barriers here. I don't see many motorbikes on bike paths either, maybe one a year. It would not work here anyway, as cargo bikes have become way too popular (often with kids in), and recumbents and trailers are not that rare either.

This seems to be a UK problem. In Britain people on bikes are still treated by default as nuisances. The red cycling prohibition sign is much rarer in Germany than Britain.

The common sort of posts here can all be removed with a simple tool. I did know of a set of posts which prevented cars driving down a road being repeatedly removed for a while. Whenever I was on the short and narrow stretch of road I'd just ride in the middle. The edges were frayed to bits anyway - by cars and lorries.
I am NOT a cyclist. I enjoy riding a bike for utility, commuting, fitness and touring on tout terrain Rohloff, Brompton M3 and Wester Ross 354 plus a Burley Travoy trailer.
Auchmill
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Re: Trikes blocked by barriers on permitted routes

Post by Auchmill »

There’s some criticism of Sustrans but they are working to remove barriers on the cycle network and their policy is to make the NCN traffic free and accessible to all, including trikes and mobility vehicles.

My wife and I both ride ICE (e-)Adventures and while there are a few shared use routes locally which are traffic free and largely free of restrictive barriers there are still several serious design flaws. But at least we can ride them.

When we go elsewhere we usually ride quiet roads as in past experience it’s impossible to suss out whether an off-road route is suitable in terms of barriers and the state of the surface. For example, we recently planned a route to take in part of the Deeside Way, but when we got there we only just managed to squeeze through the barrier only to find the track surface was in terrible condition and that we were far better off on a road.

There’s so little investment in safe, well surfaced routes for cyclists, walkers and wheelers (don’t get me started on ladder stiles) and maintenance is non-existent.
diapason
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Re: Trikes blocked by barriers on permitted routes

Post by diapason »

I've recently spoken to Sustrans and the local Corporation (Somerset) about barrier blocking the local canal towpath and various paths in town - especially along the river path. In fairness, they said that action will be taken to modify or remove them and they both noted the ones I mentioned. I'm keeping an eye to see if anything gets done.
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mjr
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Re: Trikes blocked by barriers on permitted routes

Post by mjr »

diapason wrote: 11 Jun 2023, 8:37am I've recently spoken to Sustrans and the local Corporation (Somerset) about barrier blocking the local canal towpath and various paths in town - especially along the river path. In fairness, they said that action will be taken to modify or remove them and they both noted the ones I mentioned. I'm keeping an eye to see if anything gets done.
Yeah. Did they happen to include when action may be taken? Which decade?

Our "imminently" to be removed barrier was still there today, 7 months on.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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diapason
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Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 7:13pm
Location: West Somerset, UK

Re: Trikes blocked by barriers on permitted routes

Post by diapason »

They both said that the barriers were already noted on their 'audit' and are scheduled to be dealt with 'soon'. As I wrote, I'm keeping an eye on them and will chase up if nothing happens.
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pete75
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Re: Trikes blocked by barriers on permitted routes

Post by pete75 »

ThePinkOne wrote: 26 May 2023, 7:37pm

On a pragmatic level, a barrier that is removed by direct action will probably stay removed (costly to replace) and by the same token, one that is not removed will probably stay there for a long time (costly to take out). As for community service- well the polis have to catch the remover first, and given how good the polis are at catching bike thieves and the miscreants who ride motorcycles through the anti-motorcycle barriers, I cannot see much chance of that.
TPO
Maybe they could be given community service working for Sustran on their barrier removal scheme.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
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