I believe there are some on here.....

[Ellieb]

...who don't think people will use segregated cycle lanes when they are built.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/QLCm2hoM9aE

[LollyKat]

It looks quite narrow for 2-way traffic - I think I'd find it quite scary!

[Ellieb]

Doesn't seem to be putting people off. Would you rather be sharing the space with a tipper lorry?

[old_windbag]

I just viewed this and if the camera perspective isn't exaggerating the width then to me it looks like an accident waiting to happen. On the road there is plenty of space to pass a slower cyclist without coming face to face with another cyclist. Closing speed could be 40-50mph so not a pleasant outcome. They will be popular because there isn't much alternative, I feel completely segregated cycle lanes( i.e for the opposing path of travel ) would be wiser, but its a retrofit I guess. I know this keeps you separate from vehicles to some extent but at least with those we are all travelling in the same direction. Anyway we'll never see cycle facilities like up north as the investment is all in london.

[Si]

Stuff like this is far from perfect but it will get more people riding than just chucking them onto the road and protecting them with the splash of white paint (if that). Then suddenly you'll find that this route is too congested and you'll have to put in wider lanes because there will be so many voters telling you too. And before we know it, it'll be like Holland...is that what you really want?????

[gaz]

I must find some time to visit the smoke by bike later this year.

[jatindersangha]

I use that route every day.

I travel south to north over Blackfriars Bridge on that new segregated cycle lane - and I do find it a bit narrow. I can only agree that it's an accident waiting to happen once it gets busier.

It's also a bit slow as there are 2 or 3 lights that I need to stop at in order to turn right at the bottom of the bridge to go onto Queen Victoria St. Before the new cycle lane was opened - I was in the main road and only had to stop at 1 or 2 lights.

On my way home (north to south over the bridge), I take the main road, as I can't work out how to enter the new cycle lane (from Queen Victoria St)! (Other cyclists that I've talked to couldn't work it out either.)

Admittedly, they are still building in that area...

--Jatinder

[Heltor Chasca]

This is SO different to when I commuted through London 10+ years ago. This is so similar to the Netherlands. This needs our reverence, not our complaints. Well done to the authorities that be...b

[Stevek76]

Closing speed could be 40-50mph so not a pleasant outcome.

Thing is that kind of infrastructure isn't aimed at those doing 20-25mph, rather those doing perhaps 15 tops, probably less.

[Grandad]

Thing is that kind of infrastructure isn't aimed at those doing 20-25mph, rather those doing perhaps 15 tops, probably less.

In which case should there be a 15mph speed limit?

Whilst this would not be popular with fit experienced riders if the idea is to encourage Joe Public to commute by bike ......

A motoring analogy is the 30 or 40mph speed limits in towns - it's possible to go faster but not safely.

Of course some cyclists would ignore the limit, just like some motorists but this is not a reason to reject the idea.

[old_windbag]

The speed limit aspect is a valid point, or perhaps electronic signs reminding people of a limit if detected "pedalling furiously".

This has made me think beyond the infrastructure highlighted on the video and why we don't develop newer more modern Human powered transport. There are afficianado's and competitions worldwide for aero, efficient designs. With our car technology and materials we could readily produce say a fully enclosed, lightweight trike design( so useable by anyone with lower stability ). To push for an efficient, moderately fast, stable in all weathers, low cost mass produced, useable in any clothes, design would perhaps be the direction we should take beyond the bicycle( as much as I like it ). The sinclair C5 was ripped to pieces by its critics but it had many merits and perhaps was out of step with attitudes of the time. It's easy to be a naysayer but at least it was a starting point for improved ideas and novel human powered transport( it was like an e-bike in that it had electric power with pedal assist too ). Without people creating ideas and prototypes we'd not go in any direction whether we are critical of them or not. Considering the C5 was 30yrs ago we haven't really made great advances in this area for the general public.

[AlaninWales]

To those complaining about not wide enough: Even pedestrians used to London will walk at a fast pace within centimeters of each other, it is quite easy to spot the visitors as they are hesitant and frankly nervous of all that fast-moving flesh (closing speeds of 6 to 8 mph and my sleeve brushing your bag! ). Just as most motorists will drive at <30mph if the conditions make sense, so cyclists necessarily slow down in these conditions. Want to cycle at top speed? Do it on dedicated speedways away from other people (even in velodromes, you wont be cycling at 25mph if it is this crowded). This is no more an "accident waiting to happen" than similar cityscapes in Netherlands.

[Postboxer]

I agree about the C5, I think it was one of those things so far ahead of it's time not enough people saw the potential and the technology of motors and batteries wasn't in the right place, there are similar things in development now and I think soon we'll start to see such things hitting the streets, hybrid battery/pedal powered vehicles, enclosed to protect us from the British weather.

[old_windbag]

Yes I went to see the C5 on it's display stand at the NEEB shop( northern electric shop ) when it was released. It had a security guard protecting it .

I also went to WH smith to take a look at the microvision tv( the 1983 version with polaroid flat battery like a floppy disk, its model TV80 ). Casio, Sony killed this off with their LCD variants that came later, but the Sinclair tv had some commendable design points that they didn't. I had the pleasure to actually see one first hand playing from a DVD to UHF modulator 3 yrs ago. It was excellent and the one inch screen not problematic to view in any way.

We need more Clive Sinclair types, flawed in many respects, quirky ideas, but we need people like this. The late 70's, early 80's were an exciting time for technology buffs.

[PH]

Cycling in Amsterdam is slow, I don't think you're likely to average over 10mph at a busy time, which IME is nearly all the time. That's the price, lots of usage, lots of facilities, I think a price worth paying, but it's never going to appeal to everyone, which is a problem for those trying to.