Cycling UK Forum

Was driving down here yesterday morning, lots of Sunday cyclists out, the cycle lane is criminally narrow:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Epping+ ... 26,,1,13.5

Cars going past at 60mph+.

Dreadful facility considering this is a road through a major recreational forest.

I don't think those are cycle lanes. Unless there are specific cycle lane markings they are just "edge of carriageway not quite at the edge of the road" lane markings.

Rick.

THey are cycle lanes:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Epping+ ... 20.26&z=17

As you can see, there's not really enough room to paint a bicycle, let alone ride one.

OK I stand corrected.

Government guidelines are, I understand, a minimum width of 1.5m for cycle lanes. I haven't found a definitive link although this CTC page says "...1.5 metres, but 2 metres is preferred and essential at higher speeds"

Maybe you should suggest it for inclusion in a future edition of "Carp Cycle Lanes"

How wide would you say that is?

I noticed a couple of cyclist cycling just outside the lane.

Sensible, but the cycle lanes clearly make the road more dangerous for cycling on.

Personally I'd be well outside the 'lane's taking a much safer position in the main flow of traffic.

But then cycle lanes aren't really designed for me - the naive beginner cyclist will try to use it and be put at significant risk as a result

There's a similar one not far from where we live only it has a curb and a troughed gutter thats cobbled in parts.Both are completely stupid and I'd ride on the line or just to the outside of the one in the link as my default riding position on the road.

Someone needs a P45

squeaker wrote:Someone needs a P45

Why - they'll excel in their appraisal.

How many miles of cycle lane did you install? - 30 miles! - Excellent.
How much did you slow the cars down? - Not at all - Excellent.

Next...

I have some like that near home. Luckily it's only a 30 mph zone and I think even the drivers realise that the lanes are stupidly small. In places it's literally only just the width of a drain cover.

They recently resurfaced some of the road and repainted the lines in the same place, which is disappointing, but perhaps they're not actually cycle lanes any more and just edge of carriageway as someone above mentioned.

I could be wrong, I have been many times before and I'm sure I will be in the future however aren't all new roads supposed to have cycle facilities built in?

Slightly off thread I know but I'm curious as there are a couple of new bits of roads being built near me that don't appear to have any.

.

If memory serves, the cycle lanes on Epping New Road have been there for at least 20 years - probably long before any current guidance was in place. As well as being narrow, the suface is abysmal for most of the way too and on part of the southbound side, the cycle lane flits between the road and an equally narrow strip of pavement. Far from ideal. Luckily, the bridleways through Epping Forest offer a far more pleasant alternative for cyclists.

Like [XAP]Bob says, on the rare occasions I cycle that road, I just ride further out in the main carriageway.

.

Many cycle lanes are put in place so the council can say it has done some it would seem. Road safety teams and cyclist trained to national standards (every council has them) are not involved in planning cycle routes which is madness. I think the new reg advise 1.8m width for a cycle lane now (I think). I think its worse when the cycle lane move onto the pavement then onto the road the onto the pavement with no markings and so on like in Bury St. Edmunds. You are better off on the road out of the cycle lane, it safer.