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Cyclists - your experiences on the road

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Magdalia

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I can't find a good source for the history of the Cambridge Guided Busway, so I'm relying on memory here, which may be fallible.

When the Busway was first proposed there was no intention for the busway route to be also available to cyclists and pedestrians. The only access along the busway was going to be an unsurfaced track for maintenance vehicles.

As construction proceeded local people began to use the route for walking and cycling. The maintenance track was only suitable for multi terrain cycles and I remember trying to ride a road bike along the concrete trough of the busway track. This was a challenge, especially in a cross wind.

I'm not sure when the maintenance track was given a proper surface, and repurposed as a cycleway, but it is probably before the Busway opened, which I think was in 2011. I think it was retrospectively recognised that cyclists and pedestrians would use the busway anyway, so it was better to give them a proper cycleway. At first usage would have been light.

At least six areas of development have led to huge increases in use of the cycle tracks adjacent to the Busway. On the north side the Cambridge Regional College site at Kings Hedges generates a lot of student traffic, and the opening of Cambridge North station has made the cycle track the preferred route for cycling train passengers living in various villages on the north side of the City. This includes the big housing expansion at Northstowe.

But this is small beer compared to the south side, where huge increases in employment around the main railway station and on the biomedical campus combine with massive housebuilding around Trumpington. The cycleway between Hills Road and Long Road is extremely busy at peak times.

So where we are now can be considered to be the result of a sequence of short term decisions with unforeseen consequences going back nearly 20 years.

ps for moderators your message came through just as I finished typing!
 
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telstarbox

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That's interesting, I had assumed it was planned with the cycle track as Cambridge is a cycling hotspot. The Leigh Busway which came later incorporates a walking and cycling track.
 

Techniquest

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That's interesting, I had assumed it was planned with the cycle track as Cambridge is a cycling hotspot. The Leigh Busway which came later incorporates a walking and cycling track.

Interesting indeed, it doesn't come across as an after-thought. Cycling is so normal in Cambridge it fast became one of my favourite UK cities when I went over to Cambridgeshire last year :wub:

That busway in Leigh, just to be clear this is the busway out of Manchester? I have to research that one properly, but it is being pushed up the list now I know it has a cycleway alongside :D
 

Techniquest

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Yes but not all the way into Manchester IIRC - just the western half where they built the dedicated bus road.

Thanks, I didn't recall seeing such a wonderful thing anywhere near the centre of Manchester, but despite it being a favourite city I haven't seen all of it yet. Time to go and actually research it...

EDIT: Looks like an interesting route, I have got it on my list to do some time, probably continuing onto Wigan afterwards :D
 
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JohnMcL7

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The thing that annoys me and I love cycling, is close passes, I usually get 1 or 2 a****holes on each ride. I do try to ride off road, that is towpaths and disused railways. There's sill a lot of mobile use, it's easier to spot when I'm riding and can look into vehicles. Some van drivers think they're above the law.
This is what I find as well and generally as I build up my road miles to get towards a target at some point I get a really dangerous close pass which kills my interest in cycling for that year, miss the target and focus on off road riding for the year instead. In 2020 it had been great for cycling during lockdown but traffic picked up considerably towards the end and had a car approaching from behind at 65mph which I swerved over to the far left of the road for and just missed the 80+ mph motorbike that was right behind the car. The motorbike was riding down the middle of the lane and didn't move at all for me and I doubt could have done at that speed so came so dangerously close to hitting me and that was enough to stop any serious road cycling for the year.

Later on in 2020 when worried about losing fitness I bought a set of rollers which have been fantastic and I'm still making heavy use of. Ultimately I've come to realise most of my road rides were for training and the indoor riding is much more efficient for that as well as much safer so I'm in a much better position to do the outdoor rides I want.

I was cycling in Manchester recently and shocked how you could go from busy streets to a quiet canal ride in a couple of minutes. I was visiting my sister who was keen to go for a cycle but after having a long fight with traffic in the car I wasn't too keen however we dropped onto a trail then had a lovely cycle along the canal and back. After hiring a canal boat last night between Hebden and Sowerby bridge I was really fancying getting a bike down and doing the full loop through Rochdale and Manchester, still hoping to be able to do that within the next few weeks if I can get down there.
 

Techniquest

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Sorry to hear of your bad road experiences :( There have been hair-raising, muscle-tensing moments on the roads for me too, countless times. You've got to be made with nerves of steel and have the ability to (maybe not immediately) let it go 'whoosh' over your head when you deal with silly people. Otherwise you won't get too far, especially now the pandemic is viewed as finished by the vast majority of people. The roads are getting nasty out there again!

I would use rollers myself, the one time I did the entire setup made such a noise it was ridiculous. Being on the first floor of a shared house, in a row of terraced houses, meant I soon gave that up. It was a great idea mind, if I'd have space to set it up where it wouldn't affect others for hours on end I'd still be using it. I am happy to hear that it works for you though!

I too recently had some rides in Manchester, in no time at all you can go from the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Gardens to the tranquility offered by places like the Fallowfield Loop. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride from St Werburgh's Road (Metrolink) to Fairfield, strongly recommended. I'm not familiar with the route you mention from Rochdale, I'm guessing this is a canal towpath?
 

JohnMcL7

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Yes, I don't know the area very well but we hired a canal boat at Sowerby bridge and then went along the canal to Hebden bridge and back again. The boat had a map which showed the canal route if you kept going all the way through Rochdale and down to Manchester then along the east and back north. Given it's all level I think it would make for a good ride to go all the way round.

The rollers are noisy unfortunately so I've moved mine out to the garage where at least they can easily fold out the way, I was using them in the kitchen where I was told the noise wasn't too bad but I think it would be irritating for others.
 

stuu

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I was out on my bike this morning and a woman of about 25 shouted from her car "bikes are for gays, you bender"

I obviously thought of many humorous responses just after she was out of earshot... That's the first time I've had any abuse apart from the very occasional "get off the road". I don't really understand the mentality of people who would think it normal to shout bizarre abuse out of their car windows, do they do it face to face?
 

Bald Rick

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I don't really understand the mentality of people who would think it normal to shout bizarre abuse out of their car windows, do they do it face to face?

I get occasional abuse shouted from passing cars when I’m walking home from the station. Always found it odd.

But occasionally, something happens with the traffic and I catch up, à la The Inbetweeners “Bus W**kers” scene. Always fun.
 

stuu

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I get occasional abuse shouted from passing cars when I’m walking home from the station. Always found it odd.

But occasionally, something happens with the traffic and I catch up, à la The Inbetweeners “Bus W**kers” scene. Always fun.
I get that young blokes, as in below ~20 (physically and mentally) can act like idiots, been there, done that to a certain extent... but that's usually lads egging each other on or, especially, doing something to make the others laugh. Shouting something stupid when you are in a car on your own is pretty weird, I think
 

Bikeman78

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I get that young blokes, as in below ~20 (physically and mentally) can act like idiots, been there, done that to a certain extent... but that's usually lads egging each other on or, especially, doing something to make the others laugh. Shouting something stupid when you are in a car on your own is pretty weird, I think
There's plenty of weird people out there. I rarely get any bother to be honest. I have a camera on the handlebars now. If someone annoys me enough that I would have had a row with them, I say nothing and simply report them. I don't bother engaging in any debate or discussion these days.
 

Bletchleyite

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There's plenty of weird people out there. I rarely get any bother to be honest. I have a camera on the handlebars now. If someone annoys me enough that I would have had a row with them, I say nothing and simply report them. I don't bother engaging in any debate or discussion these days.

This is a very sensible line. Almost never will an encounter with an errant motorist end well, and any cyclist claiming it's to influence their view is talking nonsense - it's pure red mist. Meanwhile the Police are now actively prosecuting people using camera evidence (but do be sure you aren't also implicated, as they do very much apply "two wrongs don't make a right" and there has been a recent case in the news of them prosecuting both sides for their respective offences).
 

Bikeman78

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This is a very sensible line. Almost never will an encounter with an errant motorist end well, and any cyclist claiming it's to influence their view is talking nonsense - it's pure red mist. Meanwhile the Police are now actively prosecuting people using camera evidence (but do be sure you aren't also implicated, as they do very much apply "two wrongs don't make a right" and there has been a recent case in the news of them prosecuting both sides for their respective offences).
The red mist aspect is precisely why I got the camera. I had a massive row with a lorry driver that cut me up. Inevitably I caught up a few seconds later and sat in front of him and refused to move. The more he threatened me the more I dug my heels in. It was close to Cardiff Castle so dozens of witnesses. After several minutes he backed up and drove round me. Not an experience I'm keen to repeat, hence the camera.
 

Bletchleyite

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The red mist aspect is precisely why I got the camera. I had a massive row with a lorry driver that cut me up. Inevitably I caught up a few seconds later and sat in front of him and refused to move. The more he threatened me the more I dug my heels in. It was close to Cardiff Castle so dozens of witnesses. After several minutes he backed up and drove round me. Not an experience I'm keen to repeat, hence the camera.

Yep, very sensible. The "double prosecution" was similar to the example you give - the cyclist was prosecuted for wilfully causing an obstruction on the Queen's highway, or whatever it's called, and the driver for whatever it was they did to provoke it.
 

LSWR Cavalier

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The red mist aspect is precisely why I got the camera. I had a massive row with a lorry driver that cut me up. Inevitably I caught up a few seconds later and sat in front of him and refused to move. The more he threatened me the more I dug my heels in. It was close to Cardiff Castle so dozens of witnesses. After several minutes he backed up and drove round me. Not an experience I'm keen to repeat, hence the camera.
What happened next? Was he prosecuted? What happens next time, if the 'incident' is caught on camera?
 

Cbob

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I find the worst driver behaviour in london is when cycling down narrow residential roads, with cars parked either side. Cars driving from the opposite direction never give you enough space. To avoid getting squeezed, or doored from the parked cars, I now cycle in the middle of the road (or just to the left of the centre line) when a car is coming from the opposite direction, ensuring they slow down to practically a crawl before I squeeze in on the left. Most cars slow down, there's the occasional game of chicken with private hire vehicles and only one impatient toot of the horn.

I did notice that when I had large aluminium bar ends on my bike, people seemed to give me more space. Perhaps it was an aggressive look.
 

PeterY

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I find the worst driver behaviour in london is when cycling down narrow residential roads, with cars parked either side. Cars driving from the opposite direction never give you enough space. To avoid getting squeezed, or doored from the parked cars, I now cycle in the middle of the road (or just to the left of the centre line) when a car is coming from the opposite direction, ensuring they slow down to practically a crawl before I squeeze in on the left. Most cars slow down, there's the occasional game of chicken with private hire vehicles and only one impatient toot of the horn.

I did notice that when I had large aluminium bar ends on my bike, people seemed to give me more space. Perhaps it was an aggressive look.
I do this down country lanes. I don't think I'm very popular but it does make drivers slow down to pass me, when I pull over to the side.
 

londonbridge

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Yep, very sensible. The "double prosecution" was similar to the example you give - the cyclist was prosecuted for wilfully causing an obstruction on the Queen's highway, or whatever it's called, and the driver for whatever it was they did to provoke it.
If it’s the same case I’m thinking of, the driver was using a mobile at the wheel.
 

Bletchleyite

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If it’s the same case I’m thinking of, the driver was using a mobile at the wheel.

Yep, that was the one. My point was that there is a significant minority of cyclists who are acting in a vigilante type manner, and in so doing are just as bad as the drivers they seek to "deal with". You can find plenty of them on Twitter.

By all means film on your helmet-cam and if you see something illegal send it to the Police, but obstructing traffic to act as some sort of faux-Police will do nothing but provoke road rage. Nothing positive ever comes from confronting another road user about an error.

I personally find that riding defensively and sensibly (and driving that way too) results in a much better road-use experience by whatever mode.
 

TheBigD

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After years of trouble free riding, 10s of thousands of miles*, 3 times in 3 weeks I've have had very near misses with Amazon delivery vans. All the same, turning right without looking at the oncoming bike (me) and cutting me up.

* I cycle around 4000 miles a year.
 

PeterY

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After years of trouble free riding, 10s of thousands of miles*, 3 times in 3 weeks I've have had very near misses with Amazon delivery vans. All the same, turning right without looking at the oncoming bike (me) and cutting me up.

* I cycle around 4000 miles a year.
I ride about the same but try to keep off road as much as possible. I need to so aware on the roads. It's frightening the amount of mobile use.:{:{ The thing that terrifies me is close passes and I get 1 to 2 each time I ride.
 

TheBigD

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I ride about the same but try to keep off road as much as possible. I need to so aware on the roads. It's frightening the amount of mobile use.:{:{ The thing that terrifies me is close passes and I get 1 to 2 each time I ride.
I don't seem to have issues with close passes around here, had the odd one but generally they tend to give me space. Most of my cycling is country lanes and quietish roads, though next weekend will be mostly off road along the Water Railway and then though the centre of Lincoln to get to both Fledborough and Torksey viaducts.
 

Techniquest

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I've had too many close passes lately, I did my Gran Fondo ride yesterday for June and mostly it was all good but too many fools out for my liking. Overtaking when approaching blind summits/sharp bends/hidden dips or other similar danger seems to be a common trend recently!

One close pass that knocked the wind out of my sails, so to speak, was a Gregory International HGV which I could have touched the sides of without much effort at all. This being done on the approach to a busy junction too, not far from which is a summit of a short but surprisingly steep bank. It beggars belief really that some drivers just don't seem to understand the dangers they put themselves and others into!
 

Bikeman78

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I've had too many close passes lately, I did my Gran Fondo ride yesterday for June and mostly it was all good but too many fools out for my liking. Overtaking when approaching blind summits/sharp bends/hidden dips or other similar danger seems to be a common trend recently!

One close pass that knocked the wind out of my sails, so to speak, was a Gregory International HGV which I could have touched the sides of without much effort at all. This being done on the approach to a busy junction too, not far from which is a summit of a short but surprisingly steep bank. It beggars belief really that some drivers just don't seem to understand the dangers they put themselves and others into!
The number of nutters has definitely ramped up recently. I went well over six months without reporting anyone. I can't be bothered most of the time. However, in the past month I've submitted four clips to the Police and in all cases they have responded that action will be taken.
 

Techniquest

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The number of nutters has definitely ramped up recently. I went well over six months without reporting anyone. I can't be bothered most of the time. However, in the past month I've submitted four clips to the Police and in all cases they have responded that action will be taken.

I don't often even think about that at the time, and I think it's time to investigate the idea of getting a camera.

Fingers crossed, whatever action the police take in your cases, that things get better as a result of your filing footage!
 
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