The bike lane

A Battered Mars Bar

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

RobertFoster

Just to annoy you in particular.

A Battered Mars Bar

RobertFoster wrote: »

Just to annoy you in particular.

Well if it's specifically me it works. Buy how they know I'll be there? Eh

Trekker09

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

To avoid the cars parked/stopped on the bike lane?

amcalester

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

Today I got beeped at for not using a cyclelane that took me up the inside of a stopped bus.

Bad planning has passengers and cyclists vying for the same space which is poor planning so I use the road.

Other places I'll happily use the cycle lane, really depends on how well it's been planned.

Also, some lanes are pure ****.

ThisRegard

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

Because cyclists can.

And to annoy you in particular.

Mr. Grieves

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

Usually because the bike lane is in poor condition, or has pedestrians and parked cars in it, or if I'm turning right at the next junction, or it's icy and hasn't been gritted like the road. Or because I feel like it. There's lots of reasons.

Wishbone Ash

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

I'll invite you to spend a day on the bike with me and afterwards you'll wonder why any cyclists use them.

brianomc

Having to come to a stop at every junction ahead as priority is given to those on the road.

Some are poorly maintained by the councils, poor surface, broken glass, buildup of wet leaves in winter etc. All of these can be avoided by being on the road and able to manoeuvre around them given the extra space.

Up-down-up-down-up-down of the cycle lane as it goes past driveways.

The off-road raised off the ground cycle lane goes on straight, but I want to turn to the right part of the way along it.

Roundabouts, I'm trying to go straight on, not take a wide curve to the left, wait to be able to cross, wide curve again. Nope, the direct route will do thanks.

It would be like a car wanting to use an old national road that had stop signs every hundred metres instead of the motorway that runs parallel to it.

Unknown Soldier

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

If you mean those foot paths painted red, well because they are foot paths painted red with little or no design considered for actual bike use. They are in fact inherently dangerous. It's safer to be traffic, with proper traffic.

As well as that a lot of them are covered in glass and in a bad state of repair.

Annie get your Run

Plenty of reasons, many of them take you away from the main road (at roundabouts) and you're expected to get off the bike and cross at pedestrian lights like second class citizens :rolleyes:. Many of them are badly maintained and dangerous to use (large potholes, slippery manhole covers, not iced in winter etc). Many of them have parked cards at various intervals and others are unusable due to the sheer volume of pedestrians that occupy them. Believe me, I'd rather use a dedicated, well built, well maintained cycle lane and stay away from dangerous drivers of which there are many, than use the road but in Ireland at the moment the road is often the safest option.

Thankfully it's not a requirement to use them and we're entitled to share the roads.

Wishbone Ash

Would you use a road designed by people who never drive?

Mint Sauce

It's not a legal requirement to, and most of them are sh!te.

Lumen

Unknown Soldier

In fairness I think most of the posts have covered your question OP, and hopefully now you can appreciate why, and have a better understanding.

As said above, we all have to share the road. I pay a lot of "road tax" btw.

Kaisr Sose

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

For all the reasons given so far ...

doolox

I have seen that today with a cyclist having to weave out around parked cars onto the road out of the painted cycle track. Not much he could have done.

He was doing 45 kph so no real hold up and would have been breaking the primordially stupid 30 kph limit the geniuses at DCC are introducing, if it applied to bikes.

Bike will soon be the fastest thing on the roads in Dublin City.

tomasrojo

Lumen wrote: »

The all-time greatest.

hungry hypno toad

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

Or worse still the ones that cycle on the foot path when there is a cycle lane and road next to it.

magicbastarder

RobertFoster wrote: »

Just to annoy you in particular.

to be fair, the OP did come in just asking a question. there didn't seem to be any pre-judging going on, and it's an issue many motorists probably don't understand through lack of experience of bike lanes.

A Battered Mars Bar

I think I see the problem now. It's the lycra. Yer all there zipping around at 45kph like speedy gonzalies. Completely unnecessary. If ye cycle at 10 to 15 kph like you're meant to the cycle lanes wouldn't be dangerous. Any lane will be dangerous at 45kph no matter how much designed.

Wishbone Ash

'yer' & 'ye'

ED E

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

like you're meant to

Rip up your licence and go back to drivers ed, clearly clueless about the ROTR.

stevek93

Started a new job recently and my god the cycle lane location on the old Swords road coming back from the airport.

Is anyone familiar with this route?

Annie get your Run

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

I think I see the problem now. It's the lycra. Yer all there zipping around at 45kph like speedy gonzalies. Completely unnecessary. If ye cycle at 10 to 15 kph like you're meant to the cycle lanes wouldn't be dangerous. Any lane will be dangerous at 45kph no matter how much designed.

I'm pretty sure I could cycle at 45kph without the lycra too Sorry that we're fit & fast but if you can't beat us, join us!

A Battered Mars Bar

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

'yer' & 'ye'

Ya like ye, yer and yur man

OleRodrigo

tomasrojo wrote: »

The all-time greatest.

Is that 3 euro for 10 kilos of spuds? Nice one.

amcalester

magicbastarder wrote: »

to be fair, the OP did come in just asking a question. there didn't seem to be any pre-judging going on, and it's an issue many motorists probably don't understand through lack of experience of bike lanes.

Op's next post after yours showed his true colours.

robyntmorton

*gets popcorn*

This is going to be good.

No, seriously, where a bike lane is provided and fit for purpose, we cyclists will use it. The problem is that the majority are not fit for purpose, by condition or design. For our own safety we end up on the road with other traffic, and we are fully entitled to be there.

As for lycra and speed, if you don't like it, get on a bike and overtake us.

A Battered Mars Bar

Annie get your Run wrote: »

I'm pretty sure I could cycle at 45kph without the lycra too Sorry that we're fit & fast but if you can't beat us, join us!

We'll never have a bicycle culture with that attitude. I don't think anyone should have a racer bicycle on the roads. It's like having an F1 car. There's some nice old fashioned hipster bikes with baskets that are nice. People could cycle to shops and put bread in the baskets and it's all relaxing and everyone is happy.
I don't get why people need to act like an F1 driver when they get a bike.

Annie get your Run

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

We'll never have a bicycle culture with that attitude. I don't think anyone should have a racer bicycle on the roads. It's like having an F1 car. There's some nice old fashioned hipster bikes with baskets that are nice. People could cycle to shops and put bread in the baskets and it's all relaxing and everyone is happy.
I don't get why people need to act like an F1 driver when they get a bike.

okie dokie

R1_Pete

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

I think I see the problem now. It's the lycra. Yer all there zipping around at 45kph like speedy gonzalies. Completely unnecessary. If ye cycle at 10 to 15 kph like you're meant to the cycle lanes wouldn't be dangerous. Any lane will be dangerous at 45kph no matter how much designed.

If I wanted to commute at 15 kph I would take the car..

Tenzor07

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

We'll never have a bicycle culture with that attitude. I don't think anyone should have a racer bicycle on the roads. It's like having an F1 car. There's some nice old fashioned hipster bikes with baskets that are nice. People could cycle to shops and put bread in the baskets and it's all relaxing and everyone is happy.
I don't get why people need to act like an F1 driver when they get a bike.

Listen you Battered mars bar, we cyclists will never give up, we fought the British and won!!

brianomc

Cyclists are too slow......cyclists are too fast. No pleasing some groups of people.

A Battered Mars Bar

R1_Pete wrote: »

If I wanted to commute at 15 kph I would take the car..

But this is my point. Don't you think in densely populated areas we need to take it slow. And by taking it slow the cycle lanes are more usable?

radia

A Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Can you cyclist explain why some of ye cycle on the road when there's a bike lane right next to it????

Here you go, in pictures with handy explanations for those who haven't cycled lately: http://irishcycle.com/2015/11/05/images-25-reasons-why-cyclists-dont-use-cycle-lanes/

magicbastarder

amcalester wrote: »

Op's next post after yours showed his true colours.

yep, so much for my faith in human nature.

Beasty

OP your question has been answered

Should you venture over here again I would recommend reading the forum charter first, as you will not be given the benefit of any doubt next time

Thanks