The crap side to cycling in Llandudno

As promised here is the crap side of cycling in Llandudno. As with many seaside resorts cycling is banned on it's promenade. According to Gogarth ward councillor Margaret Lyon cyclists are a ‘Danger’ to pedestrians. It’s unfortunate that she doesn’t realise she is talking complete bollocks. 

The promenade is very wide and only rarely gets crowded at the pier end, even on a busy summer weekend. The rest of the stretch is spacious, flat and smooth and could easily accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians without any problems. The Parade is the road which runs alongside the seafront promenade. Its busy, has lots of pinch points at crossings, has parked cars and coaches on both sides of the road and is generally about as nightmarish as you could hope for in a crap British seaside road. Anyone with a shred of common sense will just get off that road and go down the Promenade and enjoy the view, but you can’t, because it’s banned.

For some god knows why reason it had been suggested that the flower beds be removed in order to accommodate a cycle lane along the promenade. This was probably suggested by someone who most definitely didn’t want any kind of cycling on the promenade – why?, because it’s a stupid idea, guaranteed to get residents up in arms and foaming from the mouth. There isn’t a need for a ‘lane’ of any kind, simply taking down the no cycling signs and providing access at a few well chosen spots would be enough.

A local resident called Mike Pritchard was the spokesman for ‘Save our Promenade’ (probably a loud mouthed one man band) who seemed to think a ‘cycle track’ (interesting choice of words there) on the promenade would result in some kind unimaginable apocalypse.  Instead the final result is that cycling is still banned on the promenade and cyclists are expected to take Maesdu Road to get to the West shore. In the process making use of wonderfully crap cycle facilities like this dropped kerb and shared pavement in order to cross the busy A470 roundabout. 

Anyone fancy braking to slow for the tiny dropped kerb with it's well positioned railing whilst you've got a white van man up your arse?

More detail here, here and here if you want to read about it.