Fancy cycle parking for cool hip peeps

 

This is an underground car park on Spring St in Manchester. Nice isnt it?. Let's ignore the fact that you have to lift your bike a significant height above your head and hook it on. Then the metal loops mean only a cable lock is really useable. Aaannnd you are doing all this whilst stood in on the entrance exit ramp. Bad shoulder?, bad back?, bit old?, not tall enough? prefer a better lock?, heavy bike?. Tough park somewhere else you loser!, this cycle parking is for cool peeps.

Fail.

Merc has got a good spot tho....

Through the eye of the needle: Pinch points for experts

Hart Rd, in Fallowfield is one option for avoiding the chaotic horror show that is Wilmslow Rd in the Afternoon. However, quieter residential routes such as these just don’t provide the technical challenge to test your speed, balance & perception skills in the same way as double parked cars or doors flying open or Magicbus drivers attempting to do 30mph in a traffic jam. Helpfully the council tackled this issue head on as part of their traffic calming measures on Hart Rd. In a true test of any cyclists skill you can feel the adrenaline rush that’s been missing from your relaxing route home by attempting to thread the ‘Eye of the Needle’ using the cycle lane provided through the build-out.

10 points per build out ‘threaded’

20 points per build out ‘threaded’ with your eyes closed

40 points per build out ‘threaded’ with your eyes closed & doing a no-handies

80 points per build out ‘threaded’ with your eyes closed, no handies, no pedalies whilst patting your head and rubbing your tummy simultaneously

5 point bonus per build out ‘threaded whilst screaming ‘Weeeeeeeeee’

The first rule of cycle club is....

...don't go up the lefthandside of skip lorries.

The second rule of cycle club is - Don't go up the lefthandside of skip lorries.

This morning I watched two people, a bloke and a girl, both sqeeze their bikes up the lefthand side of this bumper sized skip lorry - whilst it was moving - and whilst it was indicating left....sigh.

I'll freely admit to going up the leftside of the occasional big vehicle, but only when I know it really is safe to do so (99% of the time it's less hassle to simply hold back or filter down the right). This thing moving at 10mph AND indicating is definately not in that category. Besides, most of the time getting ahead of this thing at the lights only means it will it will overtake you again further on unless you know for sure that you will be making enough progress to get away from it. Overtaking lorries are never nice, even when done competently, so why create an extra overtake?.

Thankfully the driver saw them and slowed right down, but I'd rather rely on my own wit than on someone else's who might be too busy listening to Radio 1 next time.

This one even comes with a cryptic warning label. Presumably this is there to aid the bloke whose job it is to extract you from the chassis.

Visual & Mental Reasoning Test

 The test is to be completed by Mr. or Mrs. Average.

Existing cyclists or people who ride bikes please return to your respective holding pens and await the results. (or make yourself useful and go find a friend to take the test)

Dear Mr . or Mrs. Average you have 5 minutes to examine the attached imagery and complete the test.

Test begins.

Please examine the image above & take in the following scenario:

• It is a pleasant February evening
• Visibility is good & traffic is relatively light.
• The image shows an AC 100/4 Terex Demag - 4-axle mobile crane, weighing in excess of 30 tonnes & travelling at approx. 20mph
• The vehicle in question is being driven very professionally & will take great care when overtaking cyclists
• This is the most direct route available to your destination consisting of a mixture of 40mph and 30mph roads.

The question:
If at any point in the future you decide you would like to take up cycling to work (or even the shops, a local restuarant or do the school run) - Would you:

A: Prefer continuous Dutch style segregated infrastructure on all A-roads so that your interaction with vehicles such as this is thoroughly minimised.

Or

B: Prefer to cycle 'vehiculary' amongst traffic bearing in mind that you are statistically very safe indeed & of course the driver of this vehicle is exceptionally mindful of your presence.


Test ends. Pens down. Hand in your papers in the comments section below.

Class dismissed.

The middle finger from Metrolink

This is what Metrolink think of cycle infrastructure.

The polite 'conversation' with the bloke prat on the right went roughly like this:

Me: 'Can I cycle up there?' ...(sarcasm went undetected, he thought I was genuinely asking)

Prat: 'eh?, erm...'

Me: 'How am I supposed to ride up there?'

Prat: 'Oh, erm....just go up the road' (points at the one way road with traffic coming down it)

Me: 'Oh, thanks Einstein, great advice....'

Prat & Prat: .....both walk off giggling.

This is the contraflow lane featured here on Mad cycle lanes of Manchester. It might have the most convoluted method of access ever, but as a means to get up to Piccadilly Gardens in the morning it's very useful. Not so much today though.

The Metrolink is owned by GMPTE, whose HQ is the building in the background to the left of the bridge (No.2 Piccadilly Place). However the system is operated under license by Stagecoach. So it's anyones guess who these two actually work for.

Sigh.....anyway, time for a cup of tea.

**

Edit for the folks at Skyscrapercity enjoying this post. When I took the photo I didn't realise the guy's leg had partially blocked the number plate (annoying). From looking at my car check & consulting my resident Ford Transit expert we think this might be MV58 XPR.(although I may have just incriminated some poor unsuspecting plumber from crumpsall). Oh & rudenames have been substituted for 'Prat' because I wouldn't want anyone thinking something silly like me just trying to get to work in the morning makes me a 'Militant cyclist'.

On her Majesty's Service? ....that'll be 9.6p per mile

If you happen to be lucky enough (or unlucky) to be called up for Jury service then you'll be pleased to know that as a person travelling by bicycle her Majesty's Courts Service have arrived at a figure of 9.6p per mile as compensation for your journey to and from the court. God knows how they come up with these figures, but I suppose it was a bit of a suprise to me to even see it included. (it's not me doing Jury service by they way, it's someone else at my work).

Strangely you get the exact same mileage for a motorcycle as you do for a car, which seems odd to me as a motorbike is much cheaper to run than a car. So on that basis, why is the bicycle mileage less than a third?.

Exemplar facilities on Ashton Old Rd

A picture says a thousand words?...

10 points if you can guess what I did next....

Tesco Stockport cycle trolley shed

As part of the Megasizedhellholewehaveeverthingontheplanetunderoneroof Tesco development in Stockport they were of course obliged to provide a certain amount of cycle parking. This will have been proportional in some way to the size of the development*. Which is why Tesco Stockport has got the biggest cycle parking shelter in the whole world area.

Unfortunately because of the nature of MEGA stores like this and the surrounding MEGA lane roads and MEGA roundabouts its pretty unlikely that anyone will fancy popping to the shops on their bike. Which is why this nice big shelter with its nice big sheffield stands is nothing more than an employee smoking shelter and a shopping trolley dumping spot. Shame really, because it's better than what you might find in much more deserving spots.

At least part of the development meant building this segregated two-way cycle path which leads to a section of shared pavement (sigh) and allows access to NCN62 across Tiviot Way.

If the photos look a bit weird, that's because I seem to have had the camera set to the 'what's it like to have a visual impairment mode?'.

Another supersized retail park of somesort is being built opposite this Tesco on the site above the motorway, next to the allotments. Can't wait to see it's cycle parking.

Now if every A & B road in Stockport and Greater Manchester had Dutch style continuous cycle infrastructure this sort of cycle parking might well be packed with bikes......here's hoping we can find out if that's true in the future.

*naughtily built 20% larger than the planning permission if I remember correctly.Quietly forgotten about by now I would expect.

The gas men are here

Gas works on Peter Street this week (and probably for many many weeks further) which means we get the pleasures of signs like this slapped in the middle of the cycle lane yesterday. 

Fortunately it makes almost sod all difference to the everyday experience of this cycle lane because without fail there will always-always be a white van man parked up outside the newsagents in Peter house.

Oh look!....here's todays white van man. DG07 XMZ

On the flip side of things, its not just cycle lanes the gas workers have screwed up this morning. The huge jam of cars in the photo is because the temporary lights up ahead are stuck on red in all directions (do temporary lights have any other setting?). Oh well, at least on a bike it's almost impossible to be made late for work by traffic like this :-)

UPDATE: The sign has now been move forward a bit and put on the pavement. Hopefully this was done by the gas workers to correct their error and not a pissed off member of the public, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Brooklyn Vs Denton

In an entirely uneven comparison I present you with Denton's finest piece of cycling infrastructure - Denton roundabout bridge.

It's features include:

• A conflicting mixture of 'No Cycling' signs on one side and shared path signs on the other. 
• It's only supposed to be used heading west, whilst heading East you must either illegally use the pedestrian crossing or take your chances with the RLJ lorries (because for some reason the equivalent cycle route was never completed and is now blocked off with fencing)
• Many people, unsuprisingly, forego the last option and simply use the bridge in the opposite direction - which means having to use the pavement down the side of a motorway slipway for a short stretch.
• Bizarrely in the photo below the sign warns to 'Look left', even though technically all cycles should be coming from the right. So this signs hints that the bridge is actually allowed to be used in both directions? even though that wouldn't legally be possible.
• Best of all. This schizophrenic oddity represents the single best piece of infrastructure available to cyclists heading into Manchester on Hyde Road - which only goes to show how abysmal things really are.

Meanwhile in Brooklyn they are busy creating this:
The Taming and Reclaiming of Prospect Park West from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Segregation over Integration

There has been a lot of debate about segregation recently. Notably on:

http://ibikelondon.blogspot.com/2010/10/is-lcc-pro-cycle-lanes-or-not.html

http://ibikelondon.blogspot.com/2010/11/ctc-rep-to-talk-cycle-paths-and.html

http://quickrelease.tv/?p=1351

http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2010/11/reality-vs-myth-dangers-of-dutch-cycle.html

http://42bikes.warnock.me.uk/2010/11/24/am-i-for-integration-or-segregation-for-bikes/

http://karlmccracken.sweat365.com/2010/11/12/segregation-im-with-the-pfj/ 

With all this ongoing I realised I’m not entirely sure what my own position is on the subject. I’d reckon most cyclists don’t know either. Dave Warnock’s post is along these lines – i.e. trying to find which sides of each argument suits my own position and thinking. I’d think that most cyclists would broadly agree with Dave’s findings, as I do, especially the point that waiting for segregation will mean I miss out on the benefits cycling can offer me today. But I do want every new piece of cycle facility to be aimed at reducing my interaction with motorised traffic and think segregation is the only way to go with cycling policy as long as its made clear that its decent, properly designed, continuous segregation that is provided. The obvious problem with that is that it would mean relocating road space from motorists to cyclists & walkers.

One thing that is never  mentioned is that integrationists are unbelievably outnumbered. Every single potential rider out there, who doesn’t ride because they fear the road can be considered to be a segregationist. If the UK implemented the facilities and rules that the Netherlands has (or even followed the route that places such as New York are following) then masses of these potential riders would begin to cycle. Why?, because the ratio between cost and perceived safety would be reversed. It’s nothing to do with sustainability and CO2, but entirely to do with providing Joe Bloggs and his family with an alternative way to get from A to B without fear. As soon as it makes more financial sense for the fearful to cycle instead of drive - they will.

Take a look at the Dutch. Dutch cycling policy isn’t about ecofluff and saving the planet. It’s a fiscal policy pure and simple. It makes financial & social sense to free your populace to be as mobile and time efficient as possible, whilst keeping them all healthy, fit, happy and richer.

Vehicular cycling is a reaction not a solution. I’m a vehicular cyclist, so is every other cyclist in the UK. Not through choice, but through situation. I have no other choice but to ride in heavy traffic and mix it with HGV’s, buses and 4x4's on a daily basis. The only alternative would be to get on a train, bus or car and immediately see my income eaten up by costs and my quality of life decline as I not only have less money but I waste time waiting for unpleasant buses that never come,  packed trains that get cancelled or sit in traffic getting fat.

Segregation as the Dutch have done is a solution not a reaction. It was done ‘in reaction’ to the influx of the motor car, but not as a reactionary measure to survive as vehicular cycling is. The Dutch implemented segregation to solve the problem created by motor cars and provide normal people with a way to get about without fear or unfair costs or being killed at every junction.

Currently for 99% of the UK population the perceived dangers presented by cycling so heavily outweigh any of the advantages that even popping to the shops on a bike is unthinkable, let alone doing their daily commute on a bicycle. None of those people enjoy paying out for a train ticket that rises in price each year whilst the service declines. None of them enjoy paying to sit on an uncomfortable noisy bus. Nobody enjoys burning money through the exhaust whilst sitting in start stop traffic for an hour each way every day. If these people had an alternative that would cost them nothing in fares or fuel they would take it. The only way to provide that alternative is with proper segregated cycle facilities on each and every major road in the country along whilst eliminating rat runs and making routes more permeable.

It’s understandable why some cyclists in the UK are against segregation. They see segregated paths as being a white line on an existing pavement, poorly dropped kerbs, no priority over side roads and so on. And rightly so, because this is what so many of the segregated ‘facilities’ are like in the UK. Here’s just one example from Manchester. There are thousands more. (having trouble seeing it?, I'll give you a clue, it runs down the righthand side of the Bull's Head Pub) Or how about this fine example from Great Ancoats


View Larger Map

This is shit. And does not, never would or never will get used by cyclists because not only it is more dangerous than being on the road itself, it’s also more inconvenient and unpleasant to ride on. The fear for existing cyclists that oppose segregation is that facilities like this will be built if people shout for segregation. It’s a genuine fear and even people who dream of having Dutch style facilities (me!) know that this is Britain and the cynicism is well founded.

Segregation isn’t about facilities like this, it’s about a fundamental shift in the way our towns and cities are treated by government and councils towards the Dutch method. I don’t believe it will happen, but I’m free to wish for it.

Properly done segregation isn’t about benefitting us existing cyclists, it’s about creating the only environment in which the other 99% of the population will feel safe to cycle. The trouble for existing cyclists like myself is that whilst the Dutch have spent 40 years building the most comprehensive cycle infrastructure on the planet, the UK has spent 40 years going in the opposite direction. We aren’t just 40 years behind the Dutch we are 80 years behind them and no living UK cyclist has got that much time to wait for segregation. Doing ‘A Hembrow’ looks increasingly attractive. In the meantime we can only try to do our best to improve the situation for cycling in Britain. For me that means suggesting segregated facilities at every opportunity and making it clear that they should be a certain kind of segregated infrastructure (not the shit kind).

This is why it's great to see Jim at the LoFidelityBicycleClub begin to setup a Cycling Embassy of Great Britain. I still believe the UK is much too far down the slippery slope, but at least this project might provide a focal point for those who don't see their own position represented by groups such as the CTC/LCC.

Impressions from Tameside Cycle Forum

I can’t be arsed trying to type up a full account of last night’s cycle forum, so here’s a few bullet points for anyone out there who has never been to their local cycle forum or wonders what might go on in others. (this is the first I’ve ever been to)

Sorry if they all seem negative!. Just my personal impressions, I'm sure others had a variety of takes on the same.

First there was a presentation by Richard Dolphin from Greater Manchester Urban Traffic Control which was mainly about the different types of traffic light systems and crossings that are used across the country and Manchester. Richard was a really nice bloke and a regular cyclist too. Impressions from his presentation were:

• That although all the systems are very sophisticated (a lot more sophisticated than I had thought) all that sophistication is good for nothing when there are simply too many cars on the roads.
• How much is spent on fancy systems like SCOOT when providing a proper cycle network would achieve the same goals more effectively?.
• Richard swears blind that the induction loops that are buried in the road to detect the presence of traffic DO detect all types of bicycle – shame that that has no resemblance to reality! They are useless unless you are on four wheels.
• It appears to be unthinkable to have a press button that immediately stops all traffic to allow a cyclist to safely proceed in any direction on their own phase. (It’s all detection loops and radar cameras that don’t work and only wait until all the car phases have finished anyway).
• All these fancy systems linked into a huge network must be horrifically expensive but can’t solve the simple problem of there being too many cars.
• All the traffic light systems are part of a huge integrated network. it seems the country is too far down that path to think about approaching traffic management in any other way.
• Ridiculous toucan crossing setups on massive junctions (where a cyclist is expected to use about 6 separate crossings to turn right etc) are only there for mums and kids. It’s presumed ‘real’ cyclists will pretend to be a car and use the junction as if they are motorised traffic.
• There is no comprehension that certain junctions/roads (i.e as in the last point) have a v.low cyclist count because they are utterly terrifying and therefore nobody on two wheels dares go near them.
• Stats etc about traffic & congestion in Manchester available at www.gmtu.gov.uk/

Impressions of the meeting in general (after the GMUTC presentation had finished):

• The fact that nothing has ever been done about problems such as Denton Roundabout prove to newcomers that the cycle forum has a serious problem with achieving important goals. Which may or may not be due to a lack of cooperation/bureaucracy.
• Every other word from council employees is about the lack of money and cuts, totally understandable if you are worried about your job, but does seem like its being too readily used as an excuse.
• No details of the Sustainable Transport Fund have yet been released to the councils, but no doubt Stagecoach have got a copy knocking about somewhere ;)
• It’s very difficult to get any ideas and points across when time is short and there are others who want to speak, so for people like me it’s probably best to get things down in writing and email them over afterwards. (or in other words I'm too polite to moan in person, so I'll do it via email)
• Apparently certain issues such as street cleaning and policing of bad parking, ASL’s etc are best addressed at the District Assembly. Although I can guess that if you went there they would suggest you go to the Cycle forum instead!
• There is lots of cycle parking in Ashton - except none of it is anywhere near where it should be!. - suggestions on a postcard. I'll be making my own suggestion as soon as I can get a photo of the precedent I'm thinking of.
• There did seem to be genuine interest in suggestions for cycle parking/ solutions to certain problems on roads etc. I guess the only way councils will know that a certain road is a problem is if people inform them - whether they can do anything about it once they know is a different matter though!.

 Can't think of much else right now.

 

Had a great pootle back to Hyde following Ian with a lot less traffic than I’m used to on my normal rush-hour rides, but every ASL had a vehicle in it (it’s so common I don’t even notice anymore!) and we managed to get beeped at for being two abreast & chatting when approaching a red light. Bloody cyclists! People on bikes!.

It's not all bad, If you want to see some guys who are cheery even when they are getting beaten down every week just have a look at these poor gits!

Bury Old Road, Prestwich

This 'cycle lane' along Bury Old Rd alongside Heaton Park is a time allocated cycle lane (best name I could think of, what the hell would you call this?). I've never seen one of these before, but have noticed another one since.

So it's works like most buslanes do, i.e. only during rush hour.

Except its just a solid line mandatory cycle lane.

Except its not because its only during certain hours

But the presence of the white line may keep drivers over to one side even out of hours, much as buslanes are not used much even when it's permitted.

On the other hand, the proper position to be cycling would be at least as far out as the white line anyway.


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But solid lines like this encourage drivers to just breeze past rather than overtake with a safe distance as they might if the line didn't exist. There are also a number of pinch points which inevitably cause conflict and endanger cyclists - see the google streetview above.

So any advantages seem to come with equal, if not more disadvantages. So has it really been of any benefit?. No not really. In fact it's crap. It's a sub standard, paltry attempt to meet a government target with the minimum amount of effort.

A segregated two-way cycle path would solve all these issues and create a decent useable facility. There is plenty of room to do this even on a road like this. The evidence is already in place a little further down the road where the two car lanes have been shrunk and shifted over to create a buslane. That exact same area of 'buslane' should be a segregated two-way continuous cycle path.  

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The M60 and cycle infrastructure

This is the queue of traffic you’ll see every day if you cycle over the Denton roundabout bridge in the morning. It’s always moving, but very slowly. The same can be seen at various other parts of the entire motorway network every day. In fact this is probably a mild case compared to some. I’m told it stretches like this all the way to the Co-op pyramid where the thin lanes finish. I don’t know far it stretches back towards Ashton, but you can see from the photo that the queue is still going all the way off behind the Audenshaw reservoir. That means all these drivers sit in at least a 6 mile queue of traffic every morning (that’s being generous). 

It's caused by a number of things, drivers will mostly blame it on the 50 mph section or the thin lanes or people braking too much, but the simple reason is there are just too many cars trying to use the road all at once. You could increase this motorway to 4 lanes wide and you’ll still get queues because it would just mean more people would drive down it. It’s actually not that many people causing this as almost every vehicle has just the driver on board.

Let’s take a guess at a scenario that a number of these drivers live in Ashton and work in Trafford Park. A perfectly reasonable assumption based on what we can see. To go the most direct route past the edge of the city centre is around 9.5 miles, which is a perfect distance to cycle for a healthy adult. To go via the M60 is 19 miles. So coincidentally that’s twice the distance. Now imagine if there was a proper segregated cycle infrastructure that would allow these drivers to feel safe enough to take the direct route on a bicycle. How many would take that option?. Sat in their flash car some drivers would scoff at the concept, but in reality it would be loads of them.

The solution to Motorway congestion is not extra lanes or hard shoulder use in rush hour. That’s all just bullshit. The solution is proper continuous segregated cycle infrastructure on the all major streets in the towns and cities. 

Here it is in the evening from the Mill Lane bridge further down.This is the reality of car driving in Britain, not this bullshit or this bullshit.

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.

Fallowfield Loop Barrier

At some point over the weekend a new piece of barrier has been installed here on the Fallowfield Loop (it's the brown upright section on the left). Previously it had been just a stump holding up the end of the barrier, which people would navigate around, hence the worn ground. This new section means you now have no choice but to shuffle awkwardly through the opening on the right - I prefer the other barriers either side of this one which allow you to simply cycle through slowly with little hassle, it's a shame this one (and some others) is different.


*Update for Mr.C.
Or you could follow the vandals example and bust the lock. This was a few weeks ago. Was nice while it lasted!.

Frosty morning = no bikes

Normally this rack outside Tesco on Deansgate is ramjam full. Just a tiny bit of frost this morning and it's empty!, just one lone bike locked to the lamppost nearby.

My general extrapolation is:

1. No segregated cycle paths therefore Vehicular cycling.
2. Vehicular cycling is shit therefore specialist clothing gets worn.
3. Specialist clothing is shit in the cold therefore frost = no bikes.

Thanks to mudguards & chainguard I was nice and warm in trousers, padded raincoat, gloves and scarf, shame these cyclists couldn't do the same. But thats why Vehicular cycling is so shit.

Hyde Rd pothole (one of many)

Potholes are mostly just annoying, but occasionally you across a right bastard. This one has gotten really bad in the last couple of weeks. Get things wrong and ride over that chasm to the right of the grid and you'll be saying hello to the tarmac with your face. I’ve reported this using www.fillthathole.org.uk a service provided by the CTC. If you search around the map on there you can see the little green flags mean a pothole that has been fixed, blue is unfixed (which is most of them for Manchester) and red is newly reported ones, each one provides a history of when it was reported and to who. It’s a quick and easy process to fill in the form and upload an image if you have one. 

I once had a blowout on a front tyre of my car from a pothole a few weeks more advanced than this, so they are not a walk in the park for car drivers either. Let’s see how long it takes to get fixed (that should say ‘fixed again’ – since you can see it has been patched previously), I won't be holding my breath though.

Cycle Lane closed....badly

There is a patch of roadworks on Princess St near the end of Canal St, so they have closed the cycle lane. Fair enough I suppose, since it’s left only a single lane available. The problem is the pathetic excuse for a sign, plonked along with a cone right at the point where the space tightens rapidly. Nobody is going to dismount, if they wanted to walk they would have left their bikes at home. Besides they are entitled to the road just as much as any other vehicle. The sign should be 20 yards back and say ‘ Cycle lane closed – cyclists TAKE LANE’. That way everyone is within the law, everyone gets on with it and nobody gets squashed by cars suddenly swerving left.

Evans cycle parking

The new sign says 'Customer Bike Parking' as if they have some nice new facility installed somewhere....

....but all I can see is the same old hand rail that's always been there.....am I missing something?