Cycle lane usage

Ollieda · September 2009

Is there any sort of legal requirement to use a cycle lane if ones is present. If its one thats part of the road I see no problem in using it but I'm thinking more of the ones that are a shared pavement with pedestrians (i.e. pavement with the big red strip down the side).

When I went back to my parents house recently I noticed they had extended one of the pavements into the road more and made it one which has a side for pedestrians and a side for cyclists. Whilst doing this they also decided to dig up the road and resurface it.

First day coming along the road I saw the cycle lane and decided to get out of the busy road and bomb it along on the lane, its on a nice descent so you can get some speed at which point I realised the road lane was absolutely crap quality with loads of lumps in it that just threw me about. Cycled on the road the next day and it was lovely and smooth....and fast too! Do I have to use the poor quality cycle lane/pavement or am I within my right to stay on the road despite having an empty cycle lane next to me?

Porgy · September 2009

Ollieda wrote:

Is there any sort of legal requirement to use a cycle lane if ones is present.

No

I refer you to a recent case of someone being told by a judge that they should have used a cycle lane - overturned by appeal - supported by the CTC.

Either Google - or I'm sure some kind person will put relevent link up here shortly.

Sorry - trying to finish my work so i can go home. :oops:

Joe86 · September 2009

Nope, there is no ruling that you have to use it. You are free to cycle where you want, as long as it doesn't have a blue sign with no biking, or on an M Motorway road, or an A road with an M after the number.

But be warned, you will probably get abuse. I even had someone telling me I should be in the verge:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12646792

I sometimes prefer to use the road, some cycle lanes have bad drains, small area (so if there is dirt or drains you can't manoveur out), and also some are not that even.

sicknote · September 2009

Most of the ones a round here are rubbish and for me that means I use the road but still have some telling to use it.
I drive too and would not to use a road as bad so why should I ride in it.

Flasheart · September 2009

Nope , no legal requirement to. I tend to avoid them as they are full of road debris such as glass, stones and litter plus thats where the manholes usually are.
Any driver telling me to use it would meet with the usual gesture.

sicknote · September 2009

For the glass you tend to find in these lanes is normally there because drives throw they rubbish ( glass bottles they have just finished drinking from ) there and then tell you to ride in it.
This is something that happened just in front of me when out with my son on our bikes, the boy that did it said after seeing me but the glass was there then.

mask of sanity · September 2009

I reckon you're a lot safer in the road as well because you're in a more prominent position. My experience is that if you're in a cycle lane cars just brush past you because you're not on the road therefore they don't feel they need to overtake you, whereas if you're in the road they have to overtake so you get more space. I never use them!

211dave112 · September 2009

i hate using them, slow cyclists in them, glass, road debris, rubbish and so on. i also dont like cycling on the cycle paths that are split between pedestrian and cycle. no one uses common sense on them so you end up weaving in and out of peds, kids on fecking micro scooters, and the like.

you may have guessed, this is one of my pet peeves!

Cycle lane usage

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