To Cycle path or not Cycle path?

[splat]

I have this conversation with myself quite often when I ride home from work. I feel safer on the road than on the bike path dodging pedestrians, runners, walkers, hobos with trolleys, Grannies on Zimmer frames, prams, dogs, other cyclists, thorns, sign posts, bollards and poles and of course, dog sh!t.

 

And then you get driveways and the side roads with bad kerb transitions and cars that don't stop. Its a nightmare.

 

At least on the road, I can blend in with the traffic that is moving at the same speed and in the same direction as me.

 

There is a section of bike path that runs along Campground Rd from just after Rondebosch Park to the Keurboom Rd lights that is plain and downright dangerous as a bike lane. When the lane runs out of sidewalk, it just pops out onto the road and people park or just drive in it. Useless!

[Skubarra]

so when i hit town to pass through must i then get on a cycling path till there isnt one and get back on the road? i.e coming from Hout Bay via camps bay and sea point to get to durbanville and back. makes no sense at all. So my once 3 hour ride has now become 5 hours cause i have to get on the cycling path at pedestrian speed for their safety. To me logic tells me im too fast for the bike path and am a danger to everyone at the speeds whilst going through town. 

 

I agree, I myself rarely ride on the cycle paths for exactly the same reason. But tbh I didn't know about the law the El Capitan referred to. Something else to consider, little more than a month ago a cyclist was killed in Milnerton on the road whilst training, avoiding the cycle path for the same reason that you do. A lot of people blamed the cyclist for being the irresponsible party, try to explain to them in that situation why you feel its better to avoid the cycle path.

[Shebeen]

some really badly designed cyclepaths in cape town

 

greenpoint ones - two lanes, but always end up with pedestrians in the cycle lane.

liesbeeck parkway - a total joke, with bricks every metre to jolt you.

in retreat they've built some new ones, but they are basically like a trials course with lamposts, trees, benches etc in them, not to mention the steep ramps to get on and over roads.

 

so wjilst you're supposed to use the cyclepath, in many occassions i think bad design forces riders back onto the road.

[ecg15]

Where the cycle paths are located, I think it's more for your safety than anything else.  

 

And as in most things in life, use your noggin, ie if there's a lot of crazy traffic in the road and there's a cycle path, then best would be to ride in the cycle path and then yield or watch out for pedestrians/slower traffic.  If there's not a lot of traffic, then use the road.

makes sense 

[Eddy Gordo]

Yep, it is in deed the law and has even been gazetted. As a cyclist it is your responsibility to make use of the lane where ever it is provided.

I can understand in the cbd things are out of control. But in the even I see countless guys and always the same guys refusing to use the cycle lane at river club hartleyvale and instead will weave in between traffic. Should an accident occur then the cyclist is accountable.

 

Basically the same with any other law. You cannot claim you didnt know

[Cois]

Well have a problem.  Th one road there is a cycle path, but you cant ride it due to local government that gives a rats ass. The path is broken most places and thanks to the grass you can't see the path anymore.  And had a few times where you can't pass the walking dead (of alive) due to the layout of the surrounds.  And also find that most walkers gives a rats ass about anyone else.  And best of all there is a no cycling board next to the road.  So you know if you ride there you are on your own.

 

So it is difficult to reply on the OP.  Seeing that cyclists get the ass to suckle on, we as cyclist will never get our own way, or the road users will just try to kill us non the less.

[Eugene]

I worked in CT for a week last year. You guys are lucky with how many cycle paths you have. What amazed me was how many cyclists don't use them.

[Bernard Horn]

Yep, it is in deed the law and has even been gazetted. As a cyclist it is your responsibility to make use of the lane where ever it is provided.

I can understand in the cbd things are out of control. But in the even I see countless guys and always the same guys refusing to use the cycle lane at river club hartleyvale and instead will weave in between traffic. Should an accident occur then the cyclist is accountable.

 

Basically the same with any other law. You cannot claim you didnt know

Going through Seapoint I use the pavement/cycle lane and just chill for a couple of km.Once out of Bakoven you can make up time lost.

 

Going through Milnerton ALWAYS use the cycle lane.Driving behind a container truck the other day .He takes up the whole lane:   6 inches from white line and 12 inches from the pavement, so no space for a cyclist.The max load of a container is 34Ton,they drive like maniacs,Marine dr normally very busy,south easter normally pumping.NO way they can stop in a hurry or swerve .

 

No family should have to recieve the dreaded phone call and no cyclist should have to witness a fellow cyclist knocked down.

 

Stay safe ,stay on the cycle lane .

Just changed my mind ,no ride through traffic to Sea point and Campsbay.Going to ride on cycle lane in Milnerton to enjoy the southeaster

[ecg15]

Ok thanks for all your views. I have a idea about the paths now. don't use em at your own peril. If i have time on my hands and not in a rush to get to work then ill commute on the path. If the path can accommodate me at the speed that im doing then ill be on it. If i feel that i would be a danger to those using the path then ill stick to the road. Also if i see the path is a danger to me due to neglect then ill avoid the path. Ill take pics of the neglect and post em on the #bicyclesafetysa twitter page. 

[KarlvN]

Rode the cycle path from Blouberg to Woodbridge Lighthouse two weeks ago into a blustering south easterly, pushing hard and pretending it was uphill all the way. It properly worked me, then I turned around and klapped it hard averaging around 39kph (on a 29er hardtail wearing knobblies) on the downwind. All of this on the cycle path. Also, the stops were just enough to keep the legs sane. It was a lekker ride, especially since I could notice how long it takes a car to make it all the way north from Paddocks to Bayside Mall. I passed the same car about five times.

 

Cycling really is faster in CT than driving (in traffic at least).