In 2001, South Gloucestershire Council installed 6 bollards at a point where a lot of peds cross the Bath-Bristol cyclepath. I complained about them at the time, but didn't get very far. I didn't complain about them quite as much as I would have done if I hadn't been able to get a trailer through.
On Thursday, they were repositioned. I e-mailed the chap at S Glos who is currently the closest thing we have to a cycling officer. He told me that the contractors were supposed to be replacing black bollards with white, but not repositioning them. He intends to inspect the work this week.
Looks as if a Trice couldn't get through either... Reminds me of the other Saturday when I was cycling with the King's Lynn BUG. We were on a Sustrans (spit, spit... wash mouth out.. spit..) shared use path and came across several instances of impediments where one guy on a Redmount recumbent trike had to be assisted to lift it over the obstacles placed there under the official guise of things to stop motorcyclists getting on to psychlepath. They were cr*p at the official purpose, as witnessed by the many kids on motorcycles we encountered whizzing along, but they were exceedingly effective at making life difficult for pedal cyclists... It was yet another case where I felt my intense dislike of Sustrans was entirely justified.
"Danny Colyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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In 2001, South Gloucestershire Council installed 6 bollards at a point where a lot of peds cross the Bath-Bristol cyclepath. I complained about them at the time, but didn't get very far. I didn't complain about them quite as much as I would have done if I hadn't been able to get a trailer through.
On Thursday, they were repositioned. I e-mailed the chap at S Glos who is currently the closest thing we have to a cycling officer. He told me that the contractors were supposed to be replacing black bollards with white, but not repositioning them. He intends to inspect the work this week.
Council people do these things. I live on a bit of hill. Last year the council people painted traffic calming signs on the road outside my house. The big white words are slippery when wet - they agreed that turning into my drive on a bicycle or motorcycle would now be more dangerous - but I have big white traffic claming words painted on the road outside my house.
You have worked out a solution or two - consider others. Weed killer is cheap. Plastic bollards are weak.
"Danny Colyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... <snip> You have worked out a solution or two - consider others. Weed killer is cheap. Plastic bollards are weak.
John
Perhaps we shold form a direct action group, a bit like ABD ... hey we could even call it ABC. Go round the country armed with angle grinders and other appropriate tools to remove irritations like this from cycle facilities, paint on new cycle lanes etc. I'm sure it would make the newspapers and then perhaps the council might think more carefully in future.
In 2001, South Gloucestershire Council installed 6 bollards at a point where a lot of peds cross the Bath-Bristol cyclepath. I complained about them at the time, but didn't get very far. I didn't complain about them quite as much as I would have done if I hadn't been able to get a trailer through.
On Thursday, they were repositioned. I e-mailed the chap at S Glos who is currently the closest thing we have to a cycling officer. He told me that the contractors were supposed to be replacing black bollards with white, but not repositioning them. He intends to inspect the work this week.
Do you happen to recall the spacing? I have thought of putting in a triangle of bollards like this, with 1.5m gaps between all 3 (equilateral triangle) which would give about .6m between the outer bollards and the edge on a 3m wide path. Would this be acceptable with a trailer? Obviously you'd still have to slow down more than a solo bike.
In 2001, South Gloucestershire Council installed 6 bollards at a point where a lot of peds cross the Bath-Bristol cyclepath. I complained about them at the time, but didn't get very far. I didn't complain about them quite as much as I would have done if I hadn't been able to get a trailer through.
On Thursday, they were repositioned. I e-mailed the chap at S Glos who is currently the closest thing we have to a cycling officer. He told me that the contractors were supposed to be replacing black bollards with white, but not repositioning them. He intends to inspect the work this week.
Do you happen to recall the spacing? I have thought of putting in a triangle of bollards like this, with 1.5m gaps between all 3 (equilateral triangle) which would give about .6m between the outer bollards and the edge on a 3m wide path. Would this be acceptable with a trailer? Obviously you'd still have to slow down more than a solo bike.
I'd probably have significant difficulties getting my big trailer through (1mx90cm but when you work out the line one has to take on the towing bike, it becomes apparent that bollards like that make life difficult.
Why not just have three bollards set 1.5m apart, two on the edge of the path and one in the middle. Then everyone is happy.
I'd probably have significant difficulties getting my big trailer through (1mx90cm but when you work out the line one has to take on the towing bike
I have a similar obstical on my commute. The trailer is 87cm, and the gap is 90cm, so I come nearly to a stop to get through. I was thinking of sneaking out one night and painting run-way markings (marked "Cat. II"😉 leading up to the gap to follow with the tractor wheel (I call my bicycle a tractor...), that way, I should be able to get through without slowing, it would look cool as well.
I'd probably have significant difficulties getting my big trailer through (1mx90cm but when you work out the line one has to take on the towing bike
I have a similar obstical on my commute. The trailer is 87cm, and the gap is 90cm, so I come nearly to a stop to get through. I was thinking of sneaking out one night and painting run-way markings (marked "Cat. II"😉 leading up to the gap to follow with the tractor wheel (I call my bicycle a tractor...), that way, I should be able to get through without slowing, it would look cool as well.
Get a thermos, a transistorradio, traffic cones and a pair of overalls. Much less suspicious if you start work during morning rush hour 😉
Do you happen to recall the spacing? I have thought of putting in a triangle of bollards like this, with 1.5m gaps between all 3 (equilateral triangle) which would give about .6m between the outer bollards and the edge on a 3m wide path. Would this be acceptable with a trailer? Obviously you'd still have to slow down more than a solo bike.
I'd probably have significant difficulties getting my big trailer through (1mx90cm but when you work out the line one has to take on the towing bike, it becomes apparent that bollards like that make life difficult.
Why not just have three bollards set 1.5m apart, two on the edge of the path and one in the middle. Then everyone is happy.
Do you happen to recall the spacing? I have thought of putting in a triangle of bollards like this, with 1.5m gaps between all 3 (equilateral triangle) which would give about .6m between the outer bollards and the edge on a 3m wide path.
All measurements are edge to edge (/not/ centre to centre) at the base.
Currently the triangle on the Bath side has sides of 117cm, 112cm & 107cm. The triangle on the Bristol side has sides of 113cm, 128cm & 131cm.
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Would this be acceptable with a trailer? Obviously you'd still have to slow down more than a solo bike.
Sides of 150cm would be easy, but frankly I still wouldn't regard a triangle of bollards as acceptable.
IMHO a cycle facility is only truly worthy of the name if it is possible for a couple riding a tandem recumbent trike and towing a trailer to negotiate its entire length without dismounting, and also to pass another trike without difficulty. I imagine such a machine might have difficulty with a 1.5m triangle.
Quite. If they're widely spaced enough to allow through those legitimately using the facility, they won't stop the minipikeys on stolen mopeds either.
In this case the bollards are not to keep out the minipikeys on motorbikes, but to slow down cyclists at a point where a lot of peds (particularly kids walking to and from school) cross the path. I /have/ on occasion caught myself paying so much attention to negotiating the bollards that I don't actually notice whether there are any peds crossing.
There's a similar crossing point a few miles along the path in the Bristol direction. Bristol Council have painted school crossing signs on the path - AFAICT they're just as effective as the bollards.
IMHO a cycle facility is only truly worthy of the name if it is possible for a couple riding a tandem recumbent trike and towing a trailer to negotiate its entire length without dismounting, and also to pass another trike without difficulty.
IMHO a cycle facility is only truly worthy of the name if it is possible for a couple riding a tandem recumbent trike and towing a trailer to negotiate its entire length without dismounting, and also to pass another trike without difficulty.
and Mike Causer responded:
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So that'll be the public roads then?
OK then, and if it goes somewhere the roads don't, or gets there by a shorter route. Like, for example, the route taken by the Bath-Bristol cyclepath through the Avon Valley.
"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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in message <[email hidden]>, David
Martin (') said:
Colin McKenzie said:
Do you happen to recall the spacing? I have thought of putting in a triangle of bollards like this, with 1.5m gaps between all 3 (equilateral triangle) which would give about .6m between the outer bollards and the edge on a 3m wide path. Would this be acceptable with a trailer? Obviously you'd still have to slow down more than a solo bike.
I'd probably have significant difficulties getting my big trailer through (1mx90cm but when you work out the line one has to take on the towing bike, it becomes apparent that bollards like that make life difficult.
Why not just have three bollards set 1.5m apart, two on the edge of the path and one in the middle. Then everyone is happy.
Why not do away with the bollards altogether?
You can't do that, that is common sense, and that is not 'cool'.
Quite. If they're widely spaced enough to allow through those legitimately using the facility, they won't stop the minipikeys on stolen mopeds either.
In this case the bollards are not to keep out the minipikeys on motorbikes, but to slow down cyclists at a point where a lot of peds (particularly kids walking to and from school) cross the path. I /have/ on occasion caught myself paying so much attention to negotiating the bollards that I don't actually notice whether there are any peds crossing.
The point being, of course, that people on bikes are as likely as people in cars to travel too fast for the conditions. There are chicanes on roads too.
The point being, of course, that people on bikes are as likely as people in cars to travel too fast for the conditions. There are chicanes on roads too.
with the chicanes by their very existance dractically increasing the number of people going to fast for the conditions
