We're lucky here in Troon because national Cycle route 7 passes through the town and a recent initiative has joined up all the local paths between golf courses etc as part of the Local Cycle Network. This means I can do a short 7 mile circular route virtually all off the road on cycle paths. The few bits I am on the road are cul-de-sac with little to no traffic.
One of the things you need to be careful about though is the dual use nature. These routes are not exclusively cycle routes and I don't think they should be. But I do have issue with those people who just have no appreciation that there are other people trying to use them.
In the 30 minutes I was out I had to virtually stop on 3 separate occasions. Once was just timing - I was coming up behind a woman with a push chair just as another push chair was approaching.
The other 2 were just people not considering. The woman stopped in the middle of the hedge lined pathway with her dog sniffing about. I only just managed to stop once I saw the lead. I wonder how far the dog would have been catapulted if I couldn't stop in time?
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| from Google Maps |
This image from Google Maps shows exactly what I mean. The whole esplanade to walk on and they choose to walk in the very obvious cycle path. As do the others further down. The cycle path was put there for a reason - to protect walkers by keeping the bikes in one place.
Its amazing how those 2 metre strips of non slip surface with the white bike symbol repeated every 50 metres attracts so many walkers.
If nothing else, these stops are affecting my time!
Rant over. Time for a shower.
