Get on yer bike....

[tim_noone]

Now where have I heard that before? Theres a surprise 2billion pound plan.

[tiger76]

Don't have a bike,but as the weather's fair i'm happy to consider walking to work,whenever i have to go back.

Saves on travel costs,good for the environment,and good for the planet,i hope all the politicians will consider doing likewise,if they reside a reasonable distance from their work place,after all surely they'll want to set an example to the British public.

[conyoviejo]

Fantastic,they will all have to be flat cycleways though,don't want any uphill cycling involved..

[randomclaret2]

Im sure China will be advising their 1.3billion people to return to cycling

[tim_noone]

I get the impression The British dont like Cyclists..and have seen many a scathing remarks on here regards cycling in general...who would have thought a solution to a pandemic would be to get on your bike and all would be well?

[tim_noone]

Fantastic,they will all have to be flat cycleways though,don't want any uphill cycling involved..

Your ok ..they're suggesting the electric ones to.

[conyoviejo]

They should make helmets and Bells compulsory by law.. That will upset a few on here.

[conyoviejo]

Your ok ..they're suggesting the electric ones to.

Time for me to give up cycling if I need an electric one..

[randomclaret2]

They should make helmets and Bells compulsory by law.. That will upset a few on here.

No shortage of either on some of the " politics" threads

[tim_noone]

Time for me to give up cycling if I need an electric one..

If you cant cycle up a hill.

[FactualFrank]

No shortage of either on some of the " politics" threads

[conyoviejo]

If you cant cycle up a hill.

I can still cycle up knotts lane,so not doing too bad for an old git.

[tim_noone]

Fantastic,they will all have to be flat cycleways though,don't want any uphill cycling involved..

Make your mind up!

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

They should make helmets and Bells compulsory by law.. That will upset a few on here.

They are.

[tim_noone]

Theres something not adding up regards this scheme....2 billion pounds? The government couldn't solve pot holes...not really rocket science.this is long pre planned objective imo.

[Blackrod]

I’ll be getting mine out but I don’t be wearing lycra. Why does everyone feel they have to wear Lycra normally with sponsors logos all over it ?

[Billyblah]

Theres something not adding up regards this scheme....2 billion pounds? The government couldn't solve pot holes...not really rocket science.this is long pre planned objective imo.

Well it's 'masterminded ' by Grant Shapps whose head was up his arse as a housing minister some years back so i'm not expecting much now but as a cyclist/motorist/pedestrian/. great in principle.

're the comment about compulsory bells/helmets, yes I agree. My understanding is that a cycle retailer must fit a bell as it heads off from the showroom. I'm not sure there's a legal obligation on the end user to retain that bell on the bike after the sale.

I never go on a bike without wearing my helmet. I'm not particularly fast, typically 13mph but the consequence of coming off a bike or being hit by a vehicle and catapulted through the air are pretty scary.

[KateR]

is it money well spent, is it a step in the right direct, will it make life different better, lot's of questions in my mind

[KateR]

I’ll be getting mine out but I don’t be wearing lycra. Why does everyone feel they have to wear Lycra normally with sponsors logos all over it ?

spoilsport

[jrgbfc]

Will only work if there's a lot less traffic on the roads and it's done properly, rather than a half arsed token gesture. Look at the way it's done in places like Holland and Denmark.

[conyoviejo]

They are.

I'm not one to argue,but as far as I know they aren't.

[tim_noone]

Well it's 'masterminded ' by Grant Shapps whose head was up his arse as a housing minister some years back so i'm not expecting much now but as a cyclist/motorist/pedestrian/. great in principle.

're the comment about compulsory bells/helmets, yes I agree. My understanding is that a cycle retailer must fit a bell as it heads off from the showroom. I'm not sure there's a legal obligation on the end user to retain that bell on the bike after the sale.

I never go on a bike without wearing my helmet. I'm not particularly fast, typically 13mph but the consequence of coming off a bike or being hit by a vehicle and catapulted through the air are pretty scary.

I'm a cyclist and also drive a car.....his plan is just that.....a plan it isn't Happening. Lies Lies and more dammed Lies!

[tiger76]

Any excuse to link this is welcome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2lT4oE4DxE

[gawthorpe_view]

I can still cycle up knotts lane,so not doing too bad for an old git.

Impressive.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

I’m a cyclist and would love this to be a success but you can’t compare the UK to Holland and Denmark.
In the first place the UK is far to lumpy, bumpy for your average Joe on a bike and more importantly them countries are peopled by folk who respect each other. Britain is full of Aholes whose only thought is me, me, me.

[NewClaret]

Theres something not adding up regards this scheme....2 billion pounds? The government couldn't solve pot holes...not really rocket science.this is long pre planned objective imo.

Of course it is. Boris loves a bike.

Did they announce any details or just that they’re spending £2bn building cycleways? I didn’t watch the briefing. Prefer to just read the criticism of whatever they say in here

[tiger76]

I’m a cyclist and would love this to be a success but you can’t compare the UK to Holland and Denmark.
In the first place the UK is far to lumpy, bumpy for your average Joe on a bike and more importantly them countries are peopled by folk who respect each other. Britain is full of Aholes whose only thought is me, me, me.

Can't argue with that,the blatant disregard for the lockdown,has displayed people's selfish traits.

Also those countries have had a long tradition of cycling,and although cycle use has picked up in the UK,it's nowhere near the levels of much of central Europe.

[conyoviejo]

Wouldn't be long before they were all filled with potholes . Death traps for cyclists .

[tim_noone]

Of course it is. Boris loves a bike.

Did they announce any details or just that they’re spending £2bn building cycleways? I didn’t watch the briefing. Prefer to just read the criticism of whatever they say in here

Not only cycleways but wider walkways "social" distancing it's a big incentive for getting people to work in tip top condition. Having now discovered obesity is linked to the virus.its the first news report I've seen in weeks.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Another problem with cycling to work is that unless you are doing a very steady 3-4 miles you will need wash/shower facilities at work and a change of clothes.

[conyoviejo]

Another problem with cycling to work is that unless you are doing a very steady 3-4 miles you will need wash/shower facilities at work and a change of clothes.

Not with the two meter distancing .

[TheFamilyCat]

Theres something not adding up regards this scheme....2 billion pounds? The government couldn't solve pot holes...not really rocket science.this is long pre planned objective imo.

I can't work out whether this is additional money or just repackaging this from February.

[tim_noone]

I can't work out whether this is additional money or just repackaging this from February.

Talks cheap tbh. Wasnt there talk of the northern powerhouse .... and some high speed trains that have never materialised...actually good reason to scrap it all now with social distancing being at forefront of the governments thinking.people can now cycle and walk to work at a fraction of the cost maybe.

[aggi]

Unsurprisingly this is just re-announcing spending that has already been announced. It's nothing new.

[randomclaret2]

"Britain is full of Aholes whose only thought is me, me, me."
Not an accusation that could ever be levelled at cyclists.

[Jamesy]

I’m a cyclist and would love this to be a success but you can’t compare the UK to Holland and Denmark.
In the first place the UK is far to lumpy, bumpy for your average Joe on a bike and more importantly them countries are peopled by folk who respect each other. Britain is full of Aholes whose only thought is me, me, me.

Spot on that pal.

[Wile E Coyote]

good idea in essence, but the driving in the UK is of a terrible standard. ***** doing 60 plus in 30 zones every day of the week.
cycling could be great, but our roads are not used by sane people .

[Foulthrow]

Another problem with cycling to work is that unless you are doing a very steady 3-4 miles you will need wash/shower facilities at work and a change of clothes.

And presumably these will be closed as you can’t control the virus with communal changing and washroom facilities.

[Jamesy]

good idea in essence, but the driving in the UK is of a terrible standard. ***** doing 60 plus in 30 zones every day of the week.
cycling could be great, but our roads are not used by sane people .

Some of the motorists that use the road are sane, but sadly see cyclists as the enemy. Anything that they perceive to be slowing up their journey is the enemy. Cyclists, buses, bin lorries, tractors. Sanity does indeed go out of the car or van window when they get held up by them.

[AndrewJB]

And presumably these will be closed as you can’t control the virus with communal changing and washroom facilities.

Considering the way the government is talking about staggering rush hour so that public transport isn’t full, then it’s possible the facilities won’t be full at the same time.

[AndrewJB]

This is a good idea. The two billion spent will have a ripple effect across the economy worth many more times its value.

[scouseclaret]

Let’s hope we end up with something much better than the badly thought-out, rarely joined up and chronically ill-maintained “network” that we’ve got at the moment. Not sure how far £2bn will go though...

[CombatClaret]

Build safe cycleways and people will flock to them, cycle superhighways have shown this.

So many children getting out on their bikes with family during the lock down and will be forced back inside once cars are back in numbers (Already are by the look of things).

[Rileybobs]

Build safe cycleways and people will flock to them, cycle superhighways have shown this.

So many children getting out on their bikes with family during the lock down and will be forced back inside once cars are back in numbers (Already are by the look of things).

Near my office in Leeds there are stretches of ‘superhighway’ that just aren’t used. They are on each side of the road and the cyclists just ignore them and continue to use the road, presumably because of the hassle of having to get off and rejoin the lane at junctions.

[CombatClaret]

Near my office in Leeds there are stretches of ‘superhighway’ that just aren’t used. They are on each side of the road and the cyclists just ignore them and continue to use the road, presumably because of the hassle of having to get off and rejoin the lane at junctions.

Sound like they could be designed a bit better.
Inefficient enough for the confident riders not to bother using them. Scaring off potential new more casual riders by throwing you back into the roads at junctions.

[Rileybobs]

Sound like they could be designed a bit better.
Inefficient enough for the confident riders not to bother using them. Scaring off potential new more casual riders by throwing you back into the roads at junctions.

I’m only going off a single example, but this stretch of road has a couple of hundred metres of ‘superhighway’ on each side of the road and the cyclists obviously think that it’s just too much effort to join the lane and then leave it to rejoin the highway a few seconds later.

This is a street that gets very busy with vehicle traffic at peak times and constructing the lanes caused havoc. Not to mention that the space could have been used for an additional vehicle lane.

I like the sentiment but in many cases it seems half arsed and laughable compared to cities like Amsterdam.

[TheFamilyCat]

I commuted from Leeds to Bradford a few times on the Super highway. It was a pain in the arse, very stop-start and more people walking or waiting for buses in it than cycling, mostly staring at mobile phones and not paying attention. I suspect they didn't even realise they were in a cycle lane.

There was also a lot of cars at junctions ignoring the new "give way" markings for the cycle lane crossing and not stopping until they reached the junction of the roads.

This was a couple of years ago when it was fairly new and have changed jobs since so don't know if it's any better now.

[CombatClaret]

I’m only going off a single example, but this stretch of road has a couple of hundred metres of ‘superhighway’ on each side of the road and the cyclists obviously think that it’s just too much effort to join the lane and then leave it to rejoin the highway a few seconds later.

This is a street that gets very busy with vehicle traffic at peak times and constructing the lanes caused havoc. Not to mention that the space could have been used for an additional vehicle lane.

I like the sentiment but in many cases it seems half arsed and laughable compared to cities like Amsterdam.

Very much agree, the superhighways in London are very good as they are mostly fully segregated and at rush hour move more people than the roads around them.
Build decent well planned infrastructures and people will use it. Poorly designed half measures are just a waste of money.

[AndrewJB]

Let’s hope we end up with something much better than the badly thought-out, rarely joined up and chronically ill-maintained “network” that we’ve got at the moment. Not sure how far £2bn will go though...

I’m hoping it’ll be spent wisely rather than spaffed. The London system is fairly good. Main routes physically separate from traffic, and routed around bus stops. Separate cycle lights. Still some parts where it’s more advantageous to join the traffic. Not perfect but it works.

[TheFamilyCat]

I’m hoping it’ll be spent wisely rather than spaffed. The London system is fairly good. Main routes physically separate from traffic, and routed around bus stops. Separate cycle lights. Still some parts where it’s more advantageous to join the traffic. Not perfect but it works.

I think it's fairly safe to predict that this will amount to little more than some white lines either on roads or footpaths.