Cyclists and Cycle Paths

Why do cyclists stay on the road when good tax payers money has been spent on purpose built cycle paths

Is it ignorance or just another stupid macho thing for so called "serious" cyclists or a snobbish thing that "they could not possibly be seen on a cyle path" or another selfish thing? 

Whatever the reason it is just not logical and ANY cyclist riding on a road (e.g N332) where there is a purpose built cyle path should be fined £100€, simple really unless it is an organsied official road race..

I cycle and use these paths wherevever possible as it far safer for me and other road users (training and cycling at speed are not acceptable excuses)

Tadd whilst I understand where you are coming from, as a cyclist for over 60 years,  who rides at an average speed of 16 mph, using cycle paths would be highly dangerous.   

Pedestrians walk and run on them,  and wander across them without glancing.

The road is by far safer and there are no traffic regulations which I know of which require me to use a cycle path. 

For kids and slow riders, slightly faster than walking pace,  they are fine.  For more serious riders they are  inappropriate which is why you never see such cyclist doing so.

PS.    I also have driven and still do, cars and motorcycles so I see it from all sides.

So cyclist riding on purpose built cycle paths are not prepared or to respect other users by slowing down when busy but they expect cars to do the same whilst riding on the road - a bit hypocritical.

I have also ridden for many years and at similar speeds as you state - whilst using cyclepaths I respect and acknowledge other users of the cycle paths and give them the same respect as I expect from car drivers when I have to ride on the road (i.e. slow down and give them room, give way and pass them carefully so they are safe) and as I do as a car driver when sharing the road with cyclists.

You are right there is no traffic regulations requiring cyclist to use cycle paths but there should be

What about the kids and slower riders (and some pedestrians) who ALSO ride on the road instead of the cycle paths

I was speaking to a colleague of mine who is a keen cyclist Although he uses the cycle paths when possible he is critical of the state of them i. e. potholes and broken glass which makes his journey more hazardous than using the road and the spanish pedestrians who insist on walking five abreast across the pavement and cycle path 

scubamike - fair comment and the state of some cycle paths is a problem but some roads are just as bad

Yes some pedestrians abuse the cycle paths but some pedestrians also abuse some roads (BTW it is not just the Spanish who walk 5 abreast, there are plenty of none Spainsh people around who do the same and guess what similar things happen on cycle paths in the UK . It happens all over in shops, airports, streets etc.!!!!!!!)

Tadd,   I am sure you aware, but other readers may not know  that in Spain, except in very unusual cases,  i.e. almost never,  when a cyclist is involved in an accident with a motor vehicle the cyclist is by law deemed to be the not guilty one.    Also, cyclists by law are permitted to ride two abreast and cars are obliged to leave a minimum of 1.5 mtrs space when overtaking a cyclist.  Not that many do !   

A string of cyclists are to be treated as one veichle, thus if the lead one  say enters a roundabout the whole string have right of way.

The law in Spain is very pro cyclist.

johnzx

Yes I am fully aware and I am not debating whether the law in spain regarding cyclist on the road is right or wrong but it is a shame that cyclists (and / or the law!) do not hold the same value towards other slower users of a cycle path.

These cycle paths are funded by the tax payer to offer cyclists a safer place to ride and many cyclists amongst others campaigned for these to be provided yet they are not used for the purpose they were built for by cyclists 

There is a hint in the name for the use of cycle paths.

Sorry (as a cyclist and a road user) there is nothing you can say that can justify the none use of cycle paths by cyclists over a main road such as the N332 (or any other road anywhere) where cycle paths are provided. Exception fully organised and licenced road races.

I can't speak for the stretch of N332 to which you are relating but the majority of cycle lanes, as stated above, are in a terrible state. Taxpayer's money may have been spent building them but none is ever spent maintaining them so they are rarely worth using. If I'm doing 20-25kph for over 50km, I don't want to be attempting that on a cycle lane. The road is much better and easier.

fartharder

I understand where you are coming from but because cyclists do not use them they are not maitained or improved or even extended so all that campaigning and money spent has been a complete waste which is very sad

So my question of why the cyclists do not use them may have been answered but did they ever use them?

Seems to me it is a cyclist snobbery or macho thing from day 1

We get cyclists riding on the pavement here alongside the cycle lane and road I have challenged many only to be met with an earful of abuse

Scuba  We get cyclists riding on the pavement here alongside the cycle lane and road I have challenged many only to be met with an earful of abuse

Maybe that is because cyclists in Spain are legally permitted to ride on the footpath. 

In my personal view,  no ‘vehicles’ (that term includes bicycles in Spain) should be ridden on footpaths, but the law is the law and at present I have not heard that any changes are imminent .

I am with Fartharder on this, I never use cycle lanes when I am out on my road bike. Nothing to do with machismo, it’s a straightforward matter of survival.

If well maintained cycle lanes, free of debris,  which matched up to those which long ago existed in UK along arterial roads, which were safely separated from footpaths, existed in Spain, then I would use them, but I am not aware of any.

The standards of cycle paths certainly very - in my neck of the woods the paths around Portman are very good. Between Los Alcazares and San Javier pretty rough. I personally don't like using cycle lanes simply because road vehicles are more predictable than pedestrians and other cyclists so I feel safer amongst traffic. The biggest problem is debris, but part of the cause of that is why I go in the first place - no rain, or certainly not enough to wash all the crap into the gulleys. The main thing I focus on is that unlike the UK, most principle roads in Murcia are wide, pavements are wide and there is more than enough road space for everyone so these sort of threads seem to me more at home in the UK where all of the problems listed exist with knobs on.

Johnzx I thought that cyclists were only allowed to cycle on pavements if there was no separate cycling lane and the pavement is at least 3m wide 

Scuba. I askled the policia local in my town that was what they said,

Seems to be suported by this story.- 

http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2010/11/23/i-want-to-ride-my-bike%E2%80%A6on-the-pavement/

It would seem that this law typically differs wherever you are I cannot find anything for where I live but I am sure I read it somewhere recently However I picked up the following :-http://www.biketoursmalaga.com/en/traffic-regulation-cyclists-malaga

Whilst moving at 40 kph in a car on the inside lane has a cyclist the right of way to undertake you on the inside lane.

. The answer is yes, as do mopeds. Hubby found this out when he turned right (indicating to do so) and a moped came up the inside and crashed into him. Hubby had looked in the mirror but the moped rider was in the blind spot. The Guardia Civil told hubby off but didn't write him up and put it down as "ignorance of the rules" and explained cyclists and moped riders are taught to do that as they aren't supposed to overtake on the left of the car. One of the times we were grateful we'd taken out full insurance cover on the hire car. 

As a cyclist and motorist I would be very surprised if the Guía de Trafico (Highway Code) actually says that a cyclist can undertake as the Guardia Civil officer appears to have said.  I suspect that either he did not actually know the law or was relying on the understand that in all cases where a cyclist is involved in a collision with another vehicle, the other driver is assumed to be at fault.

The general instructions to cyclists are that they should conform to the law,  as per all other vehicles.   

Just in passing.    I saw the other day that there is a proposal (not yet law as I understand it) that cyclists should have right of precedence on pedestrian crossings. At `present only pedestrians have the right of way, not cyclists, skate boarders, etc.

PS     I should be most grateful if someone is able to quote from the Guía de Tráfico if I am wrong.

he did not actually know the law

Well it is common that police officers don't know the law is it not?

maybe they rely on other sources like forums or hearsay or invent the laws to suit the situation