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Old May 24th 04, 01:53 PM
Peter Clinch
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Default The _Observer_ on "deadly" bike lanes

Velvet wrote:

True, but even so, I'm not sure the majority of tourers that are about
on the roads actually have full-sus.. and I fail to see why I should
have to buy a bike with suspension just to be able to ride on shoddy
tarmac.


You shouldn't, which is why I said "While not in any way disagreeing
with your point". It was just some extra information on bikes, not an
excuse for cycle tracks to be terrible.
But for touring generally, another point of information is that there
are plenty of back roads with as bad to worse surfaces out there, and as
suspension gets more widely available and better (when done properly,
this isn't about Comedy suspension on mug's eyeful gaspipe jobs) it's
increasingly worth considering on touring bikes meant for roads.

But, like you say, a cycle track should be welcoming for any bike likely
to ride along it, including one with narrow, unsuspended wheels.

If they're going to put in cycle facilities then at the very least the
surface should mean all bikes should be able to use them, not just a
sub-set of bikes.


Probably most affected are things like trikes and trailers, which can't
easily get through those little traffic-limiting gates designed to stop
yoofs tearing up and down the things on scooters and mopeds. Which is,
of course, another reason they tend to be a Work of Stan (though kudos
to Fife for turning the one between Tayport and Tay Road Bridge from a
ridiculous invitation to eat loose gravel into a really pretty good
track which is a pleasure to use).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

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