Cambridge Guided Busway Path on a Trike?

Hi All!

I may be moving to the Cambridge area in the New Year. On the cards could be a daily commute between the Science Park area and Willingham on a recumbent trike.

I've been looking at various blogs about the new cycleway. Some describe a smooth narrow concrete ribbon on the busway where bikes can roll - but it looks too skinny for my trike. Others talk about a gravel path that runs alongside the Busway, but which is frequently flooded and impassable. Apparently though, this was to be entirely tarmac between Cambridge and Longstanton, so I wondered if this problem was still current.

Is there traffic? Are there Traffic lights? Dangerous intersections?

Thanks to anyone who has experience of this route.

EFR
Ile de France

On 26/10/2012 15:12, Artemisia wrote:
Hi All!

I may be moving to the Cambridge area in the New Year. On the cards could be a daily commute between the Science Park area and Willingham on a recumbent trike.

I've been looking at various blogs about the new cycleway. Some describe a smooth narrow concrete ribbon on the busway where bikes can roll - but it looks too skinny for my trike. Others talk about a gravel path that runs alongside the Busway, but which is frequently flooded and impassable. Apparently though, this was to be entirely tarmac between Cambridge and Longstanton, so I wondered if this problem was still current.

Is there traffic? Are there Traffic lights? Dangerous intersections?

Thanks to anyone who has experience of this route.

A friend rides a tandem or triplet down that section most days. He
describes the barriers as sensible, and says a trike would be fine,
tandem trike might get tricky (as is the triplet). It's the gravel path.
Go for it :-)

On 26/10/2012 15:12, Artemisia wrote:
Hi All!

I may be moving to the Cambridge area in the New Year. On the cards
could be a daily commute between the Science Park area and Willingham
on a recumbent trike.

That should give the locals a good laugh.

I've been looking at various blogs about the new cycleway. Some
describe a smooth narrow concrete ribbon on the busway where bikes
can roll - but it looks too skinny for my trike. Others talk about a
gravel path that runs alongside the Busway, but which is frequently
flooded and impassable. Apparently though, this was to be entirely
tarmac between Cambridge and Longstanton, so I wondered if this
problem was still current.

Just be grateful. Cyclists got it for free, the sponging freeloaders,
so don't have the right to complain.

Is there traffic? Are there Traffic lights? Dangerous intersections?

I should imagine all intersections are dangerous for such a ridiculous
form of transport.

Thanks to anyone who has experience of this route.

EFR Ile de France

Where would we be without rules?

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

--
Dave - Cyclists VOR. "Many people barely recognise the bicycle as a
legitimate mode of transport; it is either a toy for children or a
vehicle fit only for the poor and/or strange," Dave Horton, of Lancaster
University, wrote in an interim assessment of the Understanding Walking
and Cycling study. "For them, cycling is a bit embarrassing, they fail
to see its purpose, and have no interest in integrating it into their
lives, certainly on a regular basis."

On Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:35:44 +0100
Mike Causer wrote:

Yes, cycle traffic, and dog walkers close to the villages, it's plenty
wide enough to cope though. Where the track croses a public road
there are traffic lights, and some chicane barriers to get through.
If your trike is low enough you may be able to get under them
though ;-) No intersections to worry about, but do watch out for
dogs on extending leads with oblivious owner.

The great thing about a recumbent trike is you can have a sloping post
at the front with a wire cutter on top. :-)

On Oct 26, 2:12*pm, Artemisia wrote:
Hi All!

I may be moving to the Cambridge area in the New Year. On the cards could be a daily commute between the Science Park area and Willingham on a recumbent trike.

I've been looking at various blogs about the new cycleway. Some describe a smooth narrow concrete ribbon on the busway where bikes can roll - but it looks too skinny for my trike. Others talk about a gravel path that runs alongside the Busway, but which is frequently flooded and impassable. Apparently though, this was to be entirely tarmac between Cambridge and Longstanton, so I wondered if this problem was still current.

Is there traffic? Are there Traffic lights? Dangerous intersections?

Thanks to anyone who has experience of this route.

EFR
Ile de France

I've crossposted your message to cam.transport, since it's of
relevance there. Hopefully people there won't petulantly refuse to
help you just because the thread originated in uk.rec.cycling. If
you're interested you may want to check cam.transport on its own, in
case anyone follows up there while refusing to crosspost to
uk.rec.cycling.

(Some of the cam.transport lot have a bit of a "thing" about
uk.rec.cycling, because they resent uncensored discussion about
particular cycling issues...it's something to do with not wanting to
see their "side" lose. I know, it's rather sad, but there are also
some reasonable people in cam.transport.)

On Oct 26, 2:12 pm, Artemisia wrote:

I've been looking at various blogs about the new cycleway. Some
describe a smooth narrow concrete ribbon on the busway where bikes
can roll - but it looks too skinny for my trike. Others talk about
a gravel path that runs alongside the Busway, but which is
frequently flooded and impassable. Apparently though, this was to
be entirely tarmac between Cambridge and Longstanton, so I wondered
if this problem was still current.

Plenty wide enough for a trike. Tarmac all the way from Cambridge to St
Ives, ie the whole length.

There is a bit that sometimes gets flooded and occasionally gets
sufficiently flooded as to be impassable, but that bit is not between
Willingham and Cambridge.

Is there traffic? Are there Traffic lights? Dangerous
intersections?

None of any to worry about. There are roads to cross but none major
(except for the A14 which the busway and cycle path cross by going under
a bridge). The cycle path itself can be busy with bikes and joggers but
not busy enough to be a serious problem.

The only possible issue is the various devices that restrict the
available width where the cycle track meets roads, designed to stop cars
getting onto the cycle track. I expect, but do not guarantee, that the
gaps are wide enough for the trike.

But someone from the Cambridge Cycle Campaign will no doubt be along
shortly to confirm/deny.

--
Tim Ward
www.brettward.co.uk

On 29/10/2012 12:27 AM, Tim Ward wrote:
Plenty wide enough for a trike. Tarmac all the way from Cambridge to
St Ives, ie the whole length.

Just to add, there is a shared use cycle/pedestrian path heading out of
Willingham (starts at Millfield) to the busway. It gets a few
pedestrians on it. I definitely wouldn't use a recumbent on it, I'd go
on the road, not least for the number of badly sighted driveways.

Jon

In article ,
Jon Anderson wrote:
On 29/10/2012 12:27 AM, Tim Ward wrote:
Plenty wide enough for a trike. Tarmac all the way from Cambridge to
St Ives, ie the whole length.

Just to add, there is a shared use cycle/pedestrian path heading out of
Willingham (starts at Millfield) to the busway. It gets a few
pedestrians on it. I definitely wouldn't use a recumbent on it, I'd go
on the road, not least for the number of badly sighted driveways.

If it is wide enough for an adult tricycle, let alone wide enough
to allow a pedestrian or other cyclist to pass a tricycle, it will
be MOST unusual for Cambridge psychle farcilities.

On the other hand, the path beside the busway is actually the
service track, and is wide enough for a full-sized lorry, fire
engine or whatever. Oh, and it is illegal to ride or walk on
the actual rails.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Tim Ward wrote:

Plenty wide enough for a trike.

This is the reason I'd like a "minimum maximum width" from route
planners. But I admit to being too lazy to do anything about it so I
don't complain very much.

There is a bit that sometimes gets flooded and occasionally gets
sufficiently flooded as to be impassable, but that bit is not between
Willingham and Cambridge.


Also, in my experience with a Scorpion fx recumbent tricycle one can
plough through floods that would be quite daunting on a bicycle. You
aren't in a submarine, but the threshold for "impassable" might be
higher.

The only possible issue is the various devices that restrict the
available width where the cycle track meets roads, designed to stop cars
getting onto the cycle track. I expect, but do not guarantee, that the
gaps are wide enough for the trike.


Just for info, on my Scorpion fx I can handle the ones between Dry
Drayton and Bar Hill.

In article ,
David Evans wrote:
In article ,
Tim Ward wrote:

Plenty wide enough for a trike.

This is the reason I'd like a "minimum maximum width" from route
planners. But I admit to being too lazy to do anything about it so I
don't complain very much.

It's also critical for people with poor balance, even if they ride
bicycles. I tried my best, but the bitter opposition from the
psychlists (including the Cambridge Cycling Campaign) meant that
I got absolutely nowhere.

No facility is VASTLY better than a dangerously inadequate one.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.