honestly, unless there was broken glass, or some major obstruction, there is no reason to NOT ride in that bike lane, it’s HUGE! – I’d ride in it
Wide-Review-2417 on
Tho…that’s one really nice and wide bike lane. Can’t really take the cyclists side here, i gotta got with the carbrains.
devowasright420 on
It looks like they’re passing the child? Someone is coming in the other lane, it makes sense. I will ride in the bike lane if it’s clean, if it’s not then cars can share the road & it’s the city’s fault 🙂
Pizza_900deg on
They have a solid point. It’s understandable when there is no bike lane that bikes would ride in the traffic lane and the law supports that. But when there is a bike lane that taxpayers in that area spent a lot of money to build for the safety of the cyclists and they’re needlessly blocking traffic by riding out in traffic, that justifiably pisses people off. As a cyclist I don’t want clueless idiots like those pictured to piss off people in 3000lb cars any more than necessary.
Kone__ on
And they are absolutely right. Why would I endanger myself and not use the bicycle lane – just to avoid the occasional braking? Not worth it.
PurpleTrek2300 on
OP is obviously not a cyclist. If he owned a road going bicycle, especially one as new looking as in the photo, he would understand a “bike lane” is no place for a road bike. I put bike lane in quotations because this appears to be more in line with a sidewalk with the amount of pedestrians. It is safer and easier for the cyclists to be in the road in this case. Modern road bikes are very fast, highly efficient machines. 15-25 mph on a bicycle might seem like child’s play to a motorist but 15-25 mph is actually fast enough to get a majority of the people where they need to go comfortably, within 15 miles.
nondescriptadjective on
These look like athlete cyclists in a pace line, going at a speed that might be above the speed limit for this bike lane. It would also be incredibly inconsiderate to the people in that bike lane, an oncoming person and one going the same direction, to ride between these people in a pace line. And if you’re out to get your workout in, your training ride, etc, then having to constantly slow down and make adjustments for this situation really prevents you from being able to provide/maintain steady power. Thus, you’re not going to get your workout in anymore, and it’s going to take far longer to complete your ride.
Brilliant_Attorney35 on
They are being safe. Kid in lane, on coming bike, pedestrians in right hand walking path. The group on ride is more than likely much faster than kid.
Otherwise-Double5624 on
just because cyclists are always getting cut off, treated badly does not make them right for something they did wrong! if there is a clearly defined bike lane that is adequate for 2 or 3 bikes side by side I don’t really see any reason for them to be riding in the car lanes. these types of posts just damage the already 💩 reputation of cyclists…
RageReq on
Mildly what? I read that as mildly infatuating
Cheeto_McBeeto on
There’s really no reason they cant ride in the bike lane here
anon36485 on
They’re passing the choke point cause by the child, pedestrian and oncoming bike. How is this not obvious to people? The timing is such that the kid, pedestrian, and oncoming bike are all going to be very close to each other at the same time.
Totally reasonable to shift onto road to avoid hitting somebody going 20mph. Cyclists don’t randomly decide to ride on the road when there’s a bike lane. If they’re in the road there’s a reason and it is usually safer for them or somebody else.
Next time you see this try to understand *why* cyclists made the decision to shift to the road. We are very aware of how dangerous cars are and we never want them behind us unless they have to be
IdleContemplations on
I think they are just passing the kid. They went into the car lane because there is an oncoming rider on the other side of the bike lane. If there is no fast moving vehicle traffic behind them, then what they are doing makes sense.
animalmom2 on
Two way bike lane.
The roadies in the street are likely going 30-35KPH. The kid on the right perhaps 10. At the top of the photo someone is on a beach cruiser coming directly for the roadies in the opposite direction. You would absolutely be putting your life in your hands to ride at speed in the bike lane in this case.
This bike lane is clearly one for casual people screwing around on bikes. It would be crazy dangerous to be doing serious riding in this case and I would never do it. It’s also legal to use the road on a bike in nearly all cases, regardless as to whether there is a bike lane available. (Typically unless posted that it is illegal).
The road riders are doing nothing illegal.
NB: If the bike lane was that wide and it was one way I’d gladly use it, but it’s two way.
Clickclickdoh on
My guess is that the roadies know this route and know the bike lane is about to terminate so they’ve gotten out of it before the current curb between the bike lane and regular lanes started.
I sure as shit would not want to have to transition over that curb.
ExcellentMedicine on
My first thought is the people riding in the lane are simply trying to enforce a wider birth for… idk… the *child* a few feet to thier right.
Competitive_Shock_42 on
We don’t know the situation
Clearly a child riding and a cyclist counter direction. Lot of pedestrians on the right
I usually ride on the bike lane
unless there is a lot of other slow traffic
Very short lanes where you have to merge on the road again
Potholes and debris
So taking a still photo without knowing all the other details does not tell the true story
I can easily take picture of a car riding on the wrong side of the road because he avoided debris, slow moving vehicle like tractor etc
BrotherMichigan on
I’d probably ride in the bike lane under those circumstances, but I also wouldn’t fault those riders in this situation.
_CyclingAddict on
Bunch of wannabe elitists, fucking it up for the rest of us
CobaltCaterpillar on
Road cyclists are:
* *SAFELY PASSING* a kid bicycling in the bike lane!
* CANNOT be in the left side of the bike lane because it’s a two-way bike lane and a cyclist is oncoming.
* CANNOT be on the shoulder because (1) you do not pass on the right and (2) jogger is ahead.
Furthermore, motorists are NOT OBSTRUCTED because:
* THEY HAVE TWO LANES!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Cyclists are hugging the right edge of the lane
Kid is safe, jogger is safe, oncoming cyclist is safe, road cyclists are safe, and no motorists are obstructed! I literally cannot think of a better way for the road cyclists to handle this situation.
— EDIT —
From the comments, people familiar with this location have pointed out the bike lane/path ends 50m ahead so they might as well be in the road now.
19WaSteD88 on
One guy in the comment reconized this spot in Upsalla Finland apparently and clarified, and can also be seen in the photo if you zoom in, that the bike lane ends in about 50 m, where it merges into the sidewalk, meaning they would have to go on the road anyway soon after the picture was taken. So its kind of fake news.
But in principlr, indeed when you have a usable and decent bike lane, it is inapropriate (even illegal in my country) to still go on the road but some bike riders prefer to be on the road rather than get stuck behind slow children on the bike path (if it is used intensely).
This does not sit well with motorists which put all bike users in the same bucket that all of them want bike lanes, when in fact just most of them want bike lanes but a very small minority of bike users are against them and prefer to ride on the car lanes as it gives more freedom of movement. You can see also the clips of those NY bike courriers how they go through traffic while having bike lanes, its certainly faster but immensily more hazzardous, pretty much an extreme sport.
I am 100% for bike lanes (despite the fact i currently ride on the street as my city has next to no bike lanes) as i see them as the one and only way to increase bike usage and thus increase the quality of life by reducing traffic.
If they (bike lanes) upset the 0.00001% of the city population represented by the bike users who prefer to ride on the street, then i am sorry but its for the common good.
HBGDawg on
I ride where it is safest for me. I there are no car, I am on the side of the road next to the bike lane usually because of all of the small rocks and such in the bike lane. But when a car approaches me, I move into the bike lane.
DevelopmentIll3209 on
We have bike lanes where I live and there are many cyclists who ride in the car lane. If you ask why they will tell you because of getting flats. I ride in the bike lane always and I might get a flat 1 time a year. I run Conti 5000 just for this. If there is a bike lane and you’re in the car lane you are one of the people who give bikers a bad name.
ComputerBot on
Folks are brainwashed carbrains, it’s just our culture. I can imagine a reality where motorists aren’t entitled to the majority of public transit space, careening through at lethal speeds scrolling instagram, but it ain’t here yet.
PayFormer387 on
He’s right. Guys should be in the bike lane.
I commute by bicycle and guys like this annoy me because they annoy motorists.
The way I figure, the fewer motorists out there with a grudge against cyclists, the better.
Also, when new cycling infrastructure is proposed and people chime in saying we shouldn’t spend the money because cyclists don’t use it anyway, this shit lends credence to their argument.
“Op, I know exactly where in Uppsala this is. The bike path ahead merges with the sidewalk, and doesn’t allow bicycles on it. So the cyclists has to bike on the road in 20meters anyway, so they might as well do it now instead of dangerously dropping down from the curb and entering the road at low speed.
The only mildly irritating thing here is the path design.”
MarcelPPR on
Most of these lanes are limited to 25-30kph which is often not enough for road bikes. It can be really dangerous to stay on them when you have families with kids that can deviate from their path.
However, I agree that when you have such a nice lane reserved for cyclists, you try to stay on it.
27 Comments
honestly, unless there was broken glass, or some major obstruction, there is no reason to NOT ride in that bike lane, it’s HUGE! – I’d ride in it
Tho…that’s one really nice and wide bike lane. Can’t really take the cyclists side here, i gotta got with the carbrains.
It looks like they’re passing the child? Someone is coming in the other lane, it makes sense. I will ride in the bike lane if it’s clean, if it’s not then cars can share the road & it’s the city’s fault 🙂
They have a solid point. It’s understandable when there is no bike lane that bikes would ride in the traffic lane and the law supports that. But when there is a bike lane that taxpayers in that area spent a lot of money to build for the safety of the cyclists and they’re needlessly blocking traffic by riding out in traffic, that justifiably pisses people off. As a cyclist I don’t want clueless idiots like those pictured to piss off people in 3000lb cars any more than necessary.
And they are absolutely right. Why would I endanger myself and not use the bicycle lane – just to avoid the occasional braking? Not worth it.
OP is obviously not a cyclist. If he owned a road going bicycle, especially one as new looking as in the photo, he would understand a “bike lane” is no place for a road bike. I put bike lane in quotations because this appears to be more in line with a sidewalk with the amount of pedestrians. It is safer and easier for the cyclists to be in the road in this case. Modern road bikes are very fast, highly efficient machines. 15-25 mph on a bicycle might seem like child’s play to a motorist but 15-25 mph is actually fast enough to get a majority of the people where they need to go comfortably, within 15 miles.
These look like athlete cyclists in a pace line, going at a speed that might be above the speed limit for this bike lane. It would also be incredibly inconsiderate to the people in that bike lane, an oncoming person and one going the same direction, to ride between these people in a pace line. And if you’re out to get your workout in, your training ride, etc, then having to constantly slow down and make adjustments for this situation really prevents you from being able to provide/maintain steady power. Thus, you’re not going to get your workout in anymore, and it’s going to take far longer to complete your ride.
They are being safe. Kid in lane, on coming bike, pedestrians in right hand walking path. The group on ride is more than likely much faster than kid.
just because cyclists are always getting cut off, treated badly does not make them right for something they did wrong! if there is a clearly defined bike lane that is adequate for 2 or 3 bikes side by side I don’t really see any reason for them to be riding in the car lanes. these types of posts just damage the already 💩 reputation of cyclists…
Mildly what? I read that as mildly infatuating
There’s really no reason they cant ride in the bike lane here
They’re passing the choke point cause by the child, pedestrian and oncoming bike. How is this not obvious to people? The timing is such that the kid, pedestrian, and oncoming bike are all going to be very close to each other at the same time.
Totally reasonable to shift onto road to avoid hitting somebody going 20mph. Cyclists don’t randomly decide to ride on the road when there’s a bike lane. If they’re in the road there’s a reason and it is usually safer for them or somebody else.
Next time you see this try to understand *why* cyclists made the decision to shift to the road. We are very aware of how dangerous cars are and we never want them behind us unless they have to be
I think they are just passing the kid. They went into the car lane because there is an oncoming rider on the other side of the bike lane. If there is no fast moving vehicle traffic behind them, then what they are doing makes sense.
Two way bike lane.
The roadies in the street are likely going 30-35KPH. The kid on the right perhaps 10. At the top of the photo someone is on a beach cruiser coming directly for the roadies in the opposite direction. You would absolutely be putting your life in your hands to ride at speed in the bike lane in this case.
This bike lane is clearly one for casual people screwing around on bikes. It would be crazy dangerous to be doing serious riding in this case and I would never do it. It’s also legal to use the road on a bike in nearly all cases, regardless as to whether there is a bike lane available. (Typically unless posted that it is illegal).
The road riders are doing nothing illegal.
NB: If the bike lane was that wide and it was one way I’d gladly use it, but it’s two way.
My guess is that the roadies know this route and know the bike lane is about to terminate so they’ve gotten out of it before the current curb between the bike lane and regular lanes started.
I sure as shit would not want to have to transition over that curb.
My first thought is the people riding in the lane are simply trying to enforce a wider birth for… idk… the *child* a few feet to thier right.
We don’t know the situation
Clearly a child riding and a cyclist counter direction. Lot of pedestrians on the right
I usually ride on the bike lane
unless there is a lot of other slow traffic
Very short lanes where you have to merge on the road again
Potholes and debris
So taking a still photo without knowing all the other details does not tell the true story
I can easily take picture of a car riding on the wrong side of the road because he avoided debris, slow moving vehicle like tractor etc
I’d probably ride in the bike lane under those circumstances, but I also wouldn’t fault those riders in this situation.
Bunch of wannabe elitists, fucking it up for the rest of us
Road cyclists are:
* *SAFELY PASSING* a kid bicycling in the bike lane!
* CANNOT be in the left side of the bike lane because it’s a two-way bike lane and a cyclist is oncoming.
* CANNOT be on the shoulder because (1) you do not pass on the right and (2) jogger is ahead.
Furthermore, motorists are NOT OBSTRUCTED because:
* THEY HAVE TWO LANES!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Cyclists are hugging the right edge of the lane
Kid is safe, jogger is safe, oncoming cyclist is safe, road cyclists are safe, and no motorists are obstructed! I literally cannot think of a better way for the road cyclists to handle this situation.
— EDIT —
From the comments, people familiar with this location have pointed out the bike lane/path ends 50m ahead so they might as well be in the road now.
One guy in the comment reconized this spot in Upsalla Finland apparently and clarified, and can also be seen in the photo if you zoom in, that the bike lane ends in about 50 m, where it merges into the sidewalk, meaning they would have to go on the road anyway soon after the picture was taken. So its kind of fake news.
But in principlr, indeed when you have a usable and decent bike lane, it is inapropriate (even illegal in my country) to still go on the road but some bike riders prefer to be on the road rather than get stuck behind slow children on the bike path (if it is used intensely).
This does not sit well with motorists which put all bike users in the same bucket that all of them want bike lanes, when in fact just most of them want bike lanes but a very small minority of bike users are against them and prefer to ride on the car lanes as it gives more freedom of movement. You can see also the clips of those NY bike courriers how they go through traffic while having bike lanes, its certainly faster but immensily more hazzardous, pretty much an extreme sport.
I am 100% for bike lanes (despite the fact i currently ride on the street as my city has next to no bike lanes) as i see them as the one and only way to increase bike usage and thus increase the quality of life by reducing traffic.
If they (bike lanes) upset the 0.00001% of the city population represented by the bike users who prefer to ride on the street, then i am sorry but its for the common good.
I ride where it is safest for me. I there are no car, I am on the side of the road next to the bike lane usually because of all of the small rocks and such in the bike lane. But when a car approaches me, I move into the bike lane.
We have bike lanes where I live and there are many cyclists who ride in the car lane. If you ask why they will tell you because of getting flats. I ride in the bike lane always and I might get a flat 1 time a year. I run Conti 5000 just for this. If there is a bike lane and you’re in the car lane you are one of the people who give bikers a bad name.
Folks are brainwashed carbrains, it’s just our culture. I can imagine a reality where motorists aren’t entitled to the majority of public transit space, careening through at lethal speeds scrolling instagram, but it ain’t here yet.
He’s right. Guys should be in the bike lane.
I commute by bicycle and guys like this annoy me because they annoy motorists.
The way I figure, the fewer motorists out there with a grudge against cyclists, the better.
Also, when new cycling infrastructure is proposed and people chime in saying we shouldn’t spend the money because cyclists don’t use it anyway, this shit lends credence to their argument.
there was a comment on the original post from @[Educational-Rise4329](https://www.reddit.com/user/Educational-Rise4329/)
“Op, I know exactly where in Uppsala this is. The bike path ahead merges with the sidewalk, and doesn’t allow bicycles on it. So the cyclists has to bike on the road in 20meters anyway, so they might as well do it now instead of dangerously dropping down from the curb and entering the road at low speed.
The only mildly irritating thing here is the path design.”
Most of these lanes are limited to 25-30kph which is often not enough for road bikes. It can be really dangerous to stay on them when you have families with kids that can deviate from their path.
However, I agree that when you have such a nice lane reserved for cyclists, you try to stay on it.