Cycling Infrastructure | Fazakerley To Kirkby

If you have to guess or question where the cycleway proceeds, it’s failed in what it’s supposed to do and not fit for purpose.

I started to commute from Alloa to Edinburgh 30 miles. Returning to the bike from a long gap of kids and running and arthritis I thought to try to find as many cycle lanes as possible. I gave up on that bright idea when transitioning for the umpteenth time and couldn't get my foot out of my cleats quick enough. Occasionally I've had cars push me off, shouting about get on the cydpclelane,, horns and general slander. In Scotland it is harder to report as we don't have a police portal yet. I just wander what kind of world do these folks want to live where you have to suffer them unless you drive?
Can anyone tell me Id like to carry a bicycle on my motorbike in line so it doesn't make me wider. I've done this in a big paragliding rucksack to the sound of know all driver's telling me what for but I can't see anything in the highway code apart from my own mental decline. I would like to find some nice gravel routes and don't use a car all the time trailers are a bit expensive as well. Thanks and great vid ash always respect other peeps. 😊

A painted line on a pedestrian path isn't infrastructure

Ashley, cycling through ted lights on pelican crossings ain’t a good look you know. They mean “stop” after all 🤔

I’ve recently cycled circa 1200 miles in Germany on dedicated paths mostly where the surfaces put our cycling infrastructure to shame. Where road use was required the behaviour of drivers was exemplary giving a wide berth to cyclists and even giving way where I thought they didn’t need to.

The dedicated infrastructure in Germany is well planned and no afterthought, unlike the UK infrastructure.

Hi Ashley. On a bycicle, at a red signal on bike crossing, you are legally meant to wait for it to turn green before going. This is different for pedestrians, they are allowed to cross. You would have been able to get off you bike and cross on a red but what you have done would not be allowed. Is this something that you agree with?

How many sets of traffic lights did you cross in this video when they were RED for you? And that's not including the pedestrian only ones you also used illegally. A big discussion point, which you do seem oblivious to in the video.

There are a few organisations out there that promote cycling. Perhaps you could consider seeing what they are about and joining one.
Cycling on a shared path is ok. I would discourage cycling on paths designed for pedestrians only, though.
As for designing cycle routes, there is a lot of work required to make such routes safer for everyone. There is a strong argument to have a physical barrier between cyclists and motor vehicles. Painting white lines on the road to separate cyclists looks nice, but too many motorists drive over the lines. Often, there are no lines, so cyclists are at the mercy of lorries, buses, and everything else.

I enjoyed riding the nice cycle route between wirral Country Park and New Brighton.

15:24 Why was there an 'end of cycling route' sign just a few meters before another 'shared cycle route' sign at 15:29 ?

Cycling infrastructure needs to take space from cars not pedestrians.

8:48 You were on a cycle area but you crossed the road to a pavement without signage, without shared access, and you assumed – having seen another cyclist leaving the area – that it was also a designated cycle area. It turned out not to be. Should you have continued cycling there?

For Warrington, I've noticed a lot of the new cycle infrastructure is focused in the center of the town as we have a cycling trail (trans pennine trail) and a canal coming through which we're able to use to go to places.

Only issue is the lack of where we can lock our bikes within the town center, and for anything to the east of warrington it does get a bit scuffed. But its good to treat the TPT as a "main road" for bikes.

its a shame you don't go that way more often , if you go a bite further passed kirby you get to some great quiet country roads perfect for cycling. you can also go down the east lancs to Carr mill dam. the get on the park paths etc and other than crossing road ride all the way around through St helens and Warrington without touching a road again. Indeed you can continue on back to Liverpool via Widnes and otterspoil (sorry for the spelling) )with very little road use. lot of miles but once you get past kirby and the east lancs it all becomes much more sheltered and relaxed.

I used to ride some of the section you rode on but from the other way coming from Prescot area (can now due to leg injury) part of my loop into Liverpool centre. i always used the road as I pretty confidant on the road and tend to leave the cycle path for people who aren't that confidant. only tend to use cycle paths if in very busy , fast roads ie east lancs. Always find cycling is a game off give and take, obey the rules of the road and give priority to anyone if they need it. this keeps us all safe.

Thing is you always remember the car who comes to close and not the hundreds who give you room. Shared paths are good but so random in places and are often overgrown , messy or just as dangerous as the road.

I live in Warrington as well. One of my favourite bike rides involves cycling along the Trans Pennine Trail from Sankey Bridges to Widnes (towpath of the St Helen's Canal), using the recently introduced cycle path across the Runcorn Widnes Bridge which takes me onto one of Runcorn's cycle paths. The thing I like about these is that when using one of the ones in Runcorn is you don't have to keep stopping for traffic when crossing the road. It's segregated for other road traffic which suggests they were designed by cyclists perhaps in the 1960s or 70s when this town was promoted as a new town. This cycle path runs from just outside the town centre to the housing estates near Runcorn East railway station so it goes somewhere as well.

Hi Ashley is your speedo set in km per hour or mph ?

Wish all cyclists were like Ash.

Anyway, you’re lucky to have all that.
We don’t.

We are 1 of many small market towns here. There’s also a number of villages beyond.
The area is hilly-enough to deter all but the most determined & fit cyclists….not too bad in the towns, but in the countryside in between the hills are big. Therefore majority of cyclists stick to riding in the towns.

Our main cycling capability…
A bunch of these towns inc ours once had a local rail link….took apart in the 1960s into the 70s.
Many of these have been repurposed as cycle ways….in theory I could goto work using this…but reality is very different.
Some of the railway bridges were removed with the track…rail over road. It is therefore not a continuous route. Also after the railway was dug up…one of the farmers wanted his/her land put back to original-so a section of flat route was filled in and is now part of a field again.
The condition of this route isn’t great. 2y ago it was close to being closed because it was in such poor condition. However minimal money was found to patch it up. There was a cost, benefit argument and basically they didn’t want to spend any extra money for the tiny handful of people who use it each day.

The controversial bit….from that last part, on the route in the video…how much did that all cost v how many people use it?

And….our roads much like yours are in a terrible state of disrepair & getting worse….the “cycling” money could be used to fill in the potholes.
It’s also apparent some areas can afford to keep their roads in decent condition mostly…eg South Wiltshire, while others eg North Wiltshire can’t.

Also we only have decent bus connections on 1 route. East to west & back…no probs unless at night-no buses at night. North to South is useless.

This is why so many people rely on a car here. It’s almost a requirement just to get to work. In actual fact after many failed experiences with new employees who tried to make it work w/out a car-we now put in the job description: must have car unless living nearby.

If they want to make cycling really work over intermediate distances…they are going to need to have a paved, lit, network…like a road network-with multiple branches going to different parts of the towns-yea that is another thing our one doesn’t have. The route starts on the wrong side of our town and finishes on the wrong side of the next town. Completely pointless.

Not a very appealing route along a busy main road. I try to keep to the low traffic cycle routes which are just quiet roads.