Some good news some not so.
52% globally say cycling in their area is too dangerous
- Thread starter tintin40
- Start date
Some good news some not so.
From a Danish perspective,
I am in the countryside, though not too far away from the second largest city of Denmark. I cycle everywhere, I do not own a car or a motorbike. 90 percent of my riding is on country roads, gravel paths and singletrack. I rarely venture into the cities by bike, but if I do I usually regret it.
I think Denmark in general gets a good reputation when it comes to accommodating cyclists, and I suppose its true to some extent, but admittedly I often find that the roads where there's been extensive work done to implement bicycle lanes, individual stops at crossing etc, are the most dangerous roads to ride on. I sometimes think that the attempt at dividing cyclists and drivers leads to both parties being in their own world, not taking each other into consideration, and with more infrastructure aimed at cyclists, the more stuffy and tedious things get, so you often find cyclists breaking the rules, because it's often designed in a way that is as slow and tedious as driving a car.
The country roads on the other hand, where you often find yourself right up against cars, generally feel safer to me, because both cyclists and drivers have to put in a conscious effort to cater to each others needs.
That is not to say I don't like bicycle lanes, I do, but it depends on how its implemented and whether or not I have to share it with 2 wheeled motorised vehicles, which is a point I've yet to bring up. Because as much as car drivers do my nut in, that doesn't mean that moped drivers and ebikers deserve an easy going, they often take over bicycle lanes and pose a danger to cyclists, especially recreational cyclists.
The reality is that I think we all know that thr areas where bikes are needed the most happen to be urban ones, and they're also the ones where car congestion is the worst, so until we manage to rid cities of motorised vehicles (I don't want the electric kind either, potential lithium bombs driving about) it'll be a hell for cyclists regardlessly.
I am in the countryside, though not too far away from the second largest city of Denmark. I cycle everywhere, I do not own a car or a motorbike. 90 percent of my riding is on country roads, gravel paths and singletrack. I rarely venture into the cities by bike, but if I do I usually regret it.
I think Denmark in general gets a good reputation when it comes to accommodating cyclists, and I suppose its true to some extent, but admittedly I often find that the roads where there's been extensive work done to implement bicycle lanes, individual stops at crossing etc, are the most dangerous roads to ride on. I sometimes think that the attempt at dividing cyclists and drivers leads to both parties being in their own world, not taking each other into consideration, and with more infrastructure aimed at cyclists, the more stuffy and tedious things get, so you often find cyclists breaking the rules, because it's often designed in a way that is as slow and tedious as driving a car.
The country roads on the other hand, where you often find yourself right up against cars, generally feel safer to me, because both cyclists and drivers have to put in a conscious effort to cater to each others needs.
That is not to say I don't like bicycle lanes, I do, but it depends on how its implemented and whether or not I have to share it with 2 wheeled motorised vehicles, which is a point I've yet to bring up. Because as much as car drivers do my nut in, that doesn't mean that moped drivers and ebikers deserve an easy going, they often take over bicycle lanes and pose a danger to cyclists, especially recreational cyclists.
The reality is that I think we all know that thr areas where bikes are needed the most happen to be urban ones, and they're also the ones where car congestion is the worst, so until we manage to rid cities of motorised vehicles (I don't want the electric kind either, potential lithium bombs driving about) it'll be a hell for cyclists regardlessly.
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