Motorcycles in cycle lanes

[Rashika]

So how do the cyclists not get bowled then?

we do

It's a cycle lane, m/bikes (or anything else) shouldn't be there, and they shouldn't be passing on the left...

People grizzle on here all the time about cyclists taking up too much of the road, and I agree with that sentiment, they do at times. But the same applies the other way too, stay out of their cycle lanes.

yeah that'd be nice

my biggest peev at the moment has to be buses...
buses who think that the cycle lane does not exist an basically drive on top of us to get into their space to pick up passengers and then proceed to block both the cycle lane and the drivers on the road. I then have to brake hard/stop/try to pass the bus without being bowled by the cars as they try to avoid the bus as well.
I travel down blenheim road everyday by pushie and at east once a week have this happen with a bus...fkn pisses me off.

Motorcycles in the lane... wel i guess if you are gonna do that you takes ya chances like the rest of us. The one time i saw that made me cringe cos the guy was undertaking a HUGE Bus at speed on Blenheim road....goddamn i freaked a bit, expecting to see blood splatter out the back, even the bus driver swerved! Guess some people really are temporary nz'ers... never saw him again, maybe he did do it once too often?

[Flyingpony]

I was being seriously tailgated last week by a 4wd, eventually the traffic up front slowed and stopped for lights.

Could have gone down the right of them and into the right-hand turning bay, but then he'd probably have followed me down this dead end...

Anyway, I needed to turn left at this intersection.

Didn't slow down until after I noticed he was slowing down, then counted 1, 2, 3,,, By now it was time for some seriously over-due braking and made my exit move for the cycle lane, my escape path. Since there were parked cars along side it there was no physical possibility that crazy driver was going to follow me. Yes I had established that the cycle lane was empty before and during my move.

Ha, two months ago,,,
A Big Red City Council bus caught up with me riding my bicycle in the cycle lane ....
(the traffic was stationary for as far as the eye could see - another bus 3km up the road had broken down blocking one lane)

Frequently you see in Chch riders filtering down the right and then like magic, all switch into the cycle lane for the next 100m or so because it's too dangerous to continue filtering down the right. Once it's safe again, they go back to the right. Never have I seen or been bullied by a motor cyclist in the cycle lane. If they can't go safely around, they all wait patiently behind at a safe distance.

[cooneyr]

my biggest peev at the moment has to be buses...
buses who think that the cycle lane does not exist an basically drive on top of us to get into their space to pick up passengers and then proceed to block both the cycle lane and the drivers on the road. I then have to brake hard/stop/try to pass the bus without being bowled by the cars as they try to avoid the bus as well.

I rode along ricarton road for about 6 months until I got sick of the busses. Riccarton Road/Clarance/Straven intersection is really bad. Going south on Riccarton busses starting in the right through lane and cyclists in the left. 200m down the road the bus pulls left into a stop across the cycle lane. Long story short got pushed into the kerb a couple of times. There is a deliberate lack of lane markings in the left lane so it can be used as a though lane, I talked to the designer of the intersection, contact the bus company and laid a formal complaint to Ecan (manage the bus contracts). What happened - nothing.

I find bus mirrors a good way of getting the bus drivers attention. Smaked one while a bus was pulling into same location (after hard breaking and swervying around said but) and broke it good an propper. Was on a bus about 2 months later and this girl was telling the driver about it. Wanted to tell the girl is was cause of the stupid fkwit driver rather than agressive cyclist (I would call myself asertive ). Thought better keep my mouth shut though less I get a bill for a mirror.

Cheers
R

[Rashika]

Never have I seen or been bullied by a motor cyclist in the cycle lane. If they can't go safely around, they all wait patiently behind at a safe distance.

yeah true, its mostly cars or buses that do the abuse, haven't had a bike do anything ...yet

[TonyB]

Erm- so a motorcyclist rides illegally in a cycle lane and hits an unsuspecting motorist who is turning right, and the CAR driver is the idiot? Hmmm I'm picking the car driver isn't expecting anything to be traveling at over 50k in the cycle lane.

Reminds me of an incident I saw earlier this week. I was parallel parking on Colombo street. One car ahead of me another vehicle is trying to pull out onto the road- he can't see too well as I am in the way so he tentatively starts to pull out- the way is clear of cars anyway as they wouldn't be able to get around me. I have to stop backing in breifly as a scooter came around the corner maybe 30m back. So this numb nuts whizzes around me then promply shits himself when he sees the car in front of me. So he swivels around (while carrying on at about 50K) and shakes his fist and yells abuse at the car driver. In my book the guy on the scooter is the idiot, because he didn't slow down and he didn't THINK and assess the situation.

[imdying]

Christchurch has lots of cycle lanes that m-bike riders seem to use a passing lanes. The cops have been attending crashes where the bike rider gets taken out by some eejit in a car turning right thru the line of cars from the opposite direction.

Whats the answer? Do we outlaw the practice (actually it's already against the law) or just take our life into our own hands, and save time at the expense of compromising safety ?

I don't believe the car driver is an idiot in that instance, any motorcyclist filtering in the cycle lanes needs to be aware that they can be potentially traveling quite a bit faster than a bike. You can sneak up pretty quickly on drivers turning right through the line or cars, they can't always even see you.

It is my number one fear when filtering up the cycle lane... if I'm not feeling up to the mental exercise, I sit in the line of traffic. However, if you're aware, looking ahead and across, you're pretty safe... it's certainly a risk that can be effectively mitigated, much like many other driving/riding scenarios.

Personally, I think this is a case for police discretion. Leave it illegal, but don't enforce it unless you think someone is being particularly negligent in their technique. People on scooters doing 30-40 down the cycle lane, past stopped traffic, are bloody crazy. Those people need to be stopped (although to be honest, I very much doubt a fine would work... really, Darwin needs to take care of them).

I'm as careful as I can be in my filtering technique, I dribble along pretty slowly and ride as defensively as I can. I don't really want the nana state to impose another law on me, and I don't believe a law like that would have any effect on the people it would really need to target (to make a difference in crash statistics).

I do feel it's a great advantage for bikes to be able to filter through cycle lanes, it would be a shame for less experienced, or just down right crazy scooter riders (yes I look like I'm picking on them, but sit on Wairakei road any week day after 5 and watch that fat dick on that poor scooter mindlessly doing about 40 down the cycle lane every day and you'll get a bias too ) to ruin it for all.

Peter, love your work mate, thanks for caring

[sefer]

Well really half the problem in CHCH is that most cage drivers seem to mistake the 'keep left' rule for 'sit as close to the centre line as possible, even if there is 1m plus space to the left of you.' That pretty much forces you to pass on the left if you want to split (usually only worth it if the traffic is stopped and backed up).

And realisticly, how many scooters or motorcycles go 50 or over when using a cycle lane? I sure as hell wouldn't given that I don't think any cage drivers take someone to the left of them into account, and I'm yet to see anyone else do it. I think it's safe enough as long as the MC takes the issues into account (I'm sure most do), but I also think that most drivers could use a bit of re-education as far as cycle lanes go (if not for our benifit, then for the cyclists).

Also bear in mind, there are many cyclists that are quite capble of 40+ on their bikes for substained periods, and it's perfectly legal for a moped to be hooning up at cycle lane at 40k (thought again, I sure as hell wouldn't! )

[PLUG]

... i don't ride a m/c to site in a line of traffic ... up the in or down the out, that's me, stright to the front ... i'm curious to see what the hold up is ya know ... low, normal or peek traffic flow, it takes the same time to get there ... ride defensively at all times, anticipate, senses focused ... this helps keep me safe & the rubber side down ... fookin diesel spill (on a roundabout @ night) ... note to self ... also need to keep a better eye on road conditions ...

[Skyryder]

I'll use a cycle lane in light traffic when approacing lights to get off an early start so as to get in front of the cage. Usually I keep out of them.


Skyryder

[slimjim]

gosh glad i don't live where there is that much traffic, when visiting Big town's i don't do as the local's ,but i do enjoy watching what happen's around me, i stay with the slow flow, me i belive i have my right to my part of the road i'm on, and gee what's time anyway, arriving there safetly is number one for me,

[Flyingpony]

I'd keep an eye peeled for the local units. Read in the paper last month that they are targeting motorists who use the cycle lane. Read to be aimed at cages but they might catch us too.

[sefer]

.i'm curious to see what the hold up is ya know ...

Just watch out, that hold-up might not be one you really want to see

[BiK3RChiK]

There were changes to the traffic rules (when the indicate at roundabouts rule was introduced) that specificaly make it illegal to drive a motor vehicle in a cylcle lane other than to cross the lane. This therefore makes it illegal to ride a motorbike on a cycle lane.

I've seen motorcyclists using cycle lanes a bit recently, and as I was wondering about the law with regards to cycle lanes, I thought I'd do a search.

Besides the illegality of using cycle lanes, it is also very dangerous IMO.

[CookMySock]

pfft, ride wherever you like. Just keep your speed relative to the traffic down, and open yer eyes and switch brain on. The cops don't care as long as you're not being an arse. You know what being an arse means. If you get pinged, try and get off of it. Its the way of the world.


DB

[pritch]

pfft, ride wherever you like. Just keep your speed relative to the traffic down, and open yer eyes and switch brain on.
DB

That about sums it up

There are places I use the cycle lanes, more so on the moped than the bike.
Then again, on the moped I use footpaths, pedestrian underpasses, driveways, and anything else that enables progress to be made. Especially on the way home after work...