On yer bike

Love ’em or loathe ’em, cycle lanes never fail to arouse strong feelings.

A recent invention sparked the latest debate in the cycing community. And it’s a brilliant idea.

Designed for use at night, the LightLane projects a bright laser image of a cycle lane onto the road in front of, and behind a cyclist.

Whether the lane it projects is wide enough, is another question.

When I first started cycling in Oxford, in my late twenties and following a good ten years out of the saddle, I was always glad of on-road cycle lanes, as well as off-road paths.

Seeing cycle lanes gave me a sense of legitimacy, affirming my position in a busy street network that had, since the 1920s, been designed with only cars in mind.

Novice cyclists, and politicians who are currying favour with two-wheelers, always refer to cycle lanes as if they are the be-all and end-all of good cycling provision.

However, as I became a more experienced rider, I realised that cycle lanes were in some ways a lethal waste of space because they are always so narrow.

To be safe and useful, cycle lanes should be 1.5 metres wide. But in many places, Oxford’s ‘olde’ streets mean that there’s no way a proper cycle lane and motor-traffic lanes can co-exist.

So, rather than see that infuriating and useless message “Cycle lane ends”, always at the point where you least need it to end, wide cycle lanes should continue along the sides of the road.

Let the motor-traffic muddle through in the middle, going more slowly as it edges onto the cycle lane (if necessary).

Why 1.5 metres? Too often what is marked as the cycle lane is an unusable strip along the side of the road. Cycle lanes are often paved with cobblestones and the crumbling edge of the cambered asphalt, with drain covers and broken glass.

If cycle lanes really are to be of any use, they should start 80 cm from the kerb and extend into the carriageway from there. I rarely cycle inside marked cycle lanes because so many are downright dangerous.

Although most experienced cyclists see them for what they are, I think it is important that we keep cycle lanes.

Not only do they send an important signal to novices; they also remind drivers that cyclists are there and that they need to be given room.

But our sorry cycle lanes should be made wider, irrespective of the room left in the middle of the road.

Using a uniform green or red for all cycle lanes would be really helpful. And they should be extended to cover much more of the city than at present.

As for lanes shared with pedestrians on pavements... don’t get me started! Shared-use facilities are, in the argot of George Orwell’s 1984, in Room 101 for many cyclists.

I’ll explain why in my 101st column...