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Category: Cycle roads

Cycling infrastructure and safety

Kiwi bicycle tourism

Kiwi bicycle tourism

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We have toured the South Island by car many years ago but after recent NZ marketing we decided to tour the South Island by bicycle.
Basically, touring cyclists require an environment where you can cycle anywhere safely and where accommodation is readily available. NZ fails dismally as a cycle destination.

In Europe a lot of the routes have separate roads for cyclists.
In NZ none of this exists (of course). The next option would be to have shoulders on the roads. Most roads in NZ do not have road shoulder. The situation in NZ is much more dangerous than no shoulders. Perversely the dangerous roads with little visibility have no shoulders and the straight roads have shoulders.
This sets a dangerous precedence as motorists may be conditioned into thinking that their behaviour to cyclists can assume shoulders, exactly in scenarios where it should not.

The majority of drivers are well behaved towards cyclists. Unfortunately, some trucks think they own the roads (might is right), and demonstrate this by driving past you as close as possible.

Cycle road planning in NZ is hilarious. There are some goat tracks that have been created, or have been rebranded as cycle tracks. So the local tourist office may typically advertise paid pickups and transfer of luggage. This may be good for the occasional family outing on mountain bikes, but if you attempt this on a typical haul of 80 km between accommodation possibilities, you will be midway, repairing your bicycle when it gets dark.
It seems like the NZ bicycling strategy has been planned by a 10 year old. Sorry, I have to apologise. A 10 year old would do much better.

I would advise cycle tourists to avoid New Zealand.

Cycling on Spanish roads

Cycling on Spanish roads

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Spain does not have independent cycle roads. Spain provide roads with shoulders that are normally adequate for cycling. This works well for thoroughfares, but is dangerous in areas where there are lots of intersections. In such intersections cyclists often have to cross against fast moving traffic.

Whilst driving through Spain it is obvious that there has been a huge recent investment in road infrastructure. Many large graded highways have been built and preexisting roads are often relegated to service roads to these highways that then become the roads designated to cycling. Whilst these roads are often good, they are not consistently available, indicating that the Spanish road infrastructure upgrades were not designed with cycling in mind, again making entry and exit to cities dangerous for cyclists.

The cycle infrastructure is much better than New Zealand. New Zealand has no cycle infrastructure.

French cycle roads

French cycle roads

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The French cycle roads are good in places and non-existent in others (still much better than New Zealand of course). French cycle roads are not part of a general cycle infrastructure, but is an opportunistic infrastructure.
( in contrast with German cycle roads that are prevalent everywhere). Canal borders and old train tracks are converted in cycle tracks that present wonderful smooth and scenic rides. In the cities cycles fight for road verges with cars (better than New Zealand though)

Cycle roads in Germany

Cycle roads in Germany

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The road system for bicycles are very good in Germany. Kerbs are normally broadened in towns, with a separation for bicycles and pedestrians. Out of town cycle roads run in parallel to main roads and are wide enough for two or three cyclists to ride next to each other. Cycle roads require some intuition as they are not always very well signposted.

The (rural) cycle roads may be next to the highway for long stretches. The cycle roads often tunnel under highways and intersections. When there are small towns nearby the main road, cycle roads normally separate from the main road and go through the small towns. I suspect this is partly done to make the cycle infrastructure accessible to the small towns.

Cycle roads are scenic as they cut trough meadows, meander through small towns and pass under and around trees. It makes the rides more interesting, but add to travelling distances.