[Closed] BBC news tram tracks

I live in Nottingham, used to live in Sheffield. I'm not a fan of them.

They are a nightmare in the rain. The layout in some places make it impossible to cross them at right angles, and whats worse is the left hand rail is often exactly where you want to be on a bicycle, so I ride in the middle of them, which in turn annoys idiot car drivers/leads to some really stupid overtakes, often with a tram in the other lane.

Also, pedestrians around tram stops are complete lemmings, just wandering out into the road from behind trams or without looking at all.

Over 100 cyclists with serious injuries on the Edinburgh tram tracks in under a year. At one point the cycleway actually runs between the rails. Ludicrous and dangerous - especially so given that Edinburgh council had a report done on how to make safe cycle provision along the trams route but ignored it.

They were always going to be a problem in Nottingham. Luckily my commute means I only have to cross them once.

Does seem the clinching argument for a Fat Bike though.

The Manchester ones got me in the rain a week or two ago. The bike lans set me up to cross them at a shallow angle, I hopped over the first one, but put the front wheel straight into the second, and over..... F&^$ing stupid arrangement!

I live by one of the busiest section of tram track in Sheffield and really have no problem with them at all. Just ride sensibly and smoothly.

They are a skill test, but then again, so are lane markings, smooth tarmac joining strips and wet metal grid covers.

Heads up people, pay attention...

have done it a few times here in Munich, but luckily never hit the deck... altough a friend of mine, her mum broke her elbow when her wheel got caught.

good reason to lern to bunny hop.

There was a chap killed in Bristol a few years back. They were historic crane tracks but pretty similar. Fell on the track then hit his head before ending up in the dock. They've now closed the area to cyclists but have put a new (and better) cycle path in that bypasses that stretch.

Fatbikes. Just sayin.....

I'd get laughed at commuting by fatbike in Embra

And the difference a fatbike would make?

But that is the thing you should not have to be a keen cyclist to be able to cycle to your work. Surely people with no real interest in cycling should be able to negotiate these tracks safely (I bet a half decent lawyer would have a field day with these tracks)

And the difference a fatbike would make?

It's pretty nuts to run cycle lanes along tram routes. But it's also pretty nuts for cyclists to cycle along those routes if they know those routes are poorly configured and dangerous. Just go another way.

[quote=scotroutes ]And the difference a fatbike would make?

you would look cool and niche as you crash?

Surely track is narrower than tyre so always some tarmac grip he speculated wildely- no fat bike or tram tracks where i ride

nickjb - Member
There was a chap killed in Bristol a few years back. They were historic crane tracks but pretty similar. Fell on the track then hit his head before ending up in the dock. They've now closed the area to cyclists but have put a new (and better) cycle path in that bypasses that stretch.

They could have covered them like this to avoid that... 😕

[img] [/img]

[quote=tthew ]

And the difference a fatbike would make?

But it's also pretty nuts for cyclists to cycle along those routes if they know those routes are poorly configured and dangerous. Just go another way.

It's the only practical way to get where I was going. I hadn't ridden that way before, trundled down the cycle track, and it then just lined me up to cross the tracks at a very shallow angle. I do now know this route is poorly configured and dangerous but it was an irritating way to find out.

I like the glass covers an the beautiful paving ....

Was actually riding that in the Bristol docks and was actually thinking about the rail stuff that still seems to be there today 🙂