It was the HSBC Birmigham Let's Ride, coinciding with the official opening of the new A38 and A34 cycleways, so I went to have a look.
Instant review:
A38Surface quality is excellent. Segregated path is a sensible width.
Lighting unfinished, with a great many signs procaliming the cycleway not to be in use during hours of darkness.
The untaxed Audi that was blocking the cycleway this morning had been moved to block the footway. It had gone when I came back.
As it has priority at side roads, I was driven at twice by drivers ignoring give way/lights.
Some bends a bit tight to take at speed. I'd guess 12mph or so is the sensible limit for most bikes.
Traffic light timings are mildly frustrating, but only slightly worse than using the main carriageway.
Large commercial bins blocking the path on Kent Street.
Crossing of the Middleway in two parts is slow but competent. Really like the crossing of Priory Road (the provision of a proper pedestrian crossing here is the best part of the scheme IMHO).
Unsure about some of the tactiles at bus stops.
Some of the high-level traffic lights are a bit redundant.
Chucked out on Kent Street with no indication of which way to go. Should at least have joined up with the fabulous
[1] NCN5 contraflow on Hurst Street.
A34Similar to the A38, with a confusing lack of signage on the shared-use bollocks underpass at the Aston end.
Was driven at once by a driver who saw that I was approaching the crossing where I had priority and decided to go for it anyway.
Several drivers gave way as intended.
One set of traffic lights appears b0rked, and is stuck on perma-red for cyclists.
It doesn't go anywhere, depositing you on the pavement at a Big Scary Junction just short of Perry Barr. They've got
a conslutation on the go for some bollocksinfra they want to extend it with.
Let's Ride BirminghamFinally, a city centre route that isn't half-arsed. Bit uppy-downy for the little'uns, though.
Turnout at the festival bit seemed okay, but I expected to see more people cycling the route.
Meh, Birmingham.
Also discovered that the rear tyre of the Streetmachine
[2] was down to about 30PSI. Which explains my lack of mojo on yesterday's ride.
[1] In the gay village, even the cycle lane sparkles. Not in a good way.
[2] Ideally given that I was testing cycling infra I'd have taken the trike, but it's attached to the turbo with wires hanging off it.