Bollards on bike paths

[John U]

So I'm guessing Bollards are on bike paths to stop cars driving down them. How often is this going to occur? Is it more of a hazard to the public to actually put these fuckers in the middle of the path? Especially to cyclists? I'd like to see them all removed. They are really dangerous when placed in the middle of dark bit of the path (despite having a dual set of arse kicking lights).

 

[Nautonier]

I think the logic behind them is to slow cyclists down before hazardous areas, such as crossing roads or tram lines. Personally I think it's easier to see a tram coming up than it is to see a low bollard (at night). And there's always, y'know, signs. Cyclists can read just as well as motorists.

I knew someone once who was terrified of the things as she was just learning to ride a bike and clip in. Navigating around them saw her fall off several times and didn't do wonders for her confidence.

 

[scblack]

Bollards are usually at entry points for cycleways. That's fine I think.

I've not seen one in the middle of nowhere from memory, but maybe there are some around. I'm thinking of the M7 cycleway in Sydney, and those there are in lit areas too.

 

[Mr Crudley]

The M7 ones aren't in the middle from memory, although they have some covered flappy things along the path to add bollards if needed in some spots.

Just don't clip bollards with your handlebars.

 

[Mica]

Been seeing a few of them being removed around Brisbane these days (at bikeway intersections rather than road entries) which is only making things safer in those areas

 

[Flow-Rider]

When they first started to turn up on cycle paths here in Brisbane, I was distracted by looking at the buckle in my front wheel and hit a bollard with the handle bars. It just twisted my brake lever down, I scraped my hand and leg on the concrete but lesson learnt always look where you're going.

If they get rid of them, you'll get all the wankers trying to take short cuts through the cycle paths.

Not long ago I was confronted by a P-plater on a narrow bridge flashing his lights at a speed that was around 80km/h. It was just luck that I was at the start of the bridge and was able to back out in a hurry to avoid him. It all happened so fast and I was in shock as it was the last place I would expect a vehicle to be. I didn't get a chance to look at the number plate or throw something through his window.

 

[Haakon]

Canberra has heaps of these things, super dangerous and hard to see... Thankfully no more going in but still plenty of them around.

http://www.pedalpower.org.au/news/banana-rails-no-longer-permitted-on-paths/

 

[Binaural]

Haakon - your article is about banana rails rather than bollards, the article actually says the standard now will be to use more bollards. Both are species of the same evil though.

The thing about bike path bollards is that they are designed around the requirements of stopping cars rather than guiding cyclists. Anecdotally it's catching handlebars that's the problem - shouldn't be it be possible to design a bollard that is painful to clip but won't knock a rider off their bike?

 

[Haakon]

Bollards/banana rails - both are dumb hazards that shouldn't be there... Canberra used to have a bunch of 40cm concrete bollards that all had a lot of scars on them - thankfully they removed those a couple of years ago.

 

[Dozer]

You guys have cycle ways? Lucky you, if I had that a bollard wouldn't bother me.

 

[casnell]

I hate bollards! I came out from behind a tree straight into the rising sun and was temporarily blinded and clipped one. Riding along minding my own business and suddenly I'm rolling down the bitumen! Smashed my helmet, my watch and my glasses. Luckily the top of the bollard hit bottom of the shifter and the Thomson handlebar just snapped cleanly through. A cm left and it would have been the fork that took the impact, and 2 cm right and my fingers would have taken the full impact.
I have no doubt it would have been a busted frame if the fork had hit and 4 smashed fingers if my hand had hit it. Designed to cause maximum damage if you hit one, kind of an anti-tank trap for bikes, I hate the fuckers!
And its only there to stop cars going through there, surely something less dangerous could be there?

 

[Beej1]

I was wondering the other day whether we're going to be seeing more car/truck proof bollards in public spaces as time goes on.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Bollards. My mob pay tens of thousands every year to put quite a few hundred of them in every year in an attempt to manage where a few idiotic people can and can't destroy their natural surroundings. They don't work because they aren't intimidating enough to demand respect from fuckwits. They get winched out of the ground, snapped off, burnt down or merely driven over.

They are an indicator that YOU are surrounded by fuckwits. If they become an issue to your health, safety and mental wellness then move somewhere where there are no fuckwits. Or natural environment. Whichever is more important to you.

 

[bear the bear]

Haakon - your article is about banana rails rather than bollards, the article actually says the standard now will be to use more bollards. Both are species of the same evil though.

The thing about bike path bollards is that they are designed around the requirements of stopping cars rather than guiding cyclists. Anecdotally it's catching handlebars that's the problem - shouldn't be it be possible to design a bollard that is painful to clip but won't knock a rider off their bike?

Would take banana rails over bollards any day. Stupid Pedal Power, bollards defect a cyclist should they stray. Bollards are more likely to be a trip to A&E!

 

[John U]

Bollards. My mob pay tens of thousands every year to put quite a few hundred of them in every year in an attempt to manage where a few idiotic people can and can't destroy their natural surroundings. They don't work because they aren't intimidating enough to demand respect from fuckwits. They get winched out of the ground, snapped off, burnt down or merely driven over.

They are an indicator that YOU are surrounded by fuckwits. If they become an issue to your health, safety and mental wellness then move somewhere where there are no fuckwits. Or natural environment. Whichever is more important to you.

You've stated they don't work so what's their point?

As you've indicated, people act like fuckwits everywhere. Is there a better alternative? I like the idea someone posted earlier of only allowing them one the middle of a split path. Is there some kind of retractable tyre spike device that might suit the purpose? Or something else?

I've had a few close calls with them. Mainly because they've been located somewhere which makes them fucking hard to see until you're about to poleaxe yourself on it. In a well lit location, that allows enough time to react to it, I have no issue. Maybe my problem is actually poor path design and/or poor locating of the bollard.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

You've stated they don't work so what's their point?

As you've indicated, people act like fuckwits everywhere. Is there a better alternative?

Their point is to look like we care where the Great Unwashed can go.

In my world, the alternative is to forget bollards and let people go where they want in whatever they want whenever they want to. If that means a few demolished cycle paths and the odd squashed cyclist/pedestrian/canine...well then, the omlette will have extra flavour.

The true cyclists alternative is a ramped stile over a fence... imagine this as a ramp...

 

[rowdyflat]

Bollards are so that plastic that isnt truly recycled can be reused and everyone feels warm inside.
In our town main street ,they just get in the way and get pushed towards horizontal.
With the copy cat terrorism , runaway ,truck maniacs eg UK Houses of Parliament you can look forward to heavy duty bollards being placed everywhere in public places. Maybe huge tyre spikes everywhere would be safer.

 

[John U]

Their point is to look like we care where the Great Unwashed can go.

In my world, the alternative is to forget bollards and let people go where they want in whatever they want whenever they want to. If that means a few demolished cycle paths and the odd squashed cyclist/pedestrian/canine...well then, the omlette will have extra flavour.

The true cyclists alternative is a ramped stile over a fence... imagine this as a ramp...

I'd be all for ramps. That sounds awesome.

 

[Jim Junkie]

So I'm guessing Bollards are on bike paths to stop cars driving down them. How often is this going to occur? Is it more of a hazard to the public to actually put these fuckers in the middle of the path? Especially to cyclists? I'd like to see them all removed. They are really dangerous when placed in the middle of dark bit of the path (despite having a dual set of arse kicking lights).

In my experience they are put in to stop cars for the most part. On Moreton Bay Rail for example, the bike path was designed to have capacity for vehicles in case the constabulary needed to go driving up there for some unknown reason. Bollards were installed to stop everyone else driving up there on a whim.

Personally, I hate the bastards (bollards that is). They are hard to see and easy to hit. I clipped one with the little guy in the bike trailer (which sits a bit wider than the bike) & flipped it (yeah, I should have been paying more attention, but I was distracted by the shiny new rail line :beguiled. They're painted yellow, but in the middle of the day with bright fresh concrete bike path that doesn't exactly stand out, plus they're only about 1m tall, so tend to sit below your natural eye-line.

Banana poles are better IMO, but not easily removable if a car needs to go through I guess.

 

[flamin'trek]

Would take banana rails over bollards any day. Stupid Pedal Power, bollards defect a cyclist should they stray. Bollards are more likely to be a trip to A&E!

Me too. Have nearly hit a few bollards that weren't painted or stickered. Not fun. I think the banana rails would be less unpleasant to run into, but also easier to avoid as typically I ride closer to the centre of the path than the edge unless there is someone else on the path too.