Is this the UK’s worst city for cycling? Riding around Belfast’s abysmal bike network (and why drivers should be cycling campaigners’ best friends) + Do cycling culture war stories harm the bike industry?

What is the worst, least hospitable city for cycling in the UK? While we’re sure you all have your own ‘favourite’ contenders for that particular unwelcome accolade, in this week’s podcast episode – our 99th, if you haven’t noticed already – Ryan decides to settle the debate once and for all, by jumping on his bike (and pushing and walking it) along the questionably protected and poorly connected bike lanes of Belfast.

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So, ‘why Belfast?’, I hear you cry. The UK’s other major cities may have their problems concerning infrastructure and safety for people on bikes, certainly, but it’s fair to say that, when it comes to cycling, Belfast remains firmly entrenched in the pre-active travel plan dark ages.

Because, despite the implementation of the Belfast Cycling Network Delivery Plan in 2021, Northern Ireland’s capital still boasts a paltry two miles of protected cycling infrastructure.

It’s no surprise, then, that Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure, the government body in charge of the country’s cycling infrastructure, has long faced criticism for its apparent inaction when it comes to active travel in Belfast – leaving a poorly connected cycling network which only focuses on certain parts of Belfast and misses out large swathes of the city.

New barriers vandalised on Belfast cycle lane (credit: Steve Roy)

The government has also been criticised for its non-existent efforts to tackle persistent cycle lane car parking (and the odd bike lane blocking bin), the removal of protective bollards, evidence that cycling appears to be an afterthought during the design of other big transport projects, and the recent controversial decision to allow taxi drivers to use bus lanes in an attempt to “ease congestion”.

At the end of November, the tragic death of a cyclist in the city also sparked renewed calls for improved infrastructure from campaigners, as Claire Hanna, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, pointed out that this “dire situation of underinvestment” needs to change and that some drivers have “irrational attitudes” towards people travelling by bike.

> “You can’t make this stuff up”: Cyclists furious at government’s “easy, non-car disruptive” decision to upgrade “the one bike path we already have”… in city with only two miles of safe cycle lanes – as diversion forces riders onto busy road and footpath

So, why is Belfast so bad to ride a bike in, and how can it be made better? To find out, Ryan hopped on his bike and joined Meg Hoyt, the co-founder of the Belfast Cycle Campaign, on a typically cold and wet Northern Irish day for a ride around the city’s, ahem, variable cycling infrastructure.

During their tour, Meg and Ryan encountered some head scratching bike lane designs, plenty of ‘get off and push’ moments, traffic-free paths filled with broken glass, badly parked cars, a prolonged stretch of lovely scenic riding, and maybe… just maybe, a glimmer of hope for the future.

Meg Hoyt, Belfast Cycle Campaign (credit: Ryan Mallon)

During a much warmer post-ride chat indoors, Meg elaborated on why Belfast has garnered such a poor reputation for cycling, what needs to change to improve things, both on a national and local level, and why car drivers need to realise that cycling campaigners are, in fact, their best friends.

And in part two, Jack and Ryan sit down to chat with Jonathon Harker, the editor of Cycling Industry News, as we mark five years since the world shut down and the face of the bike industry was changed irrevocably.

During the episode, Jonathon assesses the state of the bike industry in 2025, discusses the impact of culture war stories surrounding e-bikes and infrastructure on the industry, and why cycling’s new motto, after a year or so of ‘Survive until 2025’, should perhaps be modified to the equally poetic ‘Thrive beyond 2025’.

Let’s hope that one catches on…

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At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.