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Parked cars block cycle lane – while their owners ride static bikes in park

Local resident says issue highlights lack of safe cycling provision in Edinburgh

A ​cycle lane on a road through a park in Edinburgh is regularly being blocked by drivers parking there – with the vehicles’ owners then getting out and riding static bikes as part of open-air fitness classes they are attending, claims the person who took the above photographs.

Twitter user Dave McCraw, who says the issue highlights the lack of safe cycling provision in the city, posted pictures of cars parked in the cycle lane plus a fitness class with participants pedalling on static bikes.

“We're struggling to reduce soaring traffic volumes in Edinburgh,” he wrote.

“Something that doesn't help is making it legal to park over cycle lanes to do stationary bike riding in the park.”

Others found the whole spectacle rather bizarre.

Situated in Marchmont in the south of the Scottish capital, Melville Drive runs along the southern edge of The Meadows and the northern side of Bruntsfield Links.

A number of companies run fitness classes on The Meadows including Be Military Fit and Fitness trainers operating on the Meadows include Punk Fitness and Be Military Fit.

Fitness instructors operating in Edinburgh’s parks and other greenspaces are required to have permission from the council to hold classes there.

City of Edinburgh Council – now controlled by a minority Labour administration with the support of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats – says that registration is required to enable it to better manage such facilities.

Cycle lanes are covered by Rule 140 of the Highway Code, which governs the use of so-called “mandator” cycle lanes, separated from the main carriageway by a solid white lane, and “advisory” cycle lanes, which have a broken white line.

Rule 140 says:

You must not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation. Do not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable.

Local restrictions on parking and waiting also apply – in this case a single yellow line, with Mr McCraw pointing out in a response to a comment on his original post that the issue was not so much people parking where they are allowed to, but rather that it highlights the inadequacy of much of the cycling infrastructure in the city.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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38 comments

Avatar
Organon | 1 year ago
3 likes

Irony is the strongest force in the Universe.

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Mungecrundle | 1 year ago
3 likes

The purpose of these type of cycle lanes are to basically confine cyclists to the edge of the road during periods of high traffic volume, for the convenience of drivers. When the roads are less busy they get used for parking and the cyclists can take their chances with the now lighter, but faster moving motor vehicles.

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Safety | 1 year ago
4 likes

You couldn't make it up.
Looking ahead this road will shortly be the southern perimeter of Edinburgh's low emission zone. I wonder if the clowncil will look ahead and foresee the large rise in traffic this road will carry as a result and act accordingly with some safe cycle provision. Despite the recent change in administration
I know what my money's on.

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brooksby | 1 year ago
2 likes

Do we know that the people spinning were the ones who'd dumped their cars in the cycle lane?

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Secret_squirrel replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
1 like

I would like to have that confirmed too.

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chrisonabike replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
5 likes

Isn't it obvious?  You can't use a bike to get a bike somewhere.  You'll be suggesting we do the shopping on them next!

(They could have come down from the Quartermile buildings or possibly flats just south of course but I doubt you'd want to hump them from further afield).

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TheBillder replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like
chrisonatrike wrote:

Isn't it obvious?  You can't use a bike to get a bike somewhere.  You'll be suggesting we do the shopping on them next!

(They could have come down from the Quartermile buildings or possibly flats just south of course but I doubt you'd want to hump them from further afield).

I think both flats (sorry, luxury apartments and duplexes [duplices?]) at Quartermile that are not AirBnBs or owned as investments through offshore trusts have unused Peloton bikes in them.

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chrisonabike replied to TheBillder | 1 year ago
0 likes

Who owns the zebra though (if still there)?

I did see a pair of bikes stored on end using some suction-cup clamps on a window there.  So someone's cut the cord.

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Awavey replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
1 like

well I do know people who drive to a gym to then sit on a static bike, so anything is possible.

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RunFBRun | 1 year ago
11 likes

wow, peak irony!

(it always used to make me smile at the gym - I don't go anymore, it's just too sterile - people HAD to drive and HAD to park as close as possible to the door!)

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MTB Refugee | 1 year ago
13 likes

It's a painted cycle lane and therefore not fit or purpose.

Does anyone actually know what a painted cycle lane is supposed to do? In my experience they mean that drivers will close pass way closer than if the lane wasn't there in the first place.

The thinking from most drivers goes something like:

So long as I don't enter the cycle lane, then everything is OK

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chrisonabike replied to MTB Refugee | 1 year ago
10 likes
MTB Refugee wrote:

Does anyone actually know what a painted cycle lane is supposed to do?

Allow councils to claim money and tick boxes?

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Secret_squirrel replied to MTB Refugee | 1 year ago
6 likes

Rumour has it some councils have a bounty on cyclists heads.  Hence they try to catch us with those oh-so-tempting murder strips.

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peted76 replied to Secret_squirrel | 1 year ago
8 likes

but.. how did they get it there.. 

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chrisonabike replied to peted76 | 1 year ago
0 likes

I've no idea but take that one back and get a refund, it looks like it's been contaminated.

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mdavidford replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
7 likes

And also it's the wrong sort - you want the ones with the red wrapper.

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essexian replied to mdavidford | 1 year ago
2 likes

Is there such a thing as a pineapple Bounty? I think that would be quite nice.

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mdavidford replied to essexian | 1 year ago
1 like

Apparently there was. In 2018. In Russia.

https://www.ok.co.uk/lifestyle/bounty-launch-new-flavour-chocolate-14357715

I feel a campaign coming on.

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pockstone replied to essexian | 1 year ago
5 likes

The original Bounty was filled with breadfruit. It never went far because of the poor ratings.

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peted76 | 1 year ago
7 likes

That is quite possibly the silliest thing I've seen on the internet since.. well I'm not sure when.. it's just so ridiculous.

Do you think the spin bikers are even aware of just irony inviolved here?

 

 

 

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muhasib replied to peted76 | 1 year ago
3 likes
peted76 wrote:

That is quite possibly the silliest thing I've seen on the internet since.. well I'm not sure when.. it's just so ridiculous.

Do you think the spin bikers are even aware of just irony inviolved here?

 

 

 

Even more silly is as they are using concept2 bikes they could connect to zwift also although why you'd do that outside I don't know a sensible answer to.

This reminds me of gym members who drive 5 minutes to and from a gym to use a treadmill.

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IanMSpencer replied to muhasib | 1 year ago
3 likes

Or the motorist bemoaning he shouldn't lose his licence because the gym was difficult to get to.

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eburtthebike | 1 year ago
5 likes

“mandator”  Some kind of malignant robot?

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mdavidford replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
2 likes
eburtthebike wrote:

“mandator”  Some kind of malignant robot?

I thought it was some kind of vigilante cyborg going round terminating cars parked in cycle lanes with extreme prejudice.

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chrisonabike replied to mdavidford | 1 year ago
0 likes

You're thinking of "re-psycho" - taking out the cars and then repurposing their materials in a less resource-intensive manner.

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chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like

If people want to go do static training in a park then... that's them I guess.   Reminds me of this a bit - maybe if they'd only occupied the "cycle lane"* with their stationary bikes...

Edinburgh is still a highly motor-vehicle addicted place.  Bit of a missed opportunity for a relatively compact place so keen on tourism.  However it's actually one of the better places in the UK I've lived in.  There's an "almost network" of paved completely off-road paths in the North, there are starting to be some routes around the centre and connecting east / west of the city, you can find fairly safe places to roadie yourself sick (Arthur's seat) or do some short trail riding, good cycling outside the city...

However the council shows no great urgency about doing more of this (e.g. "network" anyone?) or capitalising on the potential in a place with a high population density.  For a fraction of the cost of the single tram line we could have provided low-cost private / personal go-anywhere mobility suitable for the young, old, those with disabilities (you still have to get from and to the tram...) etc.

* I don't believe in non-mandatory cycle lanes.

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OldRidgeback replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes

The cycle lanes in north Edinburgh along the old rail lines aren't bad at all. You can't zoom along as they are shared paths so you do have to watch out for pedestrians and dog walkers and so on, but I've been along them many times. They'll take you into the centre of town. You can get from Fife right into the centre of town and pretty much avoid cars the whole way. The cycle provision on Edinburgh's south side is still a bit disconnected.

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chrisonabike replied to OldRidgeback | 1 year ago
0 likes

I live in the north so am very familiar with these - not "cycle lanes" at all but definitely "traffic free paved paths".  People call them "cycle paths" but they're of course "shared use".  I'd like them to use more of the available width and have some demarcation of a pedestrian / cycling area (yeah - pointless until we've adapted to the idea).  Currently this is about as good as the UK gets though.  Gentle gradients.  No traffic lights.  Occasional maintenance, gritting and vegetation management.  Miles better than a shared towpath.

OldRidgeback wrote:

You can get from Fife right into the centre of town and pretty much avoid cars the whole way.

For a moment you had me reaching for my Spokes maps to check for tunnels under the Firth of Forth from Burntisland!  But yes - there's a largely off-road route (via mostly "LTNs" where on-road) to the bridge.  Not quite suitable for kids because of the section into Dalmeny but the envy of much of the UK.

Agree - lack of development in the South and then the gap in the centre.  (George Street helps but I guess this year it'll be back in business for events.)  Although the long-awaited E-W route in from Roseburn is supposed to really, definitely be happening, just a minute.  Council very happy to rest on its laurels.

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chrisonabike replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
0 likes

Actually even though there are a few "pro" types I'm sure that if the council could only find the money they'd immediately scrap the paths to run trams down them.  I think Edinburgh's a "cycling city" in spite of them sometimes.

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Oldfatgit | 1 year ago
5 likes

"fecking cyclists. Never use the fecking cycle lanes. Cost me a fecking fortune in Road Tax. C++TS"

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