# How safe is the Bristol - Bath cycle path?



## fat hamster (Aug 10, 2005)

Opinions are divided in this report.

Are these isolated incidents, as Sustrans claims, or have Urbanites also had bad experiences?


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## butchersapron (Aug 10, 2005)

Geri uses it every day and has done for a few years and the worst she's had is someone flash at her. The worst i've had is rats running across the track. Mind you, that's only the bit between town and fishponds, there's a whole load more than just there.


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## butterfly child (Aug 10, 2005)

I kinda feel this is quite telling

"Spokeswoman Melissa Henry said: "We have around two million trips on the path every year, so these are very isolated incidents." 

When I started reading the link, I thought "but shitloads of people must use that cycle path". 

I tend to look at things like micro-wotsits of society.. anywhere there are people, you're going to get things like this.


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## tobyjug (Aug 10, 2005)

fat hamster said:
			
		

> Opinions are divided in this report.
> 
> Are these isolated incidents, as Sustrans claims, or have Urbanites also had bad experiences?




School holidays, shit like that is a possibility no matter where you live.


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## gentlegreen (Aug 10, 2005)

Maybe the yobs aren't about during the rush hour. I've used it every work day for 17 years between Easton and Fishponds without a single problem.
10 years ago there used to be kids sniffing glue under the Devon road bridge .... 

Just lately there have been a few burnt out cars and burnt dog poo bins ...

I've always felt there's something to be said for riding with "attitude" to survive generally on a bike ... I have in the past considered carrying a sand-filled bicycle pump ....

.


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## on_the_fly (Aug 10, 2005)

I used to use it everyday when i worked in the center and the only problem i had was a sleeper placed across it when it was dark but i saw it just in time.

but as some have said these things will happen anywhere so its just a case of keeping eyes open i guess.


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## Sunspots (Aug 10, 2005)

I cycled from Bristol to Bath and back again on Sunday morning and didn't encounter any problems.

The only bit of potential aggro was when a motorcyclist tore up the path towards me near Easton, and I thought: _'-What a wanker!!!'_.    As it got closer, I realised it was actually a police motorbike.  -Maybe this news story explains why they were patrolling the path.

If someone is intent on stringing wire across the cycle path though, any unlucky cyclist won't know about it until it's too late.  It's a nasty thing to do, but due to the sheer number of users, this must be considered a very rare occurrence.

I've noticed an increase in the number of burnt out bins though.  It's no coincidence that it's the school holidays...


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## on_the_fly (Aug 10, 2005)

You could...


place a well alligned pole on the front of your bike and place a stick of celery on it and if it gets snagged u can stop before you get hurt by the wire.


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## gentlegreen (Aug 10, 2005)

This option will also protect the wearer against other forms of attack


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## Sunspots (Aug 10, 2005)

on_the_fly said:
			
		

> You could...
> 
> 
> place a well alligned pole on the front of your bike and place a stick of celery on it and if it gets snagged u can stop before you get hurt by the wire.



*DO NOT MOCK THE POWER OF CELERY.*


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## WasGeri (Aug 10, 2005)

I only use about two miles of it, from the beginning of the path to the chocolate factory exit usually. There are sometimes teenagers haning around the Easton bit being lairy but other than that, I've not had too much bother. I've noticed further up that you get some kids on motorbikes sometimes (Fishponds stretch). 

I wouldn't use it in winter but in the summer it's fairly safe as there are so many people around.


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## bristol_citizen (Aug 10, 2005)

I used to work out of Easton Community Centre over about 3 years and we would regularly (every 3 - 4 months) get people come in who had been attacked. Admittedly quite a lot were kids (as if that's alright!)
I also know someone quite well who was attacked with an iron bar at night on there and another two people who have been mugged at knifepoint.
It all depends what you call 'safe' I guess.


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## Sunspots (Aug 10, 2005)

bristol_citizen said:
			
		

> I used to work out of Easton Community Centre over about 3 years and we would regularly (every 3 - 4 months) get people come in who had been attacked. Admittedly quite a lot were kids (as if that's alright!)
> I also know someone quite well who was attacked with an iron bar at night on there and another two people who have been mugged at knifepoint.
> It all depends what you call 'safe' I guess.



I've never had any serious trouble on the cycle path, and I do use it several times every week.  I really try to avoid it after dark though.   

People used to warn me about that really long tunnel in Fishponds, but tbh, the stretch between the ECC and the chocolate factory is where my 'Spidey Sense' is most-likeliest to tingle. 






  <---


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## WasGeri (Aug 10, 2005)

Sunspots said:
			
		

> People used to warn me about that really long tunnel in Fishponds, but tbh, the stretch between the ECC and the chocolate factory is where my 'Spidey Sense' is most-likeliest to tingle.



Yeah, there are quite often kids hanging around under the bridge just before the chocolate factory and I worry when I go past them, no hassle off them so far.

My main worry is getting fireworks thrown at me around the end of October/early November so that's when I stop cycling.


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## Sunspots (Aug 10, 2005)

Geri said:
			
		

> My main worry is getting fireworks thrown at me around the end of October/early November so that's when I stop cycling.



-And that's when I fix the mini rocket-launchers onto my handlebars...


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## inks (Aug 12, 2005)

I use the cycle path a lot and over the years have only come across dodgy looking people a couple of times.  Which is pretty much par for the course in east Bristol.

The most dangerous thing I've come across there was the f**king chicane that got put in the middle of the path somewhere near Warmley (or somewhere like that).  That was lethal.


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## gentlegreen (Aug 12, 2005)

The greatest threat recently was being mugged by students hired by Sustrans who wanted you to sign a charitable standing order on the spot   

.


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## inks (Aug 12, 2005)

Yeah - I stopped and chatted to one and he had some interesting things to say but then out came the inevitable offer to subscribe to a magazine.

It's annoying because a few years back I was out on the cyclepath with Bristol Cycling Campaign leafleting about the Avon Ring Road.  I wasn't paid for it, I did it because like so many other people I really love the cycle path.

If I or BCC or anyone else did the same thing now we'd probably get mistaken for chuggers and ignored.


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## skinnyb (Aug 15, 2005)

if this is a couple of weeks ago, they werent students; they were sustrans employees on about £6.50 an hour overtime. i was asked to do it but was knocked back when it turned out i was only related to someone who worked for sustrans, not an employee myself.


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## inks (Aug 16, 2005)

Employees in what sense?

I'm curious about that, just because I'm used to being accosted by chuggers in the city centre and also see the job ads to recruit them.


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## skinnyb (Aug 17, 2005)

well, as far as i understand it, literally what i said: sustrans employees doing overtime on a subscription campaign, rather than whatever it is they do at sustrans ordinarily. nothing to do with any of the chugging agencies who advertise for students to work for them. i just wanted to clarify because i didnt want anyone thinking that sustrans had been sucked into the chugging revolution and were paying huge commissions to outsourced agencies and stuff, when thats not the case. i dont think they have a big enough profile to afford chuggers to be honest.


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## inks (Aug 17, 2005)

Thanks for that, skinnyb.  I wondered for a moment if it makes any difference what the guys terms and conditions of employment are but I think that yes, it does.  I talked to him and he clearly knew a lot about Sustrans and was commited to the whole cycle network thing.

As an aside, I've found a fantastic and as far as I know little used cycle route along an old railway line.  It starts from Yatton, heads south and just keeps going, I think you'd get near Cheddar eventually.

It'd be a bit boring to walk (flat, narrow and lined with tall overgrowth) but cycling it was fantastic.  Not tarmaced but not too rutted and a lot of fun to hammer along.  It crosses a couple of roads and the signage is very poor but I worked it out eventually.


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