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HigHurtenflurst on 02 August 2017
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SvennoJ said:

Normally I don't mind roundabouts yet one of my routes has the exact same problem. The trail along the river has been closed for the third consecutive year now for widening the motorway, adding bridges on the sides. (Not sure what they're doing, it looks wide enough for 12 lanes now lol). The first year they put up an alternative, which was later closed off as well, useful. Since then I has just said find alternative route.

Google's shortest alternative takes me over one of the busiest access point in Cambridge, with a left turn over a dual lane roundabout to get back to the trail. It's not just the roundabout, 3 lane bridge crossings with lanes merging and splitting off for the motorway.
There are no real defined rules for bicycles in those situations. Merge left or stick to the side and cross at the last moment, unclear. As long as traffic is not too fast you can keep up with them, makes merging a lot easier. I prefer a longer detour to the north on rural roads, yet sometimes that bridge over the 401 is closed for construction as well.

Bicycles seem an after thought here in Canada. I grew up in the Netherlands where there are bike paths everywhere. Here it feels like the wild west. This is basically it.

And this inside towns

Only motorways are off limits for bicycles, at least in Ontario. In British Columbia you can cycle on the emergency lane.

Yeah most roundabouts aren't too bad unless it's multi-lane with medium traffic (ie busy but still moving fast) but that one actually has signs up about how many accidents there have been to try make drivers more cautious. I have now been on it once when it's quiet, and managed to get around without being overtaken, but I don't want to use it regularly.

British cycle infrastructure is hit & miss, there are quite a few cycle lanes and in most cases they help, if only to make drivers aware that bicycles are meant to be on the road, but sometimes they make drivers assume bicycles should always be on the left, and in some cases they are made up of short sections of lane that stop where they are needed most, or narrow to almost nothing for a central reservation... this can be dangerous. Then there are plenty that just get used for parking, which in some cases I understand as where else are you meant to park... but if a cycle lane is packed with cars 90% of the time then it's pointless. I understand the difficulty in designing the infrastructure though, especially on Britains roads which are probably on average 50% narrower than over the pond, and plenty of residential areas don't have off-street parking.

From what I have seen in videos London is slowly building up some very good cycle infrastructure, though probably still a far cry from the Dutch, and it seems to have partly moved aggressive impatiant commuters onto bikes too, (running reds and flitering like maniacs) who might at least be less of a danger to other cyclists than a car but it doesn't help show cyclists in a good light.

I think one major problem with road cycling is you have to protect yourself against both ignorant drivers, and arrogant drivers... and the solution to each is often mutually exclusive. ie riding in "primary" middle of the road position will stop most ignorant drivers from trying to overtake in stupid places, but some arrogant drivers will just overtake faster & closer to you out of spite.