Tale of Two Tyres

Today did not go as planned. Up bright and early (although running slightly late) we were cycling towards Worcester ready to start our Wednesday with the Oldbury Park Bike Bus.

Unfortunately, we were stopped very abruptly on the ‘new’ shared cycling and walking diversion at Powick by an onslaught of thorns. The hedge had been freshly cut, we think this morning as we rode the same route late last night, and was absolutely littered with thorns and spikes. We rode a little then walked our bikes beyond the debris only to find that we each had five or six thorns embedded in our tyres. Thankfully we were running tubeless so we didn’t suffer too badly but the cyclist immediately behind us was not so lucky.  This guy was wheeling his e-bike with a completely flat rear tyre and thorns stuck in his front one. 

He was visibly frustrated and angry that his ride in and his travel back, which would have been especially difficult on a heavy e-bike, had been severely hampered by negligence. We met another six or seven cyclists who had to make a decision on how they were going to navigate this section, bearing in mind that this diversion was established following the loss of the safe route over the Powick Old Bridge and significant safety concerns about use of the main road by cyclists.  

The condition of the shared cycle and footway strewn with debris

Every rider we spoke to was appalled by the state of the path and the disruption to their journey.  The condition of walking and cycling infrastructure that we are expected to accept is a far cry from that used primarily by drivers. It would be front page news if broken glass had been left strewn across the road, resulting in multiple punctures with drivers and vehicles requiring recovery / lifts / collection but cyclists are expected to grin and bear this same level of disruption and cost (in time and inner tubes) to their day without mention.

It is assumed that in this case the hedge cutting had been undertaken by a local landowner / contractor due to which parts of the hedge had been cut and the area over which hedges have been flailed today around Powick and Callow End - although we cannot be sure. It should be noted that those carrying out maintenance have a duty to clear up after the work:

In principle, anyone who cuts a hedge or a verge beside the carriageway is liable for the reasonably foreseeable consequences of doing so; and anyone who works unsafely and / or fails to clear up afterwards may be held liable for any damage caused by their negligence. Cycling UK - Cyclists, vegetation and hedge trimmings

Leaving the shared footway in such a poor state put people at risk both due to punctures and potentially forced riders to choose a busy road as an alternative, puncture-free route. As for me and Sam, we missed the Bike Bus, reducing number of protective adult riders in attendance.

The hedge cutting had taken place at a time when commuters to school or work should be expected and there was no opportunity for the cycling community to notify fellow riders or to arrange and carry out a clean up (by Highways, landowner or volunteers).

After a prompt phone call to Worcestershire Highways (a contact we had made in the process of establishing this particular diversion route) Sam and I knocked on doors to ask for brooms to clear the route.  One helpful resident offered us no broom and told us that we should just use the “other side” of the road resulting in our reply, “I’m after a broom, not opinions” - see image below showing that the condition of the “other side” of the road was just as impassable as the one we were trying to clear.

The “other side” of the road which was equally impassable

We did manage to get two brooms (thank you very much to the building company working nearby and a local resident for loaning these) and spent two hours sweeping the thorns from the shared cycle/footway. Just as we finished, a team from Worcester City Council arrived to clear the cuttings and this will hopefully mean that the commute home for people will be a lot less stressful than the one in this morning.

A safe and clean shared walking and cycling route

On primary routes such as this one, there needs to be some communication between landowners and Highways as to what is expected when walking and cycling infrastructure is concerned e.g. ensuring such jobs are completed in a satisfactory manner, that landowners / contractors observe their duty to the public to ensure routes are safe and clear.  Perhaps an arrangement could be made between the two parties to ensure a clean up was made in good time.