Xplora wrote:ITW, he did say "cycle lane" as opposed to a Cycle Lane. I'm guessing breakdown lane?
Either way, you'd be forced to go single file because the usage of a proper bike lane isn't concerned with how easy it is to chat on the morning bunchie.
Technically it is a bike lane, but originally when the road was built way back in 1980s or perhaps earlier it was just a breakdown lane. Govco just came along one day with a stencil of a bicycle and some paint and voila it's suddenly a bike lane. It's not well maintained, there is leaves and other tree debris, not to menton gravel and assorted crap that has fallen off tradie utes. Did I mention the tree roots trying to push through the bitumen in places? The width isn't consistent either, it goes from being around 3m wide in places to around 1m in places. The Friday bunch that goes along this same route at the same time usually takes the complete car lane.
I think 20 or 30 riders strung out in single file would be more disruptive to the the 6 cars we see. All drivers need to do is to indicate and move to the other lane. No effort at all.
As far as the skills of the ridrs in the bunch, it's generally OK. Apart from not calling the pothole, there was a couple of guys that used to bunnyhop various obstacles which used to annoy me. but I haven't seen them for a while, maybe the cooler weather is turning them off riding. I rode with another bunch last Friday and it was way more disorganised than Wednesday one.