You may have noticed them more often if you ride a sports bike, such as a road bike or a cross bike, but have you ever seen a "bicycle path"?

As the name suggests, these are roads designed to make cycling easier.

*From Fukuoka City's website "About the Formulation of the Fukuoka City Bicycle Utilization Promotion Plan"

Here's some information about bicycle paths in Fukuoka City, where the author lives.

I'll be introducing Fukuoka City as an example, but these activities seem to be nationwide.

There are actually 4 types of bicycle paths

Bicycle paths can be subtle, but there are actually four types.

・Dedicated bicycle paths

・Bicycle lanes

・Shared/mixed-use roadways

・Bicycle and pedestrian paths

• Dedicated bicycle paths

These are set up in a separate location from both sidewalks and roadways, and only bicycles are allowed to enter and travel on them.

There are almost no bumps, making them quite easy to ride on even with a road bike.

However, in Fukuoka City, the short length is a drawback.

They are generally one-way, but unfortunately some cyclists ride against traffic, so it's best to avoid riding at top speed.

• Bicycle lanes

Only bicycles are allowed to ride in bicycle lanes.

They are installed on roadways where cars and motorcycles also travel, and are easily identifiable as the road is painted blue.

Additionally, the road has "Bicycle Only" written on it.

When I actually rode on one with a cross bike, it wasn't just painted; there were no gutters or steps, making it quite smooth to ride on.

However, while cars and motorcycles aren't allowed to drive on them, parking is possible, which can sometimes be an obstruction when cycling.

Also, there are still cyclists riding against traffic, so you need to be careful to avoid accidents.

• Shared/mixed-use roadways

Shared/mixed-use roadways have arrows painted on the road.

Cars can also drive and park on these, so there are many obstacles.

However, these are also maintained with gutters, making them easier for bicycles to ride on.

It seems they are also installed on roads that aren't very wide, so I hope to see more shared/mixed-use bicycle paths.

• Bicycle and pedestrian paths

Bicycle and pedestrian paths are generally installed on sidewalks.

They are color-coded to separate areas for pedestrians and cyclists.

In practice, cars do not enter these paths and cannot park, but pedestrians can walk in the bicycle-designated areas, so caution is necessary.

Purpose of bicycle paths (in Fukuoka City)

According to Fukuoka City's website, there are plans to develop 160km of paths over 10 years, from March 2014 to March 2023.

Furthermore, it is expected to reach 122.7km by the end of March 2022.

According to the same website, the aim is to promote bicycle use and reduce the number of accidents.

Review of dedicated bicycle paths (in Fukuoka City)

I'd like to share my review after actually riding on various bicycle paths.

• No need to ride over drain covers

A good point is that the drainage system is well-maintained, making it very easy to ride.

When riding on regular roads, cars drive on the asphalt, and bicycles are sometimes forced to ride on top of drain covers by the side of the road.

In such cases, the rattling and vertical vibrations are transmitted, and due to the narrowness, it's hard to pick up much speed.

If you want to ride safely on a cross bike, about 20 km/h would probably be the most you could do.

In contrast, bicycle paths with improved drainage mechanisms made it easy to reach speeds of up to 35 km/h.

Since there are almost no bumps, I think you can ride with peace of mind even on a carbon-wheeled road bike.

However, you still need to be careful of cars cutting in when making left turns, so it wasn't something where you could just accelerate without a care.

• Glad to see an increase

Bicycle paths are being added to existing roads, and if road expansion work is carried out, bicycle paths are expected to be installed unless there is a specific reason not to.

I frequently see construction work, so I'm glad to see them increasing.

• There are cyclists going against traffic

There are always cyclists going against traffic, and I felt it was necessary to be careful.

As an effective preventative measure, I considered using a flashing light.

People unconsciously look at moving objects, so a flashing light would significantly increase the chances of them noticing you.

Cyclists riding against traffic also seem to feel a sense of guilt for doing something wrong, and often try to avoid collisions by swerving onto the sidewalk when they notice your presence.

For this reason, I use a flashing light even in the morning.

• Not a loop line

As mentioned above, in Fukuoka, the bicycle paths are not loop lines, so you can only ride on them if they happen to be along your commuting or school route.

If you want to enjoy a bicycle ride on weekends, I felt it was much easier to go to the suburbs than to ride within the city.

If they developed a fixed route that was, say, X kilometers long, I think it would be fun to ride a road bike or cross bike all day, but Fukuoka does not have anything like a "Fukuoka City Loop Bicycle Path."

Since other prefectures seem to have them, I look forward to it in the future.

External Writer: Koichi Okuno

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