Cycling in Brisbane

[noexcusezone]

Tell us about cycling in and around brisbane

[antmandan]

I don't own a car, thus my bike is used for getting me to work, do shopping, go out, etc. I've lived and riden in multiple cities in Oz and Europe, here's my assessment of Brisbane's cycling conditions. Sorry but this is going to be a bit long...

Road conditions:
Lots of roads are in a very poor condition with large cracks and pot holes plus raised hydrant points and sewer grates (I got caught in one at night a couple of months ago and came off). Many roads have multiple surfaces which makes it easy for wheels to get caught at surface joins. Lots of debris on the road from car accidents and broken beer bottles (I don't think tow trucks have to clean raods after accidents?).

Driver attitude:
Lots of aggressive drivers, some nice ones as well. Overwhelmingly lots of drivers are simply unaware how much safety room to give cyclists, most leave under 6 inches between their mirror and my handlebars. Some drivers also don't know road rules with regard to crossing bike lanes.

Weather:
It is hot! However if you can suck it up and dress for it, it is actually quite nice as you don't have to deal with cold fingers or a frostbitten face!

Facilities:
There are a couple of very nice bike ways, however they don't connect properly, and are all shared with pedestrians making them dangerously congested at peak times. These bikeways are more for weekend recreational riding rather than moving people in and out of the CBD. Bike parking is mostly ok, but some on street bike parking spots would be nice.