Cycling London Road South

​The cycle lane between Lime Walk and Brookside is one of the silliest in Headington. After cycling westwards past the Lime Walk junction, you have to make a sharp left turn up on to the pavement, only to meet an immediate stop-line. You then have two choices:

1. Wait for the lights to change to red, turn sharp right, and cycle across the London Road (there is a toucan crossing for cyclists and pedestrians). The only legal option you then have is to cycle back the way you came.
2. Proceed gingerly westwards on a tiny section of pavement (with a sign on a pole indicating that for just a few metres there is have a pedestrian and cyclists’ free-for-all).

Note that the next section of pavement cycle lane starts with a stop line, presumably for the benefit of cyclists riding in the wrong direction.

A worse hazard soon follows: the junction with Latimer Road shown below. As the stop lines indicate, no one has right of way. Unfortunately, however, motorists entering and leaving Latimer Road and cyclists cycling straight on all think that they have priority. In addition, you can expect cyclists coming at you the wrong way, and they have their own stop line.

The next danger point is when the pavement cycle lane comes to the sudden end as shown below, and you are legally required to turn sharp right in front of oncoming traffic. If the lights were to turn green at this point, you would probably be hit by this car…

… or by this bus.