Potholes, Traillies and the future of urban biking?

I was coming round the Vauxhall one-way system on the way into work this morning and as always, with 4 lanes available, it was a bit of a fight for road position with other cars, vans, buses, cyclists etc. Not only that, as a biker, you’re always on the lookout for other hazards that can catch you out and tip you off - manhole covers, painted white lines, overbanding etc – and particularly when the road is wet (as it was this morning). Anyway, on the second right-hander, as I lean the bike into the corner my rear wheel drops into a pothole that I was unable to avoid completely. It was a bit of a “moment” but thankfully, I managed to keep the bike upright. Of course, had it been front wheel first, it might have been a very different outcome.

This is a story that has doubtless been played out in many urban areas following the harsh winters we’ve had over the last couple of years. Indeed, the situation nationwide appears now to have attained the status of long-running joke – for example, Motorcycle News, as part of a campaign, has a regular feature on the country’s largest potholes, the biggest of which so far is one of over 8ft in diameter in Glasgow! Unfortunately, with the Government’s programme of spending cuts stretching over the life of this Parliament, all the signs are that this is set to get worse.

Bikers, necessarily, take a keen interest in the state of road surfaces. Cracks and potholes in roads, particularly on corners, hold real danger - not only from wheels hitting them but also where a biker may take avoiding action and swerves into the oncoming lane. For bikers and cyclists, more than any other road users, this is potentially a life and death issue - it cannot be long, surely, before we see a successful manslaughter/negligence prosecution in the courts? Then councils will have to act.

Another couple of harsh winters will really test the quality of our road surfaces to the limit. Councils may try to buy some time with cheap patch-ups in the worst cases but until we get a different signal from central Government, it is probably safe to say that the current lack of investment will continue. But would a change in biking habits make any difference? Are we nearing the point where our choice of bike is dictated by the roads we are subjected to?

I have often thought that a big traillie like a BMW 1150GS is actually better suited to our roads than a cutting edge sportsbike. The big Beemer may look like a hippo with wheels but it, and bikes like it are made for rough terrain – which may increasingly become a consideration for bikers if the current situation continues. That, or give up and go by car.

I survived to ride another day. But it’s sad to think that this is the UK in the 21st century we are talking about….