A cyclist who injured himself slamming into a poorly-placed pole has mocked Roads and Maritime Services’ ‘fix’ to the problem.
Max Phelps struck the pole while riding along a new shared pathway on Victoria Road before the Anzac Bridge in Sydney’s inner-west late last month.
Mr Phelps posted a picture of the pole to Facebook on Sunday, revealing a line had now been drawn around the obstacle to make the lane narrower.
‘It looks like RMS has ‘fixed’ the problem. No lamppost in the middle of the lane any more,’ he captioned the post.
Cyclist Max Phelps struck the pole (left) while riding along a new shared pathway on Victoria Road before the Anzac Bridge in Sydney’s inner-west late last month. Mr Phelps posted another picture of the pole (right) to Facebook on Sunday, revealing a line had now been drawn around the obstacle to make the lane narrower
‘I’m pretty sure that the newly painted lane is around 50cm wide – almost enough room for my shoulders.’
The cyclist later went back to measure the space the pole was taking up in the lane.
‘The handlebars on my old bike that got wrecked were 75cm wide, the new ones are only 50cm. At the foot of the pole the gap is 80cm, but at handlebar height, 60cm,’ he aid.
Mr Phelps said there was no signage warning that the lane would narrow while approaching the pesky pole.
When asked by a British friend why he doesn’t simply just ride on the road like in the UK, Mr Phelps said there was signage preventing him from doing so.
When asked by a British friend why he doesn’t simply just ride on the road like in the UK, Mr Phelps said there was signage (pictured) preventing him from doing so
‘The warning signs at the moment are just to tell cyclists to keep off the road from that point onwards and use the pavement,’ he said.
‘Up until that point we can, then suddenly cyclists not allowed on the road because it’s heading towards a bridge.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Inner West Council and NSW RMS for comment.
The new line around the pole comes after Mr Phelps slammed into it last month.
He shared photos of his injuries to Facebook while slamming planning authorities for failing to provide adequate cycling infrastructure.
‘Are there other cities in the world that hate cyclists as much as Sydney?’ he wrote.
‘This is what passes for a cycle path here – paint on the pavement with a lamp post in the middle of the lane.
The new line around the pole comes after Mr Phelps slammed into it last month. He shared photos of his injuries to Facebook while slamming planning authorities for failing to provide adequate cycling infrastructure
He said he may have cracked several ribs as a result of the impact with the pole
‘Unfortunately there isn’t room to get round the inside of it either. Now it hurts when I breath – probably a cracked rib.’
Some thanked the cyclist for drawing it to their attention.
‘City planning at its best. Thankfully you aren’t seriously hurt and thanks for pointing it out to the rest of us,’ one woman said.
But some locals were unsympathetic.
‘Mate, I think you should find another sport if you can’t look 20 meters in front of you. I’ve ridden past that pole 1000 times and nave never thought twice about it,’ one said.
A cyclist was seriously injured after slamming into a lamp post right in the middle of a bike lane
‘Drive a car you wouldn’t have this problem,’ another said.
‘I get it, the path sucks. I ride it and I walk it. But we need to adjust to the environment around us and too many cyclists fang it down that hill which is dangerous for everyone,’ a third added.
It isn’t the first time Sydney’s cycling community has raised concerns over the placement of power poles.
Dr Kerryn Phelps shared a photo of a bike lane with a similar obstacle at Wilson Street in Darlington last November.
‘I have visited the area in recent weeks, and couldn’t help but notice a small design fault. See if you can spot it! What could possibly go wrong?,’ she wrote.
It isn’t the first time Sydney’s cycling community has raised concerns over the placement of power poles
Dr Kerryn Phelps shared a photo of a bike lane with a similar obstacle at Wilson Street in Darlington last November
‘I would’ve thought that the best time to remove a telegraph pole would have been before the cycleway was surfaced.’
Similar concerns were also also raised in June about the new bike path on Eldridge Street in Footscray, Melbourne.
A local cyclist posted a picture of the bike lane being blocked by five garbage bins.
‘This separated bike lane seems sub-optimal,’ they wrote alongside the picture.
A ‘poorly designed’ bike lane in Melbourne has caused confusion and some anger among cyclists just weeks after it was finished after residents started leaving bins in the lane (pictured)