[Talk-GB] National Byway cycle route

[Richard Fairhurst]

On 08/05/2010 13:43, Andy Allan wrote:
> On Sat, May 8, 2010 at 12:19 PM, Richard Fairhurst<richard at systemed.net>  wrote:
>> Really, the National Byway is a fourth category: a leisure/touring
>> route. There are lots of these in OSM at the moment, but generally
>> tagged as LCN (for example, the Four Castles Cycle Route in
>> Monmouthshire, or a number around Cheshire). This is pretty
>> unsatisfactory, as Local Cycle Networks are generally utility commuter
>> routes.
>
> I disagree here, I don't see in what way the National Cycle Network
> isn't a leisure/touring route.

The NCN proper serves three purposes: utility, short-distance family 
cycling, and touring. The National Byway is touring only.

NCN 8 (Lon Las Cymru) is an interesting example. It's the toughest route 
on the whole NCN and some parts of it are very definitely for touring. 
(Some parts are verging on being mountain-bike only!)

But go to Cardiff, and you'll be lucky to spot a tourer: there, NCN 8 is 
an enormously busy commuter/utility route from the northern suburbs into 
the city centre. Go up to the old railway path south of Caernarfon, and 
you'll see hordes of kids on bikes and their very nervous mums weaving 
along the path.

The National Byway is very different. It's almost entirely country 
lanes, but with a willigness to head onto the nearest A road which is 
anathema to the NCN. It's quite telling that Serious Cyclists love the 
National Byway (Cycling Active magazine keeps running features on it) 
but no-one else has ever even heard of it. It's a classic old CTC-style 
touring route, and very lovely in its disorganised, incomplete way, but 
it's a million miles from the NCN.

So there's a clear reason to tag the National Byway differently from the 
NCN proper, just as we tag trunk roads, say, differently from secondary 
roads: the user can expect different things from each of them.

cheers
Richard