If you live in Weymouth, you are always pretty close to a cycle path, and quite a few of these are dedicated cycle paths or on low traffic routes.

Go six miles up the road, and it is a completely different story.

Put simply, it goes to chaos.

First let’s talk about National Cycle Route 26 (NCR26).

You first approach the A35/A354/Weymouth Ave roundabout, and have to cross one lane, then two more lanes, then another two more lanes but drivers aren’t slowing down, they are speeding up.

Then, you get to Maiden Castle road, and the bike path simply ends. Even on official NCR maps, there is not a recommended route through Dorchester. The most direct route to join up to the start of NCR26 on the north of Dorchester is via Borough Gardens, so I’ll go with that.

You head up to Maumbury Junction, okay during off-peak.

School ending, people commuting to and from work, that is when things can start to get chaotic and stressful, especially for young and beginner cyclists. You head down Maumbury Road, again okay off-peak, but any highs in traffic and things get dodgy. Maumbury Rd is a very thin road, so causes more stress for young and beginner cyclists.

Then, you head up Cornwall and Albert Road. Both main car corridors for people. Then you cross the Top O’ Town Roundabout and turn right to get onto Colliton Walk.

To head from north to south is a nightmare. You go on heavily trafficked roads, and that is not where you want to be as a cyclist.

Redirecting through Maud Road wouldn’t cut it as well, as you would have to go onto Damers Road, Williams Avenue, and Bridport Road, most of them traffic hotspots.

National Cycle Route 2 (NCR2) does the job of east to west well. It takes you through a mix of less-trafficked roads and dedicated cycle paths.

Poundbury is a large development, and remains unconnected. Poundbury promotes not taking the car. But you will have to take the car to get into the centre of town. All the corridors where people would take bikes wouldn’t because it is just to dangerous for them.

Dorchester needs to pull a Weymouth. Whether it be creating dedicated cycle paths, making cycling safer around Dorchester, or even putting signs up for a recommended cycle route through the town.

Cycling has to be made a priority. Right now, it’s sort of stagnant.

Even if its something little, just do it.

S DUNLOP

Dorchester