Neil Williams wrote:

It depends what "decent provision" is. On the face of it, Milton
Keynes' Redway system is just what is required, and I do use it
myself. However, there are parts of it that are downright dangerous
and/or impede reasonable progress by bicycle due to blind bends,
excessive rubbish/glass being present and not cleaned up, or due to
repeatedly crossing side roads with poor visibility, or simply
pedestrians who block the way and don't respond to/respond
unpredictably to a bicycle bell or a shout of "Excuse me please"[1].
For that reason, the roads are often a better place to ride even
though these are generally national speed limit dual carriageways.

That was you! I was thinking very brave and very stupid.

My experience in Germany, or Hamburg in particular, is that the cycle
facilities were little better. Indeed, I can recall one very narrow
bit of kerb which was divided into a cycle and pedestrian lane, each
being about 2 feet wide. This was more dangerous than not having it -
and due to German law it is illegal not to use it where provided.

They're generally pretty good in the South. Perhaps it was a bit of
Hamburg that we didn't destroy in the war.

[1] I've taken to ringing my bell and shouting "Coming past on your
right", for example, but it seems that even this is beyond some
pedestrians on the Redway system, usually those with children and/or
dogs, and often leads to them/their dogs/their children moving towards
instead of away from the cyclist.

If a UFO did this to you, you might react in the same way. Motorists
and Pedestrians are not used to cyclists, except in some towns like
Cambridge.