ejstubbs Regarding 1, as far as I can tell the route is to turn left as you come out of the alley that lets you onto Charlotte Square and follow it around, then hang a right into the cycle track on the eastern arm of the square and pull up at the button that's about level with the lights and, when you get a cycle green, proceed forward a little and then turn left onto George Street(dodging the inevitable peds ignoring the red man). That's how I've been doing it anyway.
On 2, there's actually a designated cycle lane on the north side of the closed section of George Street but the gaps in the barrier(at the middle of the road ends) are tiny and unmarked and the cycle lane standee signs blew down in the big storm and seem to have just been dragged off into the ether by the people running the attractions.
And yeah the whole town is a nightmare zone right now as always during the festival. I had to apologise to a couple the other day for getting grumpy with them at one of the Picardy gyro cycle lane zebras for just refusing to cross the bloody thing despite me already having stopped and put my foot down - turned out they were Canadian and didn't realise bikes are supposed to stop for peds at those. There are so many bad bits where the gormless lemmings will just wander around and stare blankly as you roll toward them ringing the bell, or the ones that act like you've just set off a canon when you brake to let them over when they have priority and then start acting as if you did it on purpose to frighten them because who could ever expect bicycles to be travelling in the marked cycle lanes...
I'd be gloating about not having to endure it all full-time now, but apparently I've travelled far enough westwards that I now have to enjoy the Loyal Gammon Brigades tooting and harrumphing up and down my road all summer instead.
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