Roads weren't built for cycling either.

Roads were not built for cars

I have had much discourse with Carlton Reid on this matter and I can say that he is so anti driver and anti car, that he cannot even accept the fact that, whereas society would totally collapse without drivers & indeed cars, the same isn't true about cyclists. That isn't anti cyclist or pro driver but a simple truth. When an author cannot accept truth, how true is his work? 

It is no surprise to me that the foreword to the book is by Edmund King on the pretence of representing drivers. He is so pro cyclist, and what I call an anti driver driver, it's like getting Captain Ahab to endorse a book on whale killing. 

Carlton Reid

Roads weren't built for cyclists either but for Roman legions. From the time mankind took to the horse bullock and camel, our society wasn't built on any manpower transport at all. Why did people like Ford apply their minds to cars? Because the pushbike was never a viable load bearing long distance transport mode and not fit for purpose.

Road cycling is a very dangerous business and is uncomfortable, hard work and miserable in wet windy weather and even riskier on ice so most of our 65 million don't do it. Like joggers, only a tiny minority of self flagellators feel the need. If it was viable, all of us would choose to do it as long as we are able.

The present day motor vehicle is the successor to the horse and cattle drawn chariots,carts, waggons, stages, traps and carriages of yesteryear and their part of the road is called the Carriageway to this day.

The cycle enjoyed a very brief heyday around the start of the last century as the poor man's answer to the horse and carriage so
of course cyclists played a part in developing all sorts of things since; although in those days, most couldn't afford anything else, they were clearly looking for something more fit for purpose than the push bike.

Today, there are only two types of road user that we must have to maintain our lives: Walkers and drivers. That is another truth that Carlton Reid cannot accept but for the sake of society, it's about time politicians woke up to the reality.

For doing no more than stating truth, Carlton Reid has blocked me from following his twitter account. @CarltonReid any pro drivers willing to join his followers to provide some balance would be most welcome I am sure.

Note: The ball bearing was invented and conceived by Leonardo de Vinci between 1498 & 1500. In 40 AD the Romans were using them in food rotarys. John Metcalf, who was blind and didn't cycle, built the first surfaced road in 1765. It was called the Stockport to Mottram Turnpike and was a toll road. He built about 180 miles of road in Yorkshire  His well drained roads were built in three layers of large stones, hardcore and then gravel.