Originally Posted by
CrankyOne
Just a note that a number of us who support protected bikeways (including through junctions) are current and former Cat 1 and pro racers (with Gary Fisher apparently the latest to join the chorus). Numerous of us have also spent considerable time studying what makes for a good environment for bicycling including study tours in Europe and across the U.S. (and noting that in all of this we have yet to find anywhere that practices bicycle driving to have a good environment nor have painted bikeways proved successful. The only places with any significant amount of bicycling and with relatively safe bicycling are places with protected infrastructure).
Please be careful who you imply are inexperienced.
Bike racing experience in no way translates to traffic skills. Time on the bike practicing traffic skills gives a cyclist better traffic skills. I believe what @
B. Carfree meant by "more experienced riders" is cyclists with more experience riding on public roads, along with other traffic.