KEEN cyclist Paul Brierley is used to taking the rough with the smooth.

The Rastrick man has been complaining to Kirklees Council for 18 months about the poor condition of the roads he uses on his daily ride to Cummins Turbo Technologies on St Andrew’s Road in Huddersfield.

Mr Brierley, 43, said: “There are so many loose bits of tarmac in the cycle lane that it’s like riding on marbles. When it’s dark all you can do is just head in the right direction and hope for the best.”

Mr Brierley’s daily ride takes him into work along Fixby Road, Bradley Road, Leeds Road and St Andrew’s Road.

Now he has detailed the problems in a dossier sent to Kirklees Council.

He said: “On Bradley Road, from the junction with Redwood Drive eastwards to the eastern point of pedestrian refuge at the junction with Keldregate, the cycle lane is unusable because of a combination of debris in the cycle lane and sub-standard surface quality.

“Returning to Huddersfield via A62 Leeds Road, the cycle lane needs the winter debris removing.

“On St Andrew’s Road there are two large sections where the surface has been eroded completely away. Next obstacle is the section of carriageway opposite Graham’s builders merchants, where the carriageway is very bumpy causing cyclists to ride further out from the kerb.

“The real problem is from the junction with Gasworks Street and Quay Street where a former trench has subsided.”

Mr Brierley began commuting along the route when he moved from Birkby to Rastrick a year ago. However, the secretary of Huddersfield Road Club has cycled along sections of the route for years.

He said: “I’ve buckled my wheel on the route a few times. If a health and safety person looked at Bradley Road, they would close it to cyclists.”

Mr Brierley, who works as a senior design engineer at Cummins, first complained to Kirklees about the problems on the route in September 2008.

He said: “Nothing’s happened. The council haven’t even swept the debris off the road, despite several emails from me. They seem content to talk about it, but actions speak louder than words.

“I don’t see what we’re getting for our money.”

A Kirklees spokeswoman said yesterday: “The roads mentioned by Mr Brierley are on the agreed list for resurfacing but have not been given a date in the current five-year year capital plan.

“A pothole in Bradley Road mentioned by Mr Brierley will be dealt with in the next couple of days and we thank him for bringing it to our attention.”