I AM responding to David Nimmo-Smith’s article regarding improvements to cycle routes in Oxford. I make most of my journeys are by bicycle. I also ride a motorcycle as well as driving my car when necessary.

As a cyclist, the thing I find most endangering is the dreadful condition of the roads all over the country, having to take evasive action to avoid potholes and broken and failed road surfaces. When riding a motorcycle or driving, I find myself avoiding these hazards to avoid damage to the vehicle, but on a bicycle they can have far worse consequences. I tour round Europe by motorcycle frequently and have found the roads in the countries I have visited to be, without exception, of a far higher standard than the roads we suffer here. Please let’s at least begin to reverse the deterioration of our roads before we spend large sums of money on more traffic lights and road markings for cyclists. I would prefer funds to be put into something that improves conditions for all road users.

Let’s sort the cake out before we try to ice it.

STUART GILES, Woodstock Road, Oxford