Colin Lister fell off his bike on the suspension bridge.

Another cyclist falls off bridge

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Cyclists are being told to walk their bikes down the new suspension bridge off-ramp following another accident on Friday.

Richmond cyclist Colin Lister, 47, sustained minor injuries and $300 damage to his bike when he crashed riding down the bridge’s eastern exit ramp. The accident comes just weeks after an elderly Richmond resident went over his handlebars cycling down the same segment of the bridge.

But the Nelson Tasman’s Great Taste Trail Trust remains adamant that no one should be cycling down the ramp because of its gradient.

Previously there were no signs indicating that cyclists should hop off and walk their bike. Trust spokesperson Paul Jennings says a new handrail will be installed to help younger users feel safer and signs will instruct all users to dismount and walk. The two accidents that have been reported to the Trust concerning the bridge have both involved the individuals riding up or down the walking ramps.

Colin believes the bridge was not designed to cater for families and elderly cyclists. “We have a three year old and there’s no way we’d be taking her across that bridge,” he says.

Paul says the bridge is designed to meet a tight and limited budget.

The next bridge, over the Waimea River, will be rideable from both ends, but that is a result of the environment it is situated on.