'Terrifying': cyclists pinpoint worst places to ride in the Illawarra

The crowd-sourced BikeSpot map is an initiative of the Amy Gillett Foundation and CrowdSpot.

Problem areas in Wollongong include the stretch of Keira Street between Gipps and Edward streets.

"This is a rat run and when riding uphill drivers overtake at high speed without visibility," a cyclist commented on the map.

Harbour Street outside the Wollongong Golf Club and Bellevue Road in Figtree near the Princes Highway intersection have also been pinpointed as problems.

The pedestrian rail underpass linking Gladstone Avenue and Swan Street, where a cyclist photographed a car sneaking through it, was "a disgrace" according to one rider while another described cycling on Springhill Road as "terrifying".

Close to the CBD, the roundabout at the Throsby Drive-Flinders Street intersection was described by one cyclist as "basically impossible to cross safely most of the time".

North Wollongong cyclist Bronte Scott agreed with that assessment.

The 24-year-old has been cycling for years and uses a bike to get around the city.

She had been living in Hobart, which she said was quite bike-friendly but hasn't found the same reception in Wollongong.

"Since moving up here I've noticed people will try and squeeze past you, they'll get really close and things like that," Ms Scott said

"Especially on that roundabout, there are always people who come up really close behind you. As you pull into the roundabout they try and pass you in the middle of the roundabout. It feels uncomfortable at times and stressful."

As well as problem areas, there are pins on the map to highlight good places to ride.

These include infrastructure put in by Wollongong City Council like the Smith Street pop-up cycleway and the shared pathway along Stuart Park.

Ms Scott praised the council's efforts to improve cycling infrastructure.

"I think it's good that there's more work being put into it," she said.

"The more continuous the cycle paths there are the safer its going to be for cyclists.

"I'm a really big advocate for cycling because the more people get off the road driving the better.

"If there's more cycling infrastructure I think people are more likely to ride bikes because it's more accessible for people."

Amy Gillett Foundation CEO Dan Kneipp said it was important that cyclists were pinpointing areas where they felt unsafe.

"We know more people want to ride their bike, but often what holds them back is safety concerns,' Mr Kneipp said.

"If people feel stressed while riding their bike, even along a single section of a route, this can be the reason why they leave the bike at home and take the car instead."