15 cm from death

[Jim_Noir]

Is there not a few roads up here too like that? Clyde tunnel for EG and I think the clyde expressway too.

 

[HLaB]

Is there not a few roads up here too like that? Clyde tunnel for EG and I think the clyde expressway too.

I don't know about the west coast but there's quite a few on the east; The main deck of the FRB and part of the A90 and A68 and the entire Edinburgh City Bypass Spring to mind. I thought it was just a Scottish thing but Gaz has confirmed I was wrong.

 

[magnatom]

Is there not a few roads up here too like that? Clyde tunnel for EG and I think the clyde expressway too.

Aye, you aren't allowed to cycle through the Clyde Tunnel or on the Expressway, with good reason. The Clyde Tunnel cycle path is one of the few Mandatory cycle paths that I know (only one actually!).

I was once driving into the tunnel as I passed a cyclist entering it. I'm not sure if he was lost or just thought, 'what the hell'. Rather him than me!

 

[middleagecyclist]

Hello

I am Darrell AKA the 'middleagecyclist'. The video is mine (wish it wasn't). There are also some stills taken from the video at my blog as well. I've just joined CycleChat as Magnaton made me aware my little near death experience was being discussed in my absence.

Thought I would just make clear I have not driven on this road for a long time and have never cycled it before Friday. I was going from Manchester to some mates in Wales and this looked like a reasonably short bit connecting some B roads on the map. I wasn't recording as I approached the first junction so have no footage of the cycle lane but this is the google maps photo with a segregated cycle lane visible. It doesn't last long but I only had just over a mile to go before I could turn off, it was good visibility and I was wearing bright yellow. Thought i'd be fine if I just stayed on the shoulder. You can see in the video the shoulder marking narrowing to nothing!

Still waking up having cold sweats about it! Very glad to be alive. Waiting for a reply from Hargreaves Services at the moment.

Cheers and safe cycling.

 

[middleagecyclist]

send video to company Hargeraves Transport Services
http://www.hargreave....co.uk/hts.aspx

Already have done along with some video stills showing more detail.

 

[As Easy As Riding A Bike]

Already have done along with some video stills showing more detail.

To me, the stills are more frightening than the video, once it has been viewed, because it really does show how close the vehicle was to you.

 

[downfader]

Agreed with gaz, the artic driver was sandwiched.

This is a situation where I feel a segregated cycle route would have safety benefits. Would any of the ardent anti- segregationists care to comment please?

That sort of road would be perfect for an offroad facility. However I can see the usual hash where cyclists are forced to stop at slip roads where underpasses would be much safer. Even so on that kind of road I'd rather be off it than mixed with traffic.

 

[As Easy As Riding A Bike]

That sort of road would be perfect for an offroad facility. However I can see the usual hash where cyclists are forced to stop at slip roads where underpasses would be much safer. Even so on that kind of road I'd rather be off it than mixed with traffic.

Well, there's a hash there already, in that there's an off-road cycle path that leads cyclists some distance onto this road, and then stops.

Given that this road is scheduled to be properly "dualled" I would hope that some decent off road provision can actually be added.

But it's safe to say I'm not optimistic.

 

[Origamist]

Welcome to the forum, Darrell. It's a shame your first post relates to a horrible experience.

I have not got much to add other than it appears poor driving by all the motor vehicles in the vid after 17 secs (tail-gating all over the shop). The sight-lines appear good - straight road, uphill, clear day. That said, it's also unfortunate that the kerb to road edge distance narrows at the critical juncture (when you, the HGV and flat-bed are all parallel).

When you looked back after the first HGV pass did you see what was happening behind (not that you had much of an option given the closing speeds).

Roads like that need a separate, segregated cycle path that does not disappear...

 

[400bhp]

Tailgating is rife, and you cannot do much about it - even myself who tends to do a "good" 60 get the odd muppet that doesn't understand that by tailgating me I am actually going to drive slower. Which I do, if it doesn't get better, foot off the pedal, and coast down to speed, until stopped if needed. It's the only safe way, granted some people tailgate so close and overtake in a rush at bad moments whilst you are slowing so its a hard call still...


Holding on brakes sometimes makes people back off, which I will do, but only once... after that it's the above. It's not safe to start dropping anchors. In a queue keeping your distance from thus in front is a must.

Not that we should having to stop to let people overtake just because they are impatient or cannot drive safetly.

This is for another thread but I just thought i'd point this out. I'm not sure that helps in most circumstances. Better to move over and let them pass if you can.

 

[snorri]

I wasn't recording as I approached the first junction so have no footage of the cycle lane but this is the google maps photo with a segregated cycle lane visible.

Is there definitely a cycle lane there, is it signed as such?
I would be very surprised if a cycle lane tapered away to almost zero width as the lane does in the video. I suspect the white line is an edge of lane mark. On the more recently constructed part of the road there will be a one metre width of tarred surface on the field side of the line, commonly known as the 'one metre strip' but on older roads this tarred strip is often 250mm or less. I have seen this tapering off at other locations where old and new sections of road merge.
Whilst cycling on the one metre strip is preferred to cycling on the road by some cyclists, it is not a cycle lane.

 

[400bhp]

Is there definitely a cycle lane there, is it signed as such?

You can just make it out here - off road:

cycle path

Another problem with that part of the A556 is that the LH lane comes off a "sliproad" from the M56 (it's not actually a sliproad-just a continuation of the LH lane).

The right lane comes off the large roundabout which itself merges from 2 lanes into 1.

There's a lot for motorists to take in for the 1/2 mile or so (there is an exit onto the M56 around 1/2 mile on too).

 

[Origamist]

Is there definitely a cycle lane there, is it signed as such?
I would be very surprised if a cycle lane tapered away to almost zero width as the lane does in the video. I suspect the white line is an edge of lane mark. On the more recently constructed part of the road there will be a one metre width of tarred surface on the field side of the line, commonly known as the 'one metre strip' but on older roads this tarred strip is often 250mm or less. I have seen this tapering off at other locations where old and new sections of road merge.
Whilst cycling on the one metre strip is preferred to cycling on the road by some cyclists, it is not a cycle lane.

Snorri, the segregated facility is not in the the vid. It's clearly visible if you click the link. That said, you're correct though: in the vid it is not a cycle lane - it's just the gap between the kerb and road edge marking that Darrell is cycling along.

 

[middleagecyclist]

Snorri, the segregated facility is not in the the vid. It's clearly visible if you click the link. That said, you're correct though: in the vid is not a cycle lane - it's just the kerb to road edge marking that Darrell is cycling along.

In the vid I am NOT in the segregated cycle path which had ended a while earlier. This had finished and then some 'footpath' (with no pedestrians and very little prospect of any) began around a layby, then a reasonable width shoulder. This was narrowing to nought as the incident happened. It was all coming together with me, the Hargreaves lorry and a blocked lane 2.

If i'd any idea it was going to do this I would never have gone this way. By the time if did it was as far to go back as to carry on to my turning. What to do?????

I feel the lorry driver was driving without due care and attention at the very least. However, I doubt very much he/she would be the only one caught this way. The infrastructure is just crap, crap, crap!

 

[snorri]

Snorri, the segregated facility is not in the the vid. It's clearly visible if you click the link. That said, you're correct though: in the vid it is not a cycle lane - it's just the gap between the kerb and road edge marking that Darrell is cycling along.

Thanks Origamist, I'm not very good at driving these Googlepics.