A Roads?

[dav1d]

Never been on A roads other than the country ones and don't want to before I know some answers.

1.The A and B roads that look like motorways, can cyclists go on them?

2. If there is a motorway next to them, is there a barrier between the A road and motorway?

3.If there isn't, wouldn't there a be a high chance of veering into the motoway?

4. What do you do if you get a puncture cycling down a busy A road? Is there anywhere to safely move the bike to to fix the puncture?

5. Has anyone got any photos of them cycling on an A road? This is just to give me some idea what it would be like

 

[wafflycat]

A cyclist can cycle down roads.. yes.. motorways excepted. For cycling to be banned from ordinary roads (including dual carriageways) there has to be a specific byelaw (?) in place. Yes, motorways are separate to other roads. Veering on to a motorway accidentally - only if you aren't looking where you are going... open the eyes! Fixing a puncture is exactly the same no matter where you are.. I've cycled dual carriageways and A-roads. I'm a middle-aged overweight woman, so if I can do it.. Obviously there is the proviso that you choose your road and time of riding carefully: knowledge of local road conditions is crucial. My son used to regularly cycle dual carriageways when he was in his teens and onwards to now. There's both dual and single carriageway roads to be avoided or cause little hassle. The key to cycling safely on *any* road is to do it assertively, not aggressively. Good road positioning is vital. Photographs? Looks just the same as cycling on any road. Tarmac, bike, cyclist on bike, turn pedals and away you go.

Edit: if you are lacking confidence - how about getting some cycle training to develop those assertive cycling skills?

The offspring on either the A142 or the A10. He was doing a time trial on this occasion.

 

[jimboalee]

I worked in Central Birmingham for several years.

My journey home was round Queensway, over the Lancaster Circus viaduct and then off round 'The beam engine' island and onto Lichfield Rd.

One afternoon, deep in thought about a car I had just prep'ed for testing the following morning, I found myself on the A38(M) Aston Expressway.

Realising my error, I dismounted at the Victoria Rd entrance and walked my bike up the 'on-ramp' back to the minor roads where I belong.

 

[zimzum42]

I used to cycle up the A10 from London to Cambridge. It might seem scary but it is fine, just be careful at the slip roads...

Normally there is a large grass verge for changing punctures etc, but just make sure your tyres are pumped to the max to avoid punctures...

 

[wafflycat]

Also - take spare inner tubes, so that in case of puncture you simply swap inner tubes rather than trying to fix puncture on inner tube & re-suing that tube. Simply changing the inner tube is much quicker.

 

[zimzum42]

true that!

 

[Brandane]

Also - take spare inner tubes, so that in case of puncture you simply swap inner tubes rather than trying to fix puncture on inner tube & re-suing that tube. Simply changing the inner tube is much quicker.

But don't forget to remove the cause of the puncture from the TYRE if it is still there (thorn, nail, glass etc...)

 

[Banjo]

Less than 6 months ago I would only ride on quiet back roads due to lack of experience/confidence.I found this too restrictive so read up on it in cyclecraft etc then gave it a go.I have found that sometimes A roads are better than b roads to cycle as the lanes are usually wider giving cars more room to go round you.

On fast roads Hi Vis clothing during the day and retro reflective at night is important in my opinion to alert motorists to your presence a bit earlier.

 

[2Loose]

I used to cycle the A14 a lot but always stayed either on, or left of the white line to the hard shoulder. Was that legal?
Either way, I was out of the way of lorries and cars and the tarmac was very very smooth. Only thing I had to worry about was the side wind generated by large vehicles.

 

[jimboalee]

I was on the A34 Newbury By-pass on my way to Hayling Island.

A policecar pulled alongside with his beacons lit.
I thought I was pulled, for cycling on an A road ??

He just looked at me. I looked at him and gave a 'thumbs up'.
He pulled away and switched his beacons off.

They must have been looking for a multimillion pound bank robber making his escape on a bicycle B)

 

[gaz]

I live on an A road, no biggie.

 

[Bollo]

I was on the A34 Newbury By-pass on my way to Hayling Island.

A policecar pulled alongside with his beacons lit.
I thought I was pulled, for cycling on an A road ??

He just looked at me. I looked at him and gave a 'thumbs up'.
He pulled away and switched his beacons off.

They must have been looking for a multimillion pound bank robber making his escape on a bicycle

That's even marked as a cycle lane FFS!

I've never tried that section myself as I don't want to be sucked off (in a bad way, not the good way) by all the passing lorries heading to or from Southampton.

There's a stretch of the A30 between Stockbridge and the A34 that's Roman Road-straight. Although the traffic speed is fast (70mph+) the sight-lines are good so I've never had a problem there.

 

[gbb]

Never been on A roads other than the country ones and don't want to before I know some answers.

1.The A and B roads that look like motorways, can cyclists go on them?

2. If there is a motorway next to them, is there a barrier between the A road and motorway?

3.If there isn't, wouldn't there a be a high chance of veering into the motoway?

4. What do you do if you get a puncture cycling down a busy A road? Is there anywhere to safely move the bike to to fix the puncture?

5. Has anyone got any photos of them cycling on an A road? This is just to give me some idea what it would be like

1. We have the A1139 near us....its 3 lanes wide in some places, still legal to cycle on, as are all A roads.
2. Ive never seen a motorway next to an A road. Dont think such a thing exists.
3. As above
4. Grass verge usually.
5. Not personally

Every A road is peculiar to itself.
Ive ridden the A43 this morning. Single carriagway, not very wide in places, very wide in others. A nice hard shoulder with a solid white line between the traffic and hard shoulder in some places...hardly any space 1/2 mile further on. It changes all the time.

The A1139, mostly dual carriageway, occasionally 3 lanes, has a massive hard shoulder thats brilliant to cycle on, yet the hard shoulder occasionally narrows to virtually nothing....not very comforting when traffics doing 70mph.

They're all different. Its plusses and minuses. You get a nice drag from the traffic, but lorrys in particular are scary when they dont give much room at 55mph. I use them, but with caution. When i'm on them i always think...why am i on here, and not on a nice quiet country road !!!

 

[marinyork]

1. There are a small number of A roads it isn't legal to cycle on parts of (sometimes very long parts).
2. They do exist. Rare though.
3. I know of an A-road where you could end up the motorway but in this case it is a 40mph urban motorway, tbh I don't know the justification really for not letting cyclists on it. Not especially clearly marked but hey and if you did end up on it you wouldn't be killed.

I don't have any photos of me on an A-road. They come in many different shapes and sizes. Normally if you cycle on a two-lane dual carriageway you'll get a lot of hollering and beeping but other than this fuss they are fairly safe if you pick the right one and the right time. I do a 40mph dual carriageway where the typical speed is about 55mph very often. The ones I avoid are 70mph ones where people do the ton on them, I rarely cycle these, but they aren't that common.

 

[bonj2]

2. Ive never seen a motorway next to an A road. Dont think such a thing exists.

the m6 toll's got an a road next to it. I think the A4 and M4 in london are next to each other.http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.625769,-1.822357&spn=0.08357,0.154324&z=13