A tad nervous....

[DooDah]

Not quite sure where to out this thread. I have lived in rural france for 12 years now and took up road cycling here. I have to say it is a joy, i possibly see less than ten cars on a 80km ride. However, for family reasons we are moving back to the uk in the spring. I am a bit nervous about the traffic, weather, uk drivers. Not sure where exactly we will be living as yet but likely to be between birmingham and bucks. Any advice would be gratefully received (either serious or not). I think i am going to seriously miss my sedate rides around rural france. In fact, i cannot remember the last time i had to unclip on a ride (apart from stopping for a pee).

 

[TissoT]

You would have to get up early in the morning to beat the traffic if you want empty roads to ride on in the uk.....
Sounds like you have had the perfects roads to ride on ...

 

[DooDah]

You would have to get up early in the morning to beat the traffic if you want empty roads to ride on in the uk.....
Sounds like you have have the perfects roads to ride on ...

That is what i am worried about. Inhabe not cycled on uk roads for 20 years.

 

[TissoT]

Only advice I could give is .... placing your bike in the car and driving to country roads little awkward I know ... but this would bring your confidence back slowly !

 

[welsh dragon]

Relax. Take things slow. Find little used lanes and side roads. Get a feel for the traffic in your area. Don't be afraid to stop and or walk, there is nothing wrong with that. Its not a race. Nice and slow does it. And good luck.

 

[ScotiaLass]

Take up MTB....lots of woods and rural stuff
I am sure, wherever you end up settling, there will be someone on here to advise regarding routes etc.
It won't be the same as rural France but I'm sure you will find somewhere to ride that you're comfortable with and also, that you'll get used to it in time.

 

[Scoosh]

It's easy to be nervous - a bit frightened even - of riding in the UK but fear not - there are quite a few of us doing it and mainly pretty safely. Of course you can read the horror stories on CC and other fora, because they are out-of-the-ordinary; there are masses of incident-free miles (and even Km ) covered with great pleasure, fun, peace etc ridden in the UK each month/ year.

If you want roads as quiet as you currently have in France, come north of The Border and head for the [edit] rural parts of Scotland - just make sure you are pretty self-sufficient, though ...

It's all about confidence and, much as I dislike having to use the word, assertiveness. UK drivers are not nearly as respectful of the cyclist as I understand are their French counterparts ... though I am fully aware that not all French drivers are !

Once you have a better idea of where you might reside, tell CC - and there will be a host of CC folks offering to assist, from suggesting where to live, where not to live , where to ride, where to get good and and all the rest.

You probably have enough on your plate right now without worrying about where to ride safely in the UK !

Hope the move goes well.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

The drivers where I live are great, the roads are relatively quiet, and plenty of variety. I live nowhere near Birmingham/Bucks

 

[biggs682]

@DooDah i find early morning weekend rides around the outlying nearby villages very quiet with hardly any traffic , so might mean early get ups are required

 

[Julia9054]

Move up north. Far fewer people!

 

[Hip Priest]

I live in a major city, but right on the edge, so I can be in the countryside within a mile.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I guess if you HAVE to come back then there is little point worrying about it because it wont change the decision to return. Yes the car drivers here can be extremely aggresive at times, but not for the mostpart. You just have to get used to riding in traffic, get used to riding defensively, and not trust any driver ever.
Try not to live in a town if possible.

 

[Cuchilo]

Always be polite and ask if they are fully comp before you tell them they will need it and D lock the windscreen

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I live in Coventry, there are plenty of little lanes around here, starting a Sunday ride early means most of the time theres not a lot of traffic about, a ride can be done just using the odd busy road to link the small lanes, its just getting across the city at the end that can be busy.
Take the time to learn the local roads and cycle paths, if you can talk to other cyclists and any of the local cycle shops that appear to cater for the more serious cyclists, they should know the best routes out into the countryside and places best avoided.

 

[srw]

I live in Buckinghamshire. In town the drivers are observant and polite. Once I'm out of town the roads are almost as quiet as they are in France, and the drivers are also observant and polite. I regularly ride in London. There's lots of traffic, but the drivers are observant and polite. This week we rode to Guildford and back, including some stretches along main A roads. The drivers were observant and polite.

Do you see a theme?

Oh, and as modes of transport go, road cycling is really very safe.