Country lanes and grit..

[Lanzecki]

Most of my local roads are small lanes wide enough for 1.5 cars with tall hedges and dykes (Mounds of earth) that the hedges sit on top. So for cars to pass they drive on what ever mud/grass verge is available, usually at such a speed that mud is sprayed all over the road. Because of the dykes water cannot get away from the road resulting in small mud filled pools.

Tractors then come out of fields and farms covered in Mud and other liquid products and proceed to spread it all over the road. Because there are so many of these narrow roads people have to drive them to get to the main roads. These then get covered in the mud from the local roads.

Cities get covered in mud. I firmly believe that it's a secret idea by the Government to redistribute the mud from outlying areas to cities to stop floods in some of the cities. After all Dublin is talking about taking water from the river Shannon (the other side of the country) as they claim there isn't enough.

Not only are they stealing our mud, they want our water now.

I spent 30 years living in the southeast of England. My work took me many places in the UK. I could never understand the "You lot down sarff get everything", Now I live on the west coast of Ireland I have the same attitude "Them's that live in Dublin get it all".

 

[kipster]

Not all of us 4*4 drivers are nutters. And not all of us 4*4 drivers have bought them just for the Kudos, some need one for work.

I'll no go and hide in fear of the comments

The one close pass was a brand new Disco with hubby, wife, kids taking a trip into town. It was very clean and, probably, had never seen mud. Plenty other 4x4's went past and left plenty of room, as did cars, vans, and a bus. Most of my close misses have been by small cars being driven by young women, next up are business men in a rush in Audi A4's, but all of this goes for whether I am in the car or on the bike. I find 95% of cars etc. give me space and time on the road, the other 5% won't put me off

I took up cycling to reduce my petrol bill, and get fit again. This it is doing, I've lost a few pounds in weight since January and best of all, I arrive at work wide awake, and back home having left the stresses of the day in the office. I think it has helped me to be a better driver as well, as you have to take so much more in when cycling and this does transfer back to the car.

 

[MattHB]

We have a big issue with the lanes, and most of the roads in mid/south Dorset at the moment.. It's the fact they don't have much Tarmac top coat left on them! Most of the main roads are down to the base layer and full of pot holes, and most of the lanes are so churned up by farm traffic they become a no go area in the winter.

Its a pain.

 

[MrC]

My weekend ride is all on country roads/lanes. Recently biggest problem has been all the runoff from the fields making them pretty treachorous.
A lot more potholes have also appeared.
Mostly the drivers are pretty good but there's been a few roads I've avoided because of water and/or ice
The problems I get always are on the commute and on the main roads

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

Yup, country roads up here the same this morning, either monster potholes, or old ones that have been dot-n-dabbed with a bit of Tarmac to about an inch above the road surface, along with lots if grit, gravel and verge wash.

Also some good stretches of ice, run-off water, mud and pools of dirty filthy brown gunk.... But thoroughly enjoyed the ride out.

Only one idiot Chelsea tractor driver complete with a large box trailer who decided that driving within a foot of me was the best line to take!

 

[eevvee]

I can only agree with the above posts. I do my cycling around Montrose, Angus and the roads are particularly bad at the moment, potholes, water flowing off the fields washing grit onto the road - some of the worst road damage has been "repaired" but in a matter of days it is as bad or worse than it was.

I did like a suggestion elsewhere on the forums that as part of the driving test a cycling section should be introduced to the test - not likely to be adopted but a nice idea.

 

[Lanzecki]

Not just a cycling part, but a general awareness section. Pedestrians crossing roads, Dogs chasing cats, Why you shouldn't park on corners not just, don't do X or Y, but explain why you shouldn't do X or Y.