Cycling on Single-Track roads

[FlyingCyclist]

On holiday where I stay in Scotland I've ridden on a very quiet single track road (only a few vehicles passing each day), but I may decide to venture out on the the busier roads when I go in May.

Can anyone give me some advice on how would you cycle on them? (Considering that I'm a new-ish beginner who is just getting back into cycling after more than 6 years.)

Any advice would be welcome

 

[boydj]

Ride in the middle of the road and be prepared to hold your position when a car comes along from in front or behind, until there is a convenient place to pull over. Most drivers are pretty patient on singletrack roads, so it's good practice to pull over as soon as possible and to let drivers know that you'll be doing so.

 

[jack smith]

id say the opposite, stay to the left as much as you can it can save your life, many idiots fly around single track roads right in the middle and you want every chance possible to not be in an oncoming car's path.

 

[ColinJ]

id say the opposite, stay to the left as much as you can it can save your life, many idiots fly around single track roads right in the middle and you want every chance possible to not be in an oncoming car's path.

So what do people in cars driving in the same direction as the cyclist do when the idiot in the car comes the other way? Are cars often hitting each other head on?

 

[Ern1e]

This is a +1 from me on @User30090 's advice all I will add is if you are riding around dusk or early morning try to add some lights on top of your helmet (if you use one that is) these help you to be seen over some of the hedges/walls.

 

[jack smith]

@ColinJ i dont see your issue wiht my post? it is common sense advice you can see a car before a cyclist and people are more likley to slow down and pull in for a car than a cyclist vehicles should stay to the left on single lane roads anyway. but yes be assertive when cars come up behind and you feel intimidated or fee lit isnt safe for them to pass but dont be doing it after you have just cycled round a blind bend or blind summit as you risk being hit from behind. common sense pays off

 

[FlyingCyclist]

There's no hedges to worry about just open moorland and the ocasional big lorry carrying logs.

Most people in Scotland (or at least where I stay) are careful, apart from those who are trying to get to work.

If anyone has Google Earth, then you could follow the road South-west if you search for 'Auchbraad'.

 

[Donger]

On holiday where I stay in Scotland I've ridden on a very quiet single track road (only a few vehicles passing each day), but I may decide to venture out on the the busier roads when I go in May.

Can anyone give me some advice on how would you cycle on them? (Considering that I'm a new-ish beginner who is just getting back into cycling after more than 6 years.)

Any advice would be welcome

I quite regularly holiday at Inverinate on Loch Duich, and I love all the quiet little roads around the edges of the local lochs and up the mountain passes, but to get to the best bits I have to ride along long sections of a main A road that runs from Shiel Bridge to Kyle of Lochalsh and the Skye Road Bridge. The landlady of the cottage we stay at seems to regard me as "that mad Englishman" for cycling among all the tourist traffic on the main road at all, which makes me wonder what she knows that I don't, but personally I don't find it bad at all. I rely upon 3 things:-
(1) Bar end mirrors to keep an eye on the traffic behind me. Even then, when turning right from a busy and unfamiliar main road, if not totally certain that the road is clear and there is nothing coming up behind me, I will sometimes pull up on the left side of the road, and be prepared to push the bike across as a pedestrian. (Sounds namby, I know, but I reckon it may have saved my life a couple of times over the years).
(2) Wear bright clothing when on the main road (Be safe, be seen). I have a wide variety of different cycling shirts, but always wear the brightest when I'm going to be doing any distance on A roads. Either that, or put my luminous rain top on for main road sections of quieter rides.
(3) Stay as tight to the kerb as you can and take all hills in a low enough gear to guarantee that you don't wobble the bike around erratically.The very worst busy roads are the ones with a "no overtaking" solid line down the middle, because everyone tries to overtake you without crossing the line. Extra attention needed on those stretches to make sure you do not drift from the safest line.
I'm sure you will be fine. Enjoy yourself up there. I am envious.

 

[Donger]

Ride in the middle of the road and be prepared to hold your position when a car comes along from in front or behind, until there is a convenient place to pull over. Most drivers are pretty patient on singletrack roads, so it's good practice to pull over as soon as possible and to let drivers know that you'll be doing so.

Sounds OK for single track roads, but wasn't the OP asking about venturing out onto bigger roads?

 

[FlyingCyclist]

boydj & Jack TBH, I would cycle nearing the left hand-side of the road being wary of oncoming cars. I'd let vehicles behind me pass when I reach a passing place.


I used to cycle to work on ocassions, took me an hour to get to work. I handled the bigger roads ok and I stuck to the side where I could. But I was always extremely wary of going round one roundabout especially when cars drive at 50mph. So I would have to stop to let vehicles pass and to wait for an opening. I think I would be even more wary now.
I could cycle on the canal bank but its slow-going and is grassy in some places, so that's a no-go.

The only luminous jacket I have is lightweight and thin which has served me well.

I still have my cycle lights, a Cateye Opti Cube and a backlight with no name lol which is probably Cateye too.

 

[ColinJ]

@ColinJ i dont see your issue wiht my post? it is common sense advice you can see a car before a cyclist and people are more likley to slow down and pull in for a car than a cyclist vehicles should stay to the left on single lane roads anyway. but yes be assertive when cars come up behind and you feel intimidated or fee lit isnt safe for them to pass but dont be doing it after you have just cycled round a blind bend or blind summit as you risk being hit from behind. common sense pays off

My point was that if it is a genuine singletrack road then there isn't 'a left' for vehicles going either way - there is only room for one vehicle. (They would need to use Passing Places to get by each other.) If drivers really are tearing round blind bends on singletrack roads then they would be colliding with vehicles coming the other way.

I know from experience on local narrow roads and tracks that drivers will take any opportunity to go by if they think that they can get away with it. I had one oncoming driver knock me off a narrow farm track into stinging nettles because they thought I had left enough room for them. In fact, the right bar extension on my MTB scratched all the way down the side of the van before I fell off.

I would rather send the simple message 'NO - YOU ARE NOT COMING THROUGH!' rather than 'KEEP COMING AND LET'S SEE HOW GOOD YOUR SPATIAL AWARENESS IS!' ...

If they are driving without sufficient care to see you in the middle of the road, then they will almost certainly still hit you at the side of it.

If you are going to position yourself for maximum safety on singletrack roads then you would ride on the righthand side of the road for lefthand bends so drivers could see you sooner, and they would certainly see you sooner in the middle of the road than on your left.

 

[Canrider]

For the avoidance of doubt, I agree with ColinJ immediately above.

If you mean that B8024, it's looks quite straight with good sightlines as far as I followed it. I'd cycle it as any other road, keep well out from the side so you're visible, and just keep your wits about you at curves and bends in case you come across someone coming towards you too fast and not expecting a bicycle.

If you're venturing onto the A83, I'd probably suggest doing the opposite, which is to say the opposite of what cyclists are usually advised, and suggest you keep over to the left, on the presumption that that road will be the more likely to attract people rushing to get to Lochgilphead (or out of it?), not expecting to come across a bicycle, and less mentally-prepared to encounter slow traffic than on the smaller singletrack roads.

 

[FlyingCyclist]

I should have said that only a few vehicles, well, around 7-15 vehicles drive on the single-track through Achahoish. And I have only cycled on that road to 'Ellary', and occasionally the other way to Achahoish and have never ventured any further.

Yes the B8024 is moreorless straight, but there are a few blind bends which I would have to be careful of, and people tend to speed up if they can see clearly enough what's ahead them (I know I've done it!).

Canrider. Obviously I would stay on the left on the main road! lol

If I was adventurous I could cycle to Lochgilphead and head north through Cairnbaan and turn off near Bellanoch. Go through Gariob, Achnamara and head towards Kilmory. Then cycle on the private road over the hill to Ellary......BUT that's when I'm more experienced and more fitter.

 

[snorri]

What's needed on single track roads is a fine mix of co-operation and assertiveness.
Don't leap onto the verge if a car appears ahead or behind but carry on to the nearest passing place where practical. If an oncoming car passes a passing place hold your position near the middle of the road until the oncoming vehicle has slowed down to a passing speed that does not cause you concern.
Don't expect oncoming vehicles to mount the verge to let you past, responsible drivers will not want to damage vegetation leading to erosion of the verges, damaged drainage channels and broken road surface edges.

 

[Mugshot]

(3) Stay as tight to the kerb as you can and take all hills in a low enough gear to guarantee that you don't wobble the bike around erratically.The very worst busy roads are the ones with a "no overtaking" solid line down the middle, because everyone tries to overtake you without crossing the line. Extra attention needed on those stretches to make sure you do not drift from the safest line.

Don't stay as close in to the kerb as you can, this is exactly the reason why everyone is trying to overtake you without crossing the line, you're implying with your road positioning that they have room to do so and if it looks like you've allowed the room drivers will take the room. Do your utmost to make people overtake you not squeeze you. If you're going over 10mph on a section with a solid white line then they shouldn't be crossing the line to overtake you anyway, to be honest I don't really care if they do but I make sure that I'm positioned so that is their only option.