Cycling on the Motorway

[lejogger]

[QUOTE 2502547, member: 9609"]In defence of the vid, it is 500' decent in two miles and if you can keep above 40, then the speed differential is 'maybe' something the average car driver will be able to cope with. (cycling up the hill at 8mph would be considerably more dangerous) so maybe not as mental as it first appears.

I would never ever take my bike on that road myself.[/quote]

I punctured on that descent. A small piece of wire found its way through tyre and tube at speeds I wouldn't really like to think about.

I was devastated as I was having such fun going fast

 

[Archie_tect]

My reaction was the same as Crackle's, one close pass by an articulated lorry doing 60+mph down hill and the suction would drag you in and cycling at 40-45mph you wouldn't have that much control... the consequences of going beneath the triple axle don't bear thinking about.

 

[lejogger]

My reaction was the same as Crackle's, one close pass by an articulated lorry doing 60+mph down hill and the suction would drag you in and cycling at 40-45mph you wouldn't have that much control... the consequences of going beneath the triple axle don't bear thinking about.

With respect, I think that's a tad dramatic.

I've had many close passes by lorries at that speed, and while you may get a bit of a wobble you hardly get sucked anywhere.

The worst experiences like that I've had on a bike are up in the highlands in the wind and rain when you get passed in the opposite direction by those logging trucks.

It's like cycling into a wall... you literally have to brace yourself every time.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

especially when the alternative could require some time-consuming and tricky navigation

Between about Bowling and Tarbert, there is a separate tarmac path that (largely) runs parallel to the A82, via a couple of brief detours through Dumbarton and Balloch. Just watch out for the odd cow at a certain point!

Due to the geography of the area, you end up going in the same direction anyway, regardless of what route you take.

That said, I am local and that's where I've cycled for years, I know it all like the back of my hand and so have never done it on a tourer before (the separate path continues in the other direction to Glasgow and beyond for example, but there are some bits of canal towpath comprising of tiny stones which isn't good).
I wouldn't DREAM of using the A82 (until such point where I'd have too) except for possibly in the middle of the night/early morning when no one was about.

 

[lejogger]

Between about Bowling and Tarbert, there is a separate tarmac path that (largely) runs parallel to the A82, via a couple of brief detours through Dumbarton and Balloch. Just watch out for the odd cow at a certain point!

Due to the geography of the area, you end up going in the same direction anyway, regardless of what route you take.

That said, I am local and that's where I've cycled for years, I know it all like the back of my hand (the path continues to Glasgow for example, but there are some bits of canal towpath comprising of tiny stones which isn't good) and so have never done it on a tourer before! I wouldn't DREAM of using the A82 except for possibly in the middle of the night/early morning when no one was about.

That's the bonus of local knowledge

Interestingly enough however I don't recall the road being that bad that I'd definitely avoid it next time. It would have been early Monday morning when we were on it I think as the previous day had been Penrith to Glasgow and we were heading up to Fort William.

Of course I wasn't a forum member back then, so next time I will definitely know to seek out the knowledge beforehand.

 

[Archie_tect]

With respect, I think that's a tad dramatic.

I've had many close passes by lorries at that speed, and while you may get a bit of a wobble you hardly get sucked anywhere....

I've not had the nerve to test it, yet. Riding motorbikes of various sizes especially in cross winds required a lot of attention around arctics to cope with the rapid and often dramatic changes in positive and negative air pressure.

When you say 'bit of a wobble'...

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

To be fair, the A82 can be a bit of a funny one, and if you get it at the right time of day, it's probably safer than I imagine (its just having seen it at best and worst, you tend to form a bias of it).
The path between Balloch and Luss also has its moments too in terms of surfaces, but its largely ok!
That said, North of Tarbert, I think you need to use the road anyway.

 

[lejogger]

I've not had the nerve to test it, yet. Riding motorbikes of various sizes especially in cross winds required a lot of attention around arctics to cope with the rapid and often dramatic changes in positive and negative air pressure.

When you say 'bit of a wobble'...

I guess it's one of those things you get used to.

As I said previously, day 1 of end to end was the hard shoulder of the A30 for 100 miles. The first few lorries go past and it's uncomfortable - especially with panniers and tents etc on the back of the bike, you do certainly feel them. But after a few hours it becomes less of an issue.

Perhaps it's even less of an issue for me now 4 years on and I don't remember it as severely as it may have been, but it certainly wasn't bad enough to put me off.

If the hard shoulder hadn't been there however and i had been in the same lane all day then it may have been different.

 

[lejogger]

[QUOTE 2502583, member: 9609"]oi - I sometimes drive one of those[/quote]
Blimey!
They're one of the memories of end to end that will always live with me. It's not the actual pass by the lorry, but the wall of wind and rain that hits you a second after they've gone!

Every single one was worth it though for that descent into Glencoe

 

[Crackle]

I was thinking more of the consequences of not being seen or seen late, reaction times and thinking times reduce dramatically at speed. Not only that but people drift, same as on motorways. A moments inattention at speed leaves far less time to correct mistakes. As User9609 pointed out, the speed differential is reduced at 40. However knowing that bit of road, drivers are often doing a lot more than 60 there. I bet they're not expecting to see a cyclist there either.

As for choosing main routes, it is simply not something I would do and whilst I get that people make that choice and why, I still wouldn't make the same choices, barring having absolutely no alternative.

 

[Over The Hill]

Kinda like this

That is brilliant! Looks to be doing 85kph which is 52mph!! That would be quite handy if you were doing lejog, at that rate you could do it in a day.

Got totally lost on our bikes in the north of Paris and ended up on the motorway. Only way out was through a police station compound that was linked in to the motorway at St Denis. French drivers were all waving their arms around but French Plod just sat around like it happened every day.

 

[colly]

I once cycled on the A64 from York to Leeds.

Never again.

Like you I cycled it once. ONCE.

I used the cycle lane where there was one but it was next to useless (no surprise there then) Broken surface, glass, grit, bricks, rubbish of all kinds, piles of clowncil salt/chippings/assorted aggregates and even a couple of carpets.

 

[PocketFrog]

Like you I cycled it once. ONCE.

I used the cycle lane where there was one but it was next to useless (no surprise there then) Broken surface, glass, grit, bricks, rubbish of all kinds, piles of clowncil salt/chippings/assorted aggregates and even a couple of carpets.

Exactly the same experience - One caravan pulling twunt was that close I could count the scatter cushions on his sofa/bed.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

That is brilliant! Looks to be doing 85kph which is 52mph!! That would be quite handy if you were doing lejog, at that rate you could do it in a day.

....Until the vehicle in front had to brake quickly

 

[mcshroom]

Like you I cycled it once. ONCE.

I used the cycle lane where there was one but it was next to useless (no surprise there then) Broken surface, glass, grit, bricks, rubbish of all kinds, piles of clowncil salt/chippings/assorted aggregates and even a couple of carpets.

One of the guys over on YACF commutes that way every day