Cyclist on M62

[snorri]

If, somehow, in an area you didn't know you ended up accidentally turning onto a motorway (I know, you'll say it wouldn't happen, but suppose it did), what would you do?

It happened to me in France, I think I may have passed a few signs whose message was unclear to me. After realising my predicament I kept going until I came to an exit. It wasn't particularly frightening, overtaking vehicles gave me plenty of space.

 

[raleighnut]

If so was he singing this to himself as he pedalled along?

View: https://youtu.be/IUmnTfsY3hI

Toots did a better 'cover' version

View: https://youtu.be/NeVRaxHtwuk

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I ended up on a motorway years back when following signs to Newcastle railway station. Yes the signage was that bad. I thought it was just taking me to a road running parallel but no the signage took you onto a short section of motorway. So all three of us cycled one junction, got back off, and ignored the signs after that. Asking for directions instead.

If the signage isn’t clear and you are following it, and you think there must be another roundabout with the option of a parallel road, before the motorway. It can happen!

 

[sheddy]

I cycled on the M25 on a Sunday morning. I was the only user.

Spoiler

I think they had laid the tarmac just for me, no armco, no signs, no markings. It opened to motors 3 months later.

 

[Pale Rider]

I saw a cyclist riding against the traffic on the A1(M) near Durham City a few months ago.

He might have been junction hopping - the route between the two junctions on minor roads is much longer and involves lots of turns.

 

[ColinJ]

If, somehow, in an area you didn't know you ended up accidentally turning onto a motorway (I know, you'll say it wouldn't happen, but suppose it did), what would you do?
Walk back on the hard shoulder to the previous exit, or cycle like mad to the next, hoping to make it before a police car got to you? Either way doesn't look great.

We did it on the 2017 Leeds-Scarborough ride! This was our solution...

Fortunately those handy steps were available to us...

 

[DRM]

I saw a cyclist riding against the traffic on the A1(M) near Durham City a few months ago.

He might have been junction hopping - the route between the two junctions on minor roads is much longer and involves lots of turns.

Me too, saw some one riding towards the turn off for Washington on the A1M, just before entry slip road from Chester Le Street, with 2 lanes on the entry where cars race up to join the A1M north

 

[Cymro74]

Done this once at Baglan, South Wales. Three A roads leave a dual carriageway roundabout within the space of 90 degrees. Signage at each turn is poor so I ended up on wrong one - the long slip road into M4. Luckily I spotted blue motorways signage pretty quickly so walked back on edge of hard shoulder.
At the time I was trying to follow NCN4 from Swansea which goes to show how poorly that route was signposted.

 

[Solocle]

Been there, ended up on the emergency slip road from Milton Common onto the M40, at 3am. The only prohibition sign was on the back of the gate... which was propped open at such an angle as to be invisible to left turning cyclists.

Something did seem wrong when I took the turn, but the road signs said 2nd left for the A40 - it seems that they didn't count the farm entrance.

Same bike and location, different time of day:

This is when I stopped for a moment because it felt not quite right:

As you can see, not much to see. Certainly no big blue start of motorway signs.

What followed next - "Hey, bike lane... oh, wow, this is wide, is it a bus lane?... Oh. Bollocks."

But I carried on to the next exit, because I didn't fancy contraflowing an unknown slip road, and a passing vehicle illuminated the sign for the next exit (which was less than 1 mile away).

Which was another 1.5 miles of motorway spur back to the A40, but it's effectively the same road as the A40.

Probably not enough time for the local constabulary to make an appearance, but for every passing vehicle, that was my main concern!

 

[BoldonLad]

I ended up on a motorway years back when following signs to Newcastle railway station. Yes the signage was that bad. I thought it was just taking me to a road running parallel but no the signage took you onto a short section of motorway. So all three of us cycled one junction, got back off, and ignored the signs after that. Asking for directions instead.

If the signage isn’t clear and you are following it, and you think there must be another roundabout with the option of a parallel road, before the motorway. It can happen!

Central Motorway, Newcastle? you were probably going faster than the cars

 

[Archie_tect]

I ended up on a motorway years back when following signs to Newcastle railway station. Yes the signage was that bad. I thought it was just taking me to a road running parallel but no the signage took you onto a short section of motorway. So all three of us cycled one junction, got back off, and ignored the signs after that. Asking for directions instead.

If the signage isn’t clear and you are following it, and you think there must be another roundabout with the option of a parallel road, before the motorway. It can happen!

It is awkward to navigate in central Newcastle without using the Central Motorway, which cuts through it, getting to Central Station as there are no obvious alternative routes unless you know the area well. The Central Motorway begins on the north side of the Tyne Bridge with a very short and easily missed side slip off for non-motorway traffic, before the short main urban motorway breaks to the right into a tunnel.

 

[DRM]

It is awkward to navigate in central Newcastle without using the Central Motorway which cuts through it, getting to Central Station as there are no obvious alternative routes unless you know the area well. The Central Motorway begins on the north side of the Tyne Bridge with a very short and easily missed side slip off for non-motorway traffic, before the short main urban motorway breaks to the right into a tunnel.

Very true, one minute your crossing the bridge, next your on the Central Motorway with no real indication that it’s there, the slip road off is easily missed