Dangers while touring

[ch3]

As I am planning my first long tour across France and Italy, I can't help my self fearing for any dangers that I may encounter on the road. These may be other cars and trucks, or even slippery tarmac next to cliffs. Also some of my friends' first reaction about my plan, was that I am going to die and that is too dangerous etc.
=/

Has anybody experienced anything that bad while touring?

I have cycled a few times in the countrysides of England and I was definitely feeling more comfortable than cycling in central London on a daily basis. Someone suggested me that in France I should go through the D### roads, which are the low traffic ones. Is that right? Which are the equivalent roads in Italy?

 

[stephenjubb]

Don't listen too much to people who have never toured unless it is concrete advice like that mentioned about the quiet roads in france.

People who have never toured don't know what is involved so tend not to give accurate advice.

In any place it is worth sticking to quiet roads. In spain I was told that the roads in Marbella (southern coast) were terrible. They had driven them. They were right and it was like riding on a busy motorway.

I've seen drivers in Italy and a lot of them are nuts, not sure what they are like to cyclists. Search www.crazyguyonabike.com for journals of people who have gone to Italy.

Providing you exercise common sense (i.e. try and avoid riding in cities in the middle of the night etc) touring is not dangerous.

The problem with Jo Public is they give opinions without first knowing all the facts. If you listen to them too much you may never go.

If that were the case it would be sad. I remember on Loose Women they were discussing on how one of them had had unusual holidays in her 20s and that Nolan lady said something that terrified me to the bone

"Why can't you go to Spain like everyone else?"

Ok respect to people if that is what they want to do, I will not criticise them for it, but me personally following the crowd and going to Spain like everyone else on package holidays means I would lose my individuality and cease to exist as a person and life would not be as good.

So in short research where your going, ask advice in places like here and use a pinch of salt for any advice from non tourers. An excample being my Dad said to take my lightweight racing bike instead of my heavy tourer with full camping gear (the racer would wobble all over).

 

[Creamcrackered]

Maybe this will help http://www.adventure-cycling-guide.co.uk/safety.htm

 

[ch3]

stephenjubb -> to be honest friends that said things like that are from Greece, where unfortunately cycling is not as popular and I did sound like a crazyBuyOnABike when I first said it! =] Also from my point of view, it's just the fear of the unknown and the fact that I will probable need a week to get used to the new way of living/cycling.
www.crazyguyonabike.com is definiterly a good resource of infortmation, but the navigatrion is a little problematic and I've never spend more than 10 minutes reading articles in there. It's true what you say though, that I will probable get most of my information on the way by asking locals. They always know better.

Creamcrackered -> Hey, that's a really good website! I've just read a couple of pages and I'll finish it off soon.

Thanks a lot guys!!!

 

[661-Pete]

ch3, I've done a fair bit of cycling in rural France - not touring though, short rides. I can tell you that, outside the main urban conglomerates at any rate, it is a real pleasure and scare stories you may have been told are way wide of the mark! Having said that, any road has dangers on it, just like the one leading up to your front door!

Roads in general are a bit wider than in the UK, straighter and with better visibility. Motorists on the whole have great respect for cyclists and will give you enough room. And they do notice you. Your main difficulty to overcome in the early days, will be riding on the right, and especially turning left off a main road into a side road: not easy to do this the 'wrong' way around.

'D' road numbering in France is a bit confusing, the 'D' roads with one- or two-digit numbers are going to be fairly minor quiet lanes, whereas those with 3-digit numbers are usually de-trunked 'N' roads and fairly fast and busy. However traffic density is on the whole a lot less than UK.

Can't help you with Italy, I have no cycling experience there I'm afraid. We all know the 'reputation' of the drivers there!

 

[asterix]

IME France is easier than any part of the UK, like for like. Obviously the mountain routes should be treated with caution when the weather is iffy but my trip through the Pyrennees in June was fine from that angle.

You may find travellers using the campsites but I have never had any bad experiences from these guys. They are usually going to seasonal work and like to maintain a good reputation. They will probably be more worried about you!

Don't forget that France has 'priorite a droite' in some cases e.g

As you approach a town/village you should see the place name on a diamond shaped white sign (yellow border) this means that you are now entering an area where you do not necessarily have right of way - so look out for side roads with no 'give way' line across them.
As you leave the town/village you will see the same name-sign with a diagonal black line through it, meaning you are now back on the main [priority] road.

In this (very rural) area there are many cross roads, denoted by an 'X' with equal width bars, where you must give way to traffic on your right even though you might think you are on the major road!

 

[andym]

IME France is easier than any part of the UK, like for like.

I find them remarkably similar: drivers on the main roads drive fast and get hyped up, drivers on local roads are calmer and more courteous, and the local farmers tank around in Toyota pickups with kids/dogs/sheep/hay in the back.

 

[asterix]

That is very interesting. May I ask what your experience of France and the UK is?

In my case I have driven in all parts of the UK (except Devon and Cornwall) for over 3 decades. I now spend half my time in each country and have cycle toured in both.

France is very different from the UK in that it has far fewer vehicles per kilometre: my trip between York and Dover is a congested, manic nightmare, once I get to Boulogne sur mer a magical transformation takes place.

In this part of France the rural driving is completely different from the driving to be found in North Yorkshire, the Dales or the Peak district, quite apart from the fact that it's easy to cycle for half an hour or more without seeing another vehicle. Even so, recently when stopped by the road poring over a map a white van stopped and asked if they could help. It turned out the driver was a keen cyclist and suggested a very pleasant route that was not on my road map.

It's true that in August a kind of holiday madness takes place on the exits from Paris and coastal resort routes, but not on the roads that any sane cycle-tourist might use!

 

[661-Pete]

Don't forget that France has 'priorite a droite' in some cases e.g

As you approach a town/village you should see the place name on a diamond shaped white sign (yellow border) this means that you are now entering an area where you do not necessarily have right of way - so look out for side roads with no 'give way' line across them.
As you leave the town/village you will see the same name-sign with a diagonal black line through it, meaning you are now back on the main [priority] road.

In this (very rural) area there are many cross roads, denoted by an 'X' with equal width bars, where you must give way to traffic on your right even though you might think you are on the major road!

Sorry, I don't quite follow this. The yellow diamond sign without the black diagonal stripe, means that you do have priority through the town, until you see a sign 'cancelling' it, the same yellow diamond cancelled with a black diagonal stripe, which means you no longer have priority (usually because you're approaching a GIVE WAY or a roundabout). See the first two signs on the next-to-last row in this link.

But you are quite correct about the 'X' form of cross-roads sign, this does mean 'priorité à droite', although this is likely to be used mainly on such quiet roads that you'll seldom encounter another road user at the junction!

 

[wyno70]

I've ridden a motorbike in Italy and the motorways and city centres were terrifying. Obviously motorways won't be a problem for you so just stay away from city centres. Away from cities it was fine. Cycling is VERY popular in Italy, so I'm guessing they are much more aware than drivers in the UK.

Don't quote me though, as I said, I was on a motorbike so slightly different.

 

[andym]

That is very interesting. May I ask what your experience of France and the UK is?

In my case I have driven in all parts of the UK (except Devon and Cornwall) for over 3 decades. I now spend half my time in each country and have cycle toured in both.

France is very different from the UK in that it has far fewer vehicles per kilometre: my trip between York and Dover is a congested, manic nightmare, once I get to Boulogne sur mer a magical transformation takes place.

In this part of France the rural driving is completely different from the driving to be found in North Yorkshire, the Dales or the Peak district, quite apart from the fact that it's easy to cycle for half an hour or more without seeing another vehicle. Even so, recently when stopped by the road poring over a map a white van stopped and asked if they could help. It turned out the driver was a keen cyclist and suggested a very pleasant route that was not on my road map.

It's true that in August a kind of holiday madness takes place on the exits from Paris and coastal resort routes, but not on the roads that any sane cycle-tourist might use!

Twenty years of cycling in London and the rest of the country (mainly Southern England), but a lot less experience than you of riding in France (mainly Corsica).

I've never had anyone stop to give me directions, but one of the main problems I find in the British countryside is drivers waiting behind me when they have plenty of space to pass.

Yes the main roads in Britain may be manic and congested, but if there is great cycling to be had if you get off them and onto the country lanes - where I have had more incidents kamikaze pheasants and rabbits than with cars. I have cycled peacefully, rarely seeing a car, within earshot of both the M25 and the A2 into Dover.

But setting aside anecdotes, the facts are that Britain's roads are among the safest (measured in terms of fatality rates) in Europe and significantly safer than France. Why is that the case if British drivers are as aggressive/rude as people like to make out?

 

[hubbike]

Statistically, your risk of dying whilst cycling is fairly low compared to dying from a sudden heart attack, a car accident or a fall. So if you drive a car, use stairs or have a heart then you are already partaking in more risky activities.

My point is that there is risk in everything in life and the trick is to judge it correctly.

 

[snowy10]

The Uk roads are one of the worst places for cycling in Europe. So, I wouldn't worry about France.

 

[ASC1951]

Statistically, your risk of dying whilst cycling is fairly low compared to dying from a sudden heart attack, a car accident or a fall.

Hmm. You can't extract much from that table. Roughly ten times as many people are killed in cars in the UK every year as cyclists, so if you look at it per mile or even per journey cycling is more dangerous.

 

[bianchi1]

Getting back to the origional question!! Sun stroke can be an issue. Sort of creeps up on you. I was charged by wild boar while sleeping rough in a forest in France. Strong local spirits forced on you by Danes in campsites. I have cycled all around Europe and the uk and to be honest the traffic/car thing is not worth worrying about. You will have the odd close call, but it's just as likely to happen 100 yards from your front door as anywhere. The main danger is touring will take over your life. Enjoy.