Dual Carriageways

[ComedyPilot]

If most drivers over took cyclists like I do, then I would ride on duals.

But they don't.

I overtook a cyclist on the A1079 near Shiptonthorpe a few weeks ago, saw him about a 1/4 mile in front, got closer, mirror (car closing on me but not too quick) indicated (car closer but not so much as to be too near), pulled out and started to pass the cyclist - car behind now closing rapidly. Next thing I know, I am passing the cyclist, but the car behind has gone......

...oh yeah, top move...

.....undertook me to get past and gave the cyclist a 90mph punishment pass in the process.

 

[mark st1]

Cycled on a small section of the A13 yesterday maybe 0.5 of a mile man that was scary lorries thundering past at full tilt and the pot holes were like swimming pools.

 

[Rob3rt]

On most it is legal! How comfortable you are with fast traffic is a personal matter. I have raced on several dual carriageway courses in the North and Midlands (In fact I raced on the A50 between Blythe Bridge and Etwall yesterday) and in all cases I have felt safer than on single carriageway courses.

I would hazard a guess that the rate of incidents would be lower, yet the severity of any incident would be higher.

Also dual carriageways vary massively, there is no comparison between something like Rainford By-pass (A570) and the A63 at Hull which is basically a motorway feeder. Despite the speed and volume of traffic, even the latter seems safe enough to cycle on to me.

As @ianrauk says but if you value your life stick to the back roads. You are just dropping your life expectancy massively and most drivers will not slow around you.

Rubbish.

BTW, the traffic doesn't need to slow around you, there are 2 lanes!

 

[Saluki]

I often see cyclists on the Norwich end of the A11 where its 50mph speed limit. I wouldn't ride on it as there are no speed cameras and not that many people take any notice of the speed limit. There is a small roundabout a mile or 2 up it then the big A47/A11 roundabout and people just fly up there, There is a foots worth of hard shoulder but even so.
I too have given cyclists a very wide berth on that road only to be undertaken by some impatient idiot.

I accidentally rode on the Caister bypass duel carriageway, early one sunday morning. Very scary and we tucked into the 18" of hard shoulder. We had come off the roundabout on the wrong junction and didn't fancy nipping across 2 carriageways to go back. It was only a mile but we got a shift on and were mightily glad that it wasn't a bank holiday.

 

[Paul99]

Rubbish.

BTW, the traffic doesn't need to slow around you, there are 2 lanes!

Not rubbish at all. Are your races held during rush hour when the OP will be commuting? I very much doubt it. There are a very different type of driver using the roads at these times, usually half awake & late for work.

 

[Rob3rt]

Not rubbish at all. Are your races held during rush hour when the OP will be commutiing? I very much doubt it. There are a very different type of driver using the roads at these times, usually half awake & late for work.

The point re. the races on these roads was a general one. Not related to commuting (admittedly, maybe misplaced since this is in the commuting section).

Re. Hill Wimp's post being rubbish was also fairly general, however, even in the context given, I maintain that position. Choosing whether to ride down a certain dual carriageway is no more of a decision than deciding whether to ride through Rusholme during rush hour. Just because a road is a dual carriageway doesn't mean it is going to be dangerous.

 

[Jaco45er]

I can only speak from experience, trucks terrify the life out of me, the minority of drivers don't seem to give you a decent amount of room (most do), in 5 miles on a dual carriageway I lose count how many trucks pass me,and there will be a couple just too close.

5 miles on my local country roads, not seen a juggernaut yet

 

[ohnovino]

This is typical of the dual-carriageways in Liverpool. I can ride outside of the door zone and still leave an entire lane for cars to pass me. When there's no parked cars it's still easy for cars to get past, as they don't have to worry about oncoming traffic. Who wouldn't want to ride on a road like that?

 

[Bodhbh]

On most it is legal! How comfortable you are with fast traffic is a personal matter. I have raced on several dual carriageway courses in the North and Midlands (In fact I raced on the A50 between Blythe Bridge and Etwall yesterday) and in all cases I have felt safer than on single carriageway courses.

I would hazard a guess that the rate of incidents would be lower, yet the severity of any incident would be higher.

I've used them a few times, mostly trying to get from A to B using google maps where it doesn't always show it's a regular A-road or a dual carriageway. If they've got a decent shoulder to them I feel safer for sure than single carriageways - traffic can pass with plenty of space, you have more space yourself. Main problem with them is there tends to be an awful lot of trash in the shoulder. By trash I mean car debris. Maybe that's not a good sign tho

 

[Schneil]

The point re. the races on these roads was a general one. Not related to commuting (admittedly, maybe misplaced since this is in the commuting section).

Re. Hill Wimp's post being rubbish was also fairly general, however, even in the context given, I maintain that position. Choosing whether to ride down a certain dual carriageway is no more of a decision than deciding whether to ride through Rusholme during rush hour. Just because a road is a dual carriageway doesn't mean it is going to be dangerous.

Without going off topic, how or if you do dual carriageways depends entirely on the road.
In Manchester on ones with narrow lanes (Upper Brook Street), I've maintained primary in the nearside lane and been fine. The ones with a wide nearside lane (Kingsway)are much more tricky. I've done secondary in the nearside lane and theoretically there is enough room for you and a car. However you'll always get a twat (usually driving a wide 4x4) that will steam past you clipping your arm.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Am I right in thinking that some dual carriageways have only one lane and some single carriageways have more than one lane?

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Yes and yes

It's the devil's work I tell thee.

 

[HLaB]

Unless there's a specific bylaw (eg A68 or A90) it's perfectly legal to cycle perfectly legal, to cycle on one may not be advisable. I'll cycle upon an urban dc or short sections of other dc's which are quiet or needed to join up routes and only tackle some in a downhill/ tailwind but I stick away from the types that are like motorways. Cycling on them can be easier, you can take a dominant position without drivers getting too frustrated (there's a second lane to overtake) but they can be a nightmare :-/

 

[ShipHill]

This is typical of the dual-carriageways in Liverpool. I can ride outside of the door zone and still leave an entire lane for cars to pass me. When there's no parked cars it's still easy for cars to get past, as they don't have to worry about oncoming traffic. Who wouldn't want to ride on a road like that?

There's a lot of these single lane roads with a car park running along the side of them in the Birmingham area too.

 

[Rob3rt]

Without going off topic, how or if you do dual carriageways depends entirely on the road.
In Manchester on ones with narrow lanes (Upper Brook Street), I've maintained primary in the nearside lane and been fine. The ones with a wide nearside lane (Kingsway)are much more tricky. I've done secondary in the nearside lane and theoretically there is enough room for you and a car. However you'll always get a twat (usually driving a wide 4x4) that will steam past you clipping your arm.

Upper Brook Street is not a dual carriageway to my knowledge :S A dual carriageway is a road with the opposing directions of traffic separated by a central reservation.