Dual Carriageways

[jugglingphil]

If you do decide to cycle on a dual-carriageway, take care at junctions, especially where the lane filters in (m-way style). Cars are looking in mirrors/over shoulder to see if it's clear for them to join and they are not expecting a bike in front of them!

 

[HLaB]

If you do decide to cycle on a dual-carriageway, take care at junctions, especially where the lane filters in (m-way style). Cars are looking in mirrors/over shoulder to see if it's clear for them to join and they are not expecting a bike in front of them!

Cyclecraft advises a good technique for this situation, when clear cross to the left hand side of the slip, rather than staying on the mainline; I do this where the slip fron the A1 joins the single carriagway Oundle Road.

 

[i hate hills]

Thank you to all who replied to this thread. The general feeling is i'd be mad to go the dualler . Think i'll stick to the back track. Cheers Mike.

 

[martint235]

Cyclecraft advises a good technique for this situation, when clear cross to the left hand side of the slip, rather than staying on the mainline; I do this where the slip fron the A1 joins the single carriagway Oundle Road.

Yep first opportunity you get to safely cross the slip road take it. Gets you out of the way as quickly as possible.

 

[ShipHill]

I had to drive along the A14 the other week. *yawn* and I noticed that at every slip-on there was a wee sign explaining how to cross the slip rather than ride past the mouth of the slip. I avoid dual-tracks like the plague myself and would seek out a back road. Urban dual-tracks aren't too bad though, and I've been through Halesowen a few times.

 

[spen666]

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 :-/

Where can you not legally cycle on A68? I was not aware of it being illegal anywhere on A68

 

[400bhp]

cycling on DC's - orrible.

Increased risk - yes most probably.

 

[campbellab]

Ride to the left of the white line, in the lane, or take the lane?

 

[HLaB]

Where can you not legally cycle on A68? I was not aware of it being illegal anywhere on A68

Towards Dalkeith, where its been upgraded a few years ago :-/

here:

http://www.cyclestreets.net/location/33055/

 

[edindave]

Towards Dalkeith, where its been upgraded a few years ago :-/

here:

http://www.cyclestreets.net/location/33055/

The sign in the photo is the on-ramp for the city bypass - not the A68.

On that map you can see a little blue arrowed circle on the other side of the bypass, indicating where bicycles should turn back. Effectively the end of the A68.

 

[fabregas485]

The A30 is scary. The section I was on had a cycle path on the pavement, but I had to leave it when I did not like the look of a few people up to no good. My back light fell off, I was not sure what it was so I stopped, forgot to clip out of my pedals and fell onto the grass lucky. It could have been a very bad moment for me, if I was no so keen to always unclip away from traffic.

 

[HLaB]

That's the on-ramp for the city bypass - not the A68.

IIRC correctly theres an earlier ban just south of the village (I remember bigger/higher signs), you can cycle down part of the A68 Dalkeith by pass but then you have no choice but to go through Dalkeith and there's no real guidance :-/ You've probably been there more recently than me; the last time I was there was just after it opened (2008 or 9) got dropped on a ERC night run and followed the A68 until the ban.

 

[edindave]

IIRC correctly theres an earlier ban just south of the village (I remember bigger/higher signs), you can cycle down part of the A68 Dalkeith by pass but then you have no choice but to go through Dalkeith and there's no real guidance :-/ You've probably been there more recently than me; the last time I was there was just after it opened (2008 or 9) got dropped on a ERC night run and followed the A68 until the ban.

Well there does come a point on the A68 where the only thing left to come is the bypass so the earlier the signs the better, as opposed to at the bottom of a hill!

 

[martint235]

The A30 is scary. The section I was on had a cycle path on the pavement, but I had to leave it when I did not like the look of a few people up to no good. My back light fell off, I was not sure what it was so I stopped, forgot to clip out of my pedals and fell onto the grass lucky. It could have been a very bad moment for me, if I was no so keen to always unclip away from traffic.

Which bit of the A30? It's quite a long road. As I said earlier I've ridden it at night and a nicer way to leave London westwards would be difficult to find. I've ridden it as far as the A303 with no difficulties

 

[briantrumpet]

As I said earlier I've ridden it at night and a nicer way to leave London westwards would be difficult to find. I've ridden it as far as the A303 with no difficulties

I did a big chunk of it from Honiton to Shaftesbury, and there it was fine. But avoid it west of Exeter - in effect it's a two-lane, hard-shoulderless extension of the M5, and is driven in such a fashion, all of the way down to nearly the end of Cornwall. There are far better choices, not least the old A30 road, which runs parallel for a lot of the way. As keen as I am to preserve cyclists' rights, and against all my libertarian principles, I'd ban bikes from this type of road: they are worse than real motorways, as there's even less margin for error on anyone's part. And the consequences of a mistake are almost always going to be fatal or extremely serious.