Norfolk roads - cycling nightmare?

[SpokeyDokey]

On holiday in Norfolk (just East of Sandringham) and I'm amazed at the speed that many drivers drive at here.

This is our first visit to the county and we are not fuddy-duddy slow drivers by any means but crikey some of the driving here has to be seen to be believed.

In the 5 days we have so far been here we have witnessed 2 very close shaves and were a couple of minutes behind a 5 car accident just outside Fakenham.

Many of the minor roads are narrow and extremely straight. They are also oddly very bumpy (soft soil beneath the tarmac etc?). At 40-50mph you get hassled. We have been overtaken on a blind bend, overtaken on a blind summit and one guy overtook us as we went by a staggered junction that a large 4x4 was pulling out of (one of the close shaves).

Some drivers must be running 70-80mph on these roads and some seem happy to go straight through villages with 30mph restrictions at maybe double the legal limit.

Pretty amazed really. Very low police presence on the roads as well.

Not seen that many cyclists here tbh - a few TT-ers on the A418 (very fast road) and the odd roadie.

So...how do regular riders of these roads cope? Seems *loody dangerous to me.

 

[byegad]

We came back from the Hickling area last weekend and found the opposite. Most drivers seemed perfectly happy to drive at 5-10mph below the limit on the A roads and stuck to the speed limits rather better than drivers here in NE England. The number of speed cameras and Average speed cameras made me even more attentive to limits than I usually am, and at home I do stick to the limit anyway.

 

[snorri]

So...how do regular riders of these roads cope? Seems *loody dangerous to me.

It's the price us rural dwellers pay for living free of any concerns re left turning lorries, red light jumpers, bendy buses and cycle paths obstructed by parked vehicles.

More seriously, it is as you say loody dangerous, the fact there are fewer crashes per square mile than in built up areas rather skews the statistics IMV.

 

[Mark1978]

I cycle thousands of miles around Norfolk and to be honest, have only ever had a few inconsiderates that stick in the memory.

But the roads are awful, yes!!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

We came back from the Hickling area last weekend and found the opposite. Most drivers seemed perfectly happy to drive at 5-10mph below the limit on the A roads and stuck to the speed limits rather better than drivers here in NE England. The number of speed cameras and Average speed cameras made me even more attentive to limits than I usually am, and at home I do stick to the limit anyway.

@byegad

Were you in North Norfolk? We've covered about 350 miles here in the last week and speed cameras are fairly minimal and we've not seen an average speed camera at all.

Not so much the A roads but all the B's etc are the ones that I am on about. These tend to be very straight and narrow with sandy soil encroaching either side - today we have seen two total idiots come hurtling down towards us (one in a RR Sport and the other a Navara) with very little passing gap between them and us. We have also had a very large lorry come flying over a hill about 3' over the centre-line and we had to stray onto the slopey, sandy bit at the side of the road to avoid it.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

It's the price us rural dwellers pay for living free of any concerns re left turning lorries, red light jumpers, bendy buses and cycle paths obstructed by parked vehicles.

More seriously, it is as you say loody dangerous, the fact there are fewer crashes per square mile than in built up areas rather skews the statistics IMV.

@snorri

I live in rural Cumbria and would say that the speeds are a lot lower. Mrs SD and I have been chatting about this on our travels and have concluded that Cumbria is slower as it is much twistier and has more hills.

 

[Glow worm]

I cycle thousands of miles around Norfolk and to be honest, have only ever had a few inconsiderates that stick in the memory.

Same here and I don't recognise the OPs experiences really though I tend to cycle in Norfolk much more than drive. I suspect it's the grockles as most Norfolk people are mostly pretty relaxed.

I just keep a wary eye for the enormous 4x4s, usually shiny and black with the 'L' for London on the plates. Generally though they all bugger off back there on Sunday evenings. Norfolk is pretty much cycling heaven.

 

[Mark1978]

If i get out on a Sunday morning at about 7am, I can go for 3-4 hours and not see a car. Its bliss. The only thing i will see are deer, kestrels, owls.....

 

[snorri]

Quoting from a road safety publication.....
There is an incorrect perception that rural road driving is safer than urban driving due to there being fewer vehicles using country roads. Country roads are unpredictable and, therefore, present far more challenges to drivers than they may think.

Whilst cyclists are not themselves 'driving', they are likely to be affected by driver failures.

RoSPA stats http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/road-users/rural/

 

[Plumster]

I find that, whereas the speed may be high, generally I'm given plenty of room. I was watching a youtube video of a guy cycling American streets, and they made our roads look brilliant. I'm riding cycle together Sandringham on Sunday, roads out that way will be busy with cyclists

 

[HLaB]

Ive cycled to Narfolk a few times and I wouldn't class it any worse than anywhere else Ive cycled.

 

[citybabe]

I mostly cycle around South Norfolk rather than North Norfolk. I find most drivers are to a degree fairly courteous. I think where ever you are you are going to get dicks.

When I cycle on the A140 I have a right hand turn to make onto a B road and a lot of cars will still overtake me although I'm in primary position coming up to the junction but I guess you get that where ever you cycle

 

[Plumster]

rode 125 miles around north Norfolk today and not one problem with motorists, they either hung back and waited for a gap or gave us a nice wide berth

 

[Saluki]

How long are you here for @SpokeyDokey ?
All the aggressive a-holes all bugger off back to Londinium tonight and it will be cycling heaven tomorrow, once the incomers have cleared off.

I hope that you get some good cycling in. The roads are pants but we are used to it and it's a small price to pay for the quietness of Norfolk generally.

 

[Hitchington]

I like cycling in Norfolk and Suffolk. Never had any issues really.