really rutted road sections

[kedab]

hey CC here's something i've been mulling over...

on my commute there's a couple of sections of road that are really horribly rutted, only for 20 meters or so but the vibration through my gloved hands and through my arms is enough to make me wince so i don't like them at all

so, here's my question. if there's no traffic right up my chuff, is it poor form to take control of the lane while i cycle to the right of the ruts and potentially slow down and thus annoy the traffic that'll no doubt catch me up while i'm doing so?

or do i just deal with the bone shaking?

 

[DrSquirrel]

It's 20 metres... go around it.

If you have someone that you feel wants to push past, then concede position.

 

[lukesdad]

Bunny hop it !

 

[kedab]

wilco doc, thank you for the affirmative response

i'll see what occurs on my way home in 20 minutes and let you know the results tomorrow!

 

[iAmiAdam]

It's 20m, go a bit quicker and you'll skip over it in a few seconds.

 

[Zoiders]

Lift your arse off the saddle and ride it out?

 

[kedab]

Bunny hop it !

haha! that's a rather ambitious bunny hop...i'd need to set up a ramp which seems quite a bit of trouble to go to just to miss out some ruts - i don't think the traffic would be best pleased with me breaking out the black & decker in the middle of the street either

 

[dand_uk]

You have a right to use any part of the road you wish provided it's legal so take a look behind, signal if necessary, move further out in advance of the bumpy bit, take the lane until past it. You may get a beep now and then but ignore it. The delay you cause traffic will be nothing compared to the next red light they have to sit at.

That said if it's more than 30mph or a busy road then the above advice requires a bit more forward planning and negotiation. Signal as if you're taking the next right hand side road.

 

[coffeejo]

There's a bit going into Taunton like that. I cycle round it and if there's traffic behind me, I slow down until there's a gap I can slip into. If there's *lots* of traffic, I lift up away from the saddle and tough it out. Helps me appreciate my sports bra, if nothing else.

 

[lukesdad]

You have a right to use any part of the road you wish provided it's legal so take a look behind, signal if necessary, move further out in advance of the bumpy bit, take the lane until past it. You may get a beep now and then but ignore it. The delay you cause traffic will be nothing compared to the next red light they have to sit at.

That said if it's more than 30mph or a busy road then the above advice requires a bit more forward planning and negotiation. Signal as if you're taking the next right hand side road.

....and get flattened by the next Artic. that comes along. Sound!

 

[cyberknight]

Go around it , i have a bad bit on the exit of a blind corner so i always take primary and avoid the potholes and stop cars trying to squeeze past.

 

[suecsi]

+1

Some of the back roads in Kingston are like this - full of ruts and annoying little potholes that are probably not too noticeable in a car (probably why they don't get fixed!) but most definitely noticeable on a Brompton!

The road in question is parked cars both sides as well, and a bit of a cut through for Royal Mail vans, but otherwise I can usually take primary and avoid the holes.

 

[fimm]

I agree with the above - I also have a section like this which I will try and pull out to go round if I can - sometimes if there is a lot of traffic I have to ride over it, but I prefer not to. (Annoyingly, they have dumped a load of tarmac into the potholes that were there, and so probably think it is fixed, but it is nearly as horrible to cycle over as it was before...)