Riding on fast dual carriageways.

[BlackPanther]

I took the long way home today. Bit of guesswork as I’ve recently swapped jobs. I found myself on an a road that came out onto the A1 dual carriageway. The stretch is only a couple of hundred yards long before my exit (Adwick) and as it’s downhill I was doing over 30mph. I joined at this speed with a nice gap, but got beeped from an Artic, and a car. I ride with bright rear lights and a high viz flag.

Hmmmmm, annoyed me a bit as I know it’s perfectly legal to do this (though I generally avoid these situations) and those beeping their horns are the ones in the wrong as I’m aware of their presence. Just wondered if anyone regularly travels on fast dual carriageways, and do they get the same treatment?

 

[Slick]

I know lots of people do it and I may get shot down for this but I avoid this at all costs. I winced a few times on Sunday morning when I saw quite a number on a particularly fast stretch of dual that has history of a couple of deaths for cyclists recently. On the return journey it was almost inevitable to see a cyclist down holding his leg in pain with the police standing over him trying to get a statement.

I know that we can, but personally I wouldn't.

 

[classic33]

From car drivers yes. Local heavy haulage no, non-local at times.

Found that if one starts with the beeping others follow. Use the A58 and A629 on a fairly regular basis. And despite, like yourself travelling at speed on a "slower vehicle" isn't something they like.

 

[Biff600]

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

[Zanelad]

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Very much this. I certainly wouldn't entertain it. I have about half a mile on a busyish single carriageway A road. Traffic isn't going that fast as there's always a queue of traffic over the entire length which I travel due to a roundabout. The return journey's not so bad as it's 2.30 pm and the road is much quieter. Often have traffic holding station behind me. I wouldn't like to be doing it on a fast dual carriageway though, whetever the time of day.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

If you mean coming on at the Skellow & coming back off at A638 then yes legal, but not advisable, but on saying that go another 20 miles further south & I've seen the A1 being used for individual time trials.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

. I found myself on an a road that came out onto the A1 dual carriageway. The stretch is only a couple of hundred yards long before my exit (Adwick) and as it’s downhill I was doing over 30mph. I joined at this speed with a nice gap, but got beeped from an Artic, and a car. I ride with bright rear lights and a high viz flag.?

Drivers dislike "weird" bikes like recumbents even more than they dislike regular cyclists on standard two wheelers. You will get regarded as a kamikaze loony who shouldn't be on that type of bike, or on that type of road. Personally, I would view it as essentially suicidal if you try to do it regularly.

 

[DRM]

Personally I think to ride a bike on any part of the A1 is suicidal at best, even at 30 mph , a vehicle going at the speed limit is closing in you with a 40 mph speed difference, in reality it could be any where between 50 to 60 mph difference, I travel up and down the A1 a lot and it's quite usual to have cars flying up to the back of my van at around 80 to 90 mph, so consider a car approaching you at 70 mph, the gap between you will close very,very quickly they see you, indicate to overtake only to see Mr BMW/Audi in lane two going like a bat out of hell, they have to slam all on to avoid hitting you and the whole effect goes right back up the road, it might be legal but I think it's a stupid thing to do.
By the way only this morning I was overtaken just north of Newton Aycliffe by an ambulance responder on a blue light run in a Skoda estate, my sat nav was showing 72 mph my conservative estimate of that cars speed was at least 100 mph as that stretch of road was quite clear, pretty scary to think of that car passing you on a recumbent!

 

[classic33]

Drivers dislike "weird" bikes like recumbents even more than they dislike regular cyclists on standard two wheelers. You will get regarded as a kamikaze loony who shouldn't be on that type of bike, or on that type of road. Personally, I would view it as essentially suicidal if you try to do it regularly.

I ride a "weird" cycle/recumbent, not all recumbents are bicycles.

For me, if the other traffic on the road dislike that, and shouldn't be allowed on the roads, that's up to them. They are just going to accept the fact I've as much right to use the roads as they do. Get used to it, I'll continue using the roads.

 

[slowmotion]

Personally, self preservation trumps making a point.

Here lies the body of Michael O'Day.
He died defending his right of way.
He was right, dead right, as he sailed along,
But just as dead as if he'd been wrong.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I rode the A34 from Winchester to Oxford once. I will NEVER do that again. I also rode the A27 from near Portsmouth to Chichester, again, Darwinism at its finest, particularly where it gets all complicated near its entry to the A3M The trucks were sounding their horns more to warn me it was going to get interesting, than to have a go at me. Should I have suffered a mechanical, there was nowhere to sort it out, without getting off those roads, good luck walking the distance to the off ramp, on cleats, with a crocked bike, with trucks / coaches coming past at nearly 60 mph, with not much clearance, in the dark, when it’s raining. Bikes are allowed there, but you’re also allowed to jump out of a plane with no parachute, I know which I’d rather do to be fair.

 

[screenman]

I have raced on plenty of dual carriageways, I felt saver than many of the roads around these parts with their blind bends.

 

[Jimidh]

Personally, self preservation trumps making a point.

Here lies the body of Michael O'Day.
He died defending his right of way.
He was right, dead right, as he sailed along,
But just as dead as if he'd been wrong.

This x 100 - there are just some roads that are inherently unsafe to ride on and best avoided.

 

[Mo1959]

I hate even having to cross a busy dual carriageway. Couple of my routes cross the A9 and even waiting at the side for a gap, some of the big curtainsiders nearly suck you off your feet.

 

[Joffey]

I've ridden on the A19 near me a few times - can't say it's bothered me and the drivers have been fine with it.