Riding on fast dual carriageways.

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classic33

Leg End Member
I'm talking about mostly on the narrower country roads. Not too much traffic on those roads, so they could easily pass if nothing was coming the other way. If we had stayed in pairs they would have no option other than to sit behind us until the road widened a bit. Car drivers often acknowledged us for making room for them to get by.
And only a slight difference in speed, between you and them, required to pass.
 

Kempstonian

Has the memory of a goldfish
Location
Bedford
And only a slight difference in speed, between you and them, required to pass.
That's right. They wouldn't have overtaken on a corner but on a straight stretch they never really had to slow down at all. On twisty sections it made no difference because we stayed in pairs until it was safe to move over - usually after a signal from somebody at the back who had heard the car approaching (which would be more difficult today with the quieter engines!). We never had a problem with this and never had a driver swear at us or show any annoyance with us getting in his way. But I don't think the term 'road rage' had even been invented back then. :giggle:
 

gavroche

Getting old but not past it
Location
North Wales
I used a dual carriageway once and tried to get up to 60mph but could only manage 25 so I thought it safer to not use them anymore, unless in my car.
 

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
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.

Not in my experience. Recumbent trikes tend to get huge amounts of room by overtaking vehicles of all kinds. I often get let out of junctions in town and on country roads drivers will get their whole vehicle over the far side of white line.

I suspect that we are regarded as disabled and drivers are very considerate by and large, perhaps picturing the potential court case that would follow any collision. I've certainly surprised a few people by calmly getting out of the seat and walking away from the trike.
 

Sixmile

Veteran
Location
N Ireland
I generally would stay well clear of carriageways but found myself on one last night about 10:30pm. We'd done a spontaneous 70 miles and it was now dark and the option was to divert quite a bit from our course to get onto an unlit greenway. We decided to plough on up the carriageway which runs for about 4 miles and has the odd touch of lighting. We'd both good rear lights on so all vehicles bar one, gave us plenty of room by moving into the overtaking lane. What I noticed was how good the road surface was compared to what we'd been riding on for the last number of hours.
 

Slick

Guru
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.
I really did expect to be slated for that, every day is a school day.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Photo Winner
Location
Inside my skull
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.

Nonsense bollox and tosh. Please tell me what recumbent you have and where you have experienced this attitude.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Nonsense bollox and tosh. Please tell me what recumbent you have and where you have experienced this attitude.
I've travelled in both directions on Manchester Road & Wakefield Road in Bradford on a recumbent, with no issues.
 

bladderhead

Well-Known Member
I used to turn right on Gallows Corner Roundabout on my way home from work at about 9pm. Three dual carriageways enter that roundabout. I used to do it on a Grasshopper, then graduated to a Cruzbike Silvio. The Silvio was a bit hairy at first until I got the hang of it. Commuting is the way to learn fast.
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
I remember years ago when I first attempted the cycle commute, I would cycle up and down the A90 dual carriage way to the Forth Road bridge. In fact at one point i recall getting on at Admiralty interchange and cycling up and down towards the bridge. I would then have to go on the path to the side before jumping back on the road at the other end. It was fast especially going into Edinburgh. My MTB was souped up with Specialised fatboy tyres and tri bars :tongue: . Diced with cars and lorries...... All rather stupid really. Fast forward a few more years and you were banned from cycling it or walking on the A90. Crazy stuff would never dream of doing that now, just no way. In fact after having a few scares recently I`m staying of main roads as much as I can.
 

Slick

Guru
I remember years ago when I first attempted the cycle commute, I would cycle up and down the A90 dual carriage way to the Forth Road bridge. In fact at one point i recall getting on at Admiralty interchange and cycling up and down towards the bridge. I would then have to go on the path to the side before jumping back on the road at the other end. It was fast especially going into Edinburgh. My MTB was souped up with Specialised fatboy tyres and tri bars :tongue: . Diced with cars and lorries...... All rather stupid really. Fast forward a few more years and you were banned from cycling it or walking on the A90. Crazy stuff would never dream of doing that now, just no way. In fact after having a few scares recently I`m staying of main roads as much as I can.
I was in Burntisland on Tuesday before I had to head to Aberdeen and was most surprised to see a cyclist on a flat bar bike sandals and a kagool pedaling like the clappers just before a sign warning traffic to be aware of cyclists on a planned TT. ^_^
 
Location
London
I drive down the A299/Thanet Way, at 70mph, on a regular basis, I'd be very surprised to see a cyclist there, and whilst I'd move into the 2nd lane to pass, many would not.
Hopefully you would have seen me brains.

I rode for miles in the dark on it fully fully loaded for camping a year or two ago - I was running seriously seriously late for a camp near Birchington and it seemed the most direct. At the end as I unpacked it seemed as if my rear rack light may have been semi obscured by an overhanging tent, though I do have a second light on a bum bag. Luckily none of my panniers dropped off, for they did on bits of the rest of the trip - since sorted with new upgraded Ortlieb hooks.

I did get tooted quite a lot and in retrospect wouldn't do it again - the traffic was seriously seriously fast - pretty much motorway speeds.

At the end of a long heavy ride I did for sure find some extra zoom in my legs to get off the damn thing.

I did ride a very short bit of it on the way back but in daylight, with care, and made use of the cyclelane in bits.

Be careful out there folks - choose your roads carefully - particularly in the dark or bad visibility.
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
I was in Burntisland on Tuesday before I had to head to Aberdeen and was most surprised to see a cyclist on a flat bar bike sandals and a kagool pedaling like the clappers just before a sign warning traffic to be aware of cyclists on a planned TT. ^_^
wisnae me :tongue:
 

Venod

Eh up
Location
Yorkshire
I am coming a bit late to this thread as I have only just seen it.

Going back to the OP there is an alternative if you are riding between B1220 and A638 (the red line on the attached map) you go down the road in the front of the row of houses, then along a path at the side of A1, the path then goes down to an old rough road and curves round to join the slip road at Red House (bit of useless information Jeremy Clarkson's parents had a Paddington Bear factory close to here)

I wouldn't think this path suitable for bike in your Avatar, but it is used by cyclists on more conventional machines.
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I wouldn't ride on the A1 between the points described above, but I have ridden on it a bit further north on the hard shoulder between New Close Lane and Scorcher Hills Lane a few times, its not a pleasant experience and its a relief to get off.

A1.png
 
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