Riding on fast dual carriageways.
- Thread starter BlackPanther
- Start date
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Slick
Guru
I noticed the same on the amazing new Aberdeen bypass. Amazing other than the fact there is no provision for cycling whatsoever included.
The A720 Edinburgh by pass is restricted as well.I noticed the same on the amazing new Aberdeen bypass. Amazing other than the fact there is no provision for cycling whatsoever included.
Round Glasgow , I can't think of any A road that you're not allowed to cycle on.
Clydeside Expressway probably should be but isn't.
It has a decent cycle path alongside it ,but occasionally you see cyclists use the dual carriageway.
The long uphill road from Rutherhlen to East Kilbride is one I wouldn't go on.
City centre.....I don't mind.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Probably excused like for the A14(M) on the grounds that no-one was previously cycling across the fields it's built onI noticed the same on the amazing new Aberdeen bypass. Amazing other than the fact there is no provision for cycling whatsoever included.
At least it has an alternative route signposted, as discussed on previous threads here.
Slick
Guru
Obviously you know this but extrapolate that thinking and we're back in caves.Probably excused like for the A14(M) on the grounds that no-one was previously cycling across the fields it's built on
At least it has an alternative route signposted, as discussed on previous threads here.
rugby bloke
Veteran
- Location
- Northamptonshire
I thought about this thread on Thursday afternoon. On returning to Northampton after my Surrey Hills ride I was at a roundabout off the A45 in the absolute blinding rain, only to see a cyclist entering the slip road to join the A45. Now this is a motorway in all but name but without the benefit of a hard shoulder. Unwise to ride along in good weather, utterly crazy to ride in the sort of rain we had on Thursday. I only hope the cyclist made it to his destination safely.
Richard A Thackeray
Legendary Member
Not done it for a few years, but have ridden down the A1, from A59 junction to 'Bramham Crossroads'(1)
I'm sure it was a Sunday, as back then, in my previous job, I was Mon-Fri
And.... to top it off, it was on my MTB of the time, on Specialized Turbo slicks (2)
A fairly worrying ride, mainly on crossing the slip-roads!
I've also ridden from York, along the A64, pre-bike paths
Maybe even scarier than the A1, due to all the bends, & side-lanes
I'm not sure I'd do it now, even if it was legally allowable, but there are worse roads, or were, such as the 3-lane A59 'Beamsley Bank' (3), & one a lot closer to home too (4)
1. Early 90s?, so very definitely pre upgrading to M-way, & various prohibitions
2. I remember these, as they were 1", & a devil to fit to the rims on the MTB; Pace Research RC100
3. Years ago, for those of a West Yorkshire persuasion, this part of the A59 from Ravens Peak to Bolton Bridge, was a 3-lane affair
A central lane that both 'up & down' could use for overtaking!!
It was rather fraught, descending & wanting to turn into Storiths Lane, towards 'Buffers Cafe'
4. Black Road, to the east of Wakefield - the A655 to Normanton/Castleford - was also a suicide laner, before a bus-lane was added (downhill)
I'm sure it was a Sunday, as back then, in my previous job, I was Mon-Fri
And.... to top it off, it was on my MTB of the time, on Specialized Turbo slicks (2)
A fairly worrying ride, mainly on crossing the slip-roads!
I've also ridden from York, along the A64, pre-bike paths
Maybe even scarier than the A1, due to all the bends, & side-lanes
I'm not sure I'd do it now, even if it was legally allowable, but there are worse roads, or were, such as the 3-lane A59 'Beamsley Bank' (3), & one a lot closer to home too (4)
1. Early 90s?, so very definitely pre upgrading to M-way, & various prohibitions
2. I remember these, as they were 1", & a devil to fit to the rims on the MTB; Pace Research RC100
3. Years ago, for those of a West Yorkshire persuasion, this part of the A59 from Ravens Peak to Bolton Bridge, was a 3-lane affair
A central lane that both 'up & down' could use for overtaking!!
It was rather fraught, descending & wanting to turn into Storiths Lane, towards 'Buffers Cafe'
4. Black Road, to the east of Wakefield - the A655 to Normanton/Castleford - was also a suicide laner, before a bus-lane was added (downhill)
Richard A Thackeray
Legendary Member
Oh!!, & whilst not entirely a dual-carriage way, it is a hell of a worrying stretch of road
Anyone from the Leeds/Wakefield areas. may be familiar with the A61 'Bell Hill'/'Stourton Roundabout' (jct 43/M1), on the Wakefield - Leeds road
- You ride downhill, with traffic joining from your right, as it comes from Rothwell/Oulton/Castleford
- You pass under the M1, & the slip-road off it, appears from your left. with traffic at the appropriate speeds
- Now, due to the nature of the road layout here, you're beholden to riding on the white line between lanes 1 & 2
- There's also a lane joining from the right, BUT, this is (if obeyed) a Give Way
- Traffic leaving the M1, has now, to merge into the lane you're following
- Traffic wanting the M621 (as the divergence of the Mways becomes here) wants the left lane, to the slip road
- All the while, you're following the white-line, to go under the M621, towards Stourton (which as you go under it, has the off slip, & relevant traffic)
A 'fun' road, & I did it for a few years, when I worked in Leeds
Equally, heading up, coming up Bell Hill was...………… interesting...……. on the section between the roundabout & the hill itself
Looking down onto the road from Rothwell/Cas; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3858409
Seen here, the left lane is the 'off-slip', from the M1
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@53.765247,-1.515894,335.31h,2.93p,1z
I still ride down that way, & back up, maybe once a month
Climbing Bell Hill is safer now;
Bus lane, 40MPH limit, traffic lights onto Wood Lane (none, when I worked in Leeds)
Anyone from the Leeds/Wakefield areas. may be familiar with the A61 'Bell Hill'/'Stourton Roundabout' (jct 43/M1), on the Wakefield - Leeds road
- You ride downhill, with traffic joining from your right, as it comes from Rothwell/Oulton/Castleford
- You pass under the M1, & the slip-road off it, appears from your left. with traffic at the appropriate speeds
- Now, due to the nature of the road layout here, you're beholden to riding on the white line between lanes 1 & 2
- There's also a lane joining from the right, BUT, this is (if obeyed) a Give Way
- Traffic leaving the M1, has now, to merge into the lane you're following
- Traffic wanting the M621 (as the divergence of the Mways becomes here) wants the left lane, to the slip road
- All the while, you're following the white-line, to go under the M621, towards Stourton (which as you go under it, has the off slip, & relevant traffic)
A 'fun' road, & I did it for a few years, when I worked in Leeds
Equally, heading up, coming up Bell Hill was...………… interesting...……. on the section between the roundabout & the hill itself
Looking down onto the road from Rothwell/Cas; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3858409
Seen here, the left lane is the 'off-slip', from the M1
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@53.765247,-1.515894,335.31h,2.93p,1z
I still ride down that way, & back up, maybe once a month
Climbing Bell Hill is safer now;
Bus lane, 40MPH limit, traffic lights onto Wood Lane (none, when I worked in Leeds)
The closest I've experienced to fast dual carriageways is the A24 between Dorking and Horsham. Not too bad late evening, and there is plenty of room for drivers to overtake. I actually felt less safe on the single carriageway stretch south of Capel, narrow road, blind bends and summits, with drivers who are porbably not expecting to see a cyclist on that road at 11 pm.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
The alternative cycle route National 539 isn't signed or maintained that well, is it? And the back road route on to Wellingborough isn't signed at all. It's all a bit
and I would blame the councils and government much more than the cyclist.Part of that bit of the A45 is the Nene Valley Expressway and cycling is almost banned over one bridge (actually the restriction is a 25mph minimum speed limit, but that rules most of us out!). The national government agency (Highways England) says they're going to build more expressways. I fear the A45/N539 rubbish is what we're going to get more of, despite the pretty pictures on https://cycletraffic-elearning.com
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