Roadworks ?

[J4CKO]

There is a long section on my route that has been closed for roadworks, about a mile or so of rural road closed for electrical works, last night I happened upon it and just went through the cones and had the joy of a mile of car free road Am I going to hell ? will the attitude of the motorist that usual says "its only a cyclist" still apply when I manage to get through when I cant or will suddenly I have to stand up and be counted as an equal road user ?

Its there for three weeks, should I just job through or be a good cyclist and go the long route with the ratty displaced motorists ? push comes to shove I can carry my bike past, dont you love a mode of transport you can pick up and carry try as a I might, impossible in a Saab.

Also, last night I went along the pavement, due to the rain and leaves a small lake had formed and gentlement in hi viz with a truck were clearing it but cutting off the road, effectively, along with the angry motorists blocking it completely, ended up in moton stalemate where because one or two greedy and inconsiderate people hammer through and get stuck nobody can get through till it unpicks itself (probably about 11pm by the looks of it), I waited for a few seconds and though f*ck this for a game of soldiers, dismounted, walked down the pavement, remounted and enjoyed another half mile of car free road.

I feel no guilt about either thing, especially having heard a colleagues story, pulling out from a road in his car, two cars racing in a built up area scream past, he is shocked but continues and then finds one of the cars upside down.

So the more I can avoid cars, the better.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

We had a road closed around here a while back. Don't assume there will be no cars, because all the locals knew you could get a car through, so we just drove around the cones and carried on as if the road wasn't closed.

 

[I am Spartacus]

Do it ... makes sense... you aint a car
lane was closed off for minor resurfacing on a bridge... I went thru .. no way doing a 3 mile detour.... as the guys were rolling out the tarmac patches, I did say a friendly 'hello' , bugger all they could do about it

 

[Wheeledweenie]

The Uxbridge Road turning on Shepherd's Bush Green was closed for a while and the detour was huge (I did it one eugh) so I hopped off, walked Reg 50 yards to where the road was reopened and pedalled off home without the massive timewasting exercise of the jammed diversion.

Surely this is one of the joys of cycling as opposed to driving. I didn't break any laws as I walked the bike while on the pavement and I could see the glares of jealous motorists as I walked by.

 

[J4CKO]

Will be able to see any cars as its straight and I did think of the cheery greeting as to be honest I dont think they will care, its cars they are trying to stop for the safety of the workforce, but I suspect I will be going past when they arent working anyway.

Also, had a four by four up my backside down a narrow unlit lane last night, I think it was one of the householders on the right of way I use, they dont like people using it, signs dissapear and they try to make it look like it doesnt exist by putting a huge plant in front of it, was quite intimidating but I am not doing anyone any harm, perfectly legal, they bought the place when the right of way was in effect and now want to stop people using it.

 

[Bman]

We have something similar here at the moment.

They are re-laying a lot of gas pipe work and as they have had to dig up part of the pavement, someone had the bright idea that cyclists and mopeds have to dismount to walk past the roadworks! There isn’t even any roadworks taking place on the cycletrack (and still room on the pavement for peds)!

What frustrates me is that if cars used that stretch of road (cycleway, whatever) they would put temporary warning signs miles back. But for cyclists, we have to miss any opportunity to go a different route before we realise that we are supposed to dismount! Currently it goes like this:

“Road works” warning
--- 2meter gap---
“Road narrows on right” (when actually the roadworks are on the left, and the road doesn’t narrow)
--- 2 meter gap---
“Cyclists and mopeds dismount” sign
--- 5 meter gap---
** Roadworks for 20 meters **
etc

Im sorry, if the road isnt closed, I won’t dismount. Close the road, and I will dismount (or probably go a different route altogether).

Am I bad!?

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Will be able to see any cars as its straight and I did think of the cheery greeting as to be honest I dont think they will care, its cars they are trying to stop for the safety of the workforce, but I suspect I will be going past when they arent working anyway.

Also, had a four by four up my backside down a narrow unlit lane last night, I think it was one of the householders on the right of way I use, they dont like people using it, signs dissapear and they try to make it look like it doesnt exist by putting a huge plant in front of it, was quite intimidating but I am not doing anyone any harm, perfectly legal, they bought the place when the right of way was in effect and now want to stop people using it.

Don't think anyone could really complain about you using the closed road, J4CKO. I'm assuming you're still allowed to walk along it? If so, you could always push the bike down any potential conflict points; though who you gonna conflict with?

The main road through our village was closed for six weeks last year (new gas main). It was lovely .. you could walk or cycle along it with relative ease: some care was still needed as there was local traffic getting access to houses, plus the people not believing the signs and ignoring the barriers they'd had to pass trying to do 57 point turns when they eventually got to the actual blockage. Still, it was amusing cheering them on.

As for the bit in bold above, get on to your local Ramblers branch. They get proper militant about rights of way.

 

[J4CKO]

Last time I went through the roadwords near us, took primary but a little fat bloke in a Merc took umbridge at this and sqeezed through nearly putting me into the trench and he hit the kerb on the right hand side in his frenzy to join thr queue on the other side, he shat himself when I stopped and knocked on his window as the annoying yellow obstacle had transformed magically into something human and angry at him, he wouldnt look at me, eyes fixed forward.

 

[Wheeledweenie]

We have something similar here at the moment.

They are re-laying a lot of gas pipe work and as they have had to dig up part of the pavement, someone had the bright idea that cyclists and mopeds have to dismount to walk past the roadworks! There isn’t even any roadworks taking place on the cycletrack (and still room on the pavement for peds)!

What frustrates me is that if cars used that stretch of road (cycleway, whatever) they would put temporary warning signs miles back. But for cyclists, we have to miss any opportunity to go a different route before we realise that we are supposed to dismount!

I must admit that this frequently annoys me about roadworks where I live. Why should I have to get off and walk? And even if there's a logical reason why on earth didn't you let me know sooner so I could get safely off the road? Grrrrrr

 

[jonny jeez]

Not sure I have the full picture, but you snuck through the cones and ran along the closed road in the dark, unlit back-waters ....is that right?

If that's the score then all I would say is, "buy some really good lights".

There will be a reason its closed (which will probably not be apparent for a while) so don't get complacent ....and always EXPECT to find a dirty big hole some place along that road one dark night.

 

[J4CKO]

Also, (im on a roll), first time I went through it, Monday a grumpy looking bloke in a five series BMW was doing a three point turn I came through and saw me but chose to ignore me, I gave him a WTF shrug and glare combo and stopped such that he couldnt move then, looked him in the eye and got a sheepish sorry mouthed at me, I think he brassed (being all important, suited and managery in his five Series, bet he has sold many crates of Cherryade this week) it out and realized it was a twats trick he just pulled, fair play for acknowledging it.

 

[J4CKO]

Not sure I have the full picture, but you snuck through the cones and ran along the closed road in the dark, unlit back-waters ....is that right?

If that's the score then all I would say is, "buy some really good lights".

There will be a reason its closed (which will probably not be apparent for a while) so don't get complacent ....and always EXPECT to find a dirty big hole some place along that road one dark night.

Johnny, amen to that, having as a kid fallen foul of a freshly dug hole whilst on a bike I was only to aware of the potential for crevaces in the road I had my Hope Vision 2 on maximum eye searing (for motorists, it just lets me see)brightness.

 

[J4CKO]

Dissapointed as was in the car todays, as being complicated and dangerous it needs an annual MOT, which was due the 14th but I forgot as I dont use it much, I dont think it had degenrated much in the 2000 miles or so since the last one, the bikes done more than the car.