Roundabout Lane Advice

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taxing

Well-Known Member
I've just started cycling and will regularly have to go over this roundabout: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...0056,-0.395122&spn=0.000677,0.002006&t=k&z=19

On my first attempt I had to come from the street on the right (Spring Bank West) and take the third exit (Willerby Road). Because I wasn't sure which lane I should be in (I don't drive) I got off and used the zebra crossings, but I'd rather not do that next time. Which lane should I be in? (I guessed inside lane, but like I said, not sure and too wary to risk it.)

Also, on my way home I was exiting from the road at the top left and going back down the street on the right. I stayed in the outside lane. Is that right?

Thanks for the advice.
 
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taxing

Well-Known Member
Thank you, does that go for both ways, or just for the first one?
 

battered

Guru
I'm struggling to know what you mean. Have you had a look at the Highway Code for guidance? This had diagrams of RBs and chaptre and verse on what to do. It's the same for cars and bikes, in principle. While it is tempting to go round the outside of a RB this does invite car drivers to say "F* it, it's only a bike, he'll stop" and cut you up. They find it much harder to cut you up if you are physically in the lane you want, so take ownership of your bit of the road. The Highway Code will tell you which bit of the road is yours, so please, read and understand it as a matter of priority because if you make a mistake in front of a ton of metal it won't be the car driver going to hospital.

Ride safe out there and enjoy yourself.
 

buggi

Bird Saviour
Location
Solihull
Actually, i'm going to conflict with that advice. The advice isn't wrong, you can do it that way, but i think this way is better... and for the following reasons.

Technically you're going straight on (there are 5 exits and you are taking the 3rd). I looks from the picture, although it isn't clear, like your exit is a dual carriageway. If this is correct then this is like an island near me, and both lanes on the island can be used to come off for the 3rd exit, and on that island you need to be in the left lane because if you use the right lane, you may find that you have cars coming off at the same exit on your left and you will find it hard to get back to the left. So i would use the left lane and keep to the centre of it. If you feel the need to, as you pass the 1st exit and are approaching the 2nd, signal right, but stay in lane, so that drivers behind know you are not exiting, but you shouldn't need to if you are dead centre or centre-right of the lane.

Whether you take my advice or Lees, whichever lane you do use, you need to come off in that lane, so if you take the advice of using the right lane, you need to exit into the right lane of the dual carriageway and then signal to come over to the left, and then move back over to the left when the coast is clear. So, much easier to take the centre of the left lane around the island in the first place.

Edit: coming back, definitely centre of the left lane as you are taking 2nd exit of a 5 exit island.
 
I know this RAB as it used to be a regular run for me many moons ago since my Granny lived 1/2 a mile up the road and since the second exit is a (VERY) minor road it can pretty much be discounted and you are, in essence, going straight on.

I know what Lee means but please do trust local knowledge on this. Cars use the left lane to turn left onto Carr Lane and also to head (effectively) straight on onto Willerby Road. True, cars also use the right lane to do so, but then they exit the RAB onto the right lane of the dual carriageway, usually with a mind to turning up Wold Road later.

For this particular RAB, use the left lane but keep in primary to prevent being left-hooked and just be alert for any idiots trying to hook you going left before Derringham Bank church, thiough in reality very few cars use this exit and they SHOULD be in the left lane. It would be rare for anyone to use the right hand lane to exit before the church.

If you used the right-hand-lane, the only safe exit onto Willerby Road would be to continue in the right-hand lane, not normally the lane you would choose on a bike at that particular point
 
I don't know the roundabout or traffic flows but I'd do what cars do. If cars predominantly use the left/ right use that.

My first instincts would be to use the right lane on Spring Bank West and spiral out on the rab so I can exit on Willerby Road. Visa versa at night I use the left from Willerby Rd to Spring Bank West. As I said I dont know local conditions, so that may not be 100% apt but what ever you take up the centre of the lane to stop drivers cutting you up.
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
Like most roundabouts you want to look at what most cars are doing. As ST knows the area I'd go with his advice as how motorists navigate the roundabout is far more important than what the HWC says.

What ever you do the most important things are to claim lane you are in by riding in primary, lots of rear ward observations, signal properly if the road surface allows but DO NOT signal early! (this will confuse motorist & may well cause problems).
 
Essentially the roundabout (in practice) can be viewed more like this, with the lines marking the major routes joining. Willerby Road is essentially a continuation of Spring Bank West*, a main route heading from the City Centre to Willerby and outlying villages and also to the major A164.

Calvert Lane and Calvert Road, basically cross this dual carriageway at the roundabout. These are the 4 primary roads joining this roundabout. I've greyed out the other smaller road to show non-locals what the effective layout is more like...

2hewkna.jpg


*Although you shouldn't completely ignore the greyed out route I've marked it with the dotted line because, despite it being called "Spring Bank West", in routes rather than street names, it is not a continuation of the dual carriageway route. It is a "local traffic" road - it leads to a few shops and residential streets, eventually whichever way you turn you are led back onto Willerby Road. It's not even useful as a rat-run. The traffic visible on these roads in the google image shows this too.

The only thing I'm not sure of is whether there is increased traffic along the yellow dashed route at school times with traffic to Ainthorpe school but even then, such traffic would not take the right hand lane to reach it from Spring Bank West dual carriageway.
 
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taxing

Well-Known Member
Thank you all, and especially Sheffield Tiger, I can't believe that on this big old internet someone knows exactly what roundabout I'm talking about! I'll stay in the left lane for both ways, what you say makes total sense.
 

on the road

Über Member
I agree with buggi, you're going straight ahead so stay in the left hand lane, but stay in the middle of your lane and watch for traffic coming from your left, don't assume they'll stop for you.
 

Krypton

New Member
Location
UK
taxing said:
Thank you all, and especially Sheffield Tiger, I can't believe that on this big old internet someone knows exactly what roundabout I'm talking about! I'll stay in the left lane for both ways, what you say makes total sense.

There's quite a few from Hull on here ... including the site owner Admin (Shaun).

I think there is alos an East Yorkshire CC get together / ride quite often so it might be worth seeing if you can join in on one of those if you fancy some company and/or some non-commuting cycling.
 
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taxing

Well-Known Member
I'll give it a go after I get a bit better I reckon, I'm still at the beginner-riding-like-a-granny-stage and I wouldn't want to hold anyone up. Though I don't think my bike is made for heavy riding, so I might have to skip anything hilly. :sad:
 
Krypton said:

taxing said:

Sorry, never seen those two words together in the same topic before! :blush:

Although a run out through Cottingham, Skidby, Little Weighton, Rowley, down the hill into Ellerker and back up through Brantingham, and over Raywell and Eppleworth is a nice undulating but not too hard ride out but with a good hill in the middle. Used to go that way a lot..in fact now I recall it I might throw my bike in the back of the car next time I'm in Hull and pedal out that way for old times' sake.
 

jimboalee

New Member
Location
Solihull
Imagine you are in a JCB. What would he do?

Imagine you are in a milk float. What would he do?

Imagine you are in a car that can only engage the first two gears. What would he ?
 
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