Sorry to lady in the Merc

[redjedi]

Who I must have scared quite a bit last night, but what I thought was a normal roundabout turned out not to be.

I was coming home from doing a few laps of Regents Park last night through a part of London I don't usually cycle, so lots of new roads.

It was the Park Road "roundabout" and I was coming down the Price Albert road. As I approached it I saw this sign which to me indicated a roundabout (gps also showed a roundabout) coming up. As I'm heading towards St Johns Wood, I take a primary position, then move over the right hand lane when I get to the junction (still looks like a regular roundabout).

I wait for a clearing in the traffic from the right, then push off. Start signalling right to stop anyone turning left down Park Road, I'm also looking over my right shoulder as I pass the first junction as I wanted to make sure the car behind knew that I was going around and not turning left.

All went well, I've claimed the middle of the left hand lane and I'm now approaching the next entrance to this junction. Experience tells me to make sure the cars entering the roundabout from the left have seen me and stop, if not I'm ready to save my own skin.

I see said lady in a Merc approaching from the left without any signs of stopping so I start to brake. It's only when the car is passing in front of me that I slam on the brakes. A quick look down and see that there are stop lines painted in the middle of the "roundabout".

I managed to stop within about 6 inches of her drivers window and having seen it was my fault, I put a hand up to apologise, and she carries on her way and I pull out behind her.

I'm not sure what type of junction this is but it really caught me off guard.

So this weeks lesson is that not everything is as it appears to be.

I'm also very pleased that I finally got around to replacing the worn out basic brakes pads with some Kool Stops last week. That most definitely saved me from crashing into the side of the car.

 

[Aperitif]

Post a link to the Koolstops you are using please, Luke - ta. I replaced mine with some Ultegras and am now using Decathlon MTB ones on the rear for a test. Koolstop MTB variety were going to be installed but I happened to be in Dec. and thought I would try. The Solo brakes are generally crap anyway, which is why I keep the speed down and the video switched off.
Glad you're ok though. The extended stop lines are a feature in that area as the 4 x4 s have such a big overhang that conventional stop lines just don't do it...

 

[upsidedown]

The extended stop lines are a feature in that area as the 4 x4 s have such a big overhang that conventional stop lines just don't do it...

They've changed the layout of the road to accommodate 4 x 4s ?

Glad you're ok redjedi.

 

[400bhp]

Terrible road layout.

 

[redjedi]

Post a link to the Koolstops you are using please, Luke - ta. I replaced mine with some Ultegras and am now using Decathlon MTB ones on the rear for a test. Koolstop MTB variety were going to be installed but I happened to be in Dec. and thought I would try. The Solo brakes are generally crap anyway, which is why I keep the speed down and the video switched off.
Glad you're ok though. The extended stop lines are a feature in that area as the 4 x4 s have such a big overhang that conventional stop lines just don't do it...

I got these from Sigma Sport. There aren't many on-line though. Try Spa Cycles
Comes with extra set of pads.

Terrible road layout.

I'm glad it's not just me then.

 

[mr_cellophane]

Glad you're ok though. The extended stop lines are a feature in that area as the 4 x4 s have such a big overhang that conventional stop lines just don't do it...

I don't understand what you mean here.  The overhang from the front wheels to the bumper does not matter.  You MUST stop so that all of your car is behind the stop line (although the lines at this junction are all broken, therefore Give Way markings).

171
You MUST stop behind the line at a junction with a ‘Stop’ sign and a solid white line across the road. Wait for a safe gap in the traffic before you move off.

 

[thomas]

They have a lot of those type roundabouts in weybridge where I did my driving test. On the way there my instructor drilled into me to look for them.

 

[zimzum42]

Terrible road layout.

I can see where you're coming from, but it's a wierd one. It's like that to allow southbound traffic not to get backed up...

 

[Maz]

I can see where you're coming from...

The lady in the Merc didn't.

 

[martint235]

Glad you're ok Luke. From looking at Google maps it looks like it's more the signage that is the problem. It's not actually a roundabout at all just a very complicated set of roads coming together.

Must have been more than a little scary at night particularly when all the signs have told you you're approaching a roundabout!!!

 

[zimzum42]

I don't get why you were turning back on yourself...

If you were heading to St John's Wood, you should have either turned right before the junction, or you should have been going up Wellington Road. Both of which would have avoided that issue. (Unless you were going to the church)

It's also a reason not to rely on satnav things, they get people into more trouble than it's worth, I hate using them

 

[redjedi]

I can see where you're coming from, but it's a wierd one. It's like that to allow southbound traffic not to get backed up...

I see what you mean, and I'm sure during rush hour it works very well. I've just never come across a junction quite like that.

Glad you're ok Luke. From looking at Google maps it looks like it's more the signage that is the problem. It's not actually a roundabout at all just a very complicated set of roads coming together.

Must have been more than a little scary at night particularly when all the signs have told you you're approaching a roundabout!!!

The signs could def. be improved. I'm not sure how you would put that on a sign though.
Once I was on the junction I was in roundabout mode, and it was a bit of a shock to suddenly see a stop line.

I was fine, and it didn't really shake me up at all. Probably because I was the one in control of the situation rather than someone else. If the Merc and me had swapped places I'm sure it would have been a different story.

I don't get why you were turning back on yourself...

If you were heading to St John's Wood, you should have either turned right before the junction, or you should have been going up Wellington Road. Both of which would have avoided that issue. (Unless you were going to the church)

It's also a reason not to rely on satnav things, they get people into more trouble than it's worth, I hate using them

I wasn't heading to St Johns Wood, just using that as an example to indicate which exit I was taking.
I was heading over to Edgeware road, down to Hyde Park and then across to Shepherd's Bush where I'm back on familiar ground. I was just taking the easiest most direct route I could find.

I purposefully avoided that junction on my way to the park because I didn't like the look of it during rush hour.

 

[Norm]

I see what you mean, and I'm sure during rush hour it works very well. I've just never come across a junction quite like that.

Are you sure you haven't, redj? I've always thought that junction pretty much exactly the same as this one. Imagine you were coming down the Kew Road from Kew Bridge and heading into Richmond or over the Twickenham Bridge.

On the one which caught you, there's a Give Way sign either side of the junction and paint across the road, both dotted lines and triangles. I don't see any problems with that junction.

 

[redjedi]

That is similar Norm. But I haven't done that junction either.

Normally go around. Must have just caught me off guard. Still no damage done.

 

[Norm]

That is similar Norm. But I haven't done that junction either.

Sorry, I thought you'd have known it as I was often down that road when I worked in Brentford.