Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => On The Road => Topic started by: rogerzilla on 18 October, 2008, 04:58:46 pm

Title: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rogerzilla on 18 October, 2008, 04:58:46 pm
The A40 Westway.  In the dark.  On a Brompton.  Thank <IYFD> for flashing lights and reflective courier bags.

Eventually I decided to use the hard shoulder instead, and ended up running over a discarded scaffold pole at about 25mph, as well as the usual detritus (I have Marathon Pluses, ha ha).  Even the expansion joints on the ramps have wheel-eating slots.

Amazingly, the TfL site suggests it's legal, and there are no "no cycling" signs.

What's your worst ever?
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Frere on 18 October, 2008, 05:19:26 pm
For me, easily the A303 and A36 intersection. The A303 sweeps pass Stonehedge - along with lorries, white vans and cars...All these vehicles thundering pass you, really have to watch the drafts/washes else get sucked into the maw that is the A303.

Frere
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: border-rider on 18 October, 2008, 05:22:16 pm
A40 Gloucester at 5 pm on a winter Saturday, on an audax.  Just a really bad idea.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: longers on 18 October, 2008, 05:23:16 pm
The A66 between Brough and Appleby, I wasn't on it for long but it was far too long.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Wowbagger on 18 October, 2008, 05:39:29 pm
A strong candidate is the A49 between the A417 and the B4361. It is narrow and extremely busy. Fortunately we were only meant to be on it for about 500m. We just got off and pushed the tandem on the wide grass verge. With hindsight, I should have just held the primary position and all would have been well (I think).

Another is M5 junction 25, A38 heading East. We were heading for North Curry and had completely failed to find the canal towpath about 1km to the north.

Possibly the worst was trying to take the A575 (3rd exit) from the A572, which coincides with J13 of the M60. However, this is eminently avoidable if you use this (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=376300&y=399780&z=4&sv=376300,399780&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf) footpath across a golf course. We were heading for Walkden.

All of these were on our LEJOG last year.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: dasmoth on 18 October, 2008, 05:44:45 pm
I'd second the A36, although the bit around the end of the dual carriageway just south of Salisbury can be pretty bad too (so long as the traffic is actually moving).

Fortunately never needed to ride far on it, though.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: border-rider on 18 October, 2008, 05:47:06 pm
A strong candidate is the A49 between the A417 and the B4361

The A49 is OK

I once rode it from Northwich to almost Ross on Wye.  Not an ideal choice, but I was in a hurry.

Like the A40, it probably depends when you are on it. My ride was on a weekday afternoon in the summer.  I suspect it's a lot nastier in rush hour.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Wowbagger on 18 October, 2008, 05:52:21 pm
I think much of the perceived terror of any road is how fast the cyclist is moving.

We used the A49 in two or three places on LEJoG and heading north into Hereford was no problem: we were doing about 20 mph all the way so it flew by and very few vehicles overtook us.

That junction near Swinton was a bastard as we had to cycle a fully laden tandem up a hill when the main flow of traffic was lorries turning left across us to join the motorway. I couldn't change lane, so eventually we got off and rode on the pavement for about 300 yards.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Deano on 18 October, 2008, 05:59:53 pm
The A66 between Brough and Appleby, I wasn't on it for long but it was far too long.

I once rode from Bowes to Penrith, before they made it a dual carriageway over Stainmore.  I wouldn't do it again, but it wasn't that bad.  I even caught up another cyclist at Stainmore Summit.

The worst road I can think of is the A174/Parkway south of Middlesbrough (it's OK to ride after Eston) .  I first had to negotiate the A19-A174 junction at about 3pm on a Friday, and to avoid being crushed at the side I was going around the roundabout at +25mph and being overtaken by traffic at both sides, and when I got onto the road itself, the pace and volume of the traffic was so intense that I had to escape to the side of the carriageway.  This wasn't the soft option it seemed, since there was no hard shoulder as such, merely a gutter which was so full of glass, bottles and abandoned bits of corsamobiles that I slowed to less than 5mph.  I was tempted to climb up the embankment to get out of there, even though the junction was only a couple of hundred yards away.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: redshift on 18 October, 2008, 06:01:41 pm
The A66 between Brough and Appleby, I wasn't on it for long but it was far too long.

Seconded.  I did some of that back in June, and wasn't really happy until I'd passed all the way through Appleby (it was the week of the horse fair) and was on the road to Penrith.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: teethgrinder on 18 October, 2008, 06:03:43 pm
I think much of the perceived terror of any road is how fast the cyclist is moving.


Yes. Riding fast makes a road seem much better in traffic. The A49 is a pussycat.

A36, yes, quite nasty.
A303, very very nasty in daytime. I've done it in rain, I got off at the next chance which didn't need a big detour.
A66 is another nasty.
A40 west of Gloucester at 5pm, very bad also.

I've done all of those and others that are just as bad.

But my worst was the A720 Edinburgh by pass when it was legal to cycle on there.
Easily the worst of any road I've cycled on. It's been illegal to cycle on for around a decade now. I bet that the no cycling law is better enforced than the flouted speed limit and poor and dangerous (allthough very normal) driving, which are actualy what make this road so dangerous to cycle on.*


*It had very low usage by cyclists but about 5 cyclists a year died on that road, so I heard/read somewhere.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 18 October, 2008, 06:04:56 pm
The psychopath in the Clyde Tunnel. No CCTV when I did it, poor sightlines, no easy escape, no way of summoning help if needed, prospect of assault/robbery in the Hole...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Aidan on 18 October, 2008, 06:16:53 pm
A19 between Middlebrough and Thirsk at 5.00pm . Only on it for a mile , but that was far far too long.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Biggsy on 18 October, 2008, 07:55:20 pm
What happened to the M41 in London?  Is that now part of the A40?

I accidentally got onto it once when it was definitely motorway status.  The only terror I experienced was the thought of getting stopped by the rozzers.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rogerzilla on 18 October, 2008, 08:03:57 pm
The A40(M) was downgraded to the A40.  The M41 is now part of the A3220, the little link road between the A40 and the Holland Park roundabout, and was only ever half a mile long.  I did them both last night  ;D

The reason is simply that TfL took over control of it, and TfL aren't allowed to control motorways, so they dropped the (M) and changed the blue signs for green ones.

Pathetic Motorways: A40(M) Westway (http://pathetic.org.uk/former/a40m_westway/)

Pathetic Motorways: M41 (http://pathetic.org.uk/former/m41/)
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Clare on 18 October, 2008, 08:10:19 pm
SH1 from Wellsford to Brynderwyn, North Island NZ and I3 from Chancellorville to Wilderness WV.

Never been that terrified on a road over here.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: LEE on 18 October, 2008, 08:58:12 pm
A30 from Lands End to Oakhampton and A74 towards Gretna (on same LEJoG journey).

They are both motorways in all but classification except they don't have a wide hard shoulder like a motorway.  Truly scary couple of days riding inches from traffic doing >70mph hoping that the drivers aren't messing with their car stereos.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Zipperhead on 18 October, 2008, 09:15:43 pm
A30 from Lands End to Oakhampton ans A74 towards Gretna (on same LEJoG journey).

I'd agree with the A74. The most scared I've ever been on a road in this country.

I've been scared on some nice quiet roads in France, but that wasn't because of the drivers but because of the 500 foot sheer drops the other side of a little low wall - a wall which had gaps in places so that you could enjoy the view even more.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rower40 on 18 October, 2008, 09:42:09 pm
A30 from Lands End to Oakhampton ans A74 towards Gretna (on same LEJoG journey).

They are both motorways in all but classification except they don't have a wide hard shoulder like a motorway.  Truly scary couple of days riding inches from traffic doing >70mph hoping that the drivers aren't messing with their car stereos.
+1 for the A74.  I hit some nasty debris while crossing the girder bridge on the hard shoulder; I expected it to tangle in the rotating machinery of the Windcheetah.  I'd hoped that a 7am start from Carlisle would avoid the worst of the traffic, but all the northbound 18-wheelers had the same idea.

On LEJoG, I did as little of the A30 as possible, so I peeled off onto 'the old road' at Hayle.  Even Penzance to Hayle was scary enough.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: nuttycyclist on 18 October, 2008, 09:49:24 pm
I'm happy to ride any road.  I have done many of the above, and will quite happily ride a busy dual carriageway if it's the shortest route.

However, the A130 between the A13 and A127 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.57707,0.557213&spn=0.044913,0.11055&z=13) is the only one I won't ride.

I rode it once, in order to investigate the cycle path that is alongside the middle section ::-)  (Yes, the only way to the cycle path is to ride the 70mph dual carriageway at either end).
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: clarion on 18 October, 2008, 10:01:59 pm
A1 at Wetherby.  No question.  Even the urban motorway under Leeds didn't come close.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Ian H on 18 October, 2008, 10:06:43 pm
One was the main road (whatever it was) from Edinburgh to the Forth Road Bridge in 1986 or so. The other was the motorway to Barcelona airport in 1998. especially the bot where another motorway joined from the left and we had to 'filter' across.

By contrast the A303, as featured briefly on one of Shawn Shaw's rides, was always a stationary jam through which cyclists could weave unhindered by anyone except those on motorbikes.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Ian H on 18 October, 2008, 10:10:02 pm
A1 at Wetherby.  No question.  Even the urban motorway under Leeds didn't come close.

Actually you remind me of the right turn off the A1 featured on one of Toothgrinder's recent permanents. And of similar fear-inducing capacity, the right at roundabout on the A1 to Gonerby Moor services.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: chris on 18 October, 2008, 10:14:47 pm
Actually you remind me of the right turn off the A1 featured on one of Toothgrinder's recent permanents.

I quite enjoyed that bit. I don't ride the little lane between Ecton and Billing any more that would have been on the route if we hadn't stopped for tea in Moulton. The reason? Last time I rode this bit of road I got hit by half a brick thrown over the hedge from the travellers camp site.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: teethgrinder on 18 October, 2008, 10:27:12 pm
The A74 would be my choice now. Or maybe the A13.
The A1 isn't all that bad, as horrible roads go.The bit around Middlesborough is pretty nasty though.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: RichForrest on 19 October, 2008, 12:23:21 am
I'd have to say the A74 as well, it was ok from Abington and down past Beattock (before the motorway was built) but the bit across the bridge towards Carlisle was horrendous exspecially as it was chucking it down when we rode it, the spray from the lorries made it worse.

Rich.

Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 October, 2008, 12:39:46 am
The A65 near Kirby Lonsdale, no contest.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: TimO on 19 October, 2008, 08:59:48 am
A40 Gloucester at 5 pm on a winter Saturday, on an audax.  Just a really bad idea.

I'd say the A40 between Cheltenham and Gloucester, not because of any particular levels of traffic, but because it's an extension of the M4 in every sense.  Going across the junction slip roads was lethal, literally.  Traffic leaves and enters at 70mph (at least!).

I think I cycled it twice, when it wasn't all that busy, before I decided it was a really really bad idea.

It was later signed up "No Cycling", and I assume it still is.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: woollypigs on 19 October, 2008, 10:47:14 am
B4011 between Thame and Bicester a beautiful road and country side, but the amount of signs saying something like this ...

Drive carefull as in the last 3 years over the next 3 miles 85 people have died here !!

or

the next 250 yards 5 motorcyclist killed in the last 2 years !!!

Scares the shite out of me.

Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: LEE on 19 October, 2008, 11:08:33 am
What I noticed whilst riding LEJoG was the length of (dual carriageway) slip-roads onto some of the ' motorway-like roads that have been mentioned.  Not only do you have cars missing you by inches on your right, now you have 2 lanes of cars cars joining from your left doing 70mph.

In a car, doing 70mph+, you don't even notice cars joining from the left, on a bike however, it suddenly becomes apparent that you are now in the middle lane of a 'motorway' and have to figure out the safest way of getting to the far left and the (relative) safety of the hard shoulder.

I reckon some slip roads are half a mile long.  Scary stuff.

One day I'll do LEJoG again I reckon.  I won't be doing it on main roads though, give me gnarly Cornish lanes any day.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: gonzo on 19 October, 2008, 11:46:29 am
Just past Exeter on my way to Plymouth, I can't remember which road. I had to get from the 1st to the 4th lane of a multi lane carriageway to turn off.

I was shocked that I was still alive when I was done!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: nuttycyclist on 19 October, 2008, 01:56:21 pm
What I noticed whilst riding LEJoG was the length of (dual carriageway) slip-roads onto some of the ' motorway-like roads that have been mentioned.  Not only do you have cars missing you by inches on your right, now you have 2 lanes of cars cars joining from your left doing 70mph.

In a car, doing 70mph+, you don't even notice cars joining from the left, on a bike however, it suddenly becomes apparent that you are now in the middle lane of a 'motorway' and have to figure out the safest way of getting to the far left and the (relative) safety of the hard shoulder.

I reckon some slip roads are half a mile long.  Scary stuff.

One day I'll do LEJoG again I reckon.  I won't be doing it on main roads though, give me gnarly Cornish lanes any day.

When you get to an entry slip road, stop, check it's clear, then cross the slip road at 90 degrees.  Yes it's slower for a cyclist, and no I don't normally advocate stopping/dismounting, but it's the only safe way.

Quite often when I ride major roads I'll exit on the slip road for the junction, go round the roundabout and then ride back on at the next sip road.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: gordon taylor on 19 October, 2008, 02:02:39 pm
Quote from: nuttycyclist link=topic=9750.msg170559#msg170559

When you get to an entry slip road, stop, check it's clear, then cross the slip road at 90 degrees.  Yes it's slower for a cyclist, and no I don't normally advocate stopping/dismounting, but it's the only safe way.


IIRC, the A5 near Milton Keynes has hard surfaced bike lanes that cut through the grass arrow-shaped bits just before the slip road so that cyclist can do exactly as Nutty suggests - cross the slip road at right angles.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 19 October, 2008, 02:07:18 pm
For me I think the Maltese motorway and associated slip roads myself, TT, Regulator and Valiant found ourselves on one day has to feature.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rogerzilla on 19 October, 2008, 03:50:04 pm
Just past Exeter on my way to Plymouth, I can't remember which road. I had to get from the 1st to the 4th lane of a multi lane carriageway to turn off.

I was shocked that I was still alive when I was done!

That would be at the turnoff for Torquay?  Just after that you have the slog up to the racecourse (the old car I had then only managed the climb in 4th gear if atmospheric conditions were ideal) so you'd be doing under 10mph, being buzzed by traffic doing 80mph.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: francisbarton on 19 October, 2008, 04:48:18 pm
A40 Gloucester at 5 pm on a winter Saturday, on an audax.  Just a really bad idea.

I'd say the A40 between Cheltenham and Gloucester, not because of any particular levels of traffic, but because it's an extension of the M4 in every sense.  Going across the junction slip roads was lethal, literally.  Traffic leaves and enters at 70mph (at least!).

I think I cycled it twice, when it wasn't all that busy, before I decided it was a really really bad idea.

It was later signed up "No Cycling", and I assume it still is.

Yes, it's "no cycling", although I have seen one person cycling it. It does present a problem - there is no good way to get from Glos to Chelt by bike, because the cycle path along the B road through Churchdown is shocking, the B road itself isn't great and it is a really big detour compared to the nice and straight A40. I have used the A417/A46 route instead and it's not too bad - depends where  you need to get to in Chelt.

M5 btw fwiw.

A40 west of Gloucester is generally ok, but not pleasant in rush hour I would agree. Again there is no other good option by bike unless you want a massive detour via Highnam or somewhere.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: jane on 19 October, 2008, 05:19:06 pm
Once, after a solo ride in Kent I was looking for a new back way round Dartford and, having a very dated map on me, ended up on what I though was a country lane but was in fact a slip road. It took me to what I can only describe as a motorway.   I have no idea to this day if I had ended up on the M25 or that bit of the A2 which is a motorway in all but name because I was so terrified, I rather foolishly put my head down and rode about 1 mile along the hard shoulder to the next turn off, (rather than doing the sensible thing and heading back down the slip road) without registering where I was exactly. 

The only other road that really scared me was when I tried to ride a fully loaded touring bike DOWN the Rosedale Chimney Bank in North Yorkshireand and learned very quickly why they had CYCLISTS DISMOUNT signs at the top.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Really Ancien on 19 October, 2008, 05:41:54 pm
True terror is when you get the sound of an articulated lorry changing down through the box just over your right shoulder as you ride into yet another ill-conceived bit of traffic calming. So the A59/ A 1079 between Preston and Hull takes a lot of beating.  This video from 58 seconds YouTube - Daylight 2007 (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ah85hs8dJhE) sums up the special charm of the A82.

Damon.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: TimO on 19 October, 2008, 05:42:04 pm
... depends where  you need to get to in Chelt.

The other way around for me, I used to live in The Reddings, and sometimes needed to get to somewhere in Gloucester.  I think I generally used the B4063 through Churchdown, which as you say, is not a very good road, and past a Tewkesbury Borough sink estate, near RAF Insworth.   Supposedly it was the estate that was as far away from Tewkesbury as you could get, and still be in the borough, so all the troublesome cases got dumped there.  Prime Frod Escrot territory.

M5 btw fwiw.

Oh bugger, after living a good part of my life near the M5, when I moved to London I kept on referring to the M4 as the M5.  Now I'm starting to do it the other away around. >:(

A40 west of Gloucester is generally ok, but not pleasant in rush hour I would agree. Again there is no other good option by bike unless you want a massive detour via Highnam or somewhere.

I used to cycle along the A40/A48 towards the Forest, and as you say, it could be busy, but as long as you avoided rush hour it wasn't too bad, although I seem to recall a lot of the A48 had been "resurfaced" with that technique where they just chuck a load of gravel down onto something tacky, and rely on the cars to scrunch it into a vague representation of a good road.  Horrible to cycle on for very long.  This was almost 10 years ago, so they may have put down a decent surface by now.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rogerzilla on 19 October, 2008, 05:46:27 pm
True terror is when you get the sound of an articulated lorry changing down through the box just over your right shoulder as you ride into yet another ill-conceived bit of traffic calming. So the A59/ A 1079 between Preston and Hull takes a lot of beating.  This video from 58 seconds YouTube - Daylight 2007 (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ah85hs8dJhE) sums up the special charm of the A82.

Damon.

I've mentioned it before, but the tyre of a lorry *touched my shoulder* when overtaking me on the old A34 from Newtown up the hill to Newbury.  It wasn't scary at the time, but it seems pretty terrifying in retrospect.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: dkahn400 on 19 October, 2008, 05:55:38 pm
The A34 Western Bypass by Oxford is fairly unpleasant. Occasionally a car will pass that's only doing about 75mph.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: marcus on 19 October, 2008, 05:55:51 pm
A40 Gloucester at 5 pm on a winter Saturday, on an audax.  Just a really bad idea.

I'd say the A40 between Cheltenham and Gloucester, not because of any particular levels of traffic, but because it's an extension of the M4 in every sense.  Going across the junction slip roads was lethal, literally.  Traffic leaves and enters at 70mph (at least!).

I think I cycled it twice, when it wasn't all that busy, before I decided it was a really really bad idea.

It was later signed up "No Cycling", and I assume it still is.

Yes, it's "no cycling", although I have seen one person cycling it. It does present a problem - there is no good way to get from Glos to Chelt by bike, because the cycle path along the B road through Churchdown is shocking, the B road itself isn't great and it is a really big detour compared to the nice and straight A40. I have used the A417/A46 route instead and it's not too bad - depends where  you need to get to in Chelt.


I cycled along the A40 btwn Gloucester & Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon. Didn't seem too bad to me although crossing the slip roads required some care. Didn't notice any "no cycling" signs, tho that may well just show how unobservant I am.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Regulator on 19 October, 2008, 05:57:23 pm
For me I think the Maltese motorway and associated slip roads myself, TT, Regulator and Valiant found ourselves on one day has to feature.


It wasn't that bad....   ;)
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: border-rider on 19 October, 2008, 06:08:31 pm
The A34 Western Bypass by Oxford is fairly unpleasant. Occasionally a car will pass that's only doing about 75mph.


It's fine at 5 am on a Saturday :)

last time I did the Dean 300 I was running late (riding it from home so I had to be at Peartree well before 6) so I just main-roaded it down the A34 from the Botley Rd to Peartree. No problems :)

I used to ride that road every day further South, from Chilton to the W Ilsley turnoff.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: TimO on 19 October, 2008, 06:11:40 pm
I cycled along the A40 btwn Gloucester & Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon. Didn't seem too bad to me although crossing the slip roads required some care. Didn't notice any "no cycling" signs, tho that may well just show how unobservant I am.

It was OK at weekends, although you still have to watch out at the slip roads.  I wouldn't have gone near it at peak rush hour times mid-week.

The slips roads are really the only hazard on there, there are pretty big clear hard shoulders most of the way, the bridge used to be one exception, the kerb came out almost to the road, although there was a big "footpath" bit, which was totally unused.  Unless you can hop a road bike sideways, not a lot of use.  The trouble with the slips, is that you can't even use Nutty's approach of going down to the roundabout, since the traffic going around that is moving damned near as fast as on the Motorway/A40.  I think they put some cycle crossing bits in at the slip roads, shortly before they made the entire road No Cycling.  Sensible use of expenditure there. :-\
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: gonzo on 19 October, 2008, 06:20:42 pm
Just past Exeter on my way to Plymouth, I can't remember which road. I had to get from the 1st to the 4th lane of a multi lane carriageway to turn off.

I was shocked that I was still alive when I was done!

That would be at the turnoff for Torquay?  Just after that you have the slog up to the racecourse (the old car I had then only managed the climb in 4th gear if atmospheric conditions were ideal) so you'd be doing under 10mph, being buzzed by traffic doing 80mph.

Yup, that's the one!

The incident that scores higher on the sustained risk to life came after cycling back from Dover after a trip to france on the A20 out of Dover. It was full of drivers from the continent and not used to that side of the road. That is about the only time that I've ever felt that my life was really in danger.

Talking of Dartford, there was one near Bluewater that was interesting too; going up a 7% hill and getting from the slow lane to the middle lane of a 3 lane carriageway.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rogerzilla on 19 October, 2008, 06:33:26 pm
There's a line from a Smiths song involving bicycles: "I smelt the last 10 seconds of life".

I know that smell.  It's a bit like blood.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: PhilO on 20 October, 2008, 09:26:06 am
I've had a few... er... invigorating experiences on the UK roads, but for sheer dull, spirit-sapping terror I'd have to nominate the Yungas Road (http://coolplaces-alex.blogspot.com/2007/11/yungas-road-highway-of-death.html), in the rain.  :o

I'm glad I did it - Mainly because it means I don't have to do it again...  ;D
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: TimO on 20 October, 2008, 09:34:36 am
Hells bells, I think you win.  Looking at some of those shots, it appears that the road is barely wider than some of the vehicles on it.  The thought of trying to get two of those lorries past each other ... :-\

Interestingly, most of the posts in this thread relate to the scariness of the traffic.  Up to this point, Jane has been the only one who had posted on the sheer dangerousness of the road itself, although I think PhilO's post manages to combine a road which is quite gob smackingly dangerous, with traffic that would appear to significantly add to the "experience".
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: LEE on 20 October, 2008, 09:37:06 am
True terror is when you get the sound of an articulated lorry changing down through the box just over your right shoulder as you ride into yet another ill-conceived bit of traffic calming. So the A59/ A 1079 between Preston and Hull takes a lot of beating.  This video from 58 seconds YouTube - Daylight 2007 (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ah85hs8dJhE) sums up the special charm of the A82.

Damon.

I've mentioned it before, but the tyre of a lorry *touched my shoulder* when overtaking me on the old A34 from Newtown up the hill to Newbury.  It wasn't scary at the time, but it seems pretty terrifying in retrospect.

The time to worry is when it's touching your left shoulder
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Jaded on 20 October, 2008, 09:43:24 am
Quote from: nuttycyclist link=topic=9750.msg170559#msg170559

When you get to an entry slip road, stop, check it's clear, then cross the slip road at 90 degrees.  Yes it's slower for a cyclist, and no I don't normally advocate stopping/dismounting, but it's the only safe way.


IIRC, the A5 near Milton Keynes has hard surfaced bike lanes that cut through the grass arrow-shaped bits just before the slip road so that cyclist can do exactly as Nutty suggests - cross the slip road at right angles.

Yes, there are these on the A14.

Which leads me to believe that they are stealth "Do not consider cycling on this road" indicators!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rr on 20 October, 2008, 11:13:03 am
The A4 Hammersmith Flyover - Mr Larrington's idea, The Hyde Park corner underpass and the A40 from the Wye valley to the M50 when I first went touring as a 14 year old.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: dkahn400 on 20 October, 2008, 11:35:33 am
The A4 Hammersmith Flyover - Mr Larrington's idea, The Hyde Park corner underpass and the A40 from the Wye valley to the M50 when I first went touring as a 14 year old.

The Hammersmith Flyover is not too bad. The little one way thingy built from Meccano and bits of string over the Hogarth Roundabout is more interesting. Cycles are not allowed on it over course so don't ask me how I know this.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: dkahn400 on 20 October, 2008, 11:36:21 am
I've had a few... er... invigorating experiences on the UK roads, but for sheer dull, spirit-sapping terror I'd have to nominate the Yungas Road (http://coolplaces-alex.blogspot.com/2007/11/yungas-road-highway-of-death.html), in the rain.  :o

I'm glad I did it - Mainly because it means I don't have to do it again...  ;D

You lucky bastard. I'd love to do that one.   :demon:
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Mr Larrington on 20 October, 2008, 12:12:36 pm
The A12 between the Green Man roundabout and Chelmsford.  I cannot now remember why we chose to go that way, but I made damn' sure that the next time I had cause to cycle to Harwich I didn't go that way.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: tiermat on 20 October, 2008, 12:20:10 pm
Mine has to be the A6025 between Elland and Brighouse.

No gutter to hide in, high grass verges either side, wind whistling down it like no tomorrow and truck drivers that don't give a damn about cyclists.

Not fun, but the only flat bit of road for miles around....
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: TheLurker on 20 October, 2008, 01:11:03 pm
Werl, mine sounds like a walk in the park compared to some of those, but I did have to do it every day...

It's (or rather was - I understand the road layout thereabouts has changed a bit in the last 2 or 3 years) the stretch from Temple Meads, down and up the Temple Way underpass in the middle lane and then on to the 1st 40 or 50 yards of the dual carriageway that leads to the M32.

Just about as much fun going home...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 October, 2008, 01:12:15 pm
Mine has to be the A6025 between Elland and Brighouse.


I think the answer to that is to stop going to Elland and Brighouse. I used to swim in Elland baths though.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: CommuteTooFar on 20 October, 2008, 01:26:38 pm
I've always wished to kick the designer of the junction of the A473 and M4 at Pencoed (East of Bridgend) in the head.

As you cycle westwards along the the cyclist will arrive at a traffic controlled roundabout under the M4.  So start again and pop out under the motorway bridge to discover the M4 slip road has joined on the left as a new inside lane leaving the cyclist  in the middle of a fast moving dual carriageway.

Ok after midnight but in the morning commute it is a very ill advised choice of route.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: tiermat on 20 October, 2008, 01:27:13 pm
Mine has to be the A6025 between Elland and Brighouse.


I think the answer to that is to stop going to Elland and Brighouse. I used to swim in Elland baths though.

It was a bit tricky to avoid, when I did live in Brighouse :)
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: PhilO on 20 October, 2008, 01:30:31 pm
I've always wished to kick the designer of the junction of the A473 and M4 at Pencoed (East of Bridgend) in the head.

As you cycle westwards along the the cyclist will arrive at a traffic controlled roundabout under the M4.  So start again and pop out under the motorway bridge to discover the M4 slip road has joined on the left as a new inside lane leaving the cyclist  in the middle of a fast moving dual carriageway.

Ok after midnight but in the morning commute it is a very ill advised choice of route.


I think the same person must have designed Junction 28 (http://www.multimap.com/s/iG1tL3DO) at Newport...  :-[
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: onb on 20 October, 2008, 02:10:05 pm
Mine has to be the A6025 between Elland and Brighouse.


I think the answer to that is to stop going to Elland and Brighouse. I used to swim in Elland baths though.

It was a bit tricky to avoid, when I did live in Brighouse :)


You could have gone via Southowram   ;) ;) ;) :o
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: onb on 20 October, 2008, 02:16:25 pm
I never cycle along the a65 between Skipton and Settle,another I avoid is the roundabout at Gildersome which is a major melting pot for the main Leeds to Huddersfield or Bradford roads plus the M62 and M602 where there is also a major retail outlet (Ikea et al )and it an accident blackspot for cars let alone cycles ,its the scariest place I have ever been on a bike.

The road between Cooper bridge in Huddersfiel and Brighouse is a bit of a mare as well


Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: tiermat on 20 October, 2008, 02:17:20 pm

The road between Cooper bridge in Huddersfiel and Brighouse is a bit of a mare as well


I'll second that one, rode it once, and once only....
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 20 October, 2008, 02:56:38 pm
Driving it's not much fun either.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Jaded on 20 October, 2008, 04:23:22 pm
The A419 from Stroud to Cirencester is a bit hairy. 60+mph and not a lot of visibility.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: PeteB99 on 20 October, 2008, 06:52:59 pm
Quote from: nuttycyclist link=topic=9750.msg170559#msg170559

When you get to an entry slip road, stop, check it's clear, then cross the slip road at 90 degrees.  Yes it's slower for a cyclist, and no I don't normally advocate stopping/dismounting, but it's the only safe way.


IIRC, the A5 near Milton Keynes has hard surfaced bike lanes that cut through the grass arrow-shaped bits just before the slip road so that cyclist can do exactly as Nutty suggests - cross the slip road at right angles.

Yes, there are these on the A14.

Which leads me to believe that they are stealth "Do not consider cycling on this road" indicators!

And on the A55 - It's effectively a motorway as far as drivers are concerned although not too bad to cycle on as most of it has good sight lines. Worst bit locally is the junction with the A494 where you have to join via a 'cross over' sliproad to carry on to North Wales - only tried that once on the bike :hand:
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: andrew_s on 20 October, 2008, 09:02:12 pm
I've been scared on some nice quiet roads in France, but that wasn't because of the drivers but because of the 500 foot sheer drops the other side of a little low wall - a wall which had gaps in places so that you could enjoy the view even more.
I like roads like that  ;D
The best I found was a 400' drop with underhang so you could hold a bottle at arms length, let go and it wouldn't touch 'til the bottom. Not only that, but it was about 1 in 5 going down, with one way car traffic coming the other way (downhill cars were in a tunnel banned to bikes). No gaps in the 2' high wall tho'.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: nuttycyclist on 20 October, 2008, 09:58:02 pm
Werl, mine sounds like a walk in the park compared to some of those, but I did have to do it every day...

It's (or rather was - I understand the road layout thereabouts has changed a bit in the last 2 or 3 years) the stretch from Temple Meads, down and up the Temple Way underpass in the middle lane and then on to the 1st 40 or 50 yards of the dual carriageway that leads to the M32.

Just about as much fun going home...

Yes the road layout has changed* in the last couple of years.

Yes I've ridden it as you describe.



* New layout includes the outside lane of the southbound M32 turning into a bus/taxi/motorbike lane.  I've had the motorbike in it.  I am tempted to work out how to get the Brompton in there ;D
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: TheLurker on 21 October, 2008, 08:15:59 am
The A419 from Stroud to Cirencester is a bit hairy. 60+mph and not a lot of visibility.
+1  It can be. We use the section(s) up to Coates & Sapperton from the R.A.C. for a couple of our lunchtime circuits. Most of the time it's OK...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Jethro on 21 October, 2008, 12:07:08 pm
I have noticed Pat Kenny riding his trike occasionally on the A38 between Lichfield and Derby (dual-carriageway).  This section of the road was once one of the fastest time trial courses in the country but was banned after a couple of riders were killed in the early 90's which sadly included PBP rider Fliss Beard (Iwas marshalling that dreadful day).  Although the road is very straight and flat, it is also quite narrow.

It is some of the single carriageway main roads that I personally find to be potentially lethal such as the A41 from Wolverhampton to Whitchurch, part of which was the route of the first ever 600k Audax (Windsor-Chester-Windsor) It is often used by truckers as a route from the ports of Liverpool to the Midlands although its not too bad on Sundays.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: 531C on 23 October, 2008, 12:12:47 am
another I avoid is the roundabout at Gildersome which is a major melting pot for the main Leeds to Huddersfield or Bradford roads plus the M62 and M602 where there is also a major retail outlet (Ikea et al )and it an accident blackspot for cars let alone cycles ,its the scariest place I have ever been on a bike.




Every time I go through this section traffic is at a standstill so I filter through which is easier than if the traffic is moving.WTF is happening at this roundabout? It's had roadworks/disruptions on it for about 3 years with no end in sight.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 18 January, 2020, 04:36:25 pm
The A34 from Bicester to Oxford... at 5pm on a weekday.  :facepalm:
The traffic was still flowing at full speed, but dense as it could be.

A close second was ending up on the A40 Westway at night time on a commuter bike. Just past Royal Oak, and the hard shoulder disappeared. (Until 2000, it was the A40(M)).

It has to be said, I've done Oxford-Abingdon on the A34 at 7am and it was actually pleasant. Not one in-lane overtake! Time of day is often a huge factor.

I'm tempted to do a dash up the M40 at 4 am, a hard shoulder would be a luxury.   :demon:
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Hot Flatus on 18 January, 2020, 04:51:28 pm
A82 between Fort William and Corran Ferry. HGVs passing at 50mph inches away. Was supposed to ride to Oban but took Corran Ferry and island hopped in preference to dying.

Also A66 (I think) near Kirkby Something near Kirkby Lonsdale. Same as A82 experience except faster traffic. Walked in field in preference to dying. Then beer.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Wowbagger on 18 January, 2020, 05:02:40 pm
We did a very short stretch of the A66 out of Kendal Keswick. It was most unpleasant, but there were 5 of us on 4 bikes so we made a car-sized knot and occupied the full lane for about 200 yards before turning right.

A507 heading west towards Baldock. It's a narrow winding A road full of fast vehicle-sized rats running between the A10 and A1.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 18 January, 2020, 05:14:27 pm
We did a very short stretch of the A66 out of Kendal. It was most unpleasant, but there were 5 of us on 4 bikes so we made a car-sized knot and occupied the full lane for about 200 yards before turning right.

A507 heading west towards Baldock. It's a narrow winding A road full of fast vehicle-sized rats running between the A10 and A1.
The A507 from Flitwick to Shefford was pretty grim.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2964494102/analysis/33377/35351 (https://www.strava.com/activities/2964494102/analysis/33377/35351)
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: bikepacker on 18 January, 2020, 06:38:43 pm
Algeciras to Gibraltar, for most of the way you have to cycle the Autovia (Motorway). As there is no alternative road you are allowed to cycle.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: pdm on 18 January, 2020, 11:53:52 pm
A82 between Fort William and Corran Ferry. HGVs passing at 50mph inches away. Was supposed to ride to Oban but took Corran Ferry and island hopped in preference to dying.


It seems you chose the very worst bit of the A82! Once you cross the Ballachulish Bridge just south of Corran Ferry, there is a superb off A Road cycle route all the way to Oban.
About the bit you mention, I did that with a couple of friends northbound about 4 years ago in the late afternoon. Not many lorries at that time of day, I suspect, and didn't feel as threatened as you did but then I was in the lead with my head down and we averaged more than 20mph for the whole stretch...
BTW, crossing the Ballachulish bridge was "fun" - the wind really gets funnelled through the narrow entrance to Loch Leven - we were almost blown over a few times crossing!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: IanDG on 19 January, 2020, 12:07:36 am
I used to commute Streetly to West Brom - Queslett Rd, Scott Arms and Sandwell Valley.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 19 January, 2020, 01:15:37 am
A VERY long time ago, I did the Great Eastern 1000km Audax.

The (mandatory then) route took me on the A road between Hertford and Ware at (for me) 9am on Monday of the third day of riding with scant sleep. I was VERY tired, but not too tired to detour via Cold Christmas.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Greenbank on 19 January, 2020, 09:11:02 am
The A47 Acle straight between Acle and Great Yarmouth.

It was near the end of a week long cycling holiday around East Anglia with a friend and his dad (we were only 13/14 so needed an adult with us). Started the day in Kings Lynn so what nicer way to end a 70 mile day than having huge lorries roaring past you for 5 or 6 miles - I hadn't had any input on the route planning (I did the next trip we did).
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Wowbagger on 19 January, 2020, 09:34:45 am
I used to commute Streetly to West Brom - Queslett Rd, Scott Arms and Sandwell Valley.

Yes, but none of the motorised traffic could keep up with you.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: ElyDave on 19 January, 2020, 09:36:41 am
The A47 Acle straight between Acle and Great Yarmouth.

It was near the end of a week long cycling holiday around East Anglia with a friend and his dad (we were only 13/14 so needed an adult with us). Started the day in Kings Lynn so what nicer way to end a 70 mile day than having huge lorries roaring past you for 5 or 6 miles - I hadn't had any input on the route planning (I did the next trip we did).

Whoever planned that for kids is a bloody moron, accidents are very frequent on that stretch.

For me,
A40 Witney bypass as a foolish yoof
A10 from waterbeach to the next junction, only a mile but that was long enough
Crossing J41 of the m6 and then the A6 into Penrith
The single lane with passing place that was the main road between Tobermory and the ferry port, not frightening, but five tour buses in a line behind me just made me feel very uncomfortable.
Should I add the A142, site of my smidsy? Difficult to entirely avoid fast a roads round here, even if just to cross them. The roundabout at Cambridge airport being a great example where you have to cross the fast moving traffic to stay on the segregated cycle path because its only on one side of the road. Further back there's an excellent underpass to cross the A14.

Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Greenbank on 19 January, 2020, 09:39:06 am
The A47 Acle straight between Acle and Great Yarmouth.

It was near the end of a week long cycling holiday around East Anglia with a friend and his dad (we were only 13/14 so needed an adult with us). Started the day in Kings Lynn so what nicer way to end a 70 mile day than having huge lorries roaring past you for 5 or 6 miles - I hadn't had any input on the route planning (I did the next trip we did).

Whoever planned that for kids is a bloody moron, accidents are very frequent on that stretch.

My 14yo friend did. It was 1989 though, all we had was an OS map.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Rowan on 19 January, 2020, 09:41:58 am
One that comes to mind from a couple of years ago is a normally very quiet B road in Northumberland, unfortunately on that day the A1 was closed for a serious accident and all the A1 traffic including the HGVs had decided to use this B road.  And possibly due to all the frustration they were behaving more mentally than normal. I tried to get of and push but they started to come even closer and blowing their horns more, after a mile of this crap I did manage to get onto another road,  a few miles later I had to cross the B road with all the diversion traffic, by this time it was grid locked, apparently there had been another accident.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Wowbagger on 19 January, 2020, 09:52:52 am
In 1984 I cycled from Southend to Cheltenham via Pontefract. Day 3 involved King's Lynn to Grantham. I used the A17. I recall Chris S making a comment about my sanity, but I don't remember it being all that bad. It helped that I had a massive tailwind and was keeping up almost 20mph most of the way.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: JonBuoy on 19 January, 2020, 11:28:11 am
A couple of years ago I did a few miles along the A17 near Cranwell and made a 'never again' mental note.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: bludger on 19 January, 2020, 11:29:58 am
I rode from the Enigma factory to a nearby hotel. Fairly large group of us.

The motorists absolutely lost their fucking minds. Long angry honks, deliberate close passes, it was very frightening and there was nowhere to get off the road. I ended up using the rail trail to get to the train station in the dark I was so unnerved.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: ElyDave on 19 January, 2020, 12:31:07 pm
A couple of years ago I did a few miles along the A17 near Cranwell and made a 'never again' mental note.

I don't even like driving on the A17, particularly the section around the Wash that is three lanes wide and ends up in a game of chicken at 150mph closing speeds.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Kim on 19 January, 2020, 03:05:24 pm
It was 1989 though, all we had was an OS map.

That's usually what leads me astray, too.  Generally when using just-in-time planning and paying particular attention to the contours.

Google Streetview is utterly brilliant for establishing whether a given bit of A-road is likely to be horrid or not.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 19 January, 2020, 03:26:46 pm
The A47 Acle straight between Acle and Great Yarmouth.

It was near the end of a week long cycling holiday around East Anglia with a friend and his dad (we were only 13/14 so needed an adult with us). Started the day in Kings Lynn so what nicer way to end a 70 mile day than having huge lorries roaring past you for 5 or 6 miles - I hadn't had any input on the route planning (I did the next trip we did).

This was notorious when I worked in A&E at the Norfolk & Norwich.

The hidden dips were not hummus...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: FifeingEejit on 19 January, 2020, 03:48:52 pm
A82 between Fort William and Corran Ferry. HGVs passing at 50mph inches away. Was supposed to ride to Oban but took Corran Ferry and island hopped in preference to dying.


It seems you chose the very worst bit of the A82! Once you cross the Ballachulish Bridge just south of Corran Ferry, there is a superb off A Road cycle route all the way to Oban.
About the bit you mention, I did that with a couple of friends northbound about 4 years ago in the late afternoon. Not many lorries at that time of day, I suspect, and didn't feel as threatened as you did but then I was in the lead with my head down and we averaged more than 20mph for the whole stretch...
BTW, crossing the Ballachulish bridge was "fun" - the wind really gets funnelled through the narrow entrance to Loch Leven - we were almost blown over a few times crossing!

The road from Ballachulish to Oban is all but deserted most of the day it somehow manages to be off the tourist trap routes.
I do wonder why they spent so much on the cycle path on that when clearly the section of shared use between the bridge and the ferry could be extended up to the fort, and also there really could do with being an alternative up and over to Crianlarich, but then the traffic surveys show only 1 or 2  cyclists a day... probably because everyone knows or is told to avoid.


Worst for me was somewhere near Truro IIRC, the NCN route signage was typically poor at Calenick (I've now checked my gps track) and I ended up climbing Arch Hill on the main road with a full; speed traffic density that would mean a 5mph crawl on the Glen Coe road.

Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: andyoxon on 19 January, 2020, 06:39:21 pm
The A34 from Bicester to Oxford... at 5pm on a weekday.  :facepalm:
The traffic was still flowing at full speed, but dense as it could be.
...

OK, Solocle wins.    ;)

Arguably, via Wendlebury, Weston OTG, Islip->Oxford is 15 mins extra well spent.  :)
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: ian on 19 January, 2020, 06:52:25 pm
The A22 between Purley and the M25 is bad enough. Narrow in places (sometimes with no pavement to bail out if heading south), lots of lorry traffic, all the usual stuff. If you're not in the gutter, it's a chorus of aggressive beeps. If you're in the gutter, it's endless close passes. Pedestrian was killed in a hit and run last week.

It doesn't improve post M25. Fast and aggressive. The sort of road you cycle on once and then offer thanks that you've learned not to repeat the exercise.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: grams on 19 January, 2020, 09:28:38 pm
Cycling from Calais to Dunkerque Town requires going round the back of the sprawl of Dunkerque port. The road suddenly turned into a thundering dual carriageway filled with trucks, with no shoulder at all and no exit for a couple of miles.

Coming into Paris from Dieppe by the shortest possible route, as traffic gradually gets heavier and heavier and you have trucks passing you like you’re not there. Now I understand why everyone else’s route does a big detour to approach from the SW.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Jaded on 19 January, 2020, 10:50:05 pm
The A34 from Bicester to Oxford... at 5pm on a weekday.  :facepalm:
The traffic was still flowing at full speed, but dense as it could be.
...

OK, Solocle wins.    ;)

Arguably, via Wendlebury, Weston OTG, Islip->Oxford is 15 mins extra well spent.  :)

Yes. That is grim in a car.

Makes my A40 Witney bypass look soft.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Kim on 19 January, 2020, 10:50:58 pm
Smalldean Lane  ;D
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Robh on 19 January, 2020, 10:55:26 pm
For me, easily the A303 and A36 intersection. The A303 sweeps pass Stonehedge - along with lorries, white vans and cars...All these vehicles thundering pass you, really have to watch the drafts/washes else get sucked into the maw that is the A303.

Frere
I was riding on the 303, close by Stonehenge, about 35 years ago, when I was passed by a skip lorry with a full load. On top of the load was a a sheet of corrugated iron/steel/whatever, which got caught by the wind, flew off the top of the skip, and damn near decapitated me. The sheet landed roadside, the lorry continued on its way, and I breathed a sigh of relief and followed in its wake.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Jurek on 19 January, 2020, 11:37:57 pm
Smalldean Lane  ;D
Don't tell me - you rode down it?
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: L CC on 20 January, 2020, 07:20:14 am


I have noticed Pat Kenny riding his trike occasionally on the A38 between Lichfield and Derby (dual-carriageway)
This is very sad, in the light of subsequent events.


I stopped riding home to Guisborough on the A171 dual carriageway, it gave me panic attacks. Into Boro I was always early and therefore quieter in the morning, but coming back there'd be enough idiots for me to fear for my life. Being regularly closed due to collisions didn't help much.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: cycleman on 20 January, 2020, 08:40:58 am
The a49 between Warrington and church Stretton. Had no maps and a tight timescale. Blind bends, narrow and full of lorries and cars but I survived. Never again  :hand:
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Rod Marton on 20 January, 2020, 09:08:37 am
The road into Vladivostok.

Vladivostok is a city of half a million people at the end of a hilly peninsula. At the time there was only one road in and out (a dual carriageway).

This was shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. All the locals had just bought themselves cheap second-hand cars from Japan.

Russian drive in a similar manner to the Italians but without the same sense of discipline.

So, in English terms, imagine cycling along the A12, relocated to the Cornish coast, and full of crazy and barely-competent drivers. Most things seem tame after that.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Greenbank on 20 January, 2020, 03:35:41 pm
In modern times the worst road I've ridden on was the B1188 Northbound towards Ruskington. It was on the London-Edinburgh-London route in 2009 and maybe I just hit it at the wrong time (evening rush hour I think) but it was hideous. So many fast and close passes from dense traffic, plus lorries.

Oh, and a section of the three lane A3 between Ripley and the turn off for RHS Wisley: https://goo.gl/maps/kizuWKtNTFJ5dz8a9 in the name of Veloviewer tile grabbing.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Legs on 20 January, 2020, 03:54:36 pm
Coming down the Pont de Saint-Nazaire in a full Atlantic crosswind after watching the TTT in the 2000 TdF...  Even though the road was closed to motorised traffic, it was still unbelievably hard to stay upright.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: yorkie on 20 January, 2020, 03:57:48 pm
Probably around 1988 when I was based in Seven Kings (East London/Essex borders) and playing in a brass band in Northfleet (Gravesend, Kent) and decided to cycle instead of getting the train. Straight down the A13 (Decades pre-dual carriageway**) from Dagenham to Purfleet on the way to the Tilbury ferry! At teatime!
I planned the route on the only map I then possessed of the area, a 1:250,000 scale Routemaster map.


Approximately every second vehicle was a container truck on the way to Tilbury Docks. I believe they may have diverted from a straight line to overtake me, possibly by as much as 3 or 4 mm.  :sick:


The following day, I went to the local WH Smith and purchased the 1:50,000 scale maps of the area and planned a somewhat longer, but much safer, route to Tilbury via the lanes around Upminster and Ockenden.


By contrast, the time I rode along the A1 from Markham Moor to Gonerby Services and back at night (in the early 90s) was virtually deserted by comparison!  :-D




** This section was built as 3 lanes, one for each direction and a middle lane for overtaking!  :jurek: By the time I went down it, the middle lane had been closed and filled with traffic islands to prevent overtaking. Sadly, that included attempting to prevent the overtaking of bicycles as well as motor vehicles!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: sg37409 on 20 January, 2020, 04:06:56 pm
A82 again but specifically rannoch moor and Glen Coe.  Last ridden on the daylight audax.  Thankfully we came back down to Connel and Dalmally.   Not ridden since and no plans to
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: FifeingEejit on 20 January, 2020, 04:14:13 pm
A82 again but specifically rannoch moor and Glen Coe.  Last ridden on the daylight audax.  Thankfully we came back down to Connel and Dalmally.   Not ridden since and no plans to

On working out timings for the Twilight I've aimed to
a) Ride it out of tourist season
b) Ride it either before 8am or after 6pm
c) Start at Crianlarich or Tyndrum

Worst I've had on it was heading inland on a scortching Glasgow holiday monday afternoon.
The 3 other times (always in that direction) have been fine...
Once the same weekend the year before in pissing rain, once on a freezing december afternoon with only local traffic and the 3rd time was on the fort bill 1000 around 10pm
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: quixoticgeek on 20 January, 2020, 05:01:34 pm

I've ridden some crazy roads, I've had a police escort from the M20... I've cycled down the A2 dual carriage way, I've done Hidepark corner, on a Brompton, in the rain, at rush hour.

But none of these come close to a simple 3km ride across central Brussels. Ye gods!

J
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Wowbagger on 20 January, 2020, 05:09:27 pm
When we went to Brussels, we chose to wheel our bikes the mile or so from the station to our hotel, and back again on our return. There was sense in this though, irrespective of the drivers. There were 4 of us, none of us knew the way, we were on solo machines and Jan was with us.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 20 January, 2020, 05:57:41 pm
A82 again but specifically rannoch moor and Glen Coe.  Last ridden on the daylight audax.  Thankfully we came back down to Connel and Dalmally.   Not ridden since and no plans to

BTDT! Scary mix of fatigue, hot weather and close-passing Sunday motorists...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 20 January, 2020, 05:59:54 pm
A82 again but specifically rannoch moor and Glen Coe.  Last ridden on the daylight audax.  Thankfully we came back down to Connel and Dalmally.   Not ridden since and no plans to

Actually, the Glasgow end of the A82 was pretty horrid when I lived nearby, 30 years ago...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Basil on 20 January, 2020, 06:58:56 pm
A50.  Only a short distance between Subury and Oaks Green to link the A515.  Might have been the wrong time of day or something.
This was around the time I was riding the Birmingham Wolverhampton  once a week during the rush hour, so it wasn't as if fast heavy traffic normally bothered me that much.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: markcjagar on 20 January, 2020, 09:18:11 pm
A section of the A38 north of Derby (Abbey Hill), I misinterpreted the breadcrumb on the Garmin and turned right at the roundabout thinking I was clever instead of using the cycle path. Lots of very close, very fast passes on what was basically a 2 lane motorway.

The A19/M62 roundabout and the following northbound stretch of the A19 that bypasses Eggborough was unpleasant.

Oh yeah and fucking Woodhead Pass, I've only done a few small stretches of not the whole thing but fucking Woodhead Pass.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Kim on 20 January, 2020, 09:42:17 pm
Oh yeah and fucking Woodhead Pass, I've only done a few small stretches of not the whole thing but fucking Woodhead Pass.

Having had a couple of interesting moments up there in a car, that's on my list of places to ride iff they close it to motor traffic (for reasons other than foul weather).
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: sojournermike on 20 January, 2020, 10:34:30 pm
A friends Dad found himself riding the wrong way along the M62. Once he realised why the 3 lanes of oncoming traffic was flashing him and that he wasn't riding a cycle lane, he retraced his path and clambered back down the bank he had climbed to access it ???
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Peter on 20 January, 2020, 10:59:55 pm
I couldn't think of one that regularly caused anxiety - until Woodhead was mentioned.  That was horrible every single time I rode it, which is why I've only used it twice.  It has to be said that the road itself is innocent.  Similarly the idyllic road (on LEL) between Eskdalemuir and Lockerbie is innocent but rendered interesting by the cowboys driving the logging lorries with their cargos bound for the pulping plant near Wrexham.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: FifeingEejit on 20 January, 2020, 11:41:44 pm
Eskdalemuir and Lockerbie is innocent but rendered interesting by the cowboys driving the logging lorries with their cargos bound for the pulping plant near Wrexham.

Ah the fabled "Timber Lorries"
Everyone talks about them, few truly claim to have seen one....
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: ElyDave on 21 January, 2020, 07:06:38 am
Saw one coming in the opposite direction as I descended from part of the Galloway forest a couple of years ago. That wasn't too frightening as there was plenty of room at that point.

The thing that nearly caused a trouser accident was the deer about half a mile back that jumped out of the hedge, skittered along beside me for about a hundred yards and then jumped across in front of me. I'm glad the two didn't coincide.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Wowbagger on 21 January, 2020, 07:22:57 am
Eskdalemuir and Lockerbie is innocent but rendered interesting by the cowboys driving the logging lorries with their cargos bound for the pulping plant near Wrexham.

Ah the fabled "Timber Lorries"
Everyone talks about them, few truly claim to have seen one....
When Jan and I did LEJoG in 2007 we spent a night at The Porridge Hoose in St john’s Town of Daley. Our host referred to them as “stick lorries” and there were plenty on the A713. We stayed there again in 2012 and we saw hardly any, largely because the conifer forest had disappeared.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Si S on 21 January, 2020, 10:12:26 am
The A556 before it was improved recently with a cycle path.

The A487 after missing the turning for Y Felinheli - that one resulted in scrabble down the embankment

The A30 anywhere in Cornwall
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 21 January, 2020, 02:45:35 pm
The A30 anywhere in Cornwall

Betjeman wrote a poem about that...

Meditation on the A30

https://engpoetry.com/john-betjeman/meditation-on-the-a30/ (https://engpoetry.com/john-betjeman/meditation-on-the-a30/)

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: FifeingEejit on 21 January, 2020, 03:33:40 pm
The thing that nearly caused a trouser accident was the deer about half a mile back that jumped out of the hedge, skittered along beside me for about a hundred yards and then jumped across in front of me. I'm glad the two didn't coincide.

You did that deliberately didn't you?!


Had an 8 pointer cross our path on the glen Isla road while doing the Snow Roads in December. Thankfully the ones that get to that age tend to have some road sense, it just looked at us and carried on.

I've also had a pointless deer appear next to my front wheel, my history with them is well documented
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 21 January, 2020, 04:07:54 pm
The A34 from Bicester to Oxford... at 5pm on a weekday.  :facepalm:
The traffic was still flowing at full speed, but dense as it could be.
...

OK, Solocle wins.    ;)

Arguably, via Wendlebury, Weston OTG, Islip->Oxford is 15 mins extra well spent.  :)

Yes. That is grim in a car.

Makes my A40 Witney bypass look soft.
Yes, I'd set Google Maps to take me back to Oxford - it advertised 1/2 mile on the A34 (which I figured would be a cycle path).
But, at every slip road, it recalculated, and I couldn't for the life of me remember how to get back from Weston OTG.

Bonus photo from today's ride:
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/q6CmYDAsZC92MT4Me9MatrG10vPBFL7e_yqdignJPCw-1153x2048.jpg)
I'm pretty sure that going down the M40's hard shoulder and following the (other) blue signs back from Wheatley would have been preferable!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rogerzilla on 21 January, 2020, 04:09:58 pm
I remember Ledborough Lane in Beaconsfield, all shiny with ice on the first FNRttS.  That was a buttock-clencher.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: pdm on 21 January, 2020, 05:01:49 pm
Oh yeah and fucking Woodhead Pass, I've only done a few small stretches of not the whole thing but fucking Woodhead Pass.

Having had a couple of interesting moments up there in a car, that's on my list of places to ride iff they close it to motor traffic (for reasons other than foul weather).

I concur - Woodhead pass does suck muchly...
Trouble is, you absolutely cannot avoid 1.1km of it if you come down off Holme Moss and want to get to Glossop  :P
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: markcjagar on 21 January, 2020, 06:08:18 pm
Oh yeah and fucking Woodhead Pass, I've only done a few small stretches of not the whole thing but fucking Woodhead Pass.

Having had a couple of interesting moments up there in a car, that's on my list of places to ride iff they close it to motor traffic (for reasons other than foul weather).

I concur - Woodhead pass does suck muchly...
Trouble is, you absolutely cannot avoid 1.1km of it if you come down off Holme Moss and want to get to Glossop  :P

Yeah, that or if you choose to use the Longdendale Trail coming and you have to get to the Dunford Bridge turn off. Yuck!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: SA_SA_SA_SA on 21 January, 2020, 07:47:43 pm
he Woodhead pass sort of breaks the TPT railway paths unlike you like rocky steepy bridleways with horse-steped antimotorcycle gates halfway down a rocky slope.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 25 January, 2020, 12:24:29 pm
(https://i.imgur.com/crFAm2z.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0PJablp.jpg)
The M40 on my early morning spin. Traffic volumes were very low, and it was 2.2 miles (of which 0.8 was on the main carriageway).

I think the fact that it doesn't make my top 5 scariest roads (I'd rank the A34, A40 Westway, A420, A507, and A31 higher), is fairly telling.
I didn't even get tooted at, which happened on the A1307.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Peter on 25 January, 2020, 12:51:46 pm
Have I got this right: you cycle on a motorway?
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 25 January, 2020, 01:41:34 pm
Have I got this right: you cycle on a motorway?
A wrong turning, yeah.

Hopefully a once in a lifetime experience!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: grams on 25 January, 2020, 01:48:08 pm
How? That’s the M40 off slip to Oxford. I can’t see how you can end up on there without jumping a fence.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Greenbank on 25 January, 2020, 01:54:27 pm
Emergency Vehicle Access gates by the A329 left open?
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Peter on 25 January, 2020, 01:55:21 pm
How? That’s the M40 off slip to Oxford. I can’t see how you can end up on there without jumping a fence.

Desperately trying to get off the motorway?  Is it about 2 miles from the previous one where a mistake was made?
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 25 January, 2020, 01:56:39 pm
How? That’s the M40 off slip to Oxford. I can’t see how you can end up on there without jumping a fence.
I think some Highways England folks left the gate at Milton open. So no statuatory motorway signs. So that's where I entered, and I went straight for Oxford after that.

In fact, I've been there in the daytime, but it all looks a bit different at night (notice the gate is open!)
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/q6CmYDAsZC92MT4Me9MatrG10vPBFL7e_yqdignJPCw-1153x2048.jpg)
How? That’s the M40 off slip to Oxford. I can’t see how you can end up on there without jumping a fence.

Desperately trying to get off the motorway?  Is it about 2 miles from the previous one where a mistake was made?
Not exactly desperately, just expediently. If it had been utterly terrifying I'd probably have hopped the armco and walked. As it was, I at least knew that it was < 1 mile to the next junction, so just went onwards, instead of turning around and confusing everybody.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Peter on 25 January, 2020, 02:09:22 pm
Glad you are safe!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 25 January, 2020, 02:10:19 pm
Some other folk on YACF have ridden on motorways and report that big, busy A-roads are much scarier. It can be quite difficult to find the northern end of the cycleway over the Avonmouth Bridge late at night and before smartphones, allegedly.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 25 January, 2020, 02:18:08 pm
Some other folk on YACF have ridden on motorways and report that big, busy A-roads are much scarier. It can be quite difficult to find the northern end of the cycleway over the Avonmouth Bridge late at night and before smartphones, allegedly.
At least I now have an experience to back up that prediction... Although in fairness, I was straight onto the A40, and that was only a little scarier. Given the time of night, it would probably have been more dangerous riding down poorly sighted country roads potentially being used as a racetrack!

Glad you are safe!
:thumbsup:
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 25 January, 2020, 04:18:04 pm
I'm not sure if I've cycled on a motorway in the dim and distant past. It's quite easy to follow road signs in the dark and end up on a motorway. Sometimes LEAVING the flow of motorway-bound A road traffic is more scary than staying with it...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Kim on 25 January, 2020, 04:43:49 pm
I've narrowly avoided ending up on the Aston Expressway a couple of times, due to roundabout exit confusion before I knew my way around.  At least there's enough light in an urban area to see that you're going wrong before passing the point of no return.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: CAMRAMan on 25 January, 2020, 05:15:09 pm
Due to having a large-scale Michelin map with little detail of alternatives, I cycled on what felt like a de-facto motorway at the bottom of the Cotentin Penninsula a couple of times. Fortunately, it was mostly downhill and only for a few clicks. A couple of cidres in Grandcamp Maisy calmed the nerves.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 26 January, 2020, 12:32:25 pm
Some other folk on YACF have ridden on motorways and report that big, busy A-roads are much scarier. It can be quite difficult to find the northern end of the cycleway over the Avonmouth Bridge late at night and before smartphones, allegedly.
It can be quite difficult to find even in the daylight, when you live maybe five miles away and have been over it numerous times before. But I've never ridden on the M5 itself either. TBH, the Avonmouth Bridge is unpleasant due to the noise, but it's also useful.

As for terrifying roads I've cycled on, I've been trying but I can't think of any. Individual moments of terror, certainly, but it's usually just one or two terrible drivers among the merely averagely crap. If I had to nominate something it would be either Tog Hill on the A420 between Bristol and the A46 upwards into a low, rising sun at morning rush hour, or the A429 Malmesbury to Chippenham.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: farfetched on 27 January, 2020, 09:22:43 am
Because i live in Holland, and have done on and off for 30 years, its hard to relate to a lot of the stories here. We are simply not
allowed to ride on trunk roads or there is a suitable (sometimes poor) seperate bike path. Of course there are close calls on country lanes
but nothing like the stories here of people having to ride on major A* roads - I have thought a few times about coming over to ride an Audax
event but topics like this dont help  :facepalm: ( i Know that organisers do their best to risk assess routes etc)

Many years ago when i was a young man (and UK resident) I had a regular training run from my home near Warrington via Widnes/Runcorn
and into cheshire and back, my Mersey tour as i called it. As i remember crossing Runcorn Bridge was pretty harrowing, but this was the late 80's
so nothing like todays traffic.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: pineapple bod on 01 February, 2020, 07:50:58 pm
Any uphill dual carriageway.  A483 Chester-Wrexham sticks out in my mind.

I once accidentally strayed onto the North Circular.  Wouldn't want to repeat that.

Further afield, downhill through Yosemite Tunnel.   30+mph, too slippery to brake, and dazzled by oncoming headlights.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: MikeFromLFE on 02 February, 2020, 09:35:26 am



I once accidentally strayed onto the North Circular.  Wouldn't want to repeat that..
Even as a brave (stupid) teenager living in North London in the 70s, I very quickly learned to avoid the North Circular.

I have memories of being forced off a French N road by lorries in a village somewhere during my first (1973) foreign tour, but couldn't name the road, so cant count it in this thread.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: bhoot on 02 February, 2020, 02:16:26 pm
Probably not the absolute most terrifying, but one that really sticks out was the A228/B2016 in Kent en route from Yalding to Wrotham Heath. I guess I should have know better (or bothered to look at street view) than a straight A road, continuing into a straight B road up a slight hill but it seemed like the best way to get where I needed to go on a DIY. The surface was very poor, making me even slower than normal. It takes quite a lot to make me stop, put a hi-vis on during the day and take to the pavement (where it existed). The worst bit was in fact the B road not the A road section.
That won't be a DIY repeated in that format.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 02 February, 2020, 02:40:26 pm
Mike's reminded me of when, aged 19 or 20, I tried to ride from Stroud to Bath on the A46. I got as far as Dunkirk/Petty France, which is actually probably over half way, before turning round. In fact, a bike with water bottle cage bosses would have been helpful.

Ed: The A46 between, I'd say, Nailsworth and the M4 junction, is actually not terrifying at all. Nailsworth to Stroud is a bit narrow and twisty, M4 to Bath is much busier. But the bit I actually rode along wasn't really that bad, it was just the close, fast passes which I wasn't accustomed to on top of lack of water.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 02 February, 2020, 04:14:11 pm



I once accidentally strayed onto the North Circular.  Wouldn't want to repeat that..
Even as a brave (stupid) teenager living in North London in the 70s, I very quickly learned to avoid the North Circular.

I have memories of being forced off a French N road by lorries in a village somewhere during my first (1973) foreign tour, but couldn't name the road, so cant count it in this thread.

The westbound North Circular, from Brent Bridge to Hanger Lane, was on my 5.30am summer 'fast commute' route. Would not have touched it later in the day but it was great for speed!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Pingu on 02 February, 2020, 07:17:11 pm
It may have the high street in Cowdenbeath at chucking out time.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 02 February, 2020, 07:31:44 pm
The Clyde Tunnel terrified me when I used it in 1989. It was isolated, devoid of CCTV at the time and muggers were reputed to lie in wait at its deepest points. I was TERRIFIED  of being unable to ascend into the light and safety...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 02 February, 2020, 07:39:36 pm
In that respect, it would have to be the now thankfully closed and filled in (pedestrian) subway underneath Bristol's Old Market roundabout.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: sg37409 on 02 February, 2020, 08:43:15 pm
The Clyde Tunnel terrified me when I used it in 1989. It was isolated, devoid of CCTV at the time and muggers were reputed to lie in wait at its deepest points. I was TERRIFIED  of being unable to ascend into the light and safety...

It's improved a lot since then. 
But it's gated now, to protect it.  So you wait at the entry after rinigng the buzzer for what seems a huge wait. Huge. The guy is probably watching you in the rain. You get in and down the very brightly lit, whitewashed, clean swept tunnel you go, and near the bottom you realise your locked in a tunnel.  This plays with your head on the drag back up to the gate out, and the guy then takes even longer to respond to your ring.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 03 February, 2020, 01:09:26 am
So you lose momentum at both ends as a trade-off for security? How nice!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: slugbait on 03 February, 2020, 08:56:16 am
Because i live in Holland, and have done on and off for 30 years, its hard to relate to a lot of the stories here. We are simply not
allowed to ride on trunk roads or there is a suitable (sometimes poor) seperate bike path.

Don't despair, farfetched! This is why Belgium exists. Especially in Liège, you can find loads of busy, potholed roads with car drivers who are happy to run you over. Also recommended: the N89 between Bertrix and Libramont. A dual carriageway, the road shoulder littered with glass and other debri, and cars overtaking you with 100+ km/h
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: MikeFromLFE on 03 February, 2020, 04:50:19 pm
Yep. Belgium. I've had some 'interesting' Belgian experiences - I was shocked at the time, because I thought "Belgium? That's just like that nice cycle happy place next door" - how wrong I was.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: arabella on 03 February, 2020, 08:01:01 pm
The westbound North Circular, from Brent Bridge to Hanger Lane, was on my 5.30am summer 'fast commute' route. Would not have touched it later in the day but it was great for speed!
Oh yes, that reminds me, I think I 'did' Hanger Lane once (I think that's what it was, underpasses etc)..  Once was enough.
Shepherds Bush roundabout was pretty horrible until the bedecked it with traffic lights which was a great improvement.
I used to do the A2 regularly, Canterbury to London.  Eventually I worked out a quieter route.
I think the scariest is a not so busy and thus fast road with slipways eg Western Avenue extension in London, I didn't dare cross the slip roads so kept going down and up again, and then the A11 between Newmarket and Red Lodge.  It was dark and I wimped out at the next exit.

On hols in Stockholm with a 5yo on the childback tandem, ended up going into this myseterious tuynnel with traffic going seemingly ever faster.  I hopped off and started retracing.  Some nice woman slowed down and said it was OK, the tunnel was in fact very short and I was better off keeping going.  We did and it was.  Terrifying from a parent pov, would have been fine with just me.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: simonp on 04 February, 2020, 12:51:10 pm
Someone OTP ended up on the M4 in Wales - on a 200k - due to this particularly nasty roundabout exit in Port Talbot:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5981732,-3.7857771,3a,75y,339.09h,71.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_rD9HYHGCCSDrkD-dGIynA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

You have to take the exit and immediately fork right, or you're on the M4 slip road. IIRC the route sheet was "Follow A48" for several miles.


Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: phantasmagoriana on 04 February, 2020, 03:00:22 pm
The Clyde Tunnel terrified me when I used it in 1989. It was isolated, devoid of CCTV at the time and muggers were reputed to lie in wait at its deepest points. I was TERRIFIED  of being unable to ascend into the light and safety...

It's improved a lot since then. 
But it's gated now, to protect it.  So you wait at the entry after rinigng the buzzer for what seems a huge wait. Huge. The guy is probably watching you in the rain. You get in and down the very brightly lit, whitewashed, clean swept tunnel you go, and near the bottom you realise your locked in a tunnel.  This plays with your head on the drag back up to the gate out, and the guy then takes even longer to respond to your ring.

I never used it before it was gated, but I hate it even now (there's always a puddle at the bottom), and do an extra couple of miles to avoid it.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: grams on 04 February, 2020, 04:50:45 pm
Very early on in my London cycling career I ended up somewhere in the middle of the widest, fastest part of the North Circular - westbound approaching Staples Corner flyover. I have no recollection of how or why or what I was up to, though I remember thinking it was rude I was being honked at.

Having since driven that way regularly I can't imagine anyone even considering cycling there now.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: DuncanM on 04 February, 2020, 04:58:53 pm
I remember when I first started cycle commuting in London I got lost and ended up going through the Euston underpass in rush hour. That wasn't much fun.
I've ridden the A34 from Oxford to Bicester and the A421 from Bicester to Milton Keynes (and the reverse route), but that was 20 years ago and on the weekend - I wouldn't like to do that now.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: hellymedic on 04 February, 2020, 05:00:39 pm
Having grown up in Golders Green, this was usually a road to avoid. There's a riverside path parallel near much of it. Cycling permission varies with the mood of the politicians.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: simonp on 04 February, 2020, 05:18:46 pm
I remember when I first started cycle commuting in London I got lost and ended up going through the Euston underpass in rush hour. That wasn't much fun.
I've ridden the A34 from Oxford to Bicester and the A421 from Bicester to Milton Keynes (and the reverse route), but that was 20 years ago and on the weekend - I wouldn't like to do that now.

I prefer Euston Underpass westbound to turning left then right then right again onto Tottenham Court Road, stuck amongst the buses and HGVs. Eastbound, staying at surface level is fine, and I've never used the underpass.

Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: jsabine on 04 February, 2020, 11:18:19 pm
I remember when I first started cycle commuting in London I got lost and ended up going through the Euston underpass in rush hour. That wasn't much fun.
I've ridden the A34 from Oxford to Bicester and the A421 from Bicester to Milton Keynes (and the reverse route), but that was 20 years ago and on the weekend - I wouldn't like to do that now.

I prefer Euston Underpass westbound to turning left then right then right again onto Tottenham Court Road, stuck amongst the buses and HGVs. Eastbound, staying at surface level is fine, and I've never used the underpass.

Euston and Hyde Park Corner underpasses are both fine IMO, though there can be a knack to matching speeds on the exit.

Kingsway was fine too the couple of times I've done it, though it suffers from the minor disadvantage of being prohibited.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Kim on 04 February, 2020, 11:40:42 pm
I remember when I first started cycle commuting in London I got lost and ended up going through the Euston underpass in rush hour. That wasn't much fun.

I prefer Euston Underpass westbound to turning left then right then right again onto Tottenham Court Road, stuck amongst the buses and HGVs. Eastbound, staying at surface level is fine, and I've never used the underpass.

Depends entirely on the speed of the traffic.

When it's dark I don't like merging with faster traffic on the left when it's in my blind spot, so if it's flowing and I'm on a 'bent, I'll go the long way round.  Uprights are easier, even if the speed differential is worse, because it's easier to look over your shoulder.

Eastbound, generally easier to stay at ground level unless the underpass allows you to avoid a jam.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: ian on 05 February, 2020, 09:17:54 am
I should add a dishonourable nod to the Purley Way, which is signposted as a 'cycle route' evidently by someone who's certainly never cycled down it.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Redlight on 05 February, 2020, 10:18:03 am

Euston and Hyde Park Corner underpasses are both fine IMO, though there can be a knack to matching speeds on the exit.

Kingsway was fine too the couple of times I've done it, though it suffers from the minor disadvantage of being prohibited.

Hmm. This is the same jsabine who, returning from one of the ACME Audaxes one evening, persuaded me that the best way from Stratford to the Isle of Dogs was to pick up the A102 Blackwall Tunnel Approach Road at the Bow Roundabout.

Not THE most terrifying road I've cycled on - I think that may have been the A420 from Swindon towards Oxford, when a group of us took a wrong turn on the Poor Student a few years ago - but still high on my list of experiences I would prefer not to repeat.

(I agree, though, that the underpasses are fine if you can maintain a good speed on the incline outwards. When I used to use the Euston one on my commute the traffic was almost always stationary in any case.)
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: The Family Cyclist on 05 February, 2020, 11:00:16 am
Not a single road but I'd like to recommend the whole of Silver End in Essex. I actively avoid it as for some reason the driving is awful.

It may be as its on a rat run but last time I went through got called a c@#t by a driver who was over taking parked traffic fully on my side of the road and then the car behind me overtook while I'm still passing the parked cars. I could have knocked his mirror of with my elbow without letting go of the bars
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: rob on 05 February, 2020, 11:04:37 am
, and then the A11 between Newmarket and Red Lodge.  It was dark and I wimped out at the next exit.

I've ridden TTs on that bit of road on Saturday afternoons and felt OK.   Not sure I would ride as an audaxer, though.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 05 February, 2020, 11:16:48 am

Euston and Hyde Park Corner underpasses are both fine IMO, though there can be a knack to matching speeds on the exit.

Kingsway was fine too the couple of times I've done it, though it suffers from the minor disadvantage of being prohibited.

Hmm. This is the same jsabine who, returning from one of the ACME Audaxes one evening, persuaded me that the best way from Stratford to the Isle of Dogs was to pick up the A102 Blackwall Tunnel Approach Road at the Bow Roundabout.

Not THE most terrifying road I've cycled on - I think that may have been the A420 from Swindon towards Oxford, when a group of us took a wrong turn on the Poor Student a few years ago - but still high on my list of experiences I would prefer not to repeat.

(I agree, though, that the underpasses are fine if you can maintain a good speed on the incline outwards. When I used to use the Euston one on my commute the traffic was almost always stationary in any case.)
Having done the A420 a couple of times, last was a good few kms on the Full Fat Festive 500... I'd agree with it being grim. However, I've hit the A420 at 5 pm on the way into Swindon... and I was overtaking everything!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: ElyDave on 05 February, 2020, 11:20:50 am
, and then the A11 between Newmarket and Red Lodge.  It was dark and I wimped out at the next exit.

I've ridden TTs on that bit of road on Saturday afternoons and felt OK.   Not sure I would ride as an audaxer, though.

I've ended up trying to cross the A11 there riding from Mildenhall direction towards Newmarket trying to get onto the back roads. I can't remember how I crossed the A11 traffic, whether by walking or riding aroudn the r/about, but it is very intimidating fast traffic at times
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Ham on 05 February, 2020, 04:39:40 pm
The most terrifying road and the most terrified on a road can be two separate things.

I used to ride around Hyde Park Corner quite happily, while it is scary I don't think it qualifies as the scariest road. Then one day I was rear ended by a car who probably was looking where to go rather than where he was going. As I was going at a reasonable clip and the speed difference wasn't immense I was just pinged forward, held it together somehow or the other and didn't come off. The NEXT time I rode around it, though, I was absolutely terrified. I stopped riding around that, as you really don't need to.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: DuncanM on 05 February, 2020, 04:44:52 pm
Not THE most terrifying road I've cycled on - I think that may have been the A420 from Swindon towards Oxford, when a group of us took a wrong turn on the Poor Student a few years ago - but still high on my list of experiences I would prefer not to repeat.

(I agree, though, that the underpasses are fine if you can maintain a good speed on the incline outwards. When I used to use the Euston one on my commute the traffic was almost always stationary in any case.)
Having done the A420 a couple of times, last was a good few kms on the Full Fat Festive 500... I'd agree with it being grim. However, I've hit the A420 at 5 pm on the way into Swindon... and I was overtaking everything!  :thumbsup:
It depends on the bit of the A420 - there is a timetrial course on it near Kingston Bagpuize and it's pretty good. Some of it is horrible though.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: telstarbox on 05 February, 2020, 05:50:56 pm
Kingsway was fine too the couple of times I've done it, though it suffers from the minor disadvantage of being prohibited.

Hadn't noticed that and I come over Waterloo Bridge most weeks  :o It is a popular route for Critical Mass though!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 05 February, 2020, 05:52:31 pm
Not THE most terrifying road I've cycled on - I think that may have been the A420 from Swindon towards Oxford, when a group of us took a wrong turn on the Poor Student a few years ago - but still high on my list of experiences I would prefer not to repeat.

(I agree, though, that the underpasses are fine if you can maintain a good speed on the incline outwards. When I used to use the Euston one on my commute the traffic was almost always stationary in any case.)
Having done the A420 a couple of times, last was a good few kms on the Full Fat Festive 500... I'd agree with it being grim. However, I've hit the A420 at 5 pm on the way into Swindon... and I was overtaking everything!  :thumbsup:
It depends on the bit of the A420 - there is a timetrial course on it near Kingston Bagpuize and it's pretty good. Some of it is horrible though.
Just after I started cycling properly I did Bessel's Leigh - A338 - Cumnor on the A420. I think it's one that generally falls in the category of "grim, but not utterly terrifying", just like the A44. At least on the bit out of Oxford, I've taken the A44 to Chipping Norton a couple of times! Pear Tree Interchange gets particularly interesting, especially as outbound you're dumped into the outside lane of a DC...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 06 February, 2020, 09:53:51 am
Not THE most terrifying road I've cycled on - I think that may have been the A420 from Swindon towards Oxford, when a group of us took a wrong turn on the Poor Student a few years ago - but still high on my list of experiences I would prefer not to repeat.

(I agree, though, that the underpasses are fine if you can maintain a good speed on the incline outwards. When I used to use the Euston one on my commute the traffic was almost always stationary in any case.)
Having done the A420 a couple of times, last was a good few kms on the Full Fat Festive 500... I'd agree with it being grim. However, I've hit the A420 at 5 pm on the way into Swindon... and I was overtaking everything!  :thumbsup:
It depends on the bit of the A420 - there is a timetrial course on it near Kingston Bagpuize and it's pretty good. Some of it is horrible though.
Not just which bit, but which A420. The A420 from Bristol to Chippenham is completely different from the A420 from Swindon to Oxford. And the A420 from Chippenham to Swindon? Doesn't exist. UK road numbers are weird.

Even greater contrast (but continuous) is the A417 from Cheltenham to Cirencester – a "para-motorway" – and the A417 from Cirencester east through Fairford etc, which is a pleasant, rural and quiet. Similarly the A419 from Cirencester to Swindon and from Cirencester to the A38 junction.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: tonyh on 06 February, 2020, 10:04:09 am
.... And the A420 from Chippenham to Swindon? Doesn't exist. UK road numbers are weird.

(checks on 1947 map....)

That section used to be the A420, but is now A3102 and B4069.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 06 February, 2020, 10:14:37 am
.... And the A420 from Chippenham to Swindon? Doesn't exist. UK road numbers are weird.

(checks on 1947 map....)

That section used to be the A420, but is now A3102 and B4069.
Thanks.  :thumbsup: I thought there must be some explanation like that, but wouldn't have known which roads.

And the A3102 from Wootton Basset to the M4 is also a horrible road, as is the B4005 from there to Wroughton. But difficult to avoid except by going up Broadtown (puff, gasp) Hill and adding quite a few extra miles.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: tonyh on 06 February, 2020, 10:17:59 am
Yes!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: klem on 25 February, 2020, 07:41:42 am
I took up cycling 30+ years ago when finding it too stressful to drive and park in central London. Initially I would pedal round the block at night and return covered in sweat, but my 8 mile commute was quickly transformed.

I was soon enjoying longer solo rides using the same roads as my car journeys, the A12 to Southend, A10, A40 towards Oxford, A4 to Wales and A30 to Guildford and beyond.

Cycling NE from Barnet along the St Albans Road leads (un-announced) to the S Mimms Roundabout (J M25/A1)  Four lanes with traffic up to 60mph. There are three exits to cross before reaching the safety of the turn to the services with St Albans beyond. I cycled this regularly. It always amazed how anyone could have designed this with no thought for anything other than motor vehicles!

A client bought The Belfry Hotel (M40 J7) run down and fire damaged in the 1990’s  I was soon cycling the 50 miles from North London for the weekly site meetings using the N Circular and A40.

Both sons attended Portsmouth Uni. Occasionally I would cycle down, sometimes this would involve the A3. Each time I would end up on the Havant bypass resulting in 2 lanes of fierce traffic (from the A3(M))? joining from my left at around 70mph. Bloody dangerous, but I never saw any signage beforehand of what was going to happen.

10-12 years ago I was commuting twice a week to Chiswick along 15 miles of the North Circular. I also had a regular commute to Iver, helping a clubmate with new offices by Pinewood, this involved 12 miles of N Circular to Hanger lane and 10 miles along the A40 (there is an intermittent cycle lane, but I never used it. I also used the N.Circular from Willesden to home after the club’s weekly turbo sessions.

Cycling the A406 North Circular was a normal activity.  The most interesting section being Eastbound dropping off the Brent Cross Flyover, holding the dotted white line thro 300 yards of no-mans-land, with traffic either side moving on and off the A41 at 40mph+ and me in the middle. Always a relief to reach the armco where the roads divided.

One Friday afternoon riding to Abingdon on the Airnimal I used the elevated section of A40 Westway from Marylebone Road but was shocked at the amount of debris in the nearside where I had to cycle. The chances of flatting was high and I was vulnerable high up on the flyover. This was never repeated.

I was surprised to be stopped and spot fined on A120, and lectured as to how dangerous it was. I’d inadvertently pedaled past a single No Cycling sign many miles back. At the time it looked to me a wide and clear road with excellent visibility and safe for cycling quickly.

I have use of cottage in  Sennen, Cornwall. I used to cycle a couple of times a year, occasionally there and back over a weekend. Often replicating the journey by car just using the A30/303. Its flatter and faster now than when I started with dual carriageway practically from Exeter to LE. Leaving the office after work I could bat down the A303 through the middle of the night when it was mostly empty.  I had a few scenic runs over Dartmoor thro Tavistock etc but that route was too hilly for me and took a lot longer. Riding through the night with short stops the 500km trip would take around 24hrs.

On a later run at 2am on the A303 I caught 2 unicyclists on their way to the Henge from London for the summer solstice, with 3’ wheels and short handlebars. They were part of a Hackney based Unicycle hockey team. A couple of hours later I fell asleep and came down very hard. Later found I’d damaged the AC joint in my left shoulder which still gives grief.

But over the last decade I've slowed up and don't have the grunt or confidence to mix it with traffic on 'their' fast roads anymore
.
One regret. I never cycled the Hogarth flyover at Chiswick. Has anyone achieved this?

My vote for worst "designed" road for cyclists must go to Cycle England's absurd scheme both sides of A105 from Enfield to N Circular. This cycle lane been driven thro the middle of the pavement in front of my local shops and through all of the bus stops, is littered with ramps, razor sharp kerbs, changes of surface and direction, 1m high posts and half dinner plates set in the surface to deter vehicles from trespassing!  It could only work for people pottering around on bikes or with children in tow. Negotiating these cycle lanes is by far the most stressful part of my present commute into central London.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 25 February, 2020, 08:10:46 am
On a later run at 2am on the A303 I caught 2 unicyclists on their way to the Henge from London for the summer solstice, with 3’ wheels and short handlebars. They were part of a Hackney based Unicycle hockey team.
;D ;D ;D
Quote
A couple of hours later I fell asleep and came down very hard. Later found I’d damaged the AC joint in my left shoulder which still gives grief.
:( :( :(
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Davef on 25 February, 2020, 08:46:03 am
Pont de Normandie to get to Le Havre. You are separated from the motorway traffic by a protective white line and there was a monster gale trying to blow me into the oncoming traffic. I resorted to scooting along.



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Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: DaveReading on 25 February, 2020, 09:00:25 am
I was surprised to be stopped and spot fined on A120, and lectured as to how dangerous it was. I’d inadvertently pedaled past a single No Cycling sign many miles back. At the time it looked to me a wide and clear road with excellent visibility and safe for cycling quickly.

One regret. I never cycled the Hogarth flyover at Chiswick. Has anyone achieved this?

You would likely be fined if you did that, too, for having ignored the "only cars and motorcycles" sign".
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Greenbank on 25 February, 2020, 09:19:38 am
I was surprised to be stopped and spot fined on A120, and lectured as to how dangerous it was. I’d inadvertently pedaled past a single No Cycling sign many miles back. At the time it looked to me a wide and clear road with excellent visibility and safe for cycling quickly.

One regret. I never cycled the Hogarth flyover at Chiswick. Has anyone achieved this?

You would likely be fined if you did that, too, for having ignored the "only cars and motorcycles" sign".

If you get caught, and if you failed to plead ignorance. I'd be tempted doing it at Audax'o'clock in the morning but the only time I'm out that way at that kind of time I'm going the other way.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Jurek on 25 February, 2020, 09:38:32 am
I was surprised to be stopped and spot fined on A120, and lectured as to how dangerous it was. I’d inadvertently pedaled past a single No Cycling sign many miles back. At the time it looked to me a wide and clear road with excellent visibility and safe for cycling quickly.

One regret. I never cycled the Hogarth flyover at Chiswick. Has anyone achieved this?

You would likely be fined if you did that, too, for having ignored the "only cars and motorcycles" sign".

If you get caught, and if you failed to plead ignorance. I'd be tempted doing it at Audax'o'clock in the morning but the only time I'm out that way at that kind of time I'm going the other way.
You could go for the Full Monty and do it in the wrong direction  :demon:
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Pingu on 25 February, 2020, 10:48:57 am
I was surprised to be stopped and spot fined on A120, and lectured as to how dangerous it was. I’d inadvertently pedaled past a single No Cycling sign many miles back. At the time it looked to me a wide and clear road with excellent visibility and safe for cycling quickly.

One regret. I never cycled the Hogarth flyover at Chiswick. Has anyone achieved this?

You would likely be fined if you did that, too, for having ignored the "only cars and motorcycles" sign".

If you get caught, and if you failed to plead ignorance. I'd be tempted doing it at Audax'o'clock in the morning but the only time I'm out that way at that kind of time I'm going the other way.
You could go for the Full Monty and do it in the wrong direction  :demon:

And in the dark with no lights  :)
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: grams on 25 February, 2020, 10:50:18 am
It could only work for people pottering around on bikes or with children in tow.

*So* *close* to getting it.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Jaded on 25 February, 2020, 11:40:32 am
I was surprised to be stopped and spot fined on A120, and lectured as to how dangerous it was. I’d inadvertently pedaled past a single No Cycling sign many miles back. At the time it looked to me a wide and clear road with excellent visibility and safe for cycling quickly.

One regret. I never cycled the Hogarth flyover at Chiswick. Has anyone achieved this?

You would likely be fined if you did that, too, for having ignored the "only cars and motorcycles" sign".

If you get caught, and if you failed to plead ignorance. I'd be tempted doing it at Audax'o'clock in the morning but the only time I'm out that way at that kind of time I'm going the other way.
You could go for the Full Monty and do it in the wrong direction  :demon:

And in the dark with no lights  :)
You wouldn’t get caught like that, on account of being invisible.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Greenbank on 25 February, 2020, 12:04:46 pm
Good luck with that, it's pretty much just the width of a car for most of it:-

https://goo.gl/maps/jv9QnshpiCqmQchS6

Bailout space over the railings involves a nice 30' drop too.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Mr Larrington on 25 February, 2020, 01:18:01 pm
Quite a lot of the A406 is off-limits to non-motorised traffic these days.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Asterix, the former Gaul. on 26 February, 2020, 08:27:29 am
Probably down Garrowby Hill. Got to 74 km/h last time just coasting. Side winds can be off-putting.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 26 February, 2020, 08:39:25 am
Good luck with that, it's pretty much just the width of a car for most of it:-

https://goo.gl/maps/jv9QnshpiCqmQchS6

Bailout space over the railings involves a nice 30' drop too.
There used to be a flyover in Bristol a similar width. Cycling was banned there too, IIRC. It had the added thrill of being made in rickety sections which thumped and shook visibly as you crossed the joins. I think it featured on some episodes of Casualty.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 01 March, 2020, 06:35:41 pm
I was surprised to be stopped and spot fined on A120, and lectured as to how dangerous it was. I’d inadvertently pedaled past a single No Cycling sign many miles back. At the time it looked to me a wide and clear road with excellent visibility and safe for cycling quickly.

One regret. I never cycled the Hogarth flyover at Chiswick. Has anyone achieved this?

You would likely be fined if you did that, too, for having ignored the "only cars and motorcycles" sign".

If you get caught, and if you failed to plead ignorance. I'd be tempted doing it at Audax'o'clock in the morning but the only time I'm out that way at that kind of time I'm going the other way.
You could go for the Full Monty and do it in the wrong direction  :demon:

And in the dark with no lights  :)
You wouldn’t get caught like that, on account of being invisible.
Yeah, my strategy for not getting caught after finding myself on the M40 wasn't quite as drastic. I did switch my rear lights from flashing to solid, though! Hopefully passed for a motorcycle stopped on the hard shoulder...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: nobby on 25 June, 2020, 03:44:06 pm
The A5, I thought, out of Shrewsbury to Wellington. It sort of morphed into a motorway slip road.
I unloaded the bike at a bridge crossing the road and carried the panniers up the concrete slope, then the bike and put them over the railings.
Ten minutes later I was in a bucolic Salop hamlet with a working smithy and all was quiet and slow again.

Ps I've just remembered I had an out of date OS map!
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Jakob W on 25 June, 2020, 05:08:00 pm
I'm only familiar with the Staffs bits of the A5, but I don't think I've ever knowingly cycled along it. It's bad enough crossing the damn thing...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: ppg on 25 June, 2020, 05:47:32 pm
Quite a lot of the A406 is off-limits to non-motorised traffic these days.
It wasn't in the early 80's

It should have been  :o
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: telstarbox on 25 June, 2020, 05:53:02 pm
Ended up on the A308 towards Staines yesterday evening. Luckily it was sunny and the traffic wasn't too heavy, but I did panic a bit when the speed limit increased to 50mph  :o
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: freeflow on 25 June, 2020, 06:26:25 pm
Exit of the Cherwell Valley services at around 7am. I'd stopped for breakfast and a snooze on an overnight 300km DIY. I got as far as the roundabout and chickened out. Exited via the woodland path from the back of the lorry park onto some relatively quiet B roads.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Redlight on 26 June, 2020, 11:33:49 am
Pont de Normandie to get to Le Havre. You are separated from the motorway traffic by a protective white line and there was a monster gale trying to blow me into the oncoming traffic. I resorted to scooting along.

Joining this very late, but when I last rode over it (2004) there was a completely separated pedestrian/bike lane on the western side of the bridge. It was joyful to stop at the top and look down at the ships below, which looked like toy boats.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Kim on 27 June, 2020, 12:02:36 am
Pont de Normandie to get to Le Havre. You are separated from the motorway traffic by a protective white line and there was a monster gale trying to blow me into the oncoming traffic. I resorted to scooting along.

Joining this very late, but when I last rode over it (2004) there was a completely separated pedestrian/bike lane on the western side of the bridge. It was joyful to stop at the top and look down at the ships below, which looked like toy boats.

Current arrangement (as of 2016) looks like this (view from the north, path is on the east):

(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/normandy2016/2016_06_10_11_36_14.sized.jpg)

Wowbagger is, quite sensibly, riding on the footway.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Pingu on 27 June, 2020, 12:56:01 am
Quite a lot of the A406 is off-limits to non-motorised traffic these days.
It wasn't in the early 80's

It should have been  :o

You mean it should've been off-limits to motorised traffic.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Redlight on 27 June, 2020, 05:17:48 pm
Pont de Normandie to get to Le Havre. You are separated from the motorway traffic by a protective white line and there was a monster gale trying to blow me into the oncoming traffic. I resorted to scooting along.

Joining this very late, but when I last rode over it (2004) there was a completely separated pedestrian/bike lane on the western side of the bridge. It was joyful to stop at the top and look down at the ships below, which looked like toy boats.

I was going north-south so over the other side of the bridge. I think you can just about see the sign for the pedestrian/bike path over on the right in that shot.
Current arrangement (as of 2016) looks like this (view from the north, path is on the east):

(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/normandy2016/2016_06_10_11_36_14.sized.jpg)

Wowbagger is, quite sensibly, riding on the footway.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Solocle on 10 July, 2020, 07:03:05 pm
Exit of the Cherwell Valley services at around 7am. I'd stopped for breakfast and a snooze on an overnight 300km DIY. I got as far as the roundabout and chickened out. Exited via the woodland path from the back of the lorry park onto some relatively quiet B roads.
I stopped in at Cherwell Valley in the early afternoon of Upper Thames.

Tbh, I didn't find it too bad, but then again, I've plenty of experience with Big Scary Roundabouts. Vehicles aren't moving hugely fast around there, so it is possible to get into the correct lane.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: toontra on 11 July, 2020, 12:29:36 pm
The first few miles north from Perth on the A9.  I've done this on both my LEJoGs and both times I was in fear of my life.  Worse than any other country (Italy, India, Morocco, etc) due to the speed, close proximity and general aggressiveness of drivers.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: freeflow on 12 July, 2020, 06:22:21 pm
Quote
I stopped in at Cherwell Valley in the early afternoon of Upper Thames.[\quote]

Early afternoon is nice and quite, 7am is rally time to London.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: CrazyEnglishTriathlete on 18 July, 2020, 11:28:06 am
The A34 from Chilton to Bury Down because its the only bit of tarmac that crosses the Downs between Goring and Wantage.  Or - some busy road in Italy on the Mille Miglia where (apparently) I was passed so close by a truck that if I'd not been on my drops the wing mirror would have taken my head out.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 17 September, 2020, 02:14:26 pm
Good luck with that, it's pretty much just the width of a car for most of it:-

https://goo.gl/maps/jv9QnshpiCqmQchS6

Bailout space over the railings involves a nice 30' drop too.

Probably for the best that this driver went no further:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EiHi9zPWoAA2KU2?format=jpg&name=small)

https://twitter.com/MPSRTPC/status/1306574931191312384



Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: quixoticgeek on 17 September, 2020, 02:30:21 pm
Someone OTP ended up on the M4 in Wales - on a 200k - due to this particularly nasty roundabout exit in Port Talbot:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5981732,-3.7857771,3a,75y,339.09h,71.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_rD9HYHGCCSDrkD-dGIynA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

You have to take the exit and immediately fork right, or you're on the M4 slip road. IIRC the route sheet was "Follow A48" for several miles.

Surely the GPX was a lot clearer than that, and the line on the GPS shows you forking right immediately?

J
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 17 September, 2020, 03:11:10 pm
Someone OTP ended up on the M4 in Wales - on a 200k - due to this particularly nasty roundabout exit in Port Talbot:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5981732,-3.7857771,3a,75y,339.09h,71.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_rD9HYHGCCSDrkD-dGIynA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

You have to take the exit and immediately fork right, or you're on the M4 slip road. IIRC the route sheet was "Follow A48" for several miles.

Surely the GPX was a lot clearer than that, and the line on the GPS shows you forking right immediately?

J
Perhaps it was, but shouldn't the roundabout be negotiable without either?
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Davef on 17 September, 2020, 04:28:51 pm

Surely the GPX was a lot clearer than that, and the line on the GPS shows you forking right immediately?

J
Completely forking right.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Kim on 17 September, 2020, 07:23:59 pm
Someone OTP ended up on the M4 in Wales - on a 200k - due to this particularly nasty roundabout exit in Port Talbot:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5981732,-3.7857771,3a,75y,339.09h,71.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_rD9HYHGCCSDrkD-dGIynA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

You have to take the exit and immediately fork right, or you're on the M4 slip road. IIRC the route sheet was "Follow A48" for several miles.

Surely the GPX was a lot clearer than that, and the line on the GPS shows you forking right immediately?

I can certainly imagine looking at the GPS on approach to the roundabout, working out which exit you need, concentrating on the roundabout, and then not checking the GPS again until after you've realised you're on a motorway sliproad, stopped on the verge and back-tracked to the junction on foot.

All you need is enough traffic up your arse to make you want to keep the speed up...
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 17 September, 2020, 09:10:31 pm
J2 of the M32 has vague similarities in that, heading either north or south off the roundabout, there's a road which splits into two, one part being slip road, the other urban street. The difference is that the motorway slip road is the right-hand split in both cases.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Feanor on 17 September, 2020, 09:24:25 pm
The first few miles north from Perth on the A9.  I've done this on both my LEJoGs and both times I was in fear of my life.  Worse than any other country (Italy, India, Morocco, etc) due to the speed, close proximity and general aggressiveness of drivers.

Late to this thread, but unless you are attempting a LEJOG record attempt or something, there is no reason to be on the actual A9 there; there are much moar better ways to go North from Perth.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: simonp on 20 September, 2020, 10:01:16 am
Someone OTP ended up on the M4 in Wales - on a 200k - due to this particularly nasty roundabout exit in Port Talbot:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5981732,-3.7857771,3a,75y,339.09h,71.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_rD9HYHGCCSDrkD-dGIynA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

You have to take the exit and immediately fork right, or you're on the M4 slip road. IIRC the route sheet was "Follow A48" for several miles.

Surely the GPX was a lot clearer than that, and the line on the GPS shows you forking right immediately?

J

GPX?

This was 10 or so years ago. I had a GPS. Pretty sure the rider who took the wrong turn did not.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: CrazyEnglishTriathlete on 26 October, 2020, 09:02:34 pm
Roads where traffic isn't the hazard:

The D211A from Auris to La Garde d'Huez, overlooking (very literally) Le Bourg D'Oisans

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.0466894,6.0638913,3a,75y,298.51h,80.64t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s3AbBkDfaGrxkptTjFoQyIQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D3AbBkDfaGrxkptTjFoQyIQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D36.22322%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

I wonder what proportion of cyclists labouring up L'Alpe d'Huez know this is here.  That parapet is just high enough to launch you skywards before you drop into space.

And then, for afters, there's the road up to the Col de Saulude on the other side...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.0345227,6.0418083,3a,75y,89.41h,85.36t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sqzf5CEkv9AIOoeovhEAZKg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dqzf5CEkv9AIOoeovhEAZKg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D204.54327%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Which also has three unlit hand-cut tunnels.  On that frame you can see the line of the D211A running along the top of the cliffs on the other side of the valley. 

With a climb of L'Alpe d'Huez and lunch at Les Deux Alpes (via the Col de Sarenne) we had a mere 3800m ascent in 108km.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Socks on 26 October, 2020, 09:34:49 pm
That is a scary road.  I didn't have lights because I wasn't expecting unlit tunnels, if remember correctly at least one of them was long and curved enough to be completely dark in the middle.  Totally disorientating so I had to dismount and walk carefully, putting my arm out to avoid hitting the side of the tunnel.

And that's without that sheer drop down to the valley.  Well worth doing though, just remember to take a headlight.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Pingu on 26 October, 2020, 09:54:37 pm
Mrs P didn't like those tunnels the first time we went to Bd'O.
Title: Re: The most terrifying road you've ever cycled on
Post by: Mr Larrington on 27 October, 2020, 01:20:13 am
Found one set of tunnels near the Verdon Gorge which had been pressed into service as a nice cool shady snoozing spot by the local bingly-bongly goats.