Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

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benp1
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by benp1 »

A9 is regularly mentioned when taking about not fun places. Never cycled on it, have driven it though

I come from North London to central London, I work in the heart of zone 1. Don't mind it!
redefined_cycles
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by redefined_cycles »

I rode along some sort of massive carriageway (dont remember it being dual but might have been in places) from Slough directly to Kings Cross station. Will Zone 1* have been part of that route with it going directly into central London?? If so I didnt mind the major highways but once it becomes central I dont like the fact thay its all very confusing (and you're constantly trying to fight back the traffic**) ...


*sorry, I kinda live under a rock to protect myself :-bd

**Not literally with headbutts or anything
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Moder-dye
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by Moder-dye »

Cycled the Holy Island causeway there and back (odd that) with the family it was a bit of a PITA with traffic as we against the flow on the way back, but I wouldn't say dangerous.

A9 north of Inverness is definitely in a different league in terms of anxiety, especially in poorer weather, but no actual incident.

I've been more worried by some of the roads back home like the A171 moor road from Lockwood beck to Whitby.
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benp1
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by benp1 »

redefined_cycles wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 11:11 pm I rode along some sort of massive carriageway (dont remember it being dual but might have been in places) from Slough directly to Kings Cross station. Will Zone 1* have been part of that route with it going directly into central London?? If so I didnt mind the major highways but once it becomes central I dont like the fact thay its all very confusing (and you're constantly trying to fight back the traffic**) ...


*sorry, I kinda live under a rock to protect myself :-bd

**Not literally with headbutts or anything
Yeah, that's definitely zone 1 for the last bit. To be honest, once you know your way around, there are some fantastic short cuts and routes to get around. It's surprisingly pleasant
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thenorthwind
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by thenorthwind »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2019 10:56 am A random twisty country lane with grass up the middle, gravel down the sides, high hedges and a large tractor travelling towards you at 30mph, would IMO be potentially more dangerous than a fast, well surfaced A road ... yet you'll probably feel much safer riding on it.
This is very true - and complacency can lead to accidents. This reminds me of a horrible incident recently on a local country lane where a local road cyclist was killed by a combine harvester he and his wife were trying to pass (in the opposite direction, at low speed).

I'm pretty cautious even riding very quiet lanes - there's always a chance, however small that there's a vehicle round the next corner - but often see other riders taking their chances, and hence I don't ride in a group on the road very often. I'm sure my own attention slips sometimes though, so this incident was a sad reminder.
ton
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by ton »

leeds ring road. god knows why, but years ago i used to ride it for a training ride. it is tough.
the section from harrogate road a61, to wetherby road a58 is near suicidal.
slarge
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by slarge »

I think there's a couple of memorable worst roads I've ridden - on a LEJOG, I think it was the A74 somewhere in south Scotland, and we were on the verge side of the white line until it ran out, then the road turned into a motorway without a hard shoulder. We ended up climbing down the bank onto a crappy farm track just to get off the road.
Then another time I was out on a MTB ride with the local group, and after a few punctures rode back on my own with a borrowed rear light along the A46 (2 / 3 lane dual carriagway at night. Ended up riding on the grass verge over all sorts of obstacles as I didn't have a front light to see anything with.

Having said that, the worst roads are probably the ones with loads of junctions where speeds are lower but the chances of being T boned or a bonnet ornament are much higher.
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PaulB2
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by PaulB2 »

I rode into Birmingham on national ride to work day a few years ago and stupidly just took the most direct route without really looking at it. The A34 wasn't too bad until I got to the M6 toll road junction at Cannock and discovered that all the bike path were closed so had to go right across what seemed like 3 lanes of traffic on 3 roundabouts one after the other with traffic just itching to get on the motorway - that was a tad unnerving and I've always gone a different way since.
Asposium
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Re: Whats the most dangerous (legal UK) Rd you've ridden?

Post by Asposium »

The A6 north of Kendal
Did on LeJOG last year
Thought I was going to get myself killed, so picked roads across to Windermere.

My route this year on JOGLE purposefully avoided the A30, a few times my (minor) road ran parallel with the A30, looking at the volume of traffic on the A30 and the lack of space (for a bike) seemed a wise move to avoid. That said, the A30 from Penzance to Lands End was okay.

Often see time trial riders on the A63 out of Hull, seems a fairly dangerous road on which to cycle. Especially as they’re (the riders) head down and gunning it.
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