should i take the primary??

mea00csf

most of my commute is along a busy road which on my side of the road is only big enough for one car.

the raod i think used to be a 3 lane road but has now been converted to have one lane on side with regular traffic islands, between traffic islands there is hatching then the other side is one lane with a cycle lane at the side.

I currently cycle well out from the side to give myself room to manouvre but sometimes cars tend to try and squeeze past me through the traffic islands. Where there isn't traffice islands there is plenty of room to overtake because of the hatching. I use the road for about two mile and it starts as a gentle uphill getting steeper towards the end. Which is the problem, I can't ride it that fast. The very regualr traffi islands, rush hour traffic and 40 mph speed limit make it very difficult to pull out to primary just for the traffic islands.

What would any of you lot do?? Not sure myself, I'm tending towards using primary as the traffic always backs up at the end of the road anyway

Gambatte

Similar to one of mine.
(If Bonj is reading, through Cancklow towards Meadowhall)

The first half of the road is uphill with about 4 pedestrian islands.

Most of this I ride in secondary. But on the approach to the islands I will move into primary, and recently a very definite primary.

The majority of drivers are considerate and will slow, even if I'm in secondary. But if just moving 1/2 way between the 2, I still get the occassional prat in a jag, thinking he's driving a smart car and squeezing past

BentMikey

I'd take Gambatte's approach, I have a similar road, only slower with a 30 limit, going from Peckham up towards Crofton Park.

adifiddler

Yeap 3rd that, primary for the islands most definitely

dondare

The best position to take on the road is not necessarily "primary". It depends on a lot of factors, many outside your control, which are constantly changing.
Fast roads with traffic islands (pedestrian refuges) or narrow lanes place cyclists under a great deal of pressure. You have to rely on the patience and adherence to the law of every motorist you're sharing the road with... in other words you have to put up with motorists passing too fast and too close if you keep in or riding on your arse if you don't. Often this is the result of poor road design and it can seem deliberate; indeed it can be deliberate; cyclists are used to obstruct speeding motorists instead of speed humps. Using such roads requires a strong nerve but the real answer is to change the way in which road planners consider cyclists; as legitimate traffic.

mrchrispy

2nd what's been said. primary for the islands.

njc97

Bentmikey - which road, if you don't mind my asking. And what's the commute from to central london like ? I'm currently lookign at buying a house in brockley/crofton park area and want to know how bad is the driving I have to expect.

BentMikey

Clicky for google map. It's OK really, just a little stressful thanks to all the pinch points. As long as you take primary with good timing and show confidence without a hint of weakness there's no problem.

Otherwise, the driving can be a bit dodge around this area, but infairness it seems to be like that from Camberwell all the way out to Bromley. There's a noticeable difference between there and Central London.

ScottDougall

I read a report that and in it there was a survey of drivers attitudes and behaviour in respect to pinch points - and almost 100% will race a cyclist through the gap - like we needed a report to tell us that !! - so yes take the primary position and do it early so its clear you are there...


http://www.thebikezone.org.uk/thebikezo ... oints.html

el_presidente

ScottDougall wrote:

I read a report that and in it there was a survey of drivers attitudes and behaviour in respect to pinch points - and almost 100% will race a cyclist through the gap - like we needed a report to tell us that !! - so yes take the primary position and do it early so its clear you are there...


http://www.thebikezone.org.uk/thebikezo ... oints.html

They recently put in traffic islands round the Regents Park outer circle, these have short cycle lanes painted on the roads just through the gap, this helps a bit I think

ScottDougall

helps the cars feel free to be more aggressive is you are outside the line

in my experience these - features - tend to be more trouble than they are worth they act as excuses for drivers far more than they tend to help us cyclists

I would advocate the removal of all markings and let people just get on with it...

Gambatte

Why are cycle ;lanes painted right upto the kerb. I thought the highway code says you shouldn't be closer than 700mm? If so why does a cycle lane include this bit?