Dumb Newb question

Cook$

Hello all, I'm planning to ride quite a big distance in the coming weeks. I do a bit of riding round my local area, up and down a few A roads and what not, but I've been wondering about the legality of this. Is there any particular type of road I'm not alllowed on? Motorways obviously, but my girlfriend asked me this question the other day, and I honestly couldn't tell her.
Thank!

welsh_one

Check the cyclists pages of the "highway code". There are a few roads "when instucted" that you may not be able to continue on. Dual carriegways for example

Bronzie

Off the top of my head, the only normal road cyclists are specifically prohibited from is a bit of the A54 (?) in north Wales (due to tunnels I think). As far as I'm aware, you can ride on any other A road inlcuding the A1 and A3 near Guildford (basically a 3-lane motorway but with no hard shoulder :shock: ).

Whether it's a good idea to ride on these sorts of roads is another matter.

redddraggon

Bronzie wrote:

Off the top of my head, the only normal road cyclists are specifically prohibited from is a bit of the A54 (?) in north Wales (due to tunnels I think). As far as I'm aware, you can ride on any other A road inlcuding the A1 and A3 near Guildford (basically a 3-lane motorway but with no hard shoulder :shock: ).

Whether it's a good idea to ride on these sorts of roads is another matter.

I think you mean the A55.

It might be a dual carriageway, but it's effectively a motorway all the way from east to west. No roundabouts etc for 50 odd miles, so people tend to travel at 70+mph.

I think officially it might be only the west of the A55 that explicitly bans certain methods of travel (ie cycles), but no way would anyone in their right mind go anywhere on it.

Plenty of good roads around that you don't even need to consider going on the A55.

hammerite

there also tends to be a sign on restricted A roads to say no cycling, horse drawn carriages etc...... if your not supposed to use them.

El Gordo

It tends to just be roads with tunnels I think and if you've ever ridden through a tunnel you'll understand why. Scary.

I've seen the occasional 'cycling not advised' sign on a busy dual carriageway complete with pleasent alternative route mapped out but that's not the law, just common sense.

oldwelshman

I used to cycle over the severn bridge, now that used to be an experience in winter