Road conditions in West Yorkshire!!!

Tino4444

Hi All,

The road surface conditions are so bad in and around the Wakefield area that I am convinced that its the main cause of why the spokes keep coming loose on the front wheel of my Spesh Allez road bike!! :twisted:

The roads are so badly cracked in places that its impossible and totally un-safe to build up any kind of speed.

My commute to work which runs through Batley is the worst area that I have come across to date and in places I need to pull out into the centre of the road to avoid loosing my front wheel down a large hole. This of course puts me at danger from being hit by a car especially when the cracked roads are on blind bends!!

Does anyone know and/or cycle in this area and share my frustration? or have a route which is also in a similar condition that they would like to highlight?

I am wondering if there are any petitions around that I can join to try and get something done about this?

Thanks,

Tino.

spen666

why not contact the council yourself?

woodyonthebeach

I had this issue with my Allez when I first bought it come to think of it. Since I went down to my LBS and put my foot down with a firm hard and told them to sort the wheels out they have been fine.

I did buy it in 07 and the wheels are still going. they take a beating.

PBo

must be a yorkshire thing - In sheffield i spend lots of time in primary, as secondary is too rough and full of potholes!!!!!

PBo

CyclingBantam

I commute from Halifax to Cleckheaton and only last night I was moaning to her indoors about the terrible standard of the roads. All the way on my commute the roads have been patched up and patched up again so almost none of the original road surface remains. They make riding in a straight line quite a challenge.

I have reported various potholes to the council however the issue is the general state of the roads being terrible not just individual holes. By just filling the holes in means we now have the problem where the road is so patched up it is totally uneven. :evil:

I share your pain brother.

Specialized Needs

Hi

Fill That Hole might be a good start, if you haven't already done so (you can also see whether the potholes have been reported before via that site). Although it can take a long time if there are lots you want to report, and the speed of response by councils varies. But you may already know all of that. I am planning to take my wife along her route one weekend with a camera to add visual impact to the reports we'll make.

There has been a major deterioration in road surfaces in South East London (and I'm sure elsewhere, too) probably because of the wet and frost over the last 9 months. Although, remember that councils have a limited budget, so it may take time to address every problem.

To be fair to a council on my route, after waiting a month or 6 weeks after using Fill That Hole to report a replacement drop kerb no longer being flush on a cycle route (2 inch kerb left at present, with an upslope after, so no opportunity to recover momentum ), I contacted them via their webpage, received a response in 10 working days and have been (probably accidentally) copied in to their emails organising the remedial work within the next fortnight. So complaining to the responsible council direct may be the best route. If you are not sure which authority is responsible, then Fill That Hole should help.

Specialized Needs

BenBlyth wrote:

All the way on my commute the roads have been patched up and patched up again so almost none of the original road surface remains. They make riding in a straight line quite a challenge. [...] By just filling the holes in means we now have the problem where the road is so patched up it is totally uneven. :evil:

That, too, is true

Tino4444

Thanks for all of your responses. I will try ''fill that hole'' and see where that gets me.

Ill be moaning about the amount of road works/traffic lights on my route next haha.

Tino

beverick

Ah, Batley. Home of the 'KEEP CLEAR' signs painted in ASL reservoirs.

Try logging the faults on:

https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc ... ?type=road

Other than tending to be be vertical rather than horizontal I don't usually find the roads too bad 'over the border' but if Kirklees Council are anywhere near as competent as Leeds Council are at repairing the roads you may be better off repairing the road yourself.....

That said, at least Leeds have now started repairing the roads. Unfortunately where the repairs are made, they usually leave the road in a worse state than it was before......

Bob

Nick6891

i commute in leeds i havnt actually cycled in wakefield, but the council in leeds are slowly getting these roads resurfaced, although they still have alot to do, they just resurfaced about a 500m stretch of road on my commute which is good, but why on earth did they not do the other 500m's which are just as bad


I think you should complain to the council

simonaspinall

jesus wept! the roads are a joke. I do a62 from leeds to heckmondwike and going through birstall and then geldard road is laughable - its as if they actually tried to make it rough!

There are giant gulfs across the whole road so it becomes impossible to miss big cracks which knacker your rims!

Will try fill that hole.