Daft places to cycle

walkingbootweather
walkingbootweather Posts: 2,443
edited July 2011 in Commuting chat
Saw a couple of mtb’s with full touring loads attempting to cross the River Tees on the 3 lane A19 at 9.00am yesterday morning. As they struggled up the hill, contending with a strong cross wind, with heavy traffic typically doing 70mph all around I’m thinking “you really don’t want to be there”

Streetview image here.

Note the absence of footway or cyclelane....

Anyone else spotted cyclists in the wrong place and time?
Nobody told me we had a communication problem
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Comments

  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    i've seen folk riding down the M23 mind you bits of the A23 are just as bad....
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    walkingbootweather wrote:
    Saw a couple of mtb’s with full touring loads attempting to cross the River Tees on the 3 lane A19 at 9.00am yesterday morning. As they struggled up the hill, contending with a strong cross wind, with heavy traffic typically doing 70mph all around I’m thinking “you really don’t want to be there”

    Streetview image here.

    Note the absence of footway or cyclelane....

    Anyone else spotted cyclists in the wrong place and time?

    Sometimes when you're on a tour you have to make the decision to either ride on a very busy road for a few miles, or to try and find a very long and circuitous detour that could take you miles off route.
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  • Mr Plum
    Mr Plum Posts: 1,097
    When I cycled LEJOG our sat nav told us to go over a mountain, so we did. Took 3 hours to do 2.5 miles pushing our fully loaded bikes up and down a 1500ft peak. Would have added 60 miles to the day if we had turned around. Nightmare. Learnt a lesson though...
    FCN 2 to 8
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    Pavements.
  • mybreakfastconsisted
    mybreakfastconsisted Posts: 1,018
    Dual carriageways. They terrify me, we did Carlisle to Norwich last year and the last stretch was scary as flip. We just wanted to get home. I would have taken B roads, personally.
  • noodles71
    noodles71 Posts: 153
    Moscow, anywhere in Syria or Egypt and anywhere along the coast in Croatia.
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    Mr Plum wrote:
    When I cycled LEJOG our sat nav told us to go over a mountain, so we did. Took 3 hours to do 2.5 miles pushing our fully loaded bikes up and down a 1500ft peak. Would have added 60 miles to the day if we had turned around. Nightmare. Learnt a lesson though...

    Isn't that the stupidity of relying on GPS rather than doing proper planning - like so many motorists do- you know the ones who ends up in the river etc
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  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    I watched a load of Asian dudes ride bicycles in a group down the M11 from Cambridge towards London once......
  • king_jeffers
    king_jeffers Posts: 694
    Gussio wrote:
    Pavements.

    +1

    Especially the hipster kids on BMXs trying to have a race.
    spen666 wrote:
    Isn't that the stupidity of relying on GPS rather than doing proper planning - like so many motorists do- you know the ones who ends up in the river etc.

    Adds to life experience :)
  • Stiff_Orange
    Stiff_Orange Posts: 218
    Anywhere near a TDF media car. **


    **I think we're allowed to make jokes after they were recovered and back in the tour.
  • Mr Plum
    Mr Plum Posts: 1,097
    spen666 wrote:
    Mr Plum wrote:
    When I cycled LEJOG our sat nav told us to go over a mountain, so we did. Took 3 hours to do 2.5 miles pushing our fully loaded bikes up and down a 1500ft peak. Would have added 60 miles to the day if we had turned around. Nightmare. Learnt a lesson though...

    Isn't that the stupidity of relying on GPS rather than doing proper planning - like so many motorists do- you know the ones who ends up in the river etc

    I'd go with 'carelessness' when planning the route. The sat nav was just telling me the way that I'd programmed in. It looked like tarmac :lol:
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  • Twostage
    Twostage Posts: 987
    walkingbootweather wrote:
    Saw a couple of mtb’s with full touring loads attempting to cross the River Tees on the 3 lane A19 at 9.00am yesterday morning. As they struggled up the hill, contending with a strong cross wind, with heavy traffic typically doing 70mph all around I’m thinking “you really don’t want to be there”
    Know it well. I can't believe they survived. :shock: They could have gone across the transporter bridge just for the experience if they were not local (assuming its working at the moment).
  • pitchshifter
    pitchshifter Posts: 1,476
    That is a shocking bit of cycling...

    I took a wrong turn in east london once, ended up going through blackwall tunnel... Not recommended.
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    The gutter..........
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • londonlivvy
    londonlivvy Posts: 644
    I accidentally ended up on the A34 Winchester bypass once by accident and it was properly terrifying. I think it was only a mile or so until the next turn off but it seemed to last an eternity whilst I pedalled as fast as I could on the hard shoulder. Never again!
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  • walkingbootweather
    walkingbootweather Posts: 2,443
    Twostage wrote:
    walkingbootweather wrote:
    Saw a couple of mtb’s with full touring loads attempting to cross the River Tees on the 3 lane A19 at 9.00am yesterday morning. As they struggled up the hill, contending with a strong cross wind, with heavy traffic typically doing 70mph all around I’m thinking “you really don’t want to be there”
    Know it well. I can't believe they survived. :shock: They could have gone across the transporter bridge just for the experience if they were not local (assuming its working at the moment).

    Indeed. I guess many readers here won't be aware of the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge and Visitor Centre. Which I believe is unique in the UK as a crossing and worth a visit for any tourist - just a mile from this crossing.
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    gtvlusso, http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/arti ... -on-m61.do

    Good drafting :)
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  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,382
    walkingbootweather wrote:
    Twostage wrote:
    walkingbootweather wrote:
    Saw a couple of mtb’s with full touring loads attempting to cross the River Tees on the 3 lane A19 at 9.00am yesterday morning. As they struggled up the hill, contending with a strong cross wind, with heavy traffic typically doing 70mph all around I’m thinking “you really don’t want to be there”
    Know it well. I can't believe they survived. :shock: They could have gone across the transporter bridge just for the experience if they were not local (assuming its working at the moment).

    Indeed. I guess many readers here won't be aware of the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge and Visitor Centre. Which I believe is unique in the UK as a crossing and worth a visit for any tourist - just a mile from this crossing.

    There's one in Newport, South Wales too.
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  • Welsh boy
    Welsh boy Posts: 38
    I was just going to say about the Newport one, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_Transporter_Bridge. To my mind (but as a resident of Newport i may be biased) a little better looking.
  • stuaff
    stuaff Posts: 1,736
    londonlivvy wrote:
    I accidentally ended up on the A34 Winchester bypass once by accident and it was properly terrifying. I think it was only a mile or so until the next turn off but it seemed to last an eternity whilst I pedalled as fast as I could on the hard shoulder. Never again!

    Oh yes, ended up on the A34 myself a few months back...eek., got off sharpish. A303 is as bad...
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  • HebdenBiker
    HebdenBiker Posts: 787
    walkingbootweather wrote:
    Saw a couple of mtb’s with full touring loads attempting to cross the River Tees on the 3 lane A19 at 9.00am yesterday morning. As they struggled up the hill, contending with a strong cross wind, with heavy traffic typically doing 70mph all around I’m thinking “you really don’t want to be there”



    Anyone else spotted cyclists in the wrong place and time?

    I'm going to respectfully go against the flow on this one.

    I just can't get with this idea that cyclists must be "foolish" if they ride somewhere that is busy with motorized traffic. It's one step away from saying that they deserve it if they are hit by a car.
    Note the absence of footway or cyclelane....

    Cyclists are allowed on busy roads with or without a cycle lane! Assuming they are riding within the law, it is the duty of other road users not to collide with them, NOT the duty of the cyclist to avoid roads just because they are busy with traffic.

    Don't get me wrong - I accept that that stretch of road might not be the most pleasant place to ride, but I would stop short of saying that cyclists "shouldn't" ride there.

    Discuss :D
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  • tarquin_foxglove
    tarquin_foxglove Posts: 554
    walkingbootweather wrote:
    Indeed. I guess many readers here won't be aware of the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge ... Which I believe is unique in the UK as a crossing and worth a visit for any tourist - just a mile from this crossing.

    Used to be able to cycle across the top of the transporter before they removed one staircase, wouldn't have fancied carrying a fully laden tourer up & down the stairs though.
  • walkingbootweather
    walkingbootweather Posts: 2,443
    HebdenBiker wrote:
    walkingbootweather wrote:
    Saw a couple of mtb’s with full touring loads attempting to cross the River Tees on the 3 lane A19 at 9.00am yesterday morning. As they struggled up the hill, contending with a strong cross wind, with heavy traffic typically doing 70mph all around I’m thinking “you really don’t want to be there”



    Anyone else spotted cyclists in the wrong place and time?

    I'm going to respectfully go against the flow on this one.

    I just can't get with this idea that cyclists must be "foolish" if they ride somewhere that is busy with motorized traffic. It's one step away from saying that they deserve it if they are hit by a car.
    Note the absence of footway or cyclelane....

    Cyclists are allowed on busy roads with or without a cycle lane! Assuming they are riding within the law, it is the duty of other road users not to collide with them, NOT the duty of the cyclist to avoid roads just because they are busy with traffic.

    Don't get me wrong - I accept that that stretch of road might not be the most pleasant place to ride, but I would stop short of saying that cyclists "shouldn't" ride there.

    Discuss :D

    I kinda see where you are coming from:

    I ought to be able to ride any route that isn't prohibited
    I ought to be able to leave my bike anywhere without fear of it getting nicked
    I ought to be able to pass a hen party in my lycra without abuse

    In reality

    I avoid 'unfriendly' routes
    I think carefully before leaving my bike, and lock it securely
    I've got it (but am careful about flaunting it) :wink:

    I guess this an idealist v realist argument?
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    I sometimes cross the Redheugh Bridge into Newcastle. 50mph limit. Cross winds can be strong, it's probably a bit daft but I'd rather be dodged by cars than dodge pedestrians on the 'Cyclist Dismount' walkway.

    May begin campaigning for the Great North Cycleway to go there. Give us the inside lane.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Robstar24
    Robstar24 Posts: 173
    used to regularly cross Newcastle's Tyne Bridge, only 40mph so not so bad, made for good sprint training. As a whole I always found Newcastle a very unpleasant place to ride a bike. The countryside in the N-E as a whole is a dream though, if challenging.

    I have gone along the Westway as well, not as bad as it might seem if you use the hard shoulder, though I don't advise it as you are technically breaking the law by being on the Westway on a bike.

    my nomination: saw a group of tourers on the A20 between Folkestone and Dover (an A road but pretty much a motorway), guess they were headed to the port.

    they also seem to have an annual TT on the yorkshire stretch of the A1 in the autumn. Again doesn't seem v pleasant but strength of numbers and so on.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Keyser__Soze wrote:
    gtvlusso, http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/arti ... -on-m61.do

    Good drafting :)

    Wow not only were they cycling on a motorway but in the opposite direction to traffic!
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  • MonkeyMonster
    MonkeyMonster Posts: 4,629
    the moon? get some mean air though on the jumps...
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  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    StuAff wrote:
    londonlivvy wrote:
    I accidentally ended up on the A34 Winchester bypass once by accident and it was properly terrifying. I think it was only a mile or so until the next turn off but it seemed to last an eternity whilst I pedalled as fast as I could on the hard shoulder. Never again!

    Oh yes, ended up on the A34 myself a few months back...eek., got off sharpish. A303 is as bad...

    It was the A31 just west of Southampton for me (now the M271). I was that lost cyclo-tourist :oops:

    It was also the first time I broke 35 mph on the flat :P
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Bad place to cycle? The A421 out of Buckingham last night, where I was doing a little bit extra for my failing Stats cause. A lorry passed me giving me plenty of space, bounced over slight a dip in the road and the rear door swung open. Ever seen projectile vomiting? Out of the now open door spewed endless food waste, thick & deep covering half the c/way for the next ¼ mile down to the roundabout. The stench was foul; despite picking my way through it as best I could, when I got home I had to hose the bike down and pick bits out from around the brakes (or breaks as some would have it). God it was foul. I can report that food waste looks and smells the same as if it's already been eaten once.

    Reported it to PC Plod, woke up this morning to hear the road closure on R2 Travel News.
  • thecrofter
    thecrofter Posts: 734
    They had to shut the Forth bridge last year as some old codger was cycling across the main carriageway. There is a cycleway on both sides.
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