How would you do it?

Mike67

Went around this roundabout today.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=ripley&hl=en&ll=53.058072,-1.417215&spn=0.003276,0.006856&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=13.209342,28.081055&hnear=Ripley,+Derbyshire,+United+Kingdom&t=k&z=17

Coming in from the road at 10 o'clock, took primary position in lane one.
Stayed in lane one until I was passing under the dual carriageway then checked, signalled and moved into lane two to get around to my exit (the road at the 5 o'clock) and avoid having to 'cross' the exit at the 3 o'clock position.

Shortly after doing this I was honked at and given the finger by a 4WD (if it matters!) vehicle driver who was exiting at the 3 o'clock exit (so no chance of me returning the compliment :shock: ).

Would you have done it any different? Did I do anything wrong? Or was the driver just a a**se h*le?

As you can see it's a pretty large roundabout, the type which I normally try and avoid. I only went that way as it was a 'quieter' time of day and I needed an easy flattish ride as I'm doing CX tomorrow.

Redhog14

Commuting Chat... you got a video?

Gizmodo

You could say there are 4 exits, so the first 2 should be from the left lane, leaving the final 2 for the right lane. You took exit 3 so if I was driving a car I would have used the right lane - but on a bike it's not so clear cut.

I personally think you did the right thing, the driver is just a twat, after all, if he were taking the 4th exit and was held up behind you in the right lane all the way around he would have also been unhappy.

morstar

Sounds like you rode in a perfectly reasonable way. Unfortunately you committed the crime of being too slow for an impatient motorist.
Can't say I'm a big fan of riding junctions like that. Every right to he there but do the risks outweigh the benefits?

tim_wand

looks like you rode sensibly to me, If you had adopted a position in lane 2 any earlier you would have just slowed traffic looking to negotiate the roundabout, you had every right to be in the lane you were in after the first two exits in order not to get side swiped by traffic leaving at 3 oclock from the right hand lane (they always f*cking do that). just a case of an impatient motorist.

Mike67

Cheers folks...it's hard to judge just what is the correct and/or safest way to get around these types of junctions.

Good to know you'd have all done similar.
I do try and avoid this type of roundabout normally. Icy conditions kept me on the main roads and the desire to avoid any large hills yesterday pushed me out in that direction.

I did put some effort in to get around it quickly but 25mph is obviously not quick enough
Didn't let it spoil my day though...lovely ride out in the sunshine..nice to look at even if it had very little heating effect.

Off to CX in a bit for some more frozen bits