Flyovers & underpasses

woodford2barbican
woodford2barbican Posts: 1,505
edited June 2011 in Commuting chat
Following on from the trickiest roundabouts.

3 flyovers / underpasses I use, ranked in order of preference....

1. The A12 flyover for the view of the Olympic park
2. The Piccadilly underpass as it has always been clear when I go through.
3. The Euston underpass as you get to pass stationary traffic at speed

and one I chicken out of most times,

The Marylebone flyover east bound, I only tackle this when it is jammed, and I am able to join from the slip road

and I always chcicken out of

the Marylebone flyover west bound as it is often the first bit of clear road since Kings Cross and the lorries go a bit crazy at a little bit of open road.

What are your favourites?

Comments

  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    "Under bridges, over bridges to our destination
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    The A12 flyover is dangerous. I like it for same reason you do, but had at least 3 accidents near there over the years
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  • spen666 wrote:
    "Under bridges, over bridges to our destination
    Careful with that spliff Eugene it causes condensation"

    The A12 flyover is dangerous. I like it for same reason you do, but had at least 3 accidents near there over the years

    I agree - needs assertive cycling on entry and exit, even then reliant on the behaviour of traffic.
  • snooks
    snooks Posts: 1,521
    spen666 wrote:
    The A12 flyover is dangerous. I like it for same reason you do, but had at least 3 accidents near there over the years

    If we're talking about be bow flyover, it has a good views and the nice run down the other side.

    But the wind at the top can be a shock :)

    Going East the problem is the cars in the right hand lane wanting to take the exit on the left. So I take the left lane go around the buses that are usually parked there and a car might try to overtake and cut in front, I expect it so when it doesn't happen it's good.

    I just give a big indicate early on and stay in the lane that will become the flyover...Pedal like fudge and go for it. It still doesn't stop mobikes and cars tearing up behind you trying to undertake someone , but what will? Only when you get to the top of the hill will you know if the police are there with a speed trap.

    Nice place for a speed camera? :twisted:
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  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    snooks wrote:
    spen666 wrote:
    The A12 flyover is dangerous. I like it for same reason you do, but had at least 3 accidents near there over the years

    If we're talking about be bow flyover, it has a good views and the nice run down the other side.

    But the wind at the top can be a shock :)

    Going East the problem is the cars in the right hand lane wanting to take the exit on the left. So I take the left lane go around the buses that are usually parked there and a car might try to overtake and cut in front, I expect it so when it doesn't happen it's good.

    I just give a big indicate early on and stay in the lane that will become the flyover...Pedal like fudge and go for it. It still doesn't stop mobikes and cars tearing up behind you trying to undertake someone , but what will? Only when you get to the top of the hill will you know if the police are there with a speed trap.

    Nice place for a speed camera? :twisted:

    I tend to ride to the right hand side of the left lane and as such as it becomes 3 lanes, I am in middle lane and traffic wanting slip road has left side to go down. As I am still at right side of lane, it makes it harder for cars to cut across me

    Police haven't been there with speed camera for a while have they? I keep hoping to get stopped ;-)
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  • optimisticbiker
    optimisticbiker Posts: 1,657
    Staples Corner - middle level - the bit that runs North-South over the roundabout and under the A406... plus a fast down slope into it from both sides (the reverse also being true.. a short but stiff climb out as well).

    Reasonable views of .... well not much really... from the top...
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  • snooks
    snooks Posts: 1,521
    spen666 wrote:
    Police haven't been there with speed camera for a while have they? I keep hoping to get stopped ;-)

    I haven't seen them for a while either. Last time I saw them I was doing 35 and was overtaken by a car :( .....For some reason they seemed more interested in him than me. :(:(

    Going down the other side I'm always praying to the god of traffic lights and thinking don't go green, don't go green, don't go GAH! pedal faster pedal faster pedal faster pedal faster :D

    Back OT I do like the funky lights in the Blackfriars underpass/tunnel
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  • rml380z
    rml380z Posts: 244
    I turned left off Southwark bridge and headed west, through the Blackfriars underpass this evening. It was empty apart from me and a woman on a moped. I was desperately trying to keep up, and not really succeeding when she burst into opera, and sang all the way through the tunnel. When it's empty, the acoustics in that tunnel are amazing! It made my evening.
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    rml380z wrote:
    I turned left off Southwark bridge and headed west, through the Blackfriars underpass this evening. It was empty apart from me and a woman on a moped. I was desperately trying to keep up, and not really succeeding when she burst into opera, and sang all the way through the tunnel. When it's empty, the acoustics in that tunnel are amazing! It made my evening.

    surreal
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  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    spen666 wrote:
    rml380z wrote:
    I turned left off Southwark bridge and headed west, through the Blackfriars underpass this evening. It was empty apart from me and a woman on a moped. I was desperately trying to keep up, and not really succeeding when she burst into opera, and sang all the way through the tunnel. When it's empty, the acoustics in that tunnel are amazing! It made my evening.

    surreal

    Was she singing proper opera or was it more a case that the engine revs had reached a certain level of vibration through the seat?
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  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    Following on from the trickiest roundabouts.

    1. The A12 flyover for the view of the Olympic park

    :shock:

    Do you have a deathwish??????
  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    There is a lovely one it watford where the Ricky road becomes the St Albans road. 2 bits of dual carriage way merge to become a 4 lane piece and youhave to get from the left hand side set of 2 lanes to he righht hand side set of 2 lanes, wizz thru the underpass and then have another slip road / lane merge in from the left!

    Require a lot of riding in primary to avoid getting cut up.
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  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Limehouse Link tunnel; Eastbound there didn't seem to be any "no bike" signs, though I'm sure you're not supposed to cycle in it. Traffic creates quite a tailwind, so it's easy to sustain 30mph...
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  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    are you suppose to ride on flyovers?

    the flyover right by house has a sign that says "cyclist forbidden"
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  • Gazzaputt wrote:
    Following on from the trickiest roundabouts.

    1. The A12 flyover for the view of the Olympic park

    :shock:

    Do you have a deathwish??????

    No. Snooks has the tactics for approaching and exiting it spot on. The wind can be a bit unnerving though.
  • Could the Rotherhithe Tunnel be classed as an underpass?

    Also use the Waterworks roundabout over the A406 - which is fine although I am generally knackered by then and takes a little more determination to ride in primary and boss the traffic.

    The Blackfriars underpass is a good one - I forgot about that. Love the cats eyes, never heard opera in there though.
  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    Anyone cycled the Hammersmith flyover on the A4 or the flyover over Hogarth Roundabout from the A316 to the A4? Never travelled that way by bike but frequently do them in a car and wondered whether I'd have the cojones to cycle them... Always avoided cycling the A4 between Hammersmith and Chiswick/Kew and the A316 between Sunbury and Twickenham as there are alternative routes that are so much nicer to cycle.
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  • optimisticbiker
    optimisticbiker Posts: 1,657
    t4tomo wrote:
    There is a lovely one it watford where the Ricky road becomes the St Albans road. 2 bits of dual carriage way merge to become a 4 lane piece and youhave to get from the left hand side set of 2 lanes to he righht hand side set of 2 lanes, wizz thru the underpass and then have another slip road / lane merge in from the left!

    Require a lot of riding in primary to avoid getting cut up.
    Ah yes, the A412 over to Garston to pick up the A405... its bad enough in a car, but done it on the bike a few times...
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  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    When I was about 13 a mate and I decided to cycle on the new (at the time) A406 underpass that goes under the A10. Its a 50mph limit and surprisingly steep. Flying down the downslope was brilliant but the slog up the hill on the other side was agony and we couldn't weave due to traffic blasting past at 50+.

    That taught me a lesson and I steer clear of roads like that now, but I still do cycle over the New Kent Road/Old Kent Road flyover as I'm a faster cyclist and the limit on the road is lower (but that doesn't mean that traffic is slower).
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  • hfidgen
    hfidgen Posts: 340
    Going to be doing the Bow-Stratford A12 flyover daily as of a month's time! I've had a few goes on it already and it seems OK, but there's a lot of scope for disaster as there are too many lane changes for the cars to be comfortable.

    Not sure I like all the "you're going to die" comments here either :lol:

    The other alternative is going under and round the roundabout but that doesn't seem worth it somehow.
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  • kieranb
    kieranb Posts: 1,674
    Anyone cycled the Hammersmith flyover on the A4 or the flyover over Hogarth Roundabout from the A316 to the A4? Never travelled that way by bike but frequently do them in a car and wondered whether I'd have the cojones to cycle them... Always avoided cycling the A4 between Hammersmith and Chiswick/Kew and the A316 between Sunbury and Twickenham as there are alternative routes that are so much nicer to cycle.

    I used to work out that in that direction and the first time I decided to ride to work I took the A4, I did the hammersmith flyover and tuned off the A4 just where it becomes the M4. A bit hairy to say the least. I found a different route the next time.

    I have done the A11 flyover (where it goes over the A12) on my way to Hog Hill a few times and when Eastway was around I did the A12 flyover out near there as I was following the road signs (which of course were really only for motorised traffic).

    The croydon underpass, a fairly regular one for me, is like a walk in the park compared to them.
  • Drysuitdiver
    Drysuitdiver Posts: 474
    I would much rather ride the bow flyover than use the roundabout underneath. uinless i need a mcsh*t with lies then its a very handy stopping point ;) . its bad enough using a car on it never mind a bike . at least you don't need 10 sets of eyes on the flyover
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  • hfidgen wrote:
    Going to be doing the Bow-Stratford A12 flyover daily as of a month's time! I've had a few goes on it already and it seems OK, but there's a lot of scope for disaster as there are too many lane changes for the cars to be comfortable.

    Not sure I like all the "you're going to die" comments here either :lol:

    The other alternative is going under and round the roundabout but that doesn't seem worth it somehow.

    Personally think that going under and round is more dangerous due to all the heavy lorries and buses using that junction.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    EKE_38BPM wrote:
    ....but I still do cycle over the New Kent Road/Old Kent Road flyover as I'm a faster cyclist and the limit on the road is lower (but that doesn't mean that traffic is slower).

    Yeah I go over that flyover a lot, it's fine!
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  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    I really do miss out on all the excitement...

    I have:

    4 roundabouts (2 suburban, 1 main road, 1 business park)
    11 junctions
    0 traffic lights
    0 flyovers
    0 underpasses

    in my 12 mile commute.

    It's a wonder I don't fall asleep!
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  • hfidgen
    hfidgen Posts: 340
    Just the occasional fight with lady drivers on the A6 to keep you going eh Kieran :wink:


    Yeah I've not had a problem on the bow flyover so far, but give it time... :roll:
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