Cycling down dual carriageways/motorways

[Origamist]

A38 from Exeter to just beyond Saltash is 60 with no real hard shoulder, yet there have been multiple maniacs attempting each and every segment in this stretch.

That said, there's a tasty descent I have my eye on when the winds head west/north west.

No, the A38 DC is a 70mph limit. I used to ride it in the 90s.

I doubt any of the fastest times on Strava are 'maniacs' chasing segments, but TTers on the S4/50 or S3/10 etc.

 

[Pale Rider]

Dual carriageways can be preferable to single carriageway A roads if there's not a lot of traffic.

On a dual carriageway, the motor vehicles can pass in lane two - most do, in my experience.

That's better than having a car go past at speed in the same lane on an A road.

 

[steverob]

While there's plenty of DCs I wouldn't go near, there's one near me that I have no problem with riding. The road surface is smooth (especially compared to the village it bypasses) and has wide lanes, but hardly anyone uses it for some reason, so any traffic that wants to pass me can quite easily do so using the second lane, giving me plenty of room. While I would normally be concerned about traffic at junctions if I was carrying on riding down it, my typical route means I always exit at the first slip road after the start (about 3 miles in), so it works out quite well for me.

 

[oldwheels]

An earlier poster mentioned the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen road. I used to drive this route regularly and a Suday morning saw a TT going on. At that time not too bad early Sunday but any other time driving was bad enough but cycling verging on suicidal. A motorway in all but name as no hard shoulder and most traffic doing at least 70 mph.

 

[subaqua]

Yes. DC riding had been done often. But it needs to be the right conditions

 

[Globalti]

When I began to move from mountain biking to road riding, I started riding along the A59, which is a nasty fast trunk road, because the parallel old B road simply wasn't on my cycling mental map. It takes a while to build up a network of non-car cycling routes in your head.

 

[Kominic]

No, the A38 DC is a 70mph limit. I used to ride it in the 90s.

I doubt any of the fastest times on Strava are 'maniacs' chasing segments, but TTers on the S4/50 or S3/10 etc.

Ah I did notice those S3/4 segments. Do they close the roads for that?

There's a few segments beyond Lee Mill towards Plymouth that aren't on the TT route and they are like cycling through the asteroid belt. Men (and woman) of steel on those segs.

 

[cyberknight]

Another bit of the A38 and i wouldnt chance it , half asleep drivers bombing along above the speed limit .
I use the shared path on the left to go to work, no alternative but the roundabout of death .
https://goo.gl/maps/ZvyA89tsh4T2
https://goo.gl/maps/fpumScf7rax

Some do though as the KOM is over 30 mph average , i dont think i can set a segment on the path though

 

[Aravis]

I've voted yes, but I use them much less than I used to. There was a time when if I was intent on covering distance I might even have preferred them.

Some roads which I used to ride without a second thought now fill me with horror. The A40 between Monmouth and Symonds Yat is one such. The A38 Quedgeley by-pass in Gloucester was mentioned further up; this I'm happy to use as it's quite short and bridges an awkward gap. I feel I'm well enough aware of the danger spots and have my ways of dealing with them.

 

[Origamist]

Ah I did notice those S3/4 segments. Do they close the roads for that?

There's a few segments beyond Lee Mill towards Plymouth that aren't on the TT route and they are like cycling through the asteroid belt. Men (and woman) of steel on those segs.

Nope, just marshals and signs.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I often cycle down the A34, the A303, and the A36. It's 'life affirming'. Possibly not sensible, but hey ho, the shortest route between 2 points is a straight line.

 

[Tojo]

I would rather go out of my way and find an alternative, which round here is usually possible, but I don't have to commute so its relatively easy for me to avoid DC's......

 

[Mr Celine]

I've cycled the M90 between junctions 9 and 10. On the wrong carriageway.






About six months before it opened.

 

[mjr]

Come on, then! Anyone here ridden the A14 Orwell Bridge?

 

[Jenkins]

I've seen a couple of people using it, but only at the weekends when there's slightly fewer HGVs about.