Cyclists down a30

[StuartG]

Using the BBC photo this appears to be the carriageway at the point they were travelling. What may be of relevance is the lay by. The lorry may have been turning into it (classic left hook) or they were already there and the driver couldn't stop/swerve. I do wish the police would routinely publish and publicise the forensics when the coroner has done his work so we, and drivers, may learn from other people's tragic mistakes. More important than punishment.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Summercourt,+Cornwall&hl=en&ll=50.364271,-4.980927&spn=0.012086,0.033023&sll=51.48931,-0.08819&sspn=0.755048,2.113495&oq=summercourt,+corn&hnear=Summercourt,+Cornwall,+United+Kingdom&t=h&layer=c&cbll=50.364362,-4.980824&panoid=HT6yt_ARq1M_1I1ngZRg5A&cbp=12,45.26,,0,4.8&z=16

It is certainly a road I would avoid (and appears to be avoidable by a lovely lane just to the north).

 

[HLaB]

Its very likely I'm 100% wrong but I've never heard of a left hook involving two cyclists and a lorry

 

[lejogger]

...(and appears to be avoidable by a lovely lane just to the north).

All main roads are avoidable, but the alternatives are not always as direct/straight-forward/easy to navigate, the hill gradients are generally more severe and the surfaces can be poorer.

The cyclists weren't killed because they chose to cycle on the A30. They were killed because either one of them or the lorry driver made an error, an error which could have easily been made on a 'lovely lane to the north' with similar consequences.

 

[StuartG]

All main roads are avoidable, but the alternatives are not always as direct/straight-forward/easy to navigate, the hill gradients are generally more severe and the surfaces can be poorer.

I did check out the alternative and it doesn't look that bad. Which means I would have elected to use the other road. You might not - that's our mutual right to determine the risk/benefits we wish to take. However, I would only use a road like that if there was NO reasonable alternative. Interested to hear of other opinions especially of those local to the area.

 

[lejogger]

...You might not...

I guess that's my point, it's not that I might not, but that I didn't. I spent the whole first day and 100 miles on that road from LE to Okehampton.

I completely respect your view and right to choose whichever route you desire and most importantly makes you feel safest, but cycling can be a dangerous activity when choosing to share any and every road with large, heavy, fast moving traffic.

 

[briantrumpet]

I guess that's my point, it's not that I might not, but that I didn't. I spent the whole first day and 100 miles on that road from LE to Okehampton.

I completely respect your view and right to choose whichever route you desire and most importantly makes you feel safest, but cycling can be a dangerous activity when choosing to share any and every road with large, heavy, fast moving traffic.

It's a road I would never chose to cycle - in effect a two-lane motorway, with a 2ft-wide hard shoulder. Since it was dualled virtually all the way down, it's treated more than ever like a motorway. Of course accidents happen on all sorts of roads, but I can't help feeling that on this sort of road a collision is nearly always going to be fatal for a cyclist, given that the speed difference between the cyclist and the traffic is going to be getting on for 60mph, whereas it's likely to be closer to 30mph difference on an average westcountry A-road. There are what I would judge (unscientifically) as safer, and certainly prettier alternatives, and I'd advise anyone to take them.

Condolences to the families, obviously, whatever the circumstances in this instance.

 

[Breedon]

A dual carriageway 70 MPH? there is no way on earth i would cycle along that, i would be quite happy making a 10 mile detour to avoid that sooner be knackerd than dead.
Cycled along the A52 ONCE on a Sunday morning at around 7am even then brown shorts time and thats reason i wouldn't do it again.

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

R.I.P. the two cyclists and condolences to all family and friends affected by such a tragic turn of events.

I do agree that we don't know the circumstances of the incident, the condition of the road or any debris that could have caused any of those involved break line, the competence of the driver or cyclists, nor the weather conditions to name but a few possibles.

Again, with the alternate routes, not knowing the actual terrain, there were decent-ish almost parallel roads from Carland Cross to Bodmin, but beyond these two poins it looks very sporadic.

Personally, I would avoid as much of that road as I could, but thats just me.

 

[Tommy2]

I've driven that road a couple of times and it is effectively like a motorway, and the side of the road is very slim and looks very poor condition, full of debris.

That would scare the s**t out of me to cycle that, especially as its largely straight therefore in my experience most drivers speed down it when there is little traffic.

 

[Leodis]

RIP the cyclists.

A roads are a tough call, I use one for a couple of miles but not as open at this one (its the A6110 Leeds) and need to cross two lanes of traffic to turn off to Elland Road

 

[jefmcg]

BBC had a link to this article, which has some disturbing images of the destroyed cycles. They are just of the bikes, but it doesn't take much imagination to think what happened to the riders

 

[400bhp]

All main roads are avoidable, but the alternatives are not always as direct/straight-forward/easy to navigate, the hill gradients are generally more severe and the surfaces can be poorer.

The cyclists weren't killed because they chose to cycle on the A30. They were killed because either one of them or the lorry driver made an error, an error which could have easily been made on a 'lovely lane to the north' with similar consequences.

That's a difficult one fella.

Choice involves (somewhere perhaps in the annals of our minds) a risk assessment. I strongly suspect the risk of having a serious accident travelling on such roads is higher.

 

[briantrumpet]

BBC had a link to this article, which has some disturbing images of the destroyed cycles. They are just of the bikes, but it doesn't take much imagination to think what happened to the riders

If anyone is considering using the A30 for LEJOG, I think one viewing of those photos would dissuade them. Horrific.

 

[StuartG]

If anyone is considering using the A30 for LEJOG, I think one viewing of those photos would dissuade them. Horrific.

The photo of the other bike is even more disturbing - utterly crushed.

It was not being able to avoid the similar A9 south of Inverness that would inspire me to avoid this. One has to take risks but no more than necessary.

 

[bof]

I took a short section just west of the crash location on my LeJog because the gate to the short gated road I thought I could nip down was covered in barbed wire. The dual carriageway was busy and a couple of passing vehicles - bus and truck - came uncomfortably close. I was certainly relieved that I only had to do a mile or so.