Roundabouts

[Edwardoka]

Which is why on a very large traffic controlled roundabout like St James's Interchange on Glasgow's M8 is one I avoid at all costs, although I have seen a few brave souls tackle it during the lighter mornings and a few mental cases try it at night.

There is another at the bottom of the Hurlet (names are more for locals) which is still a dual carriageway but within a supposedly 40 mph zone but as nobody seems to stick

I'm a coward and neither the St. james interchange (which, as you say, is controlled by traffic lights) nor the Hurlet roundabout give me any issue. (In fact I like the Hurlet roundabout, as it means I've survived the terrible driving and terrible road surface I encounter on the Hurlet Road itself)

The roundabout that comes to mind when I think of taking my life into my own hands is the Pollokshaws Roundabout aka the Round Toll (click to zoom)

Here's the route I normally take when traversing it. (click to zoom)

Very hairy, but less so since they severely shrunk the radius of the corner marked in blue, before that, cars would come off the roundabout and turn up there without coming off the accelerator. Horribly dangerous for a cyclist going straight on at that junction.

 

[raleighnut]

Do they still make that ? Was a good light but with a habit of leaping off if you'd not clicked it into place.

I've seen cyclists riding with a wicker basket blocking their front light and the tail of their coat coming down over the rear lamp. Presumably oblivious to the problem.

Nah I think it's obsolete now, good lamp though with the 2 independant curcuits I used one on 'constant' and the other on 'flash, with another lamp on the back of the rack.

 

[oreo_muncher]

I think roundabouts can be fun Stay in the centre lane- do not be riding on the sides- you need to be seen clearly by car drivers and they cannot overtake you. Always look left and right, do not go into the roundabout until you're absolutely sure there are no cars coming your way- unless there are traffic lights at the roundabout which makes things a bit easier. Just be vigilant and brave. Do not brake midway at the roundabout- you need to keep going- cycle with confidence!

 

[Slick]

I'm a coward and neither the St. james interchange (which, as you say, is controlled by traffic lights) nor the Hurlet roundabout give me any issue. (In fact I like the Hurlet roundabout, as it means I've survived the terrible driving and terrible road surface I encounter on the Hurlet Road itself)

The roundabout that comes to mind when I think of taking my life into my own hands is the Pollokshaws Roundabout aka the Round Toll (click to zoom)
View attachment 559440
Here's the route I normally take when traversing it. (click to zoom)
View attachment 559451
Very hairy, but less so since they severely shrunk the radius of the corner marked in blue, before that, cars would come off the roundabout and turn up there without coming off the accelerator. Horribly dangerous for a cyclist going straight on at that junction.

Fair point and I have used the Round Toll but only on occasion when it was reasonably quiet. I'm on St James's every single day and especially in winter on dark mornings a number of drivers don't have a clue how go use it and I've witnessed a number of early morning shunts because of it. If your coming from Erskine you have 2 lanes and as you pass Paisley turn off you have 4 and as you pass the M8 exit, it goes back to 2. Cars coming from Johnston speed down the off ramp trying to beat the cars coming from Paisley as they haven't got a light to help them then some of them speed on to the left turn only lane only to try and go right round which is a common cause of shunts. Then you have the twats (excuse my language but there is no other word) who can't read the 6 foot letters on the road or the 8 foot sign by the lights that the left hand lane is for Erskine and the right hand lane is for the airport or M8, another shunt spot I've seen. Outwith commuting times it is doable but in full flow, it's not for me on a bike.

Linwood is manageable, usually because WH Malcolm is normally kind enough to slow everyone down with a heavy of some description and the roundabout I mentioned at the Hurlet is actually at the bottom of that section just as you turn up Grahamston Road and it's not really the roundabout that's the issue, it's more the new painted cycle lane coming off Hawkhead road that causes a bit of an issue. First of all it has you almost zig zagging in a road that before I was quite comfortable holding my line as well as the usual parked cars in it, it's also peppered with solid lines and broken lines that a number of drivers obviously don't know the difference between and finally when you have negotiated all that, it spits you out right on the junction at the care home and drivers seem shocked that I don't automatically disappear altogether when I reach this point as I have seen drivers swerve into the next lane as I arrived at the junction slightly before them, causing a bit of mayhem and horn action. I come off slightly before the junction at the pedestrian crossing and cycle on the pavement using the next crossing at the school to cross over and rejoin the road just before Dykebar. Makes sense to me.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Theres been two cyclists deaths on the roundabouts near me. Most cyclists use the pelican crossings if they need to turn right.

 

[Notafettler]

Put yourself in the exact place you would as a car driver. The worse thing you can do is go around the outside you will be cut up by virtually every driver. Big signals at all times. No lifting your arm up halfway. Throw your arm out car drivers will see and more importantly notice it and are far less likely to undertake you.

 

[Lovacott]

Come to London and enjoy the challenge of Hanger Lane Gyratory then! It's chaotic and requires a ballsy approach to navigate at busy times even in a motor vehicle never mind on a bike. I see very, very few riders venture onto it. Some of the roundabouts where major A roads intersect with the M25 on the periphery of London aren't the sort of places any sane person would choose to ride around either.

I've done Hangar Lane quite a few times on a bike in the past (I used to live in Harlesden in the 1990's).

The main problem I had there was with the large number of drivers who would suddenly flip lanes without indication to either gain an advantage or because they realised they were in the wrong lane (there are a lot of lanes). The good thing about it though was that during rush hour, it was always gridlocked and it was nice whizzing along past all of the stationary traffic.

 

[Lovacott]

Put yourself in the exact place you would as a car driver. The worse thing you can do is go around the outside you will be cut up by virtually every driver. Big signals at all times. No lifting your arm up halfway. Throw your arm out car drivers will see and more importantly notice it and are far less likely to undertake you.

True. There is no need to make yourself small on a roundabout. A bike can easily match the speed of any car so there is no need to get out of the way. Own the lane.

 

[mjr]

A bike can easily match the speed of any car

Your drugs must be better than mine!

 

[Solocle]

Your drugs must be better than mine!

I mean, I'd got myself in the wrong lane on the approach to a roundabout today (it was a dual carriageway)... a bit of acceleration and, shall we say, forcefulness, got me across into outside lane.

 

[mjr]

I mean, I'd got myself in the wrong lane on the approach to a roundabout today (it was a dual carriageway)... a bit of acceleration and, shall we say, forcefulness, got me across into outside lane.

which is:
1. Lovely for those of you that can do it but useless for the rest of us; and
2. Not gonna happen for you on some of the 40mph oval racetracks either!

 

[Slick]

Your drugs must be better than mine!

I didn't really want to say.

 

[Lovacott]

Your drugs must be better than mine!

On most roundabouts, cars will only be doing 20mph or so and a bike has instant acceleration where most cars don't.

Even if the car behind you is held up a little bit by you being in the centre of the lane, it will only be for a few seconds until you clear the roundabout.

 

[Slick]

which is:
1. Lovely for those of you that can do it but useless for the rest of us; and
2. Not gonna happen for you on some of the 40mph oval racetracks either!

I think some of us are speaking about 2 different animals.

 

[Lovacott]

which is:
1. Lovely for those of you that can do it but useless for the rest of us; and
2. Not gonna happen for you on some of the 40mph oval racetracks either!

I don't do any dual carriageway A road roundabouts on my commute and I'm glad of that.

You get car drivers entering at maybe 50mph and many of them are more interested in looking at the signs indicating their exit rather than paying attention to what is going on right in front of their noses.

Thankfully, a lot of major A road roundabouts are now traffic light controlled which takes away some of the risk.

I still avoid them though.