Cycling a Dual Carriageway.

Jumpy

Anyone do this regularly? I know a motorway is verboten to cyclists but there is a dual carriageway near me with a roundabout at either end and it is exactly 10km, also a great mix of ups, downs and flats. I was hoping to use it to get my fitness up for longer cycling.
I can see passing off/on ramps could be dangerous, just looking to see if people do this often.
It has a nice clean hard shoulder.

keenan110

Yeah i'd cycle on them a bit, usually try to avoid them just cause a quieter road is usually more enjoyable, but they have always been fine when i'm on them!

zzzzzzzz

Jumpy wrote: »

Anyone do this regularly? I know a motorway is verboten to cyclists but there is a dual carriageway near me with a roundabout at either end and it is exactly 10km, also a great mix of ups, downs and flats. I was hoping to use it to get my fitness up for longer cycling.
I can see passing off/on ramps could be dangerous, just looking to see if people do this often.
It has a nice clean hard shoulder.

Yes - all the time. From what I hear there are some dodgy ones to cycle.

I often cycle the N11 from Bray to where it singles out and it's grand

irishmotorist

Yep - no problem once you keep aware and ride obviously. The hard shoulder should be a good place to go, as you point out. What I do when approaching on/off ramps is to signal my intention to move to the right hand side of the hard shoulder (after looking of course) and then take that line through the junction as much as possible. By signalling, say 100 m before the line tapers for cars, motorists have plenty of time to see you and adjust their own speed/line accordingly.

On ramps are a bit more tricky, I find. Often cars are coming at speed and expecting to merge quickly. Also, you're on their right so it's not a normal/natural situation. Again, a firm signal here (making eye contact with oncoming drivers if you can) to say that you're moving over to your correct part of the road and please don't make things difficult. I rarely have any real problems, but observing what the cars are doing - slowing down for you or not - is vital.

Look around. Signal to let them know what you're doing. Do it with caution (and speed to get it overwith quickly for both parties) while still looking around.

Jumpy

Specifically it is the N7 Castletroy to Roxboro. Its the Off/On ramp to the Tipp road that has me nervous.

interested

Jumpy wrote: »

Anyone do this regularly? I know a motorway is verboten to cyclists but there is a dual carriageway near me with a roundabout at either end and it is exactly 10km, also a great mix of ups, downs and flats. I was hoping to use it to get my fitness up for longer cycling.
I can see passing off/on ramps could be dangerous, just looking to see if people do this often.
It has a nice clean hard shoulder.

Yep - regularly. Its ideal for TT training and getting used to a new position.
However, I really dont like doing it and only use it early sunday mornings.
The N2 and the N11. The latter being full of on/off roads.

If your objective is to get your fitness up for longer cycling then where and when possible avoid them. Getting involved in a group makes things safer imho since you'll be more visable. The Boards community have regular spins around the country. Posting up your location might help things.

Chips Lovell

I'd ride on dual carriageways every week. Not a problem really. The on/off ramps are the only thing you have to deal with and it's really a case of just being able to hold your line and then moving across when traffic is clear.

Highway_To_Hell

I also cycle the N11 on an occasional basis, heading from bray to Wicklow is not too bad you just need to be aware of the on/off roads and get into the hard shoulder as quick as possible. Coming back is a different matter especially through Kilmacanogue and Enniskerry as my average speed picks up to 50-60Km+ and cars usually do not think a bike will be travelling this fast and presume they can get on to the dual-carriageway before you pass the junction. I have been even more aware of this since a cyclist was killed at the Enniskerry junction last year and make sure motorist are aware of my presence.

loyatemu

the N11 from Ashford to where it turns single is due to be redesignated as a motorway later this year so it will no longer be an option (ditto the Arklow\Gorey section).

Nietzschean

Jumpy wrote: »

Specifically it is the N7 Castletroy to Roxboro. Its the Off/On ramp to the Tipp road that has me nervous.

you'll likely find on a bike its not a great mix of up's and down's and flats, it'll all just seem rather bland on a bike(since going alot slower than a car), if you were heading out that way you could go straight through the roundabout where the ring road meets the road from castletroy, out towards newport and maybe loop back by moroe, lots of cross routes around there so would be pretty easy to cut the length down...

blue chuzzle

i cycle about 10k on the n4 as part of my trip to work(weather permitting). its fine although the roadworks mean that there are parts with no hard shoulder which is a bit hairy. also you will get angry at fat middleaged women in micras screaming past beeping because they think cyclists aren't allowed on the dual carrageway. this happens when cycling along the left of the bus lane...

mmclo

Jumpy wrote: »

I know a motorway is verboten to cyclists

You would wonder about this too in a climate of supposedly promoting cycling. Don't get me wrong, exits and speeds would be lethal with current set up but surely limited adjustments could facilitate cycling. I think in Germany and Holland motorway, train, canal and cycling all go down the same permanent way. Maybe not be everyones cup of tea but for certain routes it could make sense to have a protected lane for example on the M-50

Nietzschean

mmclo wrote: »

You would wonder about this too in a climate of supposedly promoting cycling. Don't get me wrong, exits and speeds would be lethal with current set up but surely limited adjustments could facilitate cycling. I think in Germany and Holland motorway, train, canal and cycling all go down the same permanent way. Maybe not be everyones cup of tea but for certain routes it could make sense to have a protected lane for example on the M-50

i'm not really opposed to the ban, what you propose i dont' think would go against the ban, just provision more cycling lanes near by, or as a protected 'lane' off the side of the motorway... alas alot of our motorways wouldn't actually have space for that. the M50 has no space under bridges, and from the looks when finished the M7 in places will suffer the same problem.

DePurpereWolf

I don't really know what you are saying MMCLO, but I think it's wrong.
(Canal over the motorway???)

There is no cycling on the motorway in the Netherlands, this would surely be suicide. But is not allowed anyway.

There is quite a bit of motorway in the Netherlands ~2500km.

They don't allow cycling on the autobahn in Germany either.

Trojan

I cycle on dual carriageways fairly often. The off/on ramps are fine - I usually up the pace into the 40s (km/h), stay on the left of the left lane (so I'm actually in the driving lane rather than outside it) and watch behind coming up to the off-ramp, and to the left when passing the on-ramp.

Wear something fairly high vis, carry good speed, and be aware of cars around you and you'll be grand.

Victor

If you are in the hard shoulder, consider crossing on/off ramps at the greatest possible angle, to minimise crossing time and maximise your and their visibility.

zzzzzzzz

Victor wrote: »

If you are in the hard shoulder, consider crossing on/off ramps at the greatest possible angle, to minimise crossing time and maximise your and their visibility.

I would have thought holding a line would be a lot safer than swinging across to "minimise crossing time"

Nietzschean

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

I would have thought holding a line would be a lot safer than swinging across to "minimise crossing time"

I was wondering that too, i've seen cyclists stopped attempting that minimum distance crossing, not much easier to hold your line/speed and cross sooner?

deiseman21

when crossing a junction why not go up the off ramp and go across intersecting road and back down the on ramp continuing in the same direction you were originally heading in.

Nietzschean

deiseman21 wrote: »

when crossing a junction why not go up the off ramp and go across intersecting road and back down the on ramp continuing in the same direction you were originally heading in.

It would be heaps of extra effort? there's also lots of places there is no fly over/road layout which would suit doing that (N7 around city west comes to mind)

Spiritoftheseventies

think the reason they dont have cycle lanes on motorways is that its just too dangerous. crosswinds more prevalent there.

lukester

bayviewclose wrote: »

think the reason they dont have cycle lanes on motorways is that its just too dangerous. crosswinds more prevalent there.

I'd have thought lots of cars moving at 120km/h+ might have more to do with it. :pac:

Spiritoftheseventies

that too. but crosswinds a big factor also. if you are caught in crosswind you are blown right into their path.

lukester

bayviewclose wrote: »

that too. but crosswinds a big factor also. if you are caught in crosswind you are blown right into their path.

I've cycled in horrendous crosswinds and have never been blown off course.

Jumpy

Just took a drive down it, entrance and exit at both ends are now all roadworks with no hard shoulder. Its a 50km/hr limit, but cars are still doing 100. It would be suicide to try it there now

Spiritoftheseventies

well done!

lukester

bayviewclose wrote: »

well done!

Why thank you.

My point is that crosswinds are not the reason cyclists aren't allowed on motorways, along with tractors, scooters, L-drivers and various other modes of vehicular transport.

Zorba

Fair play to those of u who cycle on dual carriageways, personally i'd be scared ****less on them especially with the on and off ramps, much prefer the quite country roads around me, think you'd get more shelter what with the bushes and hedges etc etc, also better scenery if u feel like have a lazy cycle

tomasrojo

Victor wrote: »

If you are in the hard shoulder, consider crossing on/off ramps at the greatest possible angle, to minimise crossing time and maximise your and their visibility.

This is pretty much the advice in Franklin's Cyclecraft. He says to cross over to the slip road, ignoring ghost markings, but watching for traffic coming down the slip road. Then rejoin the road you just left as if you'd been travelling down the slip road in the first place.

(I realise I might be starting to sound as if I have a vested interest in that book's sales at this point.)

deiseman21

Nietzschean wrote: »

It would be heaps of extra effort? there's also lots of places there is no fly over/road layout which would suit doing that (N7 around city west comes to mind)

Extra effort is what this fella needs if he wants to get fit as he suggested in post no. 1 as fo road layout of the n7 in dublin/kildare are u on a suicide mission, what is that 80- 100,000 aadt