Cycling on single-track roads

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Mark1978 wrote:That's a stupid idea. While I get as frustrated as the next person being stuck behind a tractor, mandating them to move over otherwise face fines is not on, they have as much right to use the road as anyone - more in fact considering they are engaging in business use, not going for a jolly in the countryside.

Certainly when I'm out cycling on single track roads and I encounter a tractor I'll usually get off and pull my bike to side of the road until they pass, first because they are much bigger than me and second because it's their area and they deserve to be able to go about their business without tourists like me getting in the way.


What madness is this - advocating tolerance on the road. I'm Mr Toad and all must bow before me (from the side of the road)
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Mark1978 »

Going back to single track roads I've been cycling them quite a bit since the start of this thread and I've noted that even when there are passing places (although not official ones) most car drivers aren't prepared to use them approaching a cyclist, because of course bicycles are infinitely narrow after all. It can be fine as long as the car slows down, I do the same and we work our way past each other, don't mind that at all. It's when they are driving a wider than average car, and they make no attempt to slow down and no attempt to move to the left.
james01
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by james01 »

Mark1978 wrote:Going back to single track roads I've been cycling them quite a bit since the start of this thread and I've noted that even when there are passing places (although not official ones) most car drivers aren't prepared to use them approaching a cyclist, because of course bicycles are infinitely narrow after all. It can be fine as long as the car slows down, I do the same and we work our way past each other, don't mind that at all. It's when they are driving a wider than average car, and they make no attempt to slow down and no attempt to move to the left.


Many drivers are familiar with the timing required for seamless, synchronised passing in passing places. You still get a few whose brain can't compute the simple logic required to pass safely and efficiently.
I too get the occasional oncoming car on a road which is only just wider than the car itself, and the car showing no sign of stopping. One defence mechanism which usually gets a reaction and stops the car is to cycle in an uncoordinated manner, knees and elbows out, wobbling. Failing all else, be prepared to thrust yourself into the hedge because you're going to be the loser in any collision :? .
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Out today and a small micra type coming the other way, hedges are over grown so car filling most of the road.
I matched my speed to theirs but they always look like they havent seen you as if whem they get to you you some how miraculiosly dissapear into thin air :?
So the stop and as there is no where for me to go I normally on narrow lanes cycle in the middle or just of centre.
They move into hedge (sort of) then I place one foot on the ground an attempt to skip past at a crawl, I get to centre of car and rear of car is a narrower gap still, so then the car starts to move :x The gap is less than my handle bars, so as the car clears me I back kick the car, the owner would have heard that.

If I meet a trctor or truck that is filling the whole road I might do U turn (in the last week) Of squash into the hedge to make my self no obstical (last two weeks) I am happy to do this once they have stopped.
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skicat
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by skicat »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
Out today and a small micra type coming the other way, hedges are over grown so car filling most of the road.
I matched my speed to theirs but they always look like they havent seen you as if whem they get to you you some how miraculiosly dissapear into thin air :?
So the stop and as there is no where for me to go I normally on narrow lanes cycle in the middle or just of centre.
They move into hedge (sort of) then I place one foot on the ground an attempt to skip past at a crawl, I get to centre of car and rear of car is a narrower gap still, so then the car starts to move :x The gap is less than my handle bars, so as the car clears me I back kick the car, the owner would have heard that.

If I meet a trctor or truck that is filling the whole road I might do U turn (in the last week) Of squash into the hedge to make my self no obstical (last two weeks) I am happy to do this once they have stopped.


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Vorpal
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Vorpal »

When I read the title for this thread, I thought perhaps it had been discussed before. Certainly some similar thigns have, but when I looked through old threads, I found various ones on other topics (incidents, taking the lane, etc.) that had wandered into the realm of single track lanes, and none (maybe I missed them?) just on the topic of single track lanes.

I have ridden many single track lanes in Essex, Suufolk, and Norfolk. The majority are pleasant, and most drivers considerate, but like anywhere else, you do get a few idiots.

My road position on single track lanes depends largely on the width of the road. If it is truly single track, I usually ride right in the middle (Unless there's grass growing there :wink: ). The main reasons for this are visibility and to slow approaching traffic to a safe speed.

Essex has an unfortunate number of lanes that are more than 2.5 metres wide, even as much as 3 metres wide; just wide enough to make many drivers think they can go 60 mph, and pass cyclists without slowing :(
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Mark1978
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Mark1978 »

Vorpal wrote: If it is truly single track, I usually ride right in the middle (Unless there's grass growing there :wink: ).


I rode down here yesterday http://goo.gl/maps/s3Lw6 two strips of tarmac with grass in the middle, even then I was being pleted by overgrown nettles! Not sure what I was going to do if I'd met a car, however the situation didn't arise.
Bicycler
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Bicycler »

If it's getting overgrown then it might be worth reporting that to the council so they can cut in back. I'm not sure that they have a fixed programme for cutting on minor country lanes. They probably just deal with them on an ad hoc basis as issues are reported.
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Mick F
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Mick F »

I was getting whacked by nettles yesterday to the west of Launceston.
I noticed that they didn't sting. Could it be that the continual "whacking" by passing traffic consumes the stings?
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Tonyf33
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Tonyf33 »

Was out today along some very gritty single track, one incident just made me a bit mad though there were a few instances of stupidity this was the worst. Oncoming car, and there's easily 65m between us when he comes into view, does he slow down..no, then within about 15-20 metres he slams on the anchors, skids and almost smashes into the banking..what a divvy! :x
I hadn't really gone down much single track for quite some time and tbh I'm thinking I need to avoid it as going the long way round on decent roads is far less energy sapping all round and much less chance of punctures from flint never mind errant drivers.
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by MikeF »

Mark1978 wrote:
Vorpal wrote: If it is truly single track, I usually ride right in the middle (Unless there's grass growing there :wink: ).


I rode down here yesterday http://goo.gl/maps/s3Lw6 two strips of tarmac with grass in the middle, even then I was being pleted by overgrown nettles! Not sure what I was going to do if I'd met a car, however the situation didn't arise.

That looks a super little lane. I rode along a lane slightly wider than that (in East Sussex) and back again recently. Not one car only a chap running with headphones plugged in!
On these small lanes I find most drivers are pretty good, but there are a few idiots or those that are completely clueless as regards driving.
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Mark1978
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Mark1978 »

Yeah it's a nice little road. Is been meaning on riding it for a good while but never got around to it as although it's a through route it doesn't really serve any useful purpose. Which I suppose is why it's such a small road.
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Elizabeth_S »

I had a bad experience with single track roads and cyclists near Aviemore, and this time I was in the car and it wasn't my fault, honest. I was on the B970 at Inverdruie and heading west, I wanted to turn on to the Feshiebridge road and turned left on a single track road and as I was unsure where the junction with the main road was I was going slowly, suddenly I was surrounded by a family of cyclists of all ages that were all over the place, both sides of me and a very cross looking father, like it was my fault, and a mother that cycled straight across my path. The truth is, they were cycling the wrong way up a one-way street. They had been cycling north on on the B970 from the Feshiebridge or got lost and must have been spooked by the road, goodness knows which side of the road they were on as they came at me from the righthand side of the road, and in their haste didn't see the no entry signs, fortunately they met me and not someone driving fast. Sure it does meet up with a cycle path, but you can't get to it that way. There were some great looking roads and cycle paths around Aviemore and I'll enjoy exploring them (but I wanted to go and walk in in Glen Feshie).
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Vorpal »

Elizabeth_S wrote:suddenly I was surrounded by a family of cyclists of all ages that were all over the place, both sides of me and a very cross looking father, like it was my fault, and a mother that cycled straight across my path.

How are you suddenly surrounded by cyclists? Where did they come from, and why didn't you know which side of the road they'd been on?
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Re: Cycling on single-track roads

Post by Bicycler »

Vorpal wrote:
Elizabeth_S wrote:suddenly I was surrounded by a family of cyclists of all ages that were all over the place, both sides of me and a very cross looking father, like it was my fault, and a mother that cycled straight across my path.

How are you suddenly surrounded by cyclists? Where did they come from, and why didn't you know which side of the road they'd been on?

My thoughts exactly.

Edit: Apologies I deleted a further comment here because I hadn't read your initial post properly :oops:
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