I have seen, ok, I have been passed by a cyclist on our local dual carriageway who cycles on the outside lane, to the far right of the lane?

It’s a two mile stretch and the traffic must be passing him on the inside at 60-70mph.

What I want to know, does anyone else do this and if so, why?

It looks suicidal to me?

😯

Darwinism in action

Mate of mine, has just text me a pic of him, will post it up once I get home.

Is he between two junctions and about to perform a right turn? Sometimes it’s necessary to move over quite early.

Riding on a (national speed limit) dual carriageway full stop seems madness to me, speed differentials and all that!

I do about 100 yards on one, from a roundabout to a B-road turn off and that’s enough for me.

Seen a grown woman being towed in a bike trailer on the same dual carriageway, and two youths cycling against traffic on the ‘hard shoulder’ which is about 40cm wide.

Dual carriageways? great for fast timetrials !!

scotroutes

Been passed a few times by him on the same stretch over the last month, at different points of the carriageway.

The carriageway is about two miles long with no turn offs, so I cannot see the point why he insists on riding in that lane, it’s bad enough on the inside lane, I ca only imagine how bad it must feel in the outside lane!

Long time ago when I was young and foolish 😯 – managed to draft behind a big luxury coach at 55mph on my road bike along Woodvale dual carrigway, up on Merseyside. Just under 2 miles in the outside lane – we overtook a few cars.

There’s a big of dual carriage way that I do on the outside lane every day.
Granted it only lasts about 300metres with slow moving traffic, so not exactly comparable to 2 miles 🙂
The reason I do it is that it’s safer than trying to cross to the outside lane near the roundabout at the end of it, and the buses regularly use the other lane causing a variety of hazards.

Thinking about fast moving dual carriageways, I’m not too sure there’s much difference in outcomes between being hit by a car from behind at 80mph in the outside lane or 50mph in the inside. Possibly the cyclist has reasoned that drivers in the inside lane are more likely to fall asleep, and despite moving slower still pose more risk. Not to sure I’d have the balls to put such reasoning into practice though!

When I was young and foolish (at uni) I cycled in the middle of the 4 lane bit of the A27 where the inner 2 lanes split off onto the A3(M) with the outer 2 going to Hayling Island (where) I was going.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Eastney&hl=en&ll=50.84424,-1.018767&spn=0.014714,0.042272&sll=47.73855,12.508828&sspn=32.133206,86.572266&oq=eastney&t=h&hnear=Eastney,+Portsmouth,+United+Kingdom&z=15

I probably wouldn’t do it now though 🙂

simondbarnes – when I read the OP, I immediately thought of the nutters I have seen in the passed cycling down that 4 lane part of A27, in the 1st of the outer 2 lanes! You probably were one of them! Thing is, the cycle lane by farlington marshes was only introduced a few years ago. It was always a path, but I had been told off for cycling on it by some bird watcher. I think they expected me to cycle on the A27.

I only did it the once 🙂

Saw some nutter doing this on the A34 Stone bypass a couple of weeks ago. He was causing complete chaos with traffic trying to avoid him all time.

Rode past several right turns too, so that obviously wasn’t his reasoning.

Here is the pic my mate text me earlier, this was taken at the end of the section:

He should be careful, doesn’t he know motorists need to use their phones to photograph him riding a bike on the road! 😛

I assume he’s turning right at the roundabout, I guess ride it all on the outside or try to cross 2 lanes on the approach, neither seem all that awesome to me.

I can’t read this; way too scary!
I’ve been knocked off twice just riding in a normal position. l’ll stick to off-road where any & all twatting is self-induced.

is it because they assume being on that side the driver is more likely to see them
looks pretty wide there tbh but no i dont think i would

Seems complete and utter lunacy to me. I know it’s upto the motorist to give way and make way and all that, but in the real world with fast cars and drivers not paying attention, an accident is not a case of if, but when – shouldn’t be the case, but it is. Having right of way is no conciliation when you’re under a car. And the fact that guy is wearing black with no hi vis clothing….well it just beggars belief. On a dull and dreary day, with spray being kicked up off a damp road a driver doesn’t stand a chance of seeing him until its too late.

Maybe he wants to turn right (that is a junction/roundabout?). If so he will probably move over as soon as there is a gap rather than wait till the last minute and dice with traffic. If he moves over a mile away then that is excessive.

FWIW I ride in that lane on a local TT because I need to turn right at the roundabout. If you wait until the point you would move over in a car you’ll get flattened by some tit playing with his phone 😉 I never normally do more than a few hundred meters though as the road is mainly dual carriage way to allow the commuters to queue.

On a dull and dreary day, with spray being kicked up off a damp road a driver doesn’t stand a chance of seeing him until its too late.

tbh the inside lane is hardly likely to be going much slower or to have much better visibility and you are on the drivers side on a wide road – dont get me wrong i am not advocating it but I doubt it is really that much more dangerous than the inside tbh

simondbarnes – Member
When I was young and foolish (at uni) I cycled in the middle of the 4 lane bit of the A27 where the inner 2 lanes split off onto the A3(M) with the outer 2 going to Hayling Island (where) I was going.

Isn’t that “cycling defensively” or “taking the primary position”? 😉

wtf @ A3M / A27.
Thought there was a bike path along there from Eastern Road roundabout? Been a looong time since I’ve been there (used to work on the old airport from time to time).

Dammit man – he’s not even wearing a helmet. The bugger deserves to be mown down!!!

What tyres for tootling down the outside lane of a dual carriageway with your trousers tucked in your socks?
Perhaps he’s from the continent and not yet au fait with the British system.

is it because they assume being on that side the driver is more likely to see them
looks pretty wide there tbh but no i dont think i would

+1

Looks a good assumption.

As I said earlier, if he’s turning right at that junction he’ll have to pull across when it is safe to do so. Based on his experience he may reckon that’s quite early (earlier than the OP might consider necessary). I’ve done it in the past and would do so again when circumstances dictate.

The alternative approach is to go all the way around the outside of the roundabout and risk being taken out as you cross an exit. I prefer to take the same lane as all the other traffic.