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I was driving along the A46 dual carriageway today and there was a time trial event on. Can't say I fancied it, riding along a dual carriageway with cars, lorries etc bombing past.
Does anyone here partake? Is it as scary as it looks? Why along the busiest roads?
I'm not against it, just can't see the attraction.
There has been a few deaths on the A19 in recent years.
Crazy if you ask me, slower, quieter routes would be the sensible way to go IMO. Knowing you were in the right won't get you out of the morgue.
But you get a fast time jota.
One instance where a cyclist likes close overtaking.
I've seen a lot happen on singe carriage way NSL roads. With a dual carriageway there is an theoretical 10mph increase in speed but no un-sighted bends, decent junctions and no overtaking into oncoming traffic/cars getting (as) infuriated. Time it right and it can't be much more dangerous?
Time trials on dual carriageways
Sounds like a lot of fun.
I did one on the A1 early on a Saturday evening once, many years ago. That was my fastest 25 (55:xx), and hardly surprising given the volume of traffic howling past my ear. I think these days there are fewer events on fast main roads and dual carriageways, more on "sporting" (ie hillier, slower, twistier) courses. But I'm not paying much attention to it. The slip road junctions are the real danger spot AIUI, its a long way across them on a bike!
The two people I know who have died riding were both on 70mph dual carriageways. One was time trialling.
Their choice. But I wouldn't do it.
The A303 has certainly been used a good few times. It's the gateway to the West Country.
I race a bit on DCs and they are pretty good to be honest with great visibility, few bends and few potholes, but like any road you are relying on the people in cars to be looking where they are going.
Some of the most dangerous roads are 'fun' B roads and small A roads where drivers pretend to be a race car driver.
I race the DCs mainly in Poole and in South Wales. The traffic does not feel scary to be honest, but they are pretty quiet roads with 99% considerate drivers. Once I raced near Cirencester and it was horrible, but I find riding anywhere near the M4 corridor on any road scary.
They are not on the busiest roads, but there is some truth that many testers like the fastest course possible. Many courses have been lost over the years because of traffic counts, its getting harder to find a course which does not exceed limits. Larger roads are used because they have good viability, they do not have traffic lights or pedestrians walking to get the papers etc.. I imagine many of the roads were not busy when the courses were originally devised. We actually have a really good sporting series so it is possible (WTTA hard riders) but the potholes alone can be a challenge, or you can lose a few places behind a tractor 😉
I think I posted a similar thread the first time I drove upto Middlesborough and there was a TT going on the A19, at rush hour, in the fog.
I was there for a bit over a year and there were IIRC 2 deaths and a paralysis.
Yes it's the car drivers 'fault', but......
They do it a lot on the A50/a516 just outside south Derby.
I wouldn't fancy it. They go both ways on the A516 (single carriage way). It's crackers when people are passing one cyclist going one way and then someone else starts to overtake another cyclist going the other way!? :O
there's one that goes on near where I live (a43 on a loop from M40 to just outside Brackley) tbh looks as scary as ****, but once you clocked the first one you tend to be on the look out!
I've done a fair few on dc's and they've felt safer than some of the TT's I've done on single carriageway "quiet" roads
Many DCs have wide shoulders which can be treated like cycle paths - plenty of room, far more than normal roads. On the ones I use occasionally the drivers could not see you at all and you'd be fine.
There are some I won't use though, just as there are some SCs I won't go on.
They use to do them on the A1 years ago, on the fast/flat/straight bits through North Yorkshire.
Those courses have been in existence for donkey's years - from when traffic wasn't so heavy/lethal. I suppose they are still used because there is less chance of setting a record on a slow course.
They run a TT each year on the A3 South of Guildford around the Liphook area. Usually early in the morning, out and back on a relatively flat bit. Complete with skin suits aerodynamic helmets and TT bikes. As someone who's nervous of riding in traffic it never looked like any fun to me.