Hi I am planning a route and was going to go on the A449 from usk to Raglan and then ther A40 on to Ross on wye.........................both are very busy dual carriageways..............
where can i find out if cyclists are allowed on these roads...............
I know part of the A470 and my local dual carriageway have cycling bans
I have tried goggle but haven't found anything
Comments
There is a local cycle club that does TT along the bit of the dual carriage from Raglan to Abergavenny and there was a race recently that included the bit from Monmouth to Raglan, hope that helps!
I know the bit by Cardiff is a permanent ban......and my local one is a temporary ban for a year or so whilst they do road works...........
I don't think any roads are really truly safe for cyclists...............I find lanes are scarier than dual carriageways especially when they narrow to a car width...............
just don't want to get there and find I'm nort allowed with no map to find my way..
Thanks PP...............I'm doing a long ride and worry that on smaller roads I will keep on stopping to find out if I'm on the right road.......where as a dual carriageway you just keep on peddling.
probably minor roads would be better training
As a rule though - I'd avoid busy dual carriageways as much as you can. If thats the only route through - pick a different destination. There's plenty of quieter lanes to use - just jot down some names of places on the way and put it on your bars taped in a roll ?
Or you could use google streetview to check out sections of dual carriageway. Some have wide reservations at the edge of the road you could ride in - but as I say - I'd prefer quieter roads.
A470 Taffs wells to north road as you said is non cycle. This is stop you going onto M4.
Other road is heads of the valley road from a470 to the top by Merthyr asda but this is only on the climb up! not down lol!
Otherwise cycle where you want safe enough.
Aber to raglan road will be buzzing this Sunday. Welsh 10 mile champs are on. I have a start time of 10.40 I positive late start.
I have to agree,
my work is in Coleford and I have to travel along the A40. It would be total suicide to try and cycle along there.
There are some truely awful junctions that are very difficult for drivers to pull out of and they just wouldnt see you and as its the end of the motorway, people treat it as such for its entire length.
any good?
http://routes.bikehub.co.uk/
alternative routes
http://routes.bikehub.co.uk/journey/1023053/
Farnie - I cycle along the A40 occassionally (between Cheltenahm and Glos), dotn knock me off eh?!
Seriously it isnt a great road - particularly at rush hour.
I cycled from Cheltenham to York once, along the A38 north of Brum - it was horrible, and i was kacking my pants a lot of the way. It is essentially a motorway, and there were a LOT of trucks.
I would try to avoid dual carriageways whereever possible too.
I promise Nick. I dont have to go down too often, but I am sure in the not too distant future they'll probably ask us to move down there.
Seren you are OK on those dual carriageways as Pingu says Abergavenny to Monmouth section are used for time trials, unless there are roadworks when they put up bike route diversions. However from Abergavenny to Monmouth why not use the old A40 road? A bit lumpier but alot less traffic. At least when you are TTing there are other bikes and often warning signs which hopefully make the drivers more aware of bikes. On your own is taking a bit of a risk.
Personally I wouldn't bike from Monmouth on up to Ross, that is a very busy section. A better course would be turn North & head for Hereford, from Monmouth and back down to Abergavenny. Major roads so no turns. Its a route I've often done training for longer distances, but normally the other way round.
I'd go Pontypool, Usk, Raglan, Abergavenny, Hereford, Monmouth, Raglan.
Thanks for all the help all. i decided to miss those busy sections of dual carriageway and I went over the bridge and up the a38 instead,,,was a lovely route with not too much traffic............will be
I will do some of those suggested alternative routes over the winter when I'm trying to get some mileage in
Not quite conected but this week I have to get from Gilwenr to Abergavenny at the end of an Afternoon shift - its dark and the heads of the valley isn't lit and I don't really fancy the lanes either - The traffic was fine last night - all saw me and were in the other lane before they got tome but the cars coming the other way didn't dip their headlights half the time - thankfully its just t his week
That stretch of the heads of the valley is fine in daylight really only a short bit thouhg I take a aback route to get into work
Crumbs! I'd always choose the old road (Gofilon, Llanfoist) over the HOV. Only ridden it once Abergavenny to Gilwern, when I got caught out one evening as it was getting dark, with only a rear light,. Hope you're well lit up from behind Maddy.
Have done the climb up The Rock to Brynmawr a number of times, but out of choice I try to avoid the fast traffic. I leave the dual carriageways to race day.
I used to see a guy regularly commute by bike (fairly slowly) along the dual carriageway from Pontypool towards Malpas, in the morning rush hour. 4 very busy roundabouts 2 full lanes of very fast traffic. But why when you can use the other roads to & through Cwmbran? At least most of the other vehicles are speed resticted. And no hill to climb up to the Crematorium roundabout.either.
I saw a guy very early commuting by bike on the Ponty Malpas dual carriage way everytime I had an early start and was getting alift
I like the llanfoist road Slugs and use it on the way in but in the dark it isn't lit either and I prefer a straight road with my back light I can be seen for a while rather than a windy one- I think on Monday I probably road my fastest 4 ish miles ever just to get offHOV as soon as possible
Last night someone took pity on me - not so much about the riding but because teh time we finish I just miss one train and its over an hour til the next one - so I was home half an hour before the train arrived in Abergavenny on mon
Next week I am on earlies and plan riding teh whole distance home 2/3 times weather depending, I will probably use a coupl eof different routes including the one I know from the other direction - I am now viewed as a bit of a freak by co-workeers who can not comprehend how easy 25 miles is when you are used to it, they seriously can't understand it