Question from foreigner about british roads

[Cycling123]

Good day,

I live in the Netherlands and intend to do some cycling in the uk next year. I have been in UK few times before, but with the car.
I have a question where to cycle on the road.
See for example: https://www.google.nl/maps/@51.5481137, ... 384!8i8192

The path beside the road, are you allowed to cycle on there, or is that intended for pedestrians?

[thirdcrank]

If there's a footpath (legally a "footway") alongside a road (legally the "carriageway") then it's illegal to ride on it UNLESS there are signs indicating cycling is permitted. If footway cycling is permitted by such signs, it's not compulsory, although there's pressure to do so. Cycling on the carriageway is illegal on all motorways (legally "special roads") and on other roads where there are signs prohibiting cycling or all vehicles (a pedal cycle is legally a "vehicle" but not a motor vehicle or mechanically-propelled vehicle.)

Edit to add: those laws - enforced sporadically by fixed penalties - apply equally in urban and rural areas of the type in your streetview.

[Vorpal]

Hi & welcome to the forum.

The path you have identified is for pedestrians, though I don't think anyone would fault you for cycling on the path there.

Shared use facilities and cycle paths are marked with blue signs with a bicycle, bicycle & pedestrians, bicycle & pedestrians & equestrians, etc.

Signs marking such facilities are a little haphazard, so beware of facilities ending without it being obvious.

https://cycle.travel/ is a good tool for route planning.

National cycle routes are mapped at https://www.sustrans.org.uk/
Be aware that if you are using a non-standard bike, wide handlebars, or heavy panniers, some routes/sections have anti-motorcycle barriers that can also impede or give difficulty to non-standard bikes.

edit: it may be worth having a look at the Highway Code https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code

[Pebble]

If that was a busy road and the path had few if any walkers on it I would cycle along there, but I would be very polite, slow down or even stop for any pedestrians that I may meet. It is their path and not your track.

[Hellhound]

If that was a busy road and the path had few if any walkers on it I would cycle along there, but I would be very polite, slow down or even stop for any pedestrians that I may meet. It is their path and not your track.

Then you would be breaking the law and advocating doing so to the OP who is a visitor!
As stated above any roadside path,unless specifically signed,is for pedestrians only.

[Cycling123]

Thanks for your replies. Made it a bit more clear. Im going to read the Highway code.

I have a flatbar bike. The handlebar is 62cm so not to wide for the small gates I hope.

How often are there (big) potholes in the road?

[Hellhound]

Potholes,sadly,are a very common problem especially in Towns and Cities.
You will find them on busier rural roads but much depends on the local authority.

[simonhill]

You don't say what sort of cycling you will be doing. If touring with bags, etc then cycling on footways can be a very slow and bumpy experience. They are not designed for bikes, so you give way at every road crossing. There are often raised kerbs at these roads you cross. Even driveways can be lumpy. In Japan many people cycle on the footways which is alright if you are only going a short distance, but if you are touring it is a slow and often laborious process and I usually opt for the road.

Also, as said it is illegal and you can get a ticket (fixed Penalty Notice @£60(??)).

A path like the one in the Google shot would be OK for cycling on, but....I bet it doesn't go far, so you are on and off; it won't be maintained for wheeled use; could have lots of debris from road, woodland and litter.

There are plenty of wonderful rural roads in the UK that are great for cycling, but even the best will be a come down for a Dutch cyclists.

Nonetheless, come and enjoy.

[thirdcrank]

... I have been in UK few times before ....

[Thehairs1970]

Thanks for your replies. Made it a bit more clear. Im going to read the Highway code.

I have a flatbar bike. The handlebar is 62cm so not to wide for the small gates I hope.

How often are there (big) potholes in the road?

Potholes can vary in their frequency a lot. Urban areas tend to be worse but expect them everywhere. Some are so deep, you may never be found if you cycle in to it. Wales and Scotland rural areas seem to be best in my view.

[Thehairs1970]

[/quote]
Glad you find it funny.
Next time you complain about a motorist breaking the law or being inconsiderate, I'll just LOL
[/quote]

Unfortunately, this view of cyclists and the law is ignored by cyclists too often on the grounds that the consequences of a bike hitting someone or something are unlikely to cause injury. Of course we know that all car drivers, being the offspring of Beelzebub, intentionally break rules with the sole purpose of killing as many people as possible. (Extra points for cyclists, horse riders, war veterans and children).

Sits back and awaits backlash.

[thirdcrank]

I'd hate to think that this thread is going in the direction intended by the OP

[mjr]

Thanks for your replies. Made it a bit more clear. Im going to read the Highway code.

I have a flatbar bike. The handlebar is 62cm so not to wide for the small gates I hope.

How often are there (big) potholes in the road?

There are often big potholes on busy roads. They are more commonly found where large vehicle wheels run, near the edges, which is part of the reason why cyclists are advised to ride centrally in narrow lanes and not at the left edge.

62cm should be fine for most squeeze gates, with most now set at 80cm or wider. A word of warning: if you are on a Dutch bike aka roadster, some slalom gates will need extra care because most have a longer wheelbase than bikes derived from road bikes and MTBs and panniers just make the back end even wider.

About signs:

1. as I understand it, a round bike or bike+people sign in NL (like most countries) means you MUST use it instead of the road/carriageway. In the UK, the round sign only means that you can ride there if you want. Sadly, some of them, especially older ones, basically aren't worth using if you are confident at riding in motor traffic, and spotting which ones are and aren't worthwhile is a difficult skill to learn.

2. a rectangular bike or "fietspad" sign in NL (like most countries) means that you can use the path if you want, but in the UK, it only means that the road/carriageway is part of a cycle route.

3. it's only illegal to cycle on a path without round signs when it's by another road/carriageway. Some cycleways not next to motorised roads only have arrow signs with a bike symbol on (with or without people and horse symbols), usually blue but I have seen green (Cambridgeshire), black (Norfolk) and brown (various) ones. Some are even old wooden signs. Some only say "bridleway" or "byway" or "public path" but mostly where you see that, the way will be gravel or worse. A few say "footpath " which is confusing and should probably be ridden with extra care to give way to walkers (who in theory have priority over everyone everywhere but few dare to assert priority over motorists).

4. the UK motorway sign is a motorway in a blue square, not a car in a blue square. I don't remember which NL uses. Do not cycle there, even though our cycle route signs are also blue! The motorway direction signs use different lettering and are usually much much bigger. Oh and there are some green-signed almost-motorways with bike symbols telling you to ride in the 1m edge strip next to 70mph trucks, but I would try to avoid them!

[Psamathe]

Thanks for your replies. Made it a bit more clear. Im going to read the Highway code.

I have a flatbar bike. The handlebar is 62cm so not to wide for the small gates I hope.

How often are there (big) potholes in the road?

There are often big potholes on busy roads. They are more commonly found where large vehicle wheels run, near the edges, which is part of the reason why cyclists are advised to ride centrally in narrow lanes and not at the left edge.

Particularly useful advice for somebody used to Dutch cycle facilities new to cycling in the UK. Whilst the road raised by OP looks close to London, my own experience in rural lanes is that the edges can be horrible, rarely or poorly repaired. As you say, likely due to heavy vehicle use. A lane near me narrower than 2 lane and not built for heavy traffic now has a stream of artic lorries after planners allowed a HGV cleaning company to set-up mid-countryside and the road edges have really suffered (but the HGV traffic means you really don't want to cycle on it anyway). Often rural lane edges bad around farmyards (where tractors come and go). Sometimes potholes, sometimes road subsiding into a ditch (with long narrow deep groves running in your direction of travel).

Depending on time or year and part of country you can get lumps of clay spread all over the road which car/tractor/lorry wheels compress into road so you end up with really bumpy surface (but it tends to be obvious due to colour of clay vs road surface similar to French cycle paths lined by shallow rooted trees that create regular ridges across the path?)

So as you say, road positioning can be important.

Ian

[Cycling123]

Great answers, thank you all. I have made a route using the online maps, there dont seem to be A roads or motorways in it.

Do you advise using a mirror on the bike? In Holland only 'old' people use a mirror.