Turning Right at a Roundabout

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buddyboy
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Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by buddyboy »

Can anyone advise me on which lane I should be in when approaching a roundabout on a bike and wanting to turn right e.g if there are 3 lanes of traffic approaching the roundabout (quite common in these parts) would you go into the inside lane (by the Kerb), stick in the middle or go to the outside?
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meic
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by meic »

Ideally in the right hand lane just as anybody would drive around in a car.

However there are many traffic roundabouts where that would be pushing your luck, to say the least.
It really does depend on the layout, traffic numbers and their speed.
If there is any way possible to squeeze past you, overtake on the wrong side, cut you up, pull out in front of you etc etc., at some point some motorist will do exactly that.

So if it is fast, fierce and busy it may be best to cycle the whole way round on the "pavement".
Yma o Hyd
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by [XAP]Bob »

General approach is to use the same route as I would in any other vehicle. However - there are local circumstances (flared junctions which UK road designers favour) and high speed uncontrolled entry/exit that can override that default.


It's not an easy 'always do this'
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Vorpal
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by Vorpal »

I would ride in the centre of a designated right turn lane, or the outside lane, if they aren't marked. I would use the junction as if driving:
-signal right
-go around in the lane closest to the middle of the the roundabout
-as soon as I had passed the exit before the one I was taking, check over my left shoulder & signal left
-check over both shoulders and exit when safe to so do

As [XAP]Bob says, there can be exceptions to that. You have to do your own risk assessment for the junction. If you aren't confident or don't feel comfortable with it, dismount and watch traffic for a while, to see how motorists behave at the junction, and/or cross as a pedestrian and remount when you can safely do so after the turn.

p.s. and get yourself a copy of the book Cyclecraft
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by Tigerbiten »

Your speed is important too.
The faster I'm going, the more likely I am to take the same path a car would follow.
But if I'm just crawling uphill, I'm more likely to stick to primary in the left lane with my right hand out the whole way around.
pwa
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by pwa »

I can only say what I do, which is basically as I would in a car. I take a lane that a right turning car would take. I try to keep my speed up to something like car speed, so I may take it easy before the roundabout to make sure I have the strength in my legs to pick up the pace.
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by Vorpal »

Tigerbiten wrote:Your speed is important too.

That depends on the roundabout. Speed is more important on some than others. You can somewhat judge by how fast other users go.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
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meic
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by meic »

pwa wrote:I can only say what I do, which is basically as I would in a car. I take a lane that a right turning car would take. I try to keep my speed up to something like car speed, so I may take it easy before the roundabout to make sure I have the strength in my legs to pick up the pace.


So do I
but there are some roundabouts that I chicken out of at times. Car speed here is 40-50 mph.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.67675 ... 312!8i6656

If they have had traffic lights fitted then that does make a cyclists life better when crossing a high speed road on a large roundabout. Prior to having the lights these roads were rather dicey.
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mjr
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by mjr »

Vorpal wrote:As [XAP]Bob says, there can be exceptions to that. You have to do your own risk assessment for the junction. If you aren't confident or don't feel comfortable with it, dismount and watch traffic for a while, to see how motorists behave at the junction, and/or cross as a pedestrian and remount when you can safely do so after the turn.

I know it's good advice but that always bugs me a bit. Please use http://www.writeToThem.com to ask your county councillor to improve the junction for cycling if you really can't face it except by dismounting because it's probably a barrier for others too.

I often prefer to avoid hostile roundabouts entirely by rerouting where possible.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Vorpal
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by Vorpal »

mjr wrote:
Vorpal wrote:As [XAP]Bob says, there can be exceptions to that. You have to do your own risk assessment for the junction. If you aren't confident or don't feel comfortable with it, dismount and watch traffic for a while, to see how motorists behave at the junction, and/or cross as a pedestrian and remount when you can safely do so after the turn.

I know it's good advice but that always bugs me a bit. Please use http://www.writeToThem.com to ask your county councillor to improve the junction for cycling if you really can't face it except by dismounting because it's probably a barrier for others too.

I often prefer to avoid hostile roundabouts entirely by rerouting where possible.

Rerouting isn't always possible or practical.

Also, while I agree that writing to your county councillor is a good idea (I've done it myself), it's not much help with getting from A to B on the day.

As an example, I used to take the kids swimming. The swimming pool they liked best was in Braintree, near the A120. Of course that meant I had to cross either the A120, or a busy B road that joined it. From the other side of the A120, there was a cycling facility to the swimming pool, but getting to it was awkward at best.

When I was on my own, I just rode the A120 Galleys Corner junction (McDonald's roundabout) and used the road. It was an intimidating junction, even to motorists (I knew someone who drove her car miles out of her way to avoid it). With the kids along, though, I didn't feel I had the acceleration to use the road on that junction, so I used an informal crossing. It wasn't nice, but it was just about manageable most times of the day.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
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thirdcrank
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by thirdcrank »

Nobody has asked for a streetview, which is often helpful.

More generally, turning right at a roundabout with a three-lane approach could pose some big problems, especially if there were only two lanes round the roundabout. The "same as driving a car" advice is good but with busier roundabouts, there's often no consensus among drivers over the correct lane. This can be further confused by gantry lane signs which do not match what's painted on the road beneath them. I live just a mile from the infamous Gildersome Roundabout (J27) on the M62, now redesigned and signalised but for many years a monument to the utter incompetence of highwaymen. There was no consensus even among local drivers as to the correct lanes to use.

It's not letting the side down to look for a different route.

Edited for a typo
Last edited by thirdcrank on 21 Oct 2017, 8:39pm, edited 1 time in total.
buddyboy
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by buddyboy »

Many thanks for your responses Guys- and for the collective wisdom!

I'm going to try the outside lane as generally suggested (as per a car) and see how that goes. My fear is getting cut up by a car as I'm turning into the right turn from the roundabout, but I guess this is where confidence and speed comes into it. :?
Vorpal
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by Vorpal »

buddyboy wrote:Many thanks for your responses Guys- and for the collective wisdom!

I'm going to try the outside lane as generally suggested (as per a car) and see how that goes. My fear is getting cut up by a car as I'm turning into the right turn from the roundabout, but I guess this is where confidence and speed comes into it. :?

And looking over your shoulder!
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Turning Right at a Roundabout

Post by [XAP]Bob »

mjr wrote:
Vorpal wrote:As [XAP]Bob says, there can be exceptions to that. You have to do your own risk assessment for the junction. If you aren't confident or don't feel comfortable with it, dismount and watch traffic for a while, to see how motorists behave at the junction, and/or cross as a pedestrian and remount when you can safely do so after the turn.

I know it's good advice but that always bugs me a bit. Please use http://www.writeToThem.com to ask your county councillor to improve the junction for cycling if you really can't face it except by dismounting because it's probably a barrier for others too.

I often prefer to avoid hostile roundabouts entirely by rerouting where possible.


On first approach the above is good. But if yes - formal complaints to the relevant people are the way to make it so those following you have it safer and easier.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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