Roundabouts

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Jamesh
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Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: Roundabouts

Post by Jamesh »

I try to make myself bigger than I actually am. Rather like an animal being pursued by a predator.

If it's dark I wiggle my bars so that they get a bit of bright light to wake them up.

If it's day time I'll change my position in the road or the bike to give them a chance to see me, sometimes a dash to the brakes!

Other times I will use a car as cover (never on the inside of a lorry) to get me across a busy roundabout.

Cheers James
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TrevA
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Re: Roundabouts

Post by TrevA »

I always expect to be pulled out on. I watch the vehicles approaching the roundabout for clues as to whether they are going to stop - are they slowing? Is the driver looking? I cover the brakes just in case. I still get pulled out on, sometimes people see you and pull out anyway because Might is Right. The most recent one was an HGV. I could see him thinking about it and he decided to go despite clearly seeing me.
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NUKe
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Re: Roundabouts

Post by NUKe »

It's down to the car driver's observations, they are looking for the big stuff. And will look straight through you. Even if they appear to be looking at you. I think Richard Ballentine's book suggested the wheels give the best indication of the cars intentions.
Be assertive but be prepared to stop or change course if they are going to ignore you.
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thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Roundabouts

Post by thirdcrank »

I think drivers are also assuming certain traffic speeds so if eg there's anything like chevrons or traffic signs blocking their view to the right as they approach the roundabout they may tend to assume that anything hidden will emerge at traffic speed and anything even a bit slower will be assumed not to be there
robing
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Joined: 7 Sep 2014, 9:11am

Re: Roundabouts

Post by robing »

Some excellent points here. I agree that drivers entering especially if tangential are not looking directly ahead but to their right. The danger on a roundabout is not so much traffic behind you or on the roundabout already but vehicles entering.

This particular roundabout (which I have done many times) is over a flyover and the entry road in question is off a trunk road so fast traffic. And I think there were two lanes and the offending car was on the inside.

My strategy has been to get through them as fast as possible but I think from now on I will reduce my speed so if there are oncoming vehicles that fail to stop, then I must be sure that I can.
audaxjk
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Joined: 2 Mar 2020, 4:45pm

Re: Roundabouts

Post by audaxjk »

I’ve cycle commuted for 15 years. I found roundabouts to be one of the most dangerous parts of my ride and most likely to wipe me out.

Firstly I re-routed my commute to avoid them as much as possible. Secondly, unless I am filtering off at the first exit I cross each one on the pavement and make my way around to the desired exit. It doesn’t hold me up much but does take away a lot of stress.
ChrisP100
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Joined: 24 Sep 2020, 9:00am

Re: Roundabouts

Post by ChrisP100 »

Roudabouts can be pretty daunting for the inexperienced rider, but with experience we all develop our own strategies for dealing with them. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. I prefer the 'treat them like a car' solution in most cases and ALWAYS take the middle of my lane on approach. I also hold my line on the way round which discourages drivers from cutting me up or squeezing me into the kerbside with all the detritus and gravel.

One particular incident that often plays on my mind is a time when I was going straight across a roundabout and as I was crossing the entry lane on my left hand side a motorcyclist on a high powered sports bike entered the roudabout at speed having clearly not seen me and brushed my back wheel on the way past.

If I hadn't have seen them in my peripheral vision and put in an extra quick pedal stroke I have no doubt the motorcycle would have speared me and sent me about 60ft down the road. I was lit up like a Christmas tree but the rider had so obviously not seen me. He was nowhere near the roundabout when I entered, probably 75 to 100m away so they must have been going way too fast in the 30mph zone.
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matt2matt2002
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Joined: 25 Oct 2009, 7:45pm
Location: Aberdeen Scotland UK

Re: Roundabouts

Post by matt2matt2002 »

All good comments and views above.

Part of my roundabout tactic is eye contact.
I only move out if our eyes have met.
Sounds romantic?
But it works for me.
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Traction_man
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Joined: 10 Jan 2020, 5:30pm
Location: Bangor NI

Re: Roundabouts

Post by Traction_man »

matt2matt2002 wrote: 15 Oct 2021, 10:53pm All good comments and views above.

Part of my roundabout tactic is eye contact.
I only move out if our eyes have met.
Sounds romantic?
But it works for me.
Yes eye contact, I stand up on the pedals too to make myself more visible and show I'm there, and if the roundabout is one of those dual carriageway ones, with traffic hurtling around at sixty miles an hour, and noone indicating, for safety's sake I'll move to the pavement, if there is one, and use that to cross the carriageways, but not all roundabouts have footways though. I'll actually choose routes to avoid large roundabouts where possible.
axel_knutt
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Re: Roundabouts

Post by axel_knutt »

Try the Stansted Airport junction on the M11: half a mile in circumference, varies from 2 to 4 lanes wide, has multiple traffic lights, a bypass cutting through the central island, and no footpath or verge to walk on. https://goo.gl/maps/HeoQLM3MwxYk56B36

As big roundabouts go, my favourite is the Greenstead roundabout in Colchester: it has two-way traffic, so you can go whichever way is shortest. https://goo.gl/maps/JCLNTmTaeEU2XugeA
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hjd10
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Re: Roundabouts

Post by hjd10 »

robing wrote: 6 Oct 2021, 3:40pm 4 years ago I was hit by a car on a roundabout. (I was on the roundabout, car was approaching). The same thing very nearly happened today. Both times clearly driver at fault, in the collision the driver was prosecuted.

My question is, what can I do to make myself safer? My strategy for roundabouts is get over them as quickly as possible, but this may not be the best technique.
How about an Airzound?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVPHG8Aa-4U
drossall
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Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: Roundabouts

Post by drossall »

axel_knutt wrote: 16 Oct 2021, 4:24pm Try the Stansted Airport junction on the M11: half a mile in circumference, varies from 2 to 4 lanes wide, has multiple traffic lights, a bypass cutting through the central island, and no footpath or verge to walk on. https://goo.gl/maps/HeoQLM3MwxYk56B36
I've been through that a number of times and found it not too bad (not at peak hours though!) There is a cycle route bypassing it, but it seems pretty obscure and indirect, and I've never quite tracked it down, although I know basically where to look.
robing
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Re: Roundabouts

Post by robing »

Airzound, maybe! Seen that video where a cyclist used one to scatter pedestrians in London from hogging the cycle lanes!

I've learnt from my lucky escape. This particular roundabout has an alternative safe route via an underpass (route 51)

I've never had a problem with smaller urban roundabouts where the speed is lower, but faster ones I now slow right down unless I can see there is no traffic on the incoming lanes.
audaxjk
Posts: 155
Joined: 2 Mar 2020, 4:45pm

Re: Roundabouts

Post by audaxjk »

My experience is the opposite to robing.
I’ve almost been wiped out twice on small urban roundabouts with cars shooting out at speed. The closest I’ve got so far to being killed. A significant minority of Birmingham urban drivers don’t respect human life. After this, I rerouted my commute to avoid them completely.
prestavalve
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Joined: 24 Dec 2020, 8:03pm

Re: Roundabouts

Post by prestavalve »

axel_knutt wrote: 16 Oct 2021, 4:24pm As big roundabouts go, my favourite is the Greenstead roundabout in Colchester: it has two-way traffic, so you can go whichever way is shortest. https://goo.gl/maps/JCLNTmTaeEU2XugeA
This is objectively terrifying.
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