How do some cyclists manage to avoid busy roads...

[otillard]

This is a really good point and makes planning harder/more fun depending on how you want to look at it. I am starting to see that blanket rules like avoiding A roads doesn't really works and sometimes what looks like a nice country lane is a rat run of constant traffic at times that makes cycling unpleasant. Guessing that local knowledge is pretty key, and also understanding that what roads will be like as they near urban areas also helps?

[mattheus]

Bit of blue-sky thinking:

How do people find the google maps "Traffic" mode for this sort of thing?

(I discovered it quite late, and love the fact that they're just using "free" data supplied by drivers using their phones - I've spoken to people just recently that don't know it exists!)

I've only used it to check on road-closures, flooding etc on my commute. No idea how practicable it is for route-planning, but sometimes another string for your bow is handy ...

[Richard Fairhurst]

Google Maps' traffic layer is mostly "congested/stationary" traffic, I think. A road with free-flowing 70mph traffic will show up as green but be horrible to cycle along.

[Cowsham]

Google Maps' traffic layer is mostly "congested/stationary" traffic, I think. A road with free-flowing 70mph traffic will show up as green but be horrible to cycle along.

I still wouldn't want to be cycling past lines of stationary cars - the diesel fumes would not be healthy especially when you're depending on plenty of air flowing through your lungs when cycling. The 70MPH traffic even more unhealthy for the same and worse reasons. Give me quiet roads, lanes or cycle paths every time.

[SY Mike]

Personally I like to use the National Cycling Network/Sustrans routes. But you can occasionally come unstuck, as some of those routes can be a bit rough, or you can occasionally onto a busy road as I did on my tour round the coast of Britain from time to time.

RWGPS planning has most of the NCN routes marked if you choose the right layer, and OS Maps also has a layer for recognised cycling routes. The routes I took are on my website if that is of any interest:

https://www.cogitations.co.uk/home