[rhyolite90]

I had the pleasure of starting my road cycling experience when I moved to Switzerland to study for 2 years in 2016. The quality of the tarmac there is superb and I loved the excellent cycle ways to keep off the busier roads. It definitely was a honeymoon period.

In the UK, we’re all endlessly hearing about the terrible state of the roads and the awful cycling infrastructure.

I hadn’t really realised how bad the roads actually are until I was back in the UK armed with my road bike and trying them out for myself. Now with 3 years of British road cycling under my belt I’ve hardened up a bit but I still find the poor road surfaces really hit my motivation to get out and about sometimes. Pot holes fill every decent with paranoia and make group riding a chore.

Are there actually any smooth roads in the UK?

Or even good cycle lanes, that don’t just last for 50m either side of a new housing development?

Cheers

Topic

[richliv]

Castle Combe circuit near
Castle Combe circuit near Chippenham has open evenings for cyclists every Tuesday in spring and summer. £5 a time for up to 3 hours, good value and great surface. Every kind of cyclist, from TT practice and road teams, to parents with little kids, tandems and recumbents. (It’s wide)

[PRSboy]

Duncann wrote:

I’m beginning to believe that UK utility companies are automatically notified of any smoothly-resurfaced roads so that they can immediately dig them up and fill them badly. I’d be interested to know what other countries allow this to happen the way we do… My favourite is when the council installs expensive granite surfaces in prominent town centre locations and the utilities just leave lumpy tarmac in its place.

The other annoying thing is that we often resurface roads here to a very rough standard. Again, I’m not sure why – is it just cheaper to leave the chippings only slightly submerged in tar? Do we use bigger chippings? Is it better for vehicle grip in the wet? Whatever the reason, it’s horrible to ride skinny tyres on. I particularly remember the resurfaced A104 through Epping Forest a few years ago. Heading North, it’s a false flat. I wasn’t in good form that day anyway but after about three miles of unrelenting vibration, I was done in.

You raise a good point- in my view, councils should keep records of utility contractor work, and they should be inspected to make sure they are good enough to start with, then obliged to make good at their expense any repairs which fail in future.

Same for road surfacing.  There is some particular lot who seem to have a stranglehold on resurfacing work in Oxfordshire, and I always groan when I see their trucks at work as I know it will be a dreadful job that will fall to bits within 12 months.

[PRSboy]

There is probably a lot of

There is probably a lot of demand on Coventry council budgets from care etc, whereas the more rural surroundings may have a different local authority funding, with less demand for social services and hence more to spend on roads… there are some wealthy villages and towns locally.

[vthejk]

wycombewheeler wrote:

It’s cheap

And often they rely on vehicles to compress the chippings into the tar, leading to skid risk signs and roads which are almost no go to cyclists for several weeks.

It’s bizarre. Near where I live a near-1-mile stretch of road has been left entirely as gravel. Cars easily go above the advised 20mph maximum but leave me struggling in their dusty wake. I love gravel riding but doing it in traffic is absolutely no fun.

[vthejk]

I think the issue is the lack

I think the issue is the lack of consistency. Yes, to answer that (rhetorical?) question, smooth roads do of course exist in the UK, but it feels as if there is no certainty that they will continue, extend beyond a certain region, county or even city, or worse still, not turn into potholed madness around the next corner.

Where I live in Coventry this transition is palpable – many of the country roads outside the Coventry postcode region are superb and consistently smooth. However, enter within a certain radius of the city and they are scarred, pitted, potholed and often impossible to continue on smoothly. I say this of even the resurfaced roads – the resurfacing has often been done so poorly that there is a shallow bump ever fifty meters. Jarring and painful. They can (and must) do better.

[PRSboy]

Plenty of smooth, properly

Plenty of smooth, properly resurfaced and well-maintained roads where I cycle from time to time in West Wales.

The roads in South Oxfordshire/West Berkshire are comically bad, bordering on dangerous.

[rhyolite90]

Looks like a flank of Teide!

Looks like a flank of Teide!

‘Tis a bit far from me, but it’s one for the bucket list!

[rhyolite90]

Zermattjohn wrote:

In the UK, street maintenance (on local roads, at least, not the ‘Strategic Road Network’ (motorways and major A-roads)) is the responsibility of the council, who have to bid for a chunk of money from the pot – that pot is smaller because our tax rates are lower. I’d be delighted to have Swiss style smoothness, though I expect along with many others, I’d not be delighted to be paying 40%+ income tax and huge VAT. There’s a good reason why everything in Switzerland costs more.

I’d happily lose my tax free allowance to have swiss smoothness here

 

[wycombewheeler]

Duncann wrote:

The other annoying thing is that we often resurface roads here to a very rough standard. Again, I’m not sure why – is it just cheaper to leave the chippings only slightly submerged in tar? Do we use bigger chippings? Is it better for vehicle grip in the wet? Whatever the reason,

It’s cheap

And often they rely on vehicles to compress the chippings into the tar, leading to skid risk signs and roads which are almost no go to cyclists for several weeks.

[Miller]

I’ll need to investigate that

I’ll need to investigate that.

[Organon]

The finally relaid Barlow

The finally relaid Barlow Moor Road, Manchester. Thanks Sir Chris Boardman.

[Dnnnnnn]

I’m beginning to believe that

I’m beginning to believe that UK utility companies are automatically notified of any smoothly-resurfaced roads so that they can immediately dig them up and fill them badly. I’d be interested to know what other countries allow this to happen the way we do… My favourite is when the council installs expensive granite surfaces in prominent town centre locations and the utilities just leave lumpy tarmac in its place.

The other annoying thing is that we often resurface roads here to a very rough standard. Again, I’m not sure why – is it just cheaper to leave the chippings only slightly submerged in tar? Do we use bigger chippings? Is it better for vehicle grip in the wet? Whatever the reason, it’s horrible to ride skinny tyres on. I particularly remember the resurfaced A104 through Epping Forest a few years ago. Heading North, it’s a false flat. I wasn’t in good form that day anyway but after about three miles of unrelenting vibration, I was done in.

[wycombewheeler]

Miller wrote:

I’ve been on holiday to the IoW and yes indeed the roads are in surprisingly good condition by British standards. I had wondered if that was down to a lack of frost in winter.

the roads are very good, but the gravel riding is amazing.

[Miller]

I’ve been on holiday to the

I’ve been on holiday to the IoW and yes indeed the roads are in surprisingly good condition by British standards. I had wondered if that was down to a lack of frost in winter.

[Zermattjohn]

Having lived in Switzerland

Having lived in Switzerland too, I agree with you. However, there are good reasons why Swiss roads are (in general) very smooth. As you’ll know, Swiss winters are a LOT more harsh than the UK’s, so the surfaces are laid to cope with a range of temps from mid-summer 30+ to mid-winter below -20. This is paid for by the local Cantons, and as you’ll remember tax rates are a lot higher as a consequence. 

In the UK, street maintenance (on local roads, at least, not the ‘Strategic Road Network’ (motorways and major A-roads)) is the responsibility of the council, who have to bid for a chunk of money from the pot – that pot is smaller because our tax rates are lower. I’d be delighted to have Swiss style smoothness, though I expect along with many others, I’d not be delighted to be paying 40%+ income tax and huge VAT. There’s a good reason why everything in Switzerland costs more.

Getting back to your original question – yes, there are some beauty smooth roads around Sheffield/South Yorkshire, a result of resurfacing funded by the Tour de Yorkshire. Strines (or Mortimer Road if you’re being picky) is Sa Calobra with rain 😉

I also agree with the gravel bikes point. I know a lot of people who have them and rarely venture anywhere other than local B-roads..!

[Author]

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