[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

[Bigpikle]

We have one great stretch of

We have one great stretch of lovely tarmac in a local village, complete with lots of traffic calming measures along the village main street…..turns out its where the head of highways for the local council lives. The rest of the region is like the surface of the moon if they ran thousands of HS2 construction HGVs across it every week.

[0-0]

I think smooth roads with no
I think smooth roads with no pot holes only exist around Town Halls and Council Offices ?

[Shades]

One of the things I look

One of the things I look forward to on the continent are smooth roads; even the vast majority of the poxy lanes in France are in A1 condition.  Long downhills are just sublime.  Makes such a difference to comfort, average speed and endurance.  I know France is a pretty ‘state-heavy’ country so perhaps they just have legions of workers resurfacing roads.  Kind of just accept it on British lanes but towns are also pretty horendous with all the roadworks and patching that has gone on.  I tend to avoid A roads but can appreciate that some people prefer them to bumpy lanes on the assumption that they’re in better condition.  That said, during lockdown, I ventured onto some of my local A roads when they were quiet only to find that I was getting battered by the poor surface.  TBH a poor surface doesn’t help cycle safety, or new cyclists confidence, if you’re getting bashed about by the road surface amongst traffic (eg losing balance or a frame/wheel/tyre fail).

[mike the bike]

Yes they do, notably here on

Yes they do, notably here on the Isle of Wight.  Seven years ago our County Council entered into a 25-year PFI contract for road maintenance and, some minor glitches aside, it has been a success.  Potholes are now extremely rare, I can’t remember the last time I saw one, and visitors to the island, including cyclists and motor-cyclists, are consistently complimentary about the surfaces.

Critics of the scheme, usually politically motivated, will always find fault but it is true that not everything has gone to plan.  Some roads have needed fixing twice, the schedule seems to have slipped a little and most work appears to take place in summer when the roads are busiest.  But compromises have to be made and as far as I’m concerned the roads are way, way better than before.

It can be done.

[Rendel Harris]

If you’re ever in the area,

If you’re ever in the area, Great Dun Fell in Cumbria is not only the highest paved road in Britain but also the best I’ve ever found; from just past Knock upwards the road is closed for all motor vehicles except those going to the summit radar station so it takes very little wear. Very tough climb, brilliant descent (watch out for crosswind gusts and kamikaze sheep) with the smooth tarmac, long sightlines and absence of cars meaning you can really let the wheels run in a way you just can’t on most public roads. Pictured on our ascent in 2018, you can see just how good the surface is.

[Tom_77]

If you can find a cycling

If you can find a cycling event at a motor racing circuit, that’s probably your only chance to ride on smooth tarmac.

I’ve done the British Heart Foundation ride at Goodwood a few times, although it wasn’t on this year or last year.

[dooderooni]

Our roads are horrendous at
Our roads are horrendous at times, mainly due to them being patched annually rather than properly resurfaced.
Not sure about other regions, but here in the north east one of the biggest dangers are the 1 or 2 rows of granite setts that exist at many junctions on residential streets. Small amounts of moisture on them are enough to take your front wheel from under you as you turn across them if you aren’t careful. Over the years I’ve had several incidents of nearly high-siding on them as my tyre has slipped then gripped as it crossed the cobbles onto the tarmac of the sideroad.

[Sriracha]

“Pot holes fill every decent
“Pot holes fill every decent with paranoia…”
So true. One cultivates a dynamic map of each road’s evolving pothole geography, like a squirrel keeping a life or death register of where the nuts are buried.

[Author]

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