Roundabouts - GOD I hate them!

07Lapierre

Anyone else have to cross this roundabout? (coming from Kinsealy/Drynam road) I have to approach it from this Direction, and I'm heading in this direction (old dublin/Belfast road)

I usually arrive at it about 18.00- 18.15 when traffic is heavy and i find the traffic lights seem to make it harder to cross. Usually i have to approach it and move into the middle of the road and "hope" there is a gap in the traffic so i don't have to stop. If there's a gap I have to go for it and get to the first set of lights (usually red). Once i see the traffic coming from the city centre stopping, i have to "jump" the red light so i can position myself here (over on the extreme left).

The hardest part is getting onto the roundabout from the Drynam Road. cars don't give you an inch and are usually very impatient.

anyway, rant over.

snubbleste

There is no roundabout worse than the magic roundabout in galway.
Please post back when you have experienced it.

Beasty

Yep - that's part of my commute home, and I'm joining from the same road.

Approaching the roundabout, I take a position in the middle of the 2 lines of traffic, and wait for a gap - often there is traffic backing up from the lights on the next turn-off, so you can sometines wait for the traffic to be static and then get onto the roundabout. Alternatively you simply have to wait for a gap in the cars already on the roundabout.

When on it, I head to the middle or outside of the middle lane - the lights are invariably on red, but green can be anticipated, and I am normally at the next lights, on the LHS of the left lane before any traffic catches up with me - then it's plain sailing onto the R132 (or R127 on the map!) and hard shoulder (except where the busses are illegally parked!!)

Some vehicles think they can take a left from the third lane on the roundabout, which is crazy given traffic can take a right from the middle lane. I just make sure they all see me, and I indicate right just before the lights turn green.

I sometimes find the first roundabout over the motorway a more challenging experience, as some motorists seem to think cyclists are allowed onto the motorway, and cut you up in their attempt to turn left onto the slip road from the outside lane of traffic:rolleyes:.

Raam

This is where you need to adopt bike ninja skillz. Just wobble out into the flow without looking and hope for the best. It seems to work for plenty of folk that I see out and about.

neris

thats bad enough to try get across in a car

07Lapierre

Beasty wrote: »

Yep - that's part of my commute home, and I'm joining from the same road.

Approaching the roundabout, I take a position in the middle of the 2 lines of traffic, and wait for a gap - often there is traffic backing up from the lights on the next turn-off, so you can sometines wait for the traffic to be static and then get onto the roundabout. Alternatively you simply have to wait for a gap in the cars already on the roundabout.

.

See thats the hard part...getting a gap at just the right moment. If there's no gap and you have to stop, then it gets interesting. Best of luck this evening...

wellsir

haven't been on any of your roundabouts so can't comment....BUT anyone who fails to indicate at a roundabout should be arrested and put in the same jail cell as george michael where he sings faith all night long!

Beasty

07Lapierre wrote: »

See thats the hard part...getting a gap at just the right moment. If there's no gap and you have to stop, then it gets interesting. Best of luck this evening...

I normally get on within a single change of lights, sometimes 2. I got onto it well last night, but left RobFowl floundering and had to wait for him when I got on the main road. I think there is definitely a knack with that particular roundabout

(having said that, I normally jinx myself with such comments on here, so if I'm not posting later this evening, can someone please give casualty at the Beaumont a call - last time I was admitted it took me a couple of hours before I had any idea what month it was!)

inkedpt

I have three on my daily commute Right on Fonthill, front on Coldcut and Ballyfermot roundabout. Normally I use the middle of the road and go with the cover of the car on my right. I position myself near his rear wheel and once inside the roundabout just stick my finger (not the middle one) and signal my exit.

rp

wellsir wrote: »

anyone who fails to indicate at a roundabout should be arrested and put in the same jail cell as george michael where he sings faith all night long!

Anyone? There are more safety critical things to be doing with your arm on a roundabout than waving it around. The most effective way to signal on a roundabout is to position yourself correctly. And, btw, there is no legal requirement for cyclists to indicate, although it is useful in certain circumstances to warn other road users of your intentions.

8kvscdpglqnyr4

snubbleste wrote: »

There is no roundabout worse than the magic roundabout in galway.
Please post back when you have experienced it.

This is the real magic roundabout:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Hemel_Hempstead)

A 2-way roundabout!

07Lapierre

rp wrote: »

Anyone? There are more safety critical things to be doing with your arm on a roundabout than waving it around. The most effective way to signal on a roundabout is to position yourself correctly. And, btw, there is no legal requirement for cyclists to indicate, although it is useful in certain circumstances to warn other road users of your intentions.

+1 when it comes to roundabouts, position is everything!

thebouldwhacker

+1 on positioning
When it comes to the roundies its all about eye contact with drivers, it makes you human, not something to be driven around like a pothole, it also says to drivers 'I just wanna get around this thing and go home'.
On large ones I tend to point at which exit I'm going to take while going around it, not much point sticking out your left arm if a car to your right cant see it. Pointing also takes the guess work out of it and lets anyone thinking of cutting in front of you know that your passing an exit and if they hit you its their fault.
Fingers crossed I have never had an incident on one yet (bar a lorry last week that reckoned he had faster take off speed than me so tried to pass me on the inside from a left turn lane.... I took him to school:cool:).