I came across this recent BBC News story which seems to confirm that the state of the roads all over the country is getting worse, something that many of us have known for some time.
Condition Of The Roads
- Thread starter Ian
- Start date
It's certainly true that the B roads and lanes are the worst they have ever been. The whole of my riding now is a negotiation of a continuous obstacle course, and I daren't take my eyes off the road for more than a moment.
It's not a matter of discomfort any more, but the prospects of large damage and serious accidents, given the size and depth of many potholes.
The most difficult circumstance for me is in narrow lanes where the edge of the surface has broken up and left a deep trough. Drivers approaching from behind expect to be able to pass with me near the edge and are unaware of the damaged road ahead, the drivers not understanding why I don't move over.
And it's all been made far worse by GPS navigation. Drivers of large trucks are being sent by these innately dumb gadgets down wholly unsuitable lanes, until they meet something that can't pass. Then it's manouvres that chew up the edge of the road, the weight of the trucks breaking up the surface which was never meant to handle the truck weights.
It's not a matter of discomfort any more, but the prospects of large damage and serious accidents, given the size and depth of many potholes.
The most difficult circumstance for me is in narrow lanes where the edge of the surface has broken up and left a deep trough. Drivers approaching from behind expect to be able to pass with me near the edge and are unaware of the damaged road ahead, the drivers not understanding why I don't move over.
And it's all been made far worse by GPS navigation. Drivers of large trucks are being sent by these innately dumb gadgets down wholly unsuitable lanes, until they meet something that can't pass. Then it's manouvres that chew up the edge of the road, the weight of the trucks breaking up the surface which was never meant to handle the truck weights.
M
mk1
Guest
Coming back from my regular trip to Tesco's, down the long hill, I can hit around 19 mph.
But if I want to stay alive I have to constantly weave left and right to avoid the ruts, raised and sunken manholes, not to mention the road crud that is about an inch deep and extends out into the road 12 to 18 inches.
It makes you wonder where the devil the road tax fund goes.
It certainly doesn't go on the upkeep of our roads.
I'm very glad I have a mountain bike with good suspension and puncture resistant tyres
.
But if I want to stay alive I have to constantly weave left and right to avoid the ruts, raised and sunken manholes, not to mention the road crud that is about an inch deep and extends out into the road 12 to 18 inches.
It makes you wonder where the devil the road tax fund goes.
It certainly doesn't go on the upkeep of our roads.
I'm very glad I have a mountain bike with good suspension and puncture resistant tyres
.
I took advantage of the good weather on Sunday and got a few enjoyable miles in. Being a fair weather biker I'd not been out for a couple of weeks but in that time numerous more potholes have appeared, presumably as a result of the recent rain.
C
Cyclezee
Guest
Where I live, we are lucky enough to have an excellent network of cycle routes. The 'Redways' http://www.mkweb.co.uk/transportmk/documents/redwaysEmap.pdf are now over 20 years old and many are in need of repair. The biggest problem is from tree roots which have spread under the surface and create ridges which eventually crack the tarmac. Second biggest hazard has to be dogs and their owners, they need to approached with caution as it impossible to predict what they are going to do.
John
John
I know what you mean - try the Camel trail in peak season - at least the dogs stay on their leads
.
Ours in North Surrey and the South London fringe are doing the same.
I wouldn't know where to begin to report potholes on the lanes I regularly use. Without exaggeration, there aren't so much hundreds as thousands that I weave my way through, and the councils have said they haven't the resources to deal with anything other than the worst.
From time to time an inspection crew in my London borough sprays blue circles around those most needing attention, and eventually a gang turn up and patch them, but at least half the patches fail rapidly afterwards, the tar coming out of the hole and making things worse.
The North East Surrey lanes get nothing but years of decay and neglect until eventually a lane gets it turn for resurfacing. In too many cases that includes lovingly contouring the tar over the potholes and protuding tree roots to retain the original shape of the hazard, there apparently being no-one available to fill holes etc first before the resurfacing.
I honestly think it's a lost cause in the South East now, the sheer volume of continuous traffic everywhere is overwhelming the inadequate historic B and minor roads system. Only total reconstruction with foundations up to the needs of modern vehicle weights and powers would suffice, and there's not the slightest prospect of that happening
Eventually we'll all need 4 x 4s with trackgrip tyres or trail bikes the way things are heading.
.
I wouldn't know where to begin to report potholes on the lanes I regularly use. Without exaggeration, there aren't so much hundreds as thousands that I weave my way through, and the councils have said they haven't the resources to deal with anything other than the worst.
From time to time an inspection crew in my London borough sprays blue circles around those most needing attention, and eventually a gang turn up and patch them, but at least half the patches fail rapidly afterwards, the tar coming out of the hole and making things worse.
The North East Surrey lanes get nothing but years of decay and neglect until eventually a lane gets it turn for resurfacing. In too many cases that includes lovingly contouring the tar over the potholes and protuding tree roots to retain the original shape of the hazard, there apparently being no-one available to fill holes etc first before the resurfacing.
I honestly think it's a lost cause in the South East now, the sheer volume of continuous traffic everywhere is overwhelming the inadequate historic B and minor roads system. Only total reconstruction with foundations up to the needs of modern vehicle weights and powers would suffice, and there's not the slightest prospect of that happening
Eventually we'll all need 4 x 4s with trackgrip tyres or trail bikes the way things are heading.
.
C
Cyclezee
Guest
I know the purists would disagree, but I think bike suspension is almost essential with the state of our roads.
It must help to reduce the hammering and shocks bing transmitted to the frame, human and bike.
John
It must help to reduce the hammering and shocks bing transmitted to the frame, human and bike.
John
im so fed up of having to stick close to the kerks as narrow roads and spending all mytime thudding through manholes and drainhole grates, and potholes and repairs that my route is no longer depenant on the shortest and fastest, but the one where i get the smoothest ride....for the first time ever i now think "what a wonderful idea these bus lanes are" as in peak traffic i speed past cars ect....and the bus lanes are in good condition as new, away from town its back to finding alternative smooth routes though...hardley encourageing to get us off the roads and onto bkes though..
How about the shocks and forces on the battery?
Even though my mountain bike has good suspension and chunky tyres, when I land in a pothole I can hear my SLA battery clunk in its mountings.
It worries me because all the electrics are right under it and the force exerted by that heavy battery must be in the tons per inch at times
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No electric bike can be considered a mountain bike really, battery mountings and hollow motor spindles are weak points that usually fail if the user attempts any serious off road riding.
Your probably right Ian. If I’m not mistaken, your Torq is along the lines of an MTB-style machine too.
In truth, there is no way on this earth that anyone could use my mountain bike as an off roader – it’s just too darn heavy and plus, I wouldn’t let them
I think it’s more like the principal of owning a blackbird motorbike or a high-powered sports car. You can’t go at 200mph on UK roads (at least within the law) – but who cares, its the looks that count.
And boy do you get some looks
PS: I get the same effect with my Kawasaki VN800 cruser.
No point in going fast, no-one will be able to see the bike
.
In truth, there is no way on this earth that anyone could use my mountain bike as an off roader – it’s just too darn heavy and plus, I wouldn’t let them
I think it’s more like the principal of owning a blackbird motorbike or a high-powered sports car. You can’t go at 200mph on UK roads (at least within the law) – but who cares, its the looks that count.
And boy do you get some looks
PS: I get the same effect with my Kawasaki VN800 cruser.
No point in going fast, no-one will be able to see the bike
.
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Thankyou flecc, I think in future, I will be making more use of the brakes down the hill
.
Unfortunately there's not that much difference between on road and off road these days, some forest trails probably having a marginally better surface than public highways.Your probably right Ian. If I’m not mistaken, your Torq is along the lines of an MTB-style machine too.
In truth, there is no way on this earth that anyone could use my mountain bike as an off roader – it’s just too darn heavy and plus, I wouldn’t let them
PS: I get the same effect with my Kawasaki VN800 cruser.
No point in going fast, no-one will me able to see the bike
.
The Torq often gets tagged with being an MTB but it isn't at all, being sold as a hybrid or city bike. The sloping crossbar is really the only mtb'ish thing about it and a sloping crossbar is essential on a "gents style" one size fits all frame to prevent shorter riders like me from aquiring a high pitch voice
I was in a bike shop today and noticed that some full blown racers now have a slope to the crossbar.I know what you mean about not going fast because no-one will see the bike, in the case of your Kawasaki theres no need at all to go fast, anyone seeing it will know that you could go at almost any speed you wished.
rubber battery footing
Yup, this worried me too, sometimes there is no way to avoid some road damage as the traffic gives nowhere to go, i added another quarter inch layer of rubber under the battery and then cut a rubber wedge to hold the battery tight to the downtube, this has helped damp the movement.How about the shocks and forces on the battery?
Even though my mountain bike has good suspension and chunky tyres, when I land in a pothole I can hear my SLA battery clunk in its mountings.
It worries me because all the electrics are right under it and the force exerted by that heavy battery must be in the tons per inch at times
.
Mine was cracked too. Not quite that badly, only the inner bit that holds the connectors. I don't know when it happened so can't relate it to a specific incident. I just noticed it when fitting the Cycle Analyst, so I took it out and "repaired" it with a soldering iron.This is what can happen to a Torq battery platform over bumps, a speed bump on this occasion:
Nick
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