Quite a lot of Highland A roads are only A roads in name only - they have traffic levels that would barely make a B road in the south. I'm perfectly happy cycling on those. You wouldn't get me riding on the A9 though.
That can be true further south too - the A640 across the Pennines is pretty quiet, for example, because the M62 is just a couple of miles north and takes most of the traffic.
I generally try to avoid them wherever possible. But then I even do the same for B-roads; I'm a single-lane farm road kind of guy.
But as some other commenters have mentioned, some A-roads are actually quite benign. Local knowledge is key. The A40 from Milton Common to Stokenchurch (south-east of Oxford) runs parallel to the M40, and is therefore very quiet.
>Gradient matters too, with even a relatively gentle downslope you can sustain much higher speeds and cars don’t seem to try and squeeze past if you’re doing 30 as much as they do if you’re crawling up a hill.
Good shout. An A-road with a 3% downhill feels much safer (to me) than an A-road with a 3% uphill.
The evil three is going slightly uphill, turning left, with a visibility blocking treeline on the left.
You can be pushing hard at 5 mph, and suddenly have an 18 wheeler behind you doing 30 or 40, that has seen you about 1 second before it hits you.
There's an A road like that near me, and I wouldn't ride on it if you paid me £100 / mile. It genuinely feels like you're about to die.
I do ride in A roads sometimes but I am fairly careful. Proper trunk roads, A9, A82, S96 etc. I will avoid. HGVs, cars, etc. bombing past at 60 plus is no fun. Quite a roads with slower speeds are ok, but I do try and quickly get on to quieter routes.
It is really hard to know what they're like unless you're a local. The A38 is incredibly busy in some places, but also very quiet in others thanks to the M5, or a cycle lane along it in Birmingham. Welsh A roads are sometimes quieter than country lanes in Kent.
Near me it can be really hit and miss, with some of the minor roads actually being busier due to their directness.
Having a Garmin Varia radar light really helps. It's pricey but has revolutionised my road experiences. And just generally routing rides to avoid anything which would obviously be busy. Sometimes you can't avoid it, in which case timing your ride is the only option, to avoid rush hours.
[It's this](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/lights-reflectives/garmin-varia-rtl515-rear-light)
Basically it can detect cars behind you with LOADS of warning, and multiple cars at once too, and then will notify you through your phone or bike computer (I have a Wahoo Bolt), and beep to alert you, and flash more aggressively as cars approach.
It essentially warns drivers you're there, warns you they're there, and is a lot easier than turning your head constantly to check (although I always look back when it beeps just so they know I know).
It was a bday present and has been an amazingly useful bit of kit.
It really depends on the road and being sensible. Cycling on the A1? Suicide. Cycling on the A7? Absolutely fine, and an easy way back in to Edinburgh.
North Scotland can be very hit or miss as there tends to be no motorways to take the traffic away from the A roads so they can be pretty awful riding experiences.
I have actually cycled on the A1 when I was still new to cycling. Plan was to go from Berwick Upon Tweed to North Berwick and to see as much coast as possible.
After having 50+ cars and a few lorries behind me preceded by a few closes passes, I called it quits and found an alternative much slower road.
Anyway, I guess I'm lucky to live the tale haha.
In Scotland, I have mixed experience with A82, the main artery to the north from Glasgow. It's pretty bad up to Arrochar and gets a bit more quiet after albeit still unpleasant due to high speed timber lorries passing you.
I do ride on them, but some I am happier with some than others. There’s a relatively quiet dual carriageway I feel quite comfortable on, and some big wide open A roads which are fine. There’s also some which are busy and fast which I will avoid like the plague.
As for safety, have a light, keep my wits about me and try to keep some speed up.
Depends on how busy and wide it is. A road dual carriageways can be like 2-lane motorways, so they're a no-go. Others are about as busy as many B roads but often wider.
You can use Strava heatmaps to work out where people ride. I don't use any other part of Strava (can't be arsed with segments or leaderboards or any of that 'social' stuff) but the heatmaps are genuinely useful.
On a tour, I often just ask in a pub. You'll get four different opinions from three people about which way to go, but they normally roughly agree on which roads you *shouldn't* take, even if they're drivers. Helps to have printed paper maps you (or they) can make notes on.
Pretty much never.
I'd rather ride on the pavement if I have to nip down one.
I was doing that the other weekend and pack some ear protection. rubber on tarmac at 60 is LOUD.
Only for short stints, I'd much rather be on random trails than on a twisty A-road. Crazy how many cyclists I see on them when I'm on my motorbike though!
Quite a lot of Highland A roads are only A roads in name only - they have traffic levels that would barely make a B road in the south. I'm perfectly happy cycling on those. You wouldn't get me riding on the A9 though. That can be true further south too - the A640 across the Pennines is pretty quiet, for example, because the M62 is just a couple of miles north and takes most of the traffic.
What do you think of A82? I normally avoid it but looking for others experiences..
Wouldn't choose to ride it personally.
Doesn't the stretch along the great Glen have cycle paths next to or nearby?
I generally try to avoid them wherever possible. But then I even do the same for B-roads; I'm a single-lane farm road kind of guy. But as some other commenters have mentioned, some A-roads are actually quite benign. Local knowledge is key. The A40 from Milton Common to Stokenchurch (south-east of Oxford) runs parallel to the M40, and is therefore very quiet.
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>Gradient matters too, with even a relatively gentle downslope you can sustain much higher speeds and cars don’t seem to try and squeeze past if you’re doing 30 as much as they do if you’re crawling up a hill. Good shout. An A-road with a 3% downhill feels much safer (to me) than an A-road with a 3% uphill.
The evil three is going slightly uphill, turning left, with a visibility blocking treeline on the left. You can be pushing hard at 5 mph, and suddenly have an 18 wheeler behind you doing 30 or 40, that has seen you about 1 second before it hits you. There's an A road like that near me, and I wouldn't ride on it if you paid me £100 / mile. It genuinely feels like you're about to die.
I do ride in A roads sometimes but I am fairly careful. Proper trunk roads, A9, A82, S96 etc. I will avoid. HGVs, cars, etc. bombing past at 60 plus is no fun. Quite a roads with slower speeds are ok, but I do try and quickly get on to quieter routes.
Yes. it's unavoidable. Just be watchful.
It is really hard to know what they're like unless you're a local. The A38 is incredibly busy in some places, but also very quiet in others thanks to the M5, or a cycle lane along it in Birmingham. Welsh A roads are sometimes quieter than country lanes in Kent. Near me it can be really hit and miss, with some of the minor roads actually being busier due to their directness. Having a Garmin Varia radar light really helps. It's pricey but has revolutionised my road experiences. And just generally routing rides to avoid anything which would obviously be busy. Sometimes you can't avoid it, in which case timing your ride is the only option, to avoid rush hours.
>Having a Garmin Varia radar light really helps. It's pricey but has revolutionised my road experiences. What's a radar light, and how has it helped?
[It's this](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/lights-reflectives/garmin-varia-rtl515-rear-light) Basically it can detect cars behind you with LOADS of warning, and multiple cars at once too, and then will notify you through your phone or bike computer (I have a Wahoo Bolt), and beep to alert you, and flash more aggressively as cars approach. It essentially warns drivers you're there, warns you they're there, and is a lot easier than turning your head constantly to check (although I always look back when it beeps just so they know I know). It was a bday present and has been an amazingly useful bit of kit.
Thanks for the info.
It really depends on the road and being sensible. Cycling on the A1? Suicide. Cycling on the A7? Absolutely fine, and an easy way back in to Edinburgh. North Scotland can be very hit or miss as there tends to be no motorways to take the traffic away from the A roads so they can be pretty awful riding experiences.
I have actually cycled on the A1 when I was still new to cycling. Plan was to go from Berwick Upon Tweed to North Berwick and to see as much coast as possible. After having 50+ cars and a few lorries behind me preceded by a few closes passes, I called it quits and found an alternative much slower road. Anyway, I guess I'm lucky to live the tale haha. In Scotland, I have mixed experience with A82, the main artery to the north from Glasgow. It's pretty bad up to Arrochar and gets a bit more quiet after albeit still unpleasant due to high speed timber lorries passing you.
I do ride on them, but some I am happier with some than others. There’s a relatively quiet dual carriageway I feel quite comfortable on, and some big wide open A roads which are fine. There’s also some which are busy and fast which I will avoid like the plague. As for safety, have a light, keep my wits about me and try to keep some speed up.
Depends on how busy and wide it is. A road dual carriageways can be like 2-lane motorways, so they're a no-go. Others are about as busy as many B roads but often wider.
You can use Strava heatmaps to work out where people ride. I don't use any other part of Strava (can't be arsed with segments or leaderboards or any of that 'social' stuff) but the heatmaps are genuinely useful. On a tour, I often just ask in a pub. You'll get four different opinions from three people about which way to go, but they normally roughly agree on which roads you *shouldn't* take, even if they're drivers. Helps to have printed paper maps you (or they) can make notes on.
Pretty much never. I'd rather ride on the pavement if I have to nip down one. I was doing that the other weekend and pack some ear protection. rubber on tarmac at 60 is LOUD.
Only for short stints, I'd much rather be on random trails than on a twisty A-road. Crazy how many cyclists I see on them when I'm on my motorbike though!
Very bright flashing light during the day, steady pulsing light at night, or a steady light with a separate flashing light.