Can you cycle on A roads?

songwriter said:

And would you advise it!

Thanks

Can you be a little more specific?

Are cyclists legally allowed on A roads in the UK?

From what I hear the answer is yes, but I am in the states where a cyclist has pretty much the same responsibilities and rights as an automobile.

What are "A" roads?

I was just in France on a bike tour and in France they have "A" roads which are auto routes. I am not sure if "A" roads are a EU thing. They are the only road i believe that bicycles are not allowed on in France. The national routes do allow bikes. An auto route is like a freeway in America and a National route is like a highway.

At almost every auto route entrance there is a sign that indicates bicycles are not allowed. It's a symbol not words so its easy to see. I had a few problems when i would ride onto an auto route becuase there was no sign at the entrance.

To get back to your original question I would say if A roads in the UK are the same as French auto routes dont ride your bike on them. I did maybe 30 miles on auto routes and it was scarey not to mention i missed scenic roads. There is often no shoulder and the drivers are expecting to go fast and don't want bikes in their way.

aaaaargh!!!! if the police finds you with a bike on an autoroute in Italy you'll go directly into JAIL!!! I've been in Chile and I was very scared when we moved on an motorway, and also surprised... but the cyclists that were with me told me: "it's normal... we do not have as many routes as in Europe, we have a recent history of motorization..."

In Italy you must pay (and a lot of money...) to use motorways; there's a gate with tickets when you enter a motorway, there's a cashier to pay when you exit (you pay depending on the distance...)

songwriter said:

And would you advise it!

Thanks

It depends, you'll be better off posting this on somewhere like bikeradar.com

songwriter said:

And would you advise it!

Thanks

the Answer is Almost Always. A-roads can be anything from quiet country roads, to urban high street, to three-lane dual-carriageways. Their designation is more about relative importance to the local area than the traffic conditions or legal status.

Some A-roads are restricted and effectively subject to the same rules as Motorways (ie the UK equivalent of Autobahn/Autostrada) but they'll have clear 'no cycling' signs (ie a bike within a red circle)

A-roads can be the best place for cycling, because they're kept in good condition and usually have street lights. I think all of my ride home this evening will be on A-roads.

In the UK we have M-ways, A-roads, B-roads and unclassified roads. In the Welsh or Scottish mountains, an A-road may actually just be a single-track lane.