The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2

General Category => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: dav on February 06, 2010, 02:30:17 AM

Title: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: dav on February 06, 2010, 02:30:17 AM
Any of you guys/girls rode any of these roads.

Some of them look like a fun ride but others like the interchange's would be hell on earth.

http://www.waze.com/blog/the-19-most-complex-and-dangerous-roads-in-the-world/
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: Barry on February 06, 2010, 06:35:27 AM
The only UK entry in the list spaghetti junction is very tame compared with all the others. You can drive through it without knowing.

For me the scariest bit of motorway is the 8 lane 401 out NE from Toronto especially when you just picked up a rental car and have to sit on the wrong side of the car and drive on the wrong side of the road and and its dark and you have to cross all 8 lanes to get off at a junction and there is a barrier between two sets of lanes and if you miss a gap in the barrier you missed the turn off.

The rest of Canada I loved.
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: darrylri on February 06, 2010, 06:59:10 AM
I didn't recognize the name, but I went over Col de Turini, France on my way to an EAR rally (European Airheads Rally) about 10 years ago.  That was a *great* ride and not at all congested, but it looks like they get a lot of ski traffic in the winter.  There are tighter roads in the Italian Dolomites;  look for Passo Duran, for example.

Stelvio!  Everyone has to go over Stelvio.  46 switchbacks up one side and 48 down the other.  If you need more challenge, you can take Passo Umbrail down into Switzerland.  Part of that isn't paved.

The 110/105 freeway interchange in south/central LA is hardly dangerous unless you get off the freeway there.  Looks impressive from the sky.

Hey what about the "Magic Roundabout" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon))?  That looks pretty hairy, with reverse circulating traffic!
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F5%2F58%2FMagic_Roundabout_Schild_db.jpg%2F250px-Magic_Roundabout_Schild_db.jpg&hash=3755392831bb60b61f4708108f7602b23ed7e6b3)
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: Aristotle on February 06, 2010, 06:07:14 PM
fantastick link. those are quite the spagettii roads. I would love to ride my bike on one of those at least. Not just for the fun of it, but also for the scenery too.
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: Bengt_Phorqs on February 07, 2010, 08:30:54 AM
Some very interesting roads there but my vote for the worlds most dangerous roads would be any major highway interchange in Texas designed by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Also, honorable mention could go to the highway in Yemen between Sana'a and Hodaidah.  Over 150 miles of skinny two lane, semi paved road over two mountain ranges and multiple river crossings.  The village traffic alone is worth the ride.  It's really too bad that we can't ride Yemen because it would really be a motorcycle haven for off road and  adventure riding.  Contrary to news reports the people really are quite friendly.  Most of them anyhow.
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: GrimReaper on February 07, 2010, 09:50:27 AM
Quote
Some very interesting roads there but my vote for the worlds most dangerous roads would be any major highway interchange in Texas designed by the Texas Department of Transportation.

 these roads are not dangerous by itself except the one in Bolivia.To me the worst roads are in USA because all of the idiots on them, ;D
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: Bengt_Phorqs on February 07, 2010, 11:02:09 AM
You do make a good point what with fools that like to text, talk, eat hamburgers and apply their makeup all while moving at 70+mph.  Having said that, it doesn't make a lot of sense to plan a major interchange where one must be in the right lane to take the highway to the left and in the left hand lane when taking the highway to the right.  What's up with that?   [smiley=furious3.gif]
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: Lucky_Lou on February 08, 2010, 02:48:17 PM
Spaghetti junction is a breeze the worst road ive been on was a taxi ride from Istanbul to the south coast to join a ship it was basically a 100yard wide mud track with trucks flying in all directions there didnt seem to be any rules and there were no seat belts, brown trousers all the way.
Lou
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: steve hawkins on February 09, 2010, 07:04:21 AM
That picture of the Magic Roundabout.

Its in Swindon, Wiltshire, England.

Thats my home town and where I currently live.  I am on that roundabout at least a couple of times a week.  It is a masterpiece.  All you have to do is give way to the right and you will be fine.  Not only that, but you can get across it in a variety of ways.

When I was learning to drive a car, as a youngster, I was on that roundabout on my very first lesson.  My driving instructor just said 'well we might as well get it over with.'  
She was nice...hhmmmm!

I think she new I had already been across it on a push bike and a scooter countless times.  

But it is nothing like Paris or any Italian town/city for that matter.
Title: Re: roads from hell or heaven?
Post by: darrylri on February 09, 2010, 07:50:32 AM
It's funny what different people consider to be hard.  I recall reading a magazine article that asked brain surgeons and rocket scientists which profession was the more difficult, and all the brain surgeons thought it was rocket science, and vice versa.  

I haven't been through the Magic Roundabout, but I've ridden in Paris, which didn't seem all that different to me from LA.  I suppose I can't go back now, if anyone there reads this.  :)

I love riding in Italy, although I think we must have broken every code in the book while I was trying to follow the guy that gave me a tour around Florence.  He had his wife on the back.  I asked him about the signal we blew through on a solid red and he said that nobody stopped for that as it was only for pedestrians.