Is cycling the wrong way on service roads allowed?

[Jaslueasi]

Does any of you know whether cycling on service roads the wrong way is allowed or not because sometimes crossing the road or using the main road is too dangerous?

[Thoglette]

What sort of “service road”? Private property or on the gazetted road reserve?

[gcouyant]

Does any of you know whether cycling on service roads the wrong way is allowed or not because sometimes crossing the road or using the main road is too dangerous?

I guess if it's signposted as One-Way only then strictly speaking we shouldn't ride the opposite way. Most service roads are one-way but there are plenty of exceptions out there.

[trailgumby]

I think your question answers itself.

[Duck!]

A bike is a vehicle as defined in the road rules, therefore is legally obliged to follow general traffic laws. Although there are exceptions, service roads are most commonly one-way, running the same direction of the near side of the adjacent main carriageway.

If you choose to ride the wrong way, keep in mind you will have no legal protection if an incident occurs.

[antigee]

Duck nails it...though I'd add:

"A bike is a vehicle as defined in the road rules, therefore is legally obliged to follow general traffic laws" and some cyclist specific rules in addition (just a something that bugs me that as a cyclist you actually have to know more road rules than a vehicle driver and then add in their made up ones as well)

I will own up to occasionally using a service road the wrong way...a bit like will use a path to get to a signalized crossing on busy highways usually only in quiet residential areas. As to cycle routes using service roads I'm a little leery especially when there is industrial or commercial traffic...yes traffic speeds are lower and the consequences of any collision are lessened but I generally find that drivers aren't that observant or predicable on busy service roads so mixing in cyclists just allows unimpeded high speed traffic on the main road with a poor facility for cyclists

a couple of local service roads (for me) Vermont South, Melbourne I've no idea if this is a contraflow signed route or a a very narrow shared path:





and this which actually is quite useful but spoilt by (very) extended wait for a crossing light and a stupidly steep ramp to set off from (Malvern East crossing Dandenong Rd)

[Cyclophiliac]

as a cyclist you actually have to know more road rules than a vehicle driver

That's only true if you assume all cyclists are drivers.

[warthog1]

as a cyclist you actually have to know more road rules than a vehicle driver

That's only true if you assume all cyclists are drivers.

Struggling to understand what you mean here?
There are cycling specific road rules in addition to regular motorist compliance rules.
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety- ... n-victoria
In addition, knowing the rules to (hopefully) predict the behaviour of those operating heavy lethal objects in close proximity, is particularly important as a cyclist.

[Thoglette]

That's only true if you assume all cyclists are drivers.

Struggling to understand what you mean here?

You’re presuming all cyclists also hold (local, recent) drivers’s licences.

The road regs contain all sorts of guff about parking, locking unattended vehicles, children in cars, licensing of mopeds and securing loads. And that all varies from state to state & year to year.

None of which are of much interest to someone who’s not a car driver.

[bychosis]

I’m guessing no, you can’t ride the wrong way on a one way service road. But I’d do it for ‘safety’, just like I illegally ride footpaths (NSW) on occasion.

IMO choosing a route that prevents multiple crossing of a busy road or enables me to avoid a section of heavy traffic with narrow lanes where I’m not detrimentally impacting other users is a rule worth breaking.

For example my commute includes a section of dual narrow lane road where the sun is normally shining on the windscreen of motorists making it hard for them to see. It’s also at the top of a steep climb and mildly uphill so I’m a bit slower. I ride the footpath but rarely encounter a pedestrian and give way to them if I do. I also ride about 200m the wrong way up a one way road to avoid a downhill to a stop sign followed by a short sharp climb.

[warthog1]

That's only true if you assume all cyclists are drivers.

Struggling to understand what you mean here?

You’re presuming all cyclists also hold (local, recent) drivers’s licences.

The road regs contain all sorts of guff about parking, locking unattended vehicles, children in cars, licensing of mopeds and securing loads. And that all varies from state to state & year to year.

None of which are of much interest to someone who’s not a car driver.

Fair enough.
Got to admit I pay zero attention to that guff however as a car driver who still has a road train licence that hasnt been used in over 20 years.
I concentrate on trying to be safe.
For a cyclist being safe means picking what the other vehicles on the road are likely to do even more so than as a car driver. The consequences of not picking others' behaviour are likely to be far more serious.