Turkish Roads

[ExpatinIstanbul]

Roads in turkey are crap. Try the road leaving istanbul heading to Bulgaria, the troughs are some 300 mm deep, its like a dirt road where a truck has passed through after heavy rain, then it is sealed with bitumen. The troughs created still there....its a nightmare.......After 10,000kms in europe, they were the worst roads and drivers.......but the friendliest people u could hope to meet. Except for that mongrel taxi driver in Taksim who ripped me off.....Even that was funny. My suggestion, ride hard and use the footpath/side of the road when facing on coming traffic.

There's a motorway from Edirne all the way to Istanbul. And it's as good as any in the UK, but with no contraflows or "road improvement" every 5 miles.

 

[spot]

the roads arent that brilliant, they lull you (or me at least) into a false sense of security and as the pace picks up suddenly theres a big hole or something. My lad lost his top box on the main road from greece last week! Mind you he managed to lose a pannier in bulgaria aswell.

Istanbul has the worst drivers i have ever seen! I had to admire a guy i saw on the motorway doing about 60 through traffic which was doing about 40 by weaving from lane to lane. Not such a big deal on a bike and in fact i was keeping up with him... the difference being that he was driving a school bus!

ps I loved the place. only stayed a few hours but it seemed much freindlier than greece and a million times nicer than Bulgaria.

 

[KevinW]

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind particularly as our top box is already a bit wobbly. I'm not sure anything short of a nuclear strike would take of the panniers!

Kevin

 

[mcgiggle]

If you guys are still there this time next year I look you up for a cold one and a chat Me and the Mrs are off overland to India from the UK