Do smooth roads exist in the UK?

I think the issue is the lack of consistency. Yes, to answer that (rhetorical?) question, smooth roads do of course exist in the UK, but it feels as if there is no certainty that they will continue, extend beyond a certain region, county or even city, or worse still, not turn into potholed madness around the next corner.

Where I live in Coventry this transition is palpable - many of the country roads outside the Coventry postcode region are superb and consistently smooth. However, enter within a certain radius of the city and they are scarred, pitted, potholed and often impossible to continue on smoothly. I say this of even the resurfaced roads - the resurfacing has often been done so poorly that there is a shallow bump ever fifty meters. Jarring and painful. They can (and must) do better.

Plenty of smooth, properly resurfaced and well-maintained roads where I cycle from time to time in West Wales.

The roads in South Oxfordshire/West Berkshire are comically bad, bordering on dangerous.

The finally relaid Barlow Moor Road, Manchester. Thanks Sir Chris Boardman.

I'm beginning to believe that UK utility companies are automatically notified of any smoothly-resurfaced roads so that they can immediately dig them up and fill them badly. I'd be interested to know what other countries allow this to happen the way we do... My favourite is when the council installs expensive granite surfaces in prominent town centre locations and the utilities just leave lumpy tarmac in its place.

The other annoying thing is that we often resurface roads here to a very rough standard. Again, I'm not sure why - is it just cheaper to leave the chippings only slightly submerged in tar? Do we use bigger chippings? Is it better for vehicle grip in the wet? Whatever the reason, it's horrible to ride skinny tyres on. I particularly remember the resurfaced A104 through Epping Forest a few years ago. Heading North, it's a false flat. I wasn't in good form that day anyway but after about three miles of unrelenting vibration, I was done in.

Having lived in Switzerland too, I agree with you. However, there are good reasons why Swiss roads are (in general) very smooth. As you'll know, Swiss winters are a LOT more harsh than the UK's, so the surfaces are laid to cope with a range of temps from mid-summer 30+ to mid-winter below -20. This is paid for by the local Cantons, and as you'll remember tax rates are a lot higher as a consequence. 

In the UK, street maintenance (on local roads, at least, not the 'Strategic Road Network' (motorways and major A-roads)) is the responsibility of the council, who have to bid for a chunk of money from the pot - that pot is smaller because our tax rates are lower. I'd be delighted to have Swiss style smoothness, though I expect along with many others, I'd not be delighted to be paying 40%+ income tax and huge VAT. There's a good reason why everything in Switzerland costs more.

Getting back to your original question - yes, there are some beauty smooth roads around Sheffield/South Yorkshire, a result of resurfacing funded by the Tour de Yorkshire. Strines (or Mortimer Road if you're being picky) is Sa Calobra with rain

I also agree with the gravel bikes point. I know a lot of people who have them and rarely venture anywhere other than local B-roads..!

We have one great stretch of lovely tarmac in a local village, complete with lots of traffic calming measures along the village main street.....turns out its where the head of highways for the local council lives. The rest of the region is like the surface of the moon if they ran thousands of HS2 construction HGVs across it every week.

I think smooth roads with no pot holes only exist around Town Halls and Council Offices 😉

One of the things I look forward to on the continent are smooth roads; even the vast majority of the poxy lanes in France are in A1 condition.  Long downhills are just sublime.  Makes such a difference to comfort, average speed and endurance.  I know France is a pretty 'state-heavy' country so perhaps they just have legions of workers resurfacing roads.  Kind of just accept it on British lanes but towns are also pretty horendous with all the roadworks and patching that has gone on.  I tend to avoid A roads but can appreciate that some people prefer them to bumpy lanes on the assumption that they're in better condition.  That said, during lockdown, I ventured onto some of my local A roads when they were quiet only to find that I was getting battered by the poor surface.  TBH a poor surface doesn't help cycle safety, or new cyclists confidence, if you're getting bashed about by the road surface amongst traffic (eg losing balance or a frame/wheel/tyre fail).

Yes they do, notably here on the Isle of Wight.  Seven years ago our County Council entered into a 25-year PFI contract for road maintenance and, some minor glitches aside, it has been a success.  Potholes are now extremely rare, I can't remember the last time I saw one, and visitors to the island, including cyclists and motor-cyclists, are consistently complimentary about the surfaces.

Critics of the scheme, usually politically motivated, will always find fault but it is true that not everything has gone to plan.  Some roads have needed fixing twice, the schedule seems to have slipped a little and most work appears to take place in summer when the roads are busiest.  But compromises have to be made and as far as I'm concerned the roads are way, way better than before.

It can be done.

If you're ever in the area, Great Dun Fell in Cumbria is not only the highest paved road in Britain but also the best I've ever found; from just past Knock upwards the road is closed for all motor vehicles except those going to the summit radar station so it takes very little wear. Very tough climb, brilliant descent (watch out for crosswind gusts and kamikaze sheep) with the smooth tarmac, long sightlines and absence of cars meaning you can really let the wheels run in a way you just can't on most public roads. Pictured on our ascent in 2018, you can see just how good the surface is.

If you can find a cycling event at a motor racing circuit, that's probably your only chance to ride on smooth tarmac.

I've done the British Heart Foundation ride at Goodwood a few times, although it wasn't on this year or last year.

Our roads are horrendous at times, mainly due to them being patched annually rather than properly resurfaced.
Not sure about other regions, but here in the north east one of the biggest dangers are the 1 or 2 rows of granite setts that exist at many junctions on residential streets. Small amounts of moisture on them are enough to take your front wheel from under you as you turn across them if you aren't careful. Over the years I've had several incidents of nearly high-siding on them as my tyre has slipped then gripped as it crossed the cobbles onto the tarmac of the sideroad.

"Pot holes fill every decent with paranoia..."
So true. One cultivates a dynamic map of each road's evolving pothole geography, like a squirrel keeping a life or death register of where the nuts are buried.