Are you too scared to cycle in London?

djmattyoung

lots of police out on the street today, apparently 650 of them pulling motorists and cyclist over for education (fixed penalty fines). Saw a few cyclists being pulled over. <div><br></div><div><br></div>

Detritus

Lots of them at the corner of despair at 8.30 this morning. 

checkski

Eh? Where's that? I hope this blitz makes a difference.<br>

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miss annie

We call The Nag's Head crossroads the corner of despair. I think it's a fitting name.

Detritus

Sorry ye what she said. 

Stella

That'll hardly make a difference. If someone follows all the rules, but still doesn't understand how large vehicles move, they'll be dead. Lights, helmets, and all. Sad, but true. <br><br>That said, there are plenty of drivers who still seem to think mirrors are just decoration. <br>

Peter Crumb

Managed to get some kind of metal object stuck in my bike tire! Eurghh, until I can afford/be bothered to order a new inner tube I'm riding my old bike. At least it's showing me how much better my new bike is, haha.

Stella

Uh, have you got gold-lined inner tubes? :-) They normally cost 4 or 5 (in the shop) if you have deep-section rims. Still annoying. I cycled through some glass this morning, cursing loudly. Luckily, I ride on Panaracer (the Viscounts), which are quite puncture resistant. <br>You have the yellow Bob Jackson, right? What's the old one?<br>

Peter Crumb

My current bike is a cheapish one from Halfords. My old one is a silly mt bike with full suspension - it's a Trek. It's an absolute beast that ways a tonne and the gears don't work properely. It was free though so cannt complain. I think the guys in the cycle shop told me it weighs something like six stone!

marko

The police really ought to hang around Green lanes (lots of cyclists without lights) and the junction of Blackstock Road and Brownswood Road (a really dangerous place to jump the lights). <div><br></div><div>My rather fun little sport is cycling up Green Lanes.  It's got a 20mph speed limit, and is downhill between the two corners of Clissold Park.   And it impossible for a car to get past for almost this entire stretch.  Just after it is..... <span style="font-size: 10pt; ">a speed camera.   It's very easy as a cyclist to be cycling (legally) above the speed limit. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Over the summer I managed to get a car impatiently behind the entire distance.  The driver took the opportunity to overtake in front of the speed camera. As I was doing about 30mph by this point,  I can only assume he will have been doing 35+ in a 20 zone. </div>

Stella

Peter, gee, it must be a drag to ride on the MTB. Before I got into Viscounts and racing bikes, I cycled on a cheapish MTB for a few years. Went to Hammersmith one Sunday and it took me 1.5 hours to get there, another 1.5 hours back and I had a proper workout. That night I went to bed early, totally knackered. <br><br>On my racers I can ride around for hours and hours and don't feel as if I had been in the gym for 10 hours. Not that I know how that feels, other than the boxing gym I don't set foot into gyms. Although I probably should, considering my waistline. <br><br><br>Marko: I think it's dangerous for cyclists, too. Particularly if those stretches are near schools or nurseries. If anyone runs in front of your bike when you're coming at that speed, you won't be able to brake anymore--often not even manage to swerve. <br>Green Lanes should be fine, though. I guess you had a good snigger when he got caught. :-)<br><br>That junction is dangerous indeed, but I admit to have gone through red when the pedestrians have green. Nowadays I circumvent this junction by going through the backstreets. Far nicer without traffic lights. But the bit in Blackstock Rd. where you have to cross through the snaky bit is really dangerous as you can't see cars coming from the left (or right on the way back), so I take extra care and normally stop. Not worth the risk.

yagamuffin

@Marko I think the speed limits are for cyclists too. It was many years ago but my Dad was once stopped by a police officer for speeding.

Chitori

You can get cautioned and fined for speeding as a cyclist. Been there, done that. Richmond Park :-(

djmattyoung

Chitori, police in Richmond Park are well known for stopping speeding cyclists. <div><br></div><div>Yesterday there was an accident on Farringdon junction where a bus had hit a pedestrian, I think it was pretty bad as the whole passenger front side of the bus was smashed in. </div><div><br></div><div>Today on the same junction a lady cyclist not wearing a helmet and with headphones in cycles past me while I'm waiting at a red light, I shout at her not to go but she either ignores me or doesn't hear me and ends up in the middle of the junction with traffic coming from both directions, she had to turn her bike sideways not to get hit or squashed! she was so lucky no big vehicles were coming along. The lights turned green about 20 seconds later so it wasn't worth it at all. <br>She did make it across and just sat there on her bike looking shaken. </div><div><br></div><div>Silly cyclist but I can't understand why no police were there today as it is a notorious spot for accidents of all kinds. </div>

Ali

20 seconds is  a poor return on the risk to you life !

Chitori

<p>djmattyoung - I wouldn't mind to be fair, but I usually don't get up that much speed unless I am off playing on my race bike! What a bally plonker that woman was. The more I cycle, the more times I see people do it and it frustrates me because I get flack for their flouting the rules. Farringdon junction with Rosebery Ave is the one I have the most trouble with.</p><p>I can't lie, I have no truck with those who don't follow the rules, ride with earphones (like it or not, you are reducing your capacity to hear approaching traffic), no helmet (good hair looks great when your head is in the side of a bus/truck) or no lights/reflective gear. I by no means profess to be perfect and I am sure I do things that I will learn are perhaps unwise. It seems important to me that if we want changes to be made city-wide for cyclists we need to show that we are already doing <em>everything</em> we can do to protect ourselves.</p>

Stella

Cycled to the top of a queue of cars at the traffic light and who was standing half-way into the cycle box? <br>A police car!<br><br>Made me giggle. <br><br><br><br>

Peter Crumb

Stella i've seen exactly the same thing. I've had a go at police cars a few times, they've never stopped.

Stella

Why do people feel the need to have a go at others? Don't get it. Unless it involved me in person, I just shrug and let them be. A police car in the box is rather funny, though.<br>

miss annie

What's your favourite cycle route through town Stella, have you tried any of the routes discussed here?

Stella

Why? You wanna lurk behind a corner to scream at me? *snigger*<br><br>I'm trying not to leave my 'known' ways as I get lost easily. To get into the city fast, I go over Camden, then Eusten Rd. It's super quick. Or through Liverpool Rd. then Angel, Rosebery Ave. I think it's quicker through Camden. <br>Or through Clissold Park, then Mildpark Rd., Southgate Rd., if I need to get in the area of Old Street. <br><br>For a bit of speeding Iove Regent's Park's outer circle. Just let off some steam, if needed. <br>

Detritus

For a bit of speed I love coming down from angel to kings cross. But to the kings cross area down cally road then it's easy left for Holburn or right for the rest.

Stella

I literally hung in my brakes when I went down Hazelville road, now THAT's speed. Not for me, though, I'm far too scared to let go. I also had just replaced the cables and wasn't really sure if they'd grip if I needed to brake hard--even though I had checked. That'll be my worst nightmare: going down at a high speed, then needed to brake and the cable either snaps (old cables do that, so please, people, get your cables checked regularly) or come loose, and I'd have to brake with my rear only, which would send me flying.<br>Brought home again the responsibility mechanics have. My brakes kept up, but only because I didn't let go of them. lol It's too dangerous in London to actually cycle at high speed. At least for my liking. I want to be able to always brake and get to a standstill if needed. That's just me, being a careful rider.<br>

Sutent

Stella got my bike back from Service. I got new brake cables, new break pads, new chain, new gear cogs. it cost £94. The bike feels brilliant and looking forward to the harsh winter ahead. I have been so miserable in the last 2 days without the bike and on the tube. 

Stella

Seems reasonable to me. Next time I'll do it. So you won't have to go 2 days without your bike. :-)<br>I'm fixing someone's Viscount tomorrow, so looking forward to it. At the moment, I'm in a workshop (container), fixing Dutch bikes. Steep learning curve, but great to work on my own with nobody looking over my shoulder. And great for me because it's one of the additional skills not many people have: Dutch and Japanese city bikes.<br><br>On the matter of cycling: I stood in the cycle box at the traffic light, motorcyclists behind me. I somehow didn't make it as quickly as usual when the lights turned green, and a motorcyclist sped past me, even bumping into me. He did a quick 'sorry' and moved on. Some people ... squeezing through two cyclists in the cycle box which is there for a reason: not good. <br><br><br>

Stella

Just saw this:

Stella

Yesterday, an idiot driver got some heads shaking. I was cycling along inside the cars at the red traffic light end of Church Street/Green Lanes. Just as I almost arrived, the lights turned green and I cycled more into the middle as I wanted to turn right. I saw the lights turn yellow as I approached and pedalled faster and just about made it. Behind me, a BMW put down his foot and nearly drove into my rear. You could literally hear his machine roar, then he had to brake hard again, because I wasn't fast enough for him. A few heads turned and shook their heads at him while, when he had the opportunity, he overtook me and sped off. He'd risked my safety while going through the red lights. <br>

NorthNineteen

TfL are looking into Dutch style roundabouts:<br><br>http://www.trl.co.uk/transport_research_development/sustainability/sustainable_transport/cycling_facility_trials/dutch_roundabouts.htm<br><br>One of the many blog posts on it<br>http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/transport-for-london-nails-it-full.html<br><br>Expect to be seeing this in London soon. Richmond and Waltham Forest are both in the running to be a pilot scheme.<br>

Peter Crumb

Just had a very odd experience. Was sat right at the front of the cycle zone at lights. A car drove right up alongside of me. I gave him a funny look and he wind down his window and said: 'can I help you?' I said 'please tell me why you're risking my safety by parking in the cycle zone?'<div><br></div><div>At this he said: 'don't you worry about me' and sped off through the red light! Madness.</div>