Are you too scared to cycle in London?

Stella

You and the bike okay? Silly people. I had a scooter driver cut me yesterday, too. Had to brake to not cycle into him. It's what happens often: selfish people who don't care about others.<br><br>

djmattyoung

I find scooter drivers very reckless especially the ones with L plates and don't seem to know the rules of the road. I stay well clear of them. 

Stella

Not that easy when they whiz past you. I was riding towards the (red) traffic light, past a few cars and vans and planned to go through the gap to get to the front, when he just cut me (coming from the right) to go through the gap first. His scooter fitted just about. Stupid. I just sighed and shrugged.<br><br>That said, there are many occasions where I have to brake. If you cause someone to hit the brake, you're hindering that person and therefore endangering him or her. <br>

R&J

Just a quick post to say I used finsbury cycles for the first time today and thought the shop was excellent Really friendly staff and have plenty of everything. I'd been on a mission to find something today and they were well down my list as I don't tend to shop around seven sisters but they'll be my first port of call in future.

kreuzkav

I totally understand people getting the fear over cycling but for me it's in my soul.  I've cycled all my life.  Today on the way to work and back I had a few hair raising situations.  <div><br></div><div>My advice is take a break if you've had a few bad situations, then try again. However, I think it's something you have to have loved since a kid and it's something in your blood.</div>

Stella

Finsbury Cycles are nice blokes. Friendly and professional and don't try to sell you what you don't need. <br><br>I agree with you, kreuzkav, it's something you need to love to get through the 'bad' situations. I had a few in my years of cycling, but it was never enough to put me off. That said, I never had a serious incident where I hurt myself severely. Maybe it's luck, maybe it's just my way of cycling.<br>

Detritus

I'm not sure anymore, had 2 very close calls in the last week and thats now making me hesitate at junctions and that will lead to trouble. I just don't feel safe on the bike at the moment.

Stella

I wouldn't advise to stop cycling. If you hesitate you may not start again. It's a bit like falling from a horse. Get up again. Immediately. <br>Did the 'close calls' happen at a junction? In what way do you hesitate? Cycling into the junction when green or approaching red lights? I would think the former. When I'm at a junction, I try to go as far to the front as possible, so I'm definitely the first to leave when green. And often just place myself in the middle lane, so that those who want to go left can do that behind me without running me over. I'm just tapping in the dark here as I don't know your way of cycling. That, by no means is meant to shove the guild toward you. It's more that I know that others can be a tad silly when they're in/on a vehicle.<br>I'd offer you to come with you to see and maybe help, but I don't want to sound patronising. It's just well-meant. :-)<br>

Stella

I have decided to take part in this Prudential Ride. Still not sure what it's all about, but it's on the 3rd of August and seems like fun. http://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/Prudential_RideLondon___About/Overview.htm<br><br>Hopefully, I'll get my bike ready till then. Having a few problems with my current bike (stuck seat post), but am looking forward to riding it again with new wheels, which I'm going to build myself, too. Meanwhile, riding around on the Sprint. <br><br>Anyone been to ride around Lea Valley? I think it's my next step as I'd love to get into proper bike rides. <br><br><br>

Peter Crumb

Had a bad collision today with another cyclists. Locally got away with just a few cuts and bruises. I was overtaking him, he turned right without looking or indicating causing the collision and had the audacity to blame me!<div><br></div><div>I'm trying to take a lesson from this...don't overtake cyclists?</div>

Stella

Sorry to hear about this, Peter.<br><br>The lesson probably is learned by both: look before you turn and only overtake a cyclist only with enough distance. <br>That guy's an idiot, to just turn without looking at all. <br>

Peter Crumb

I know what if i'd been a car or a motorbike? Always look before turning!<div><br></div><div>Good point. I will make sure I'm much more conservative with my overtakes in future. I think my problem is that because I've been cycling everyday for about a year that I've become so much fitter - and thus faster - than all these fair weather cyclists out with the sun. To be honest, I was cycling back much later than normal today and there was alot more cyclists out. Some of them were making me feel very uncomfortable.</div>

Stella

Yeah, the wobbly ones are dangerous. So are those who over-estimate themselves. I had a few near-clashes, but it never really happened. And those on their BMX bikes, who ride with one hand in zig zag while texting with their other. I tend to overtake them with caution. <br>At the moment I'm cycling far too slowly, because of my chrome wheels, but it'll change soon. As soon as I have my alloy wheels I'll be going a lot faster. <br><br>By the way: motorbikes and cars are noisy, he probably didn't look because he didn't hear anything. Dangerous. Always look before turning. Always! <br>

Peter Crumb

I'm half deaf so have learned to trust my eyes more than most I guess. All I hear when cycling in the wind rushing in my ears.

kreuzkav

I've been taking it all a bit slow lately.  A bit boring but I think overdoing it, especially in this hot weather makes for agitated cycling.  The downside is the vans that pass you then slow down over humps on that lovely bit of Islington cycleway coming up to Thornhill road by the school.  But what the heck I probably lost a few minutes and saved so much stress. <div><br></div><div>My advice is, don't overtake buses, vans, lorries on the inside or outside.  Life's too short.  Saying that it can be exciting to do that.  But.......</div>

Stella

Peter, I do rely on my hearing a lot, but I use my eyes when I overtake or turn. I don't know, I think I often look behind me when cycling anyway, so I normally know what's going on. <br>What angers me is that this bloke blamed you. If you make an error, at least own up to it and apologise. I mean you were hurt, too. Some idiots really should just stay inside the house. Or buy some brain perhaps.<br><br><br>Kreuzkav: I regularly overtake buses, vans or lorries, from both sides, but with caution. If I feel they could endanger me, I slow down and let them into the lane. I hate cycling behind large vehicles as I can't see what's going on. <br>

Peter Crumb

Stella: I wanted to have a conversation with him and explain to him that it's important to look behind you before you turn but he cycled off before I could. I think we were both a bit shaken tbh. As I said I always try and learn from life's mishaps but not everybody is of this feeling, instead preferring to blame everyone around them. I'm sure now he's had chance to think about it, he knows what he did wrong.<div><br></div><div>A big skill in cycling, as has been mentioned in this thread, is to learn when to expect others to be idiots. I've generally become quite good at this, I've just got one more thing to add to my repertoire.</div>

kreuzkav

Stella, I agree with you. Just think in this hot weather it's nice to take it easy.

Stella

Peter: absolutely agree. You need a sixth and seventh sense to cycle on London's roads. Plus, not going too fast. I always expect pedestrians emerge from two parked cars,or a car shooting out of a side road into the bus lane, or a cyclist rushing through red lights (the corner Finsbury Park Rd, Green Lanes. There are often cyclists that race along the bus and then BAM! That's stupid, and I'm saying that as a regular 'red-ignorer'. <br>A month or so ago, a cyclist stopped me at the corner, asking if I cycle there regularly; he was looking for witnesses as exactly that happened: he went when it was green when another cyclist came shooting out from behind a bus and took him off his bike. Sadly I haven't seen it. But I see a lot of near-incidents there.<br><br>Still, nothing will keep me from cycling. It's so much better than sitting in one of the stuffy carriages of the tube. Or even worst: standing. I get my exercise, am awake and happy AND get the tan. :-)<br><br>Kreuzkav: definitely. I need to get me a bottle cage for my bikes. <br><br>

Detritus

Ye had something similar, on the cycle path just before the Emeritus about 5 bikes in a row the silly sod at the front stopped dead to answer her phone so we hit each other no injuries but bloody stupid.

yagamuffin

A good tip for overtaking other cyclists is to shout before you do so, either "ON YOUR RIGHT" or less common "ON YOUR LEFT". Let's them know you are there and what you are doing. It's a common courtesy when riding trails off-road and should be used more on road.

miss annie

I use my lovely loud hooter, that does the trick. It's such an unexpected noise that everyone looks behind them.

Stella

I hate bells and hooters as I'm a jumpy person and almost fall off my bike when someone does it. <br>Had a terrible cough recently, that did the trick, too. :-)<br><br>To be honest, I think I'm riding too slow and don't overtake cyclists too often. I watch them for a little while before I take the 'risk'. And only if there's no car behind me, so I can give me and the cyclist some space. <br><br>

miss annie

I love my hooter. Best for people who are about to walk into the road or cyclists with headphones on who can't hear if you shout. That cycle path under Emirates bridge is a nightmare, pedestrians seem not to notice that it has bicycles painted on it and think it's the special slow lane for them. I wonder when the one under SGR bridges will be back in use?

Stella

Yes, when we actually are provided with some cycle lanes, they're always used by pedestrians. I normally don't bother in that section and stay on the road. Again, depends on the traffic. <br><br>Thing with the hooter is: if you cycle/walk ... well use your common sense, you don't need to be hooted at. If you look/signal before turning, stopping you're aware of what going on. I normally call out to pedestrians and thank them when they let me through. <br>

Marquis

I often find that the people blocking cycle paths are oblivious because they are distracted, as in mums with several kids around them or elderly people with heavy shopping trolleys, and I have found myself slowing down and on occasion even getting off my bike for them. I think that the fact that there are cycle paths has just not arrived in many people's consciousness sufficiently. Also, for me as a pedestrian, they can be rather confusing. If you walk down SGR towards Finsbury Park station on the Haringey side and try to cross under the bridge you first need to check for a cyclist coming up from behind, than for one going up the cycle path the wrong way, then another check behind me for a cyclist using the street. The same is repeated on the other side. I often wonder how that near-blind guy with the stick does it.

Stella

I've noticed that mums are in general in their own little world. Saw one, pushing a pram over the street without even looking left or right. They seem to feel as if they've superior rights to everyone else. <br>

andy

I think they're probably just tired, all the time.

Stella

Understandable. Kids are exhausting, but it's no excuse in my opinion. <br>

Peter Crumb

<p>To add to Stella's comments about cyclists jumping red lights. They regularly do it (ironically) at the cycle crossing outside Whittington Park. One time I nearlly hit a guy, I shouted (politely I thought) 'watch out!' he replied: 'fuck off.' I was laughing for about five minutes afterwards. What a reaction, what a world we live in.</p>