Are you too scared to cycle in London?

Detritus · June 2013

Good point.

Stella · June 2013

SGCC would be a great idea, though. <br><br>Stroud Green Cycling Club<br><br><br>

Ali · June 2013

<P>Does any one know what the rules are for cycling around the Rock St to Finsbuy Park Station junction?</P> <P>When the consultation ws done it was suggested that the pavement woul be dual use and the green men and cycle green man has been set up that way and the pavemnet outside the bookies is much wider a lane of the road has been taken out but there is great lack of signage </P>

djmattyoung · June 2013

I hate Rock Street so full of big holes especially dangerous coming round the corner where the zebra is and cars are zipping round the corner from Seven Sisters.

Stella · June 2013

No idea. I rarely go there as I cycle through Finsbury Park Rd. and then through the park when I'm coming from Dalston. Agree, it's full of holes and always packed with cars waiting for green lights. <br>

hatpin · June 2013

I go up Rock Street often, behaving just like a car. Not bothered by potholes either. Clearly I cycle too much and have low standards!<div><br></div><div>However, having reached the end of Rock St I either go straight through the bus station (late at night) or round on the road with the traffic to get to SGR. No point trying to cycle on the pavement 'cycle path' as it is permanently obstructed.</div>

R&J · June 2013

Went for ride to Victoria Park and back tonight. Few detours on the way back and all in all did 15 miles which I'm happy with. Lovely Park to cycle around but have to keep aware of the joggers<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><div><br></div><div>I <span style="font-size: 10pt;">follow the traffic from Rock Street to SGR. Not had a problem, yet.</span></div>

kreuzkav · June 2013

I'm not sure how it works out statistically mile for mile with driving, but I think it's a lot riskier cycling. I still don't think it's that risky. About twenty cyclists die a year on London's roads. There must be at least a few hundred thousand cyclists who do at least three journeys week, and over 30 miles per week.

Stella · June 2013

Kreuzkav, you lost me. ;-)<br><br>R&J: Well done. It was so wonderful today. I've not been in VP, but cycled along it. <br><br>I, too, had planned to cycle for a few hours today. Unfortunately, I had a long fight with my toilet seat and its fixtures, and had to wait for a parcel. When I finally got out of the house, I heard a 'crack' and later on, found out the reason for that: a broken spoke which I'll have to replace tomorrow. Or better: Micycle as it's the rear wheel with gears and all the bells and whistles. <br>

kreuzkav · June 2013

Stella, just saying cycling is riskier than driving but it's not that risky. Twenty deaths a year is too high, that's 1000 over a fifty year period so the chance of dying as a regular cyclist is one in five hundred, I reckon.

Stella · June 2013

Ah, okay.<br><br>I don't think cycling is riskier than walking or driving. If you are careful and attentive, that is. And if you don't become stupid and overestimate your abilities. Reckless cycling is dangerous, so is reckless driving. <br>

kreuzkav · June 2013

I will cycle all the same, love it. I'm a born cyclist.

Stella · June 2013

Same here. Although I admit I do love driving, too. Particularly on Germany's motorways at 180/200 kilometres per hour. :-)<br><br>I think it's about 110/130 miles per hour. My car back then didn't go any faster. lol<br>

kreuzkav · June 2013

Been on the autobahns as a car passenger at about 200 kms per hour, quite a buzz but felt so safe.

Stella · June 2013

That depends on the driver. But yes, the Germans are used to that speed and are quite relaxed when going fast.<br>

djmattyoung · June 2013

<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">For the last 2 days I've seen either the police or community support officers pulling over cyclist who have advanced over the ASL at the lights coming down from Liverpool Road on to Upper St. One guy was definitely getting a ticket today. </font><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">I've seen at least 5 cars jump red lights in the last 2 days with nothing been done.</div>

ADGS · June 2013

Easier to pull over a cyclist, I guess. On the other hand, you can get a car's number and send the fine in the post.

krappyrubsnif · June 2013

I think I have noticed drivers (especially cabbies) being a bit more careful about not stopping in the ASL since that announcement. By the way what does ASL stand for?<br>

djmattyoung · June 2013

<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">ASL = Advanced Stop Line </font><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_stop_line">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_stop_line</a></font><br><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">I have seen a lot more police at traffic lights in the last couple of days.</div></div>

Stella · June 2013

Went along Liverpool Rd. today to get to the city. Picked up a tube from someone on my way. Nice stretch. I used to cycle (when I lived in Stokey) via Essex Rd, which I like, but Angel is a bit of a nightmare. Rosebery Ave is fine again. <br><br>Got lost on the way back and landed on Caledonian Rd. Still, it was wonderful to cycle. <br><br>Nobody gave me a ticket, probably because I was (mostly) a good girl today. :-)<br>

Stella · June 2013

I'm probably going down south tomorrow to pick up some wheels for my bike. Then take the train back as I can't carry a set of wheels while cycling.<br>

miss annie · June 2013

You should get your dragon to fly behind you with the wheels.

Stella · June 2013

He flies only about a metre or so (when he jumps). :-)<br><br>I'm not going anymore as the wheels aren't what I need. I've been told now that it's alloy rims I'm after. Sorry I haven't been to see you on the stall yesterday. Somehow I couldn't be bothered to get up the hill. Lazy cow, I know. <br>

Stella · June 2013

Just wanted to report the following event: I'm cycling Mountgrove Rd. to cross Green Lanes, into Clissold Park. A few metres in front of me is a woman on a bicycle, who seems a little uncertain. One brief look to the right, before I even arrive at the end of the road, confirms that Green Lanes is busy and I'm wondering why the hell that woman would cycle into the road, then stop midway, staring like a deer in the headlights, before realising that she wasn't supposed to be where she was, and trying to slowly retreat backwards, panics and her bike falls to the side. <br><br>The driver looked at me with an expression 'What the fuck?' while I'm still trying to understand what that woman's business was. I came to the conclusion that she was a real danger on the road since she didn't have any control over her bike whatsoever. A perfect client for me, but I cycled past since I was a bit in a rush. If it hadn't been for the car drive already anticipating and therefore going slowly, it could have ended badly. Sometimes, I wonder why people don't use their heads. <br>

marko · June 2013

@Stella just to expand on this, being a pedestrian isn't 'safe' either. Not is driving a car. I think you'd find that if you looked at normalised risk exposure for different modes of transport, cycling isn't significantly more risk than other modes. However, every cycling fatality gets reported in the Evening Standard whereas other kinds of RTA fatalities don't.

Mirandola · June 2013

I'm on a cycling hiatus because of baby, but if you are reading this and wondering whether to take up cycling in London then please please please do. It transforms the city. The geography changes because places become so much closer, you feel free and independent and if you commute then twice a day every work day you'll be so glad to be alive.

Stella · June 2013

Marko: I couldn't agree more. I've always felt safe on London's roads. It's a matter of being attentive and anticipation. And as Mirandola says: you'll feel alive.<br><br>Often, when I'm tired or a bit down, I'll just hop on the bike and take it for a spin. Even twenty minutes makes a huge difference. <br>

twinspark · June 2013

Never felt safe cycling in London even less so now there's so many cyclists jockeying for position. Do they realise how little rubber actually connects them to the road, about a finger's width for each wheel is what they're depending on to maintain their air of invincibility. Like Checkski I'd welcome some intervention to prevent them jumping red lights, cycling without lights and weaving in and out of trafffic or pededstrians on road/pavements and cycling over zebra crossings - and worst of all..bringing bikes into a pub! I lent my bike, an old fashioned racer, on a lamp post at corner of Florence Rd. and Tollington Park and just left it there. <br>

Stella · June 2013

twinspark: that's post made me sad. Abandoning a bike? Just leaving it there, without even looking back? How do you think the bike felt? After so many years of obedient service it was just heartlessly left to its own devices. :-( Hope someone, who will look after it well, found it. Shame it wasn't me as I'm looking for a second--err, third--bike.<br><br>However. I went to Marylebone today and was surprised how quick it was going along Camden Rd, then Camden Street and through Euston. I figured that I could (with a bit of muscle power and not trying to find the right way) be in the city in 20min. That's pretty cool. I also had a huge smile on my face. Until I was racing in Regent's Park's outer circle on my way back and my pedal came loose. A nice guy helped me fix it, since I didn't have any tools on me. Got home safe and sound, again along Camden Rd. <br>

twinspark · June 2013

@Stella - you would have needed to be around in 1985 to benefit from that 'give away' it was actually my bike from school days and I left home with it - spent a lot on maintaining it and replacing forks,handlebars, gear and at least four re-sprays. I'd just ridden back from the Eastway Velodrome between Hackney Marshes and Stratford [ now buried under our Olympic legacy ] it was still there 3 days later. Haven't cycled in London since. <br>

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Are you too scared to cycle in London?

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