A week of riding further in to the city than normal
mailmannz
Posts: 173
Over the last week Ive been attending a course in Holborn so go to ride further in to the city than I normally do. The below are observations from the last five days.
1. On Monday I cycled down Commercial Road at 830am, only to be confronted with bumper to bumper traffic (originating at the Aldgate Gyratory). The road surface is absolutely abysmal! Not only is the road surface crap BUT bloody buses spewing their toxic gases cant be good for cyclists.
Thinking it might have just been the luck of the draw I cycled down Commercial road again on Thursday morning (8am) only to be confronted with the same bumper to bumper traffic and toxic bus fumes. I honestly cannot see how some of you guys can think Commercial Road is a better route to travel along than the Cable Street cycle path?
2. Motor bikes...whats with those guys who ride the big arse motor bikes? Its like engine size is directly opposite the size of their c9cks! I had a couple run ins with tossers on big race bikes who clearly felt that I was hogging a part of their road even though there was a good 9 feet seperate between them and me! It all culminated on Thursday when some guy stopped to tell me to watch "the f9ck where you are going"...again, even though there was an entire road width between the two of us, he still felt I had cut him off! :roll:
Also, prior to this week I honestly couldnt see what the problem was with sharing bus lanes with motorbikes...but after observing how these tossers road I can only say that sharing bus lanes with motorbikes is going to end in tears!
Motorbikes are just as bad as cars for creating congestion.
3. Pedestrians! What is it with these morons...its like they all have this morbid desire to die on the roads without looking before crossing. Not only that, but sheep mentality means that if one goes to cross the road, they all go!
On Wednesday a tosser on his mobile phone stepped out right in front of me without looking AND then took great offence at me using my bike bell! F8cking w9anker! I cant believe that anyone would get so wound up over a bike bell...and all that after he walked out in front of me without looking!
4. Traffic around the city. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want to drive a car in central london during peak hours traffic! The traffic around tower hill and close to bank station in particular wasnt going anywhere in a hurry, yet these people willing subject themselves to delays and frustrations!
5. Silly woman on bike Friday morning. I pulled up to traffic lights and stopped right next to a police paddy wagon. Woman in front of me then cycles through the red light only for the copper to race after her with his lights and siren flashing. BTW I caught up with her cops were on the street taking her details!
6. Cycle paths in the city. Fecken Government should pass a law that all existing cycle paths must be raised by at least 4 inches above the height of the road AND make it illegal for vehicles to part on them! Whats the point of having a fecken line painted on a road with a bike sign in it on a road that struggles to handle just cars!
Now for the positive stuff
1. God bless the summer! God bless the guy who invented the mini skirt. God bless the guy who invented the tight see through top! Most importantly of all, god bless attractive women! :shock:
2. Bus drivers in general were very good. THe majority of them waited for all the cyclists that were at the lights with them to move on before they then also moved on.
3. Cab drivers. No problems what so ever and in the narrower parts of the city a number of them just waited for us to get to a wider section before over taking.
All in all, Im bloody happy I dont have to ride anywhere near the city to get to work! Give me the quiet of Cable Street anyday over the hustle and bustle of those mean streets some of you risk your lives on every day!
And finally, Im now a Prince2 practitioner (well at least I will be in 2 weeks time when I get my results back!
Regards
Mailman
1. On Monday I cycled down Commercial Road at 830am, only to be confronted with bumper to bumper traffic (originating at the Aldgate Gyratory). The road surface is absolutely abysmal! Not only is the road surface crap BUT bloody buses spewing their toxic gases cant be good for cyclists.
Thinking it might have just been the luck of the draw I cycled down Commercial road again on Thursday morning (8am) only to be confronted with the same bumper to bumper traffic and toxic bus fumes. I honestly cannot see how some of you guys can think Commercial Road is a better route to travel along than the Cable Street cycle path?
2. Motor bikes...whats with those guys who ride the big arse motor bikes? Its like engine size is directly opposite the size of their c9cks! I had a couple run ins with tossers on big race bikes who clearly felt that I was hogging a part of their road even though there was a good 9 feet seperate between them and me! It all culminated on Thursday when some guy stopped to tell me to watch "the f9ck where you are going"...again, even though there was an entire road width between the two of us, he still felt I had cut him off! :roll:
Also, prior to this week I honestly couldnt see what the problem was with sharing bus lanes with motorbikes...but after observing how these tossers road I can only say that sharing bus lanes with motorbikes is going to end in tears!
Motorbikes are just as bad as cars for creating congestion.
3. Pedestrians! What is it with these morons...its like they all have this morbid desire to die on the roads without looking before crossing. Not only that, but sheep mentality means that if one goes to cross the road, they all go!
On Wednesday a tosser on his mobile phone stepped out right in front of me without looking AND then took great offence at me using my bike bell! F8cking w9anker! I cant believe that anyone would get so wound up over a bike bell...and all that after he walked out in front of me without looking!
4. Traffic around the city. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want to drive a car in central london during peak hours traffic! The traffic around tower hill and close to bank station in particular wasnt going anywhere in a hurry, yet these people willing subject themselves to delays and frustrations!
5. Silly woman on bike Friday morning. I pulled up to traffic lights and stopped right next to a police paddy wagon. Woman in front of me then cycles through the red light only for the copper to race after her with his lights and siren flashing. BTW I caught up with her cops were on the street taking her details!
6. Cycle paths in the city. Fecken Government should pass a law that all existing cycle paths must be raised by at least 4 inches above the height of the road AND make it illegal for vehicles to part on them! Whats the point of having a fecken line painted on a road with a bike sign in it on a road that struggles to handle just cars!
Now for the positive stuff
1. God bless the summer! God bless the guy who invented the mini skirt. God bless the guy who invented the tight see through top! Most importantly of all, god bless attractive women!
:shock:2. Bus drivers in general were very good. THe majority of them waited for all the cyclists that were at the lights with them to move on before they then also moved on.
3. Cab drivers. No problems what so ever and in the narrower parts of the city a number of them just waited for us to get to a wider section before over taking.
All in all, Im bloody happy I dont have to ride anywhere near the city to get to work! Give me the quiet of Cable Street anyday over the hustle and bustle of those mean streets some of you risk your lives on every day!
And finally, Im now a Prince2 practitioner (well at least I will be in 2 weeks time when I get my results back!
Regards
Mailman
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Comments
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mailmannz wrote:
1. God bless the summer! God bless the guy who invented the mini skirt. God bless the guy who invented the tight see through top! Most importantly of all, god bless attractive women! :shock:
100% with you on this one, but its a bit bare(!) on the streets of Brizzle as the students have finished, though when we do venture into Bath in the van it makes up for it.I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.0 -
I think pretty much all of what you've said is true, i think it does take a certain mentality to cycle through London, but that for me is what makes my commute so enjoyable. Once you get used to the oblivious peds (can spot them a mile off now) and avoiding potholes it's all good! In fact at the moment I'm commuting away from the city and I miss the hussle and bussle (and THE GAME of course!!).
As for your experiences with other road user's I've never had any problems with motorbike riders and normally find it the cabs and taxi's that seem to think indicating is enough to perform a maneuverer without actually checking their mirrors first!
As for good point number 1 I don't think I could have put it better myself, I think the only thing better then girls in short skirts tho is lycra clad cycling lovelies :-) Can make riding hazardous tho as you should really be looking at the traffic and not the scenery!0 -
ah, the joys of city commuting...point your handlebars towards the heavens and sweat like you're in hell0
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Bassjunkieuk wrote:As for good point number 1 I don't think I could have put it better myself, I think the only thing better then girls in short skirts tho is lycra clad cycling lovelies :-) Can make riding hazardous tho as you should really be looking at the traffic and not the scenery!
There is this beaty who has passed me a few times in the morning now and she wears lycra and not only that, once stretched its see through baby! :shock:
Hehehehe...small things amusing small minds and all that
Mailman0 -
Bassjunkieuk wrote:As for good point number 1 I don't think I could have put it better myself, I think the only thing better then girls in short skirts tho is lycra clad cycling lovelies :-) Can make riding hazardous tho as you should really be looking at the traffic and not the scenery!
There is this beaty who has passed me a few times in the morning now and she wears lycra and not only that, once stretched its see through baby! :shock:
Hehehehe...small things amusing small minds and all that
Mailman0 -
mailmannz wrote:Bassjunkieuk wrote:As for good point number 1 I don't think I could have put it better myself, I think the only thing better then girls in short skirts tho is lycra clad cycling lovelies :-) Can make riding hazardous tho as you should really be looking at the traffic and not the scenery!
There is this beaty who has passed me a few times in the morning now and she wears lycra and not only that, once stretched its see through baby! :shock:
Hehehehe...small things amusing small minds and all that
Mailman
Where ? I need to adjust my journey. 8)
No complains about bendy buses ?0 -
Not really, the few I came across either waited for me to get passed them or were stationary.
Mailman0
