London cycling tips
Comments
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JonGinge wrote:
+2 and lands awkwardly on the patio.Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...0 -
TommyEss wrote:
+3 and I've broken my leg.
Wouldn't be the first broken bone caused by addison lee....0 -
spasypaddy wrote:dont argue with taxi drivers
i thought that was obligatory...especially the ones that have just ridden over your back wheel.0 -
lost_in_thought wrote:Me too, I always thank people who give way.
Me too.
It's only happened about twice though.0 -
Give a wide berth to anything sporting an Addison Lee logo or St George's cross.0
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I decided this morning to commute to London for a trade show (shower available) and found it a very strange experience; way too many bikes, silly drivers / cyclists.... not sure if it's something I'll repeat0
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DonDaddyD wrote:I'm a quite wide and sizeable black guy. Not many of them on bikes.
Quite a few round Crystal Palace, and on some serious kit too. Mind you, they are not so wide.0 -
No tA Doctor wrote:
One more thing, aside from constant scanning for hazards - those kids larking about at the bus stop, the bloke with his mobile about to pull out etc keep your ears as well as your eyes open. You'll hear the click of an opening car door before you see the door swing out, you'll hear the rev and tire squeal of the boy racer somewhere behind you. Junk the iPod when you're on your bike.
This is great advice, but don't just limit your senses to sight and sound alone: you can smell when a car door is about to be opened if you open your mind to it and the taste of a taxi driver swinging a last-second left is unmistakable to those of us in the know.
PS. the 'force' does not actually exist and although many cyclists live their lives by the teachings of Yoda et al, you would be a fool to become one of them.0 -
TommyEss wrote:Re. the guy who was taken out at Cannon Street.
Sorry to hear that - sounds like a nasty experience.
Sadly though, a few lessons others can hopefully take from this...
1. Pedestrians on the carriageway, however they end up there - have priority - hit one at your peril. Sadly this means you do have to develop the 6th sense for when they're going to jump out on you. Keep in mind that they're (normally) listening and looking for big lumps of metal - it is easy to miss a little ol' bike when glancing back.
This isn't true. If it were, then peds would be able to cross willy nilly wherever they wished and cars, buses, cycles etc would HAVE to slow down. There woudl be no point having, pelican or zebra crossings because peds would have priority to walk out into the road whenever they wished! Of course as wheeled transport you need to be aware that peds may walk out without looking, but they don't have priority and in UK law it's not automatically your fault if you hit them when they have walked out in front of you.Do not write below this line. Office use only.0 -
lost_in_thought wrote:TommyEss wrote:
+3 and I've broken my leg.
Wouldn't be the first broken bone caused by addison lee....
+4 and leg and arm on left side both broken0 -
Hola Folks..loving this thread.
I'd not thought about eye contact before, it seems to work 90% of the time
Although I've not done much city center riding while I've been in the south I was a courrier in Manchester many moons ago so I'll re-itterate the top tips.
Make yourself big in the road and assume everybody is a brainless moron who's hell bent on trying to kill you!!
Now here's what I noticed the other day.
My missus lives in Leyton so I got the train to Waterloo and attempted to ride there for the 1st time ever last week. Now apart from getting hopelessly lost and the journey taking me 2 hours :oops:, I did think that some cyclists in the smoke are very rude!!
On the way over, I stopped at some red light and a guy came up behaind me shouting at me to carry on!!! There was a lorry turning right at the junction I was at so I just stepped aside and told the guy to carry on if he wanted because out of the 2 of them I knew who'd win!! Then a little later I saw a car MILDLY infringe on a cycle lane, the cyclist who was in it at the time (who I might add wasn't really put in any danger) went mental oriental!!! He pulled up to the car at the next set of lights and started screaming at the driver through the car window. He was nearly having a fit. Then, he bounced his bike up on the pavement, squirted through the red light on the green man of the pelican crossing and hit the road again. Now my theory is, you're either in the game or you aint! You can't shout at a driver for impeaching on the rules of the road if you don't stick to them yourself!!
Then, next day on the ride home...with proper directions from my little Fridge Magnet I was approaching Waterloo and a young Mum with 3 little 'uns was crossing the road on a green man, so I started to roll up to the crossing slowly so I didn't have to stop and there was a girl doing the same behind me. As we got closer the girl on the bike shouted at the young Mum 'hurry up!!!' and scared her half to death. Well that really boilled my piss, so as she was fully lycrad up and I was in jeans and a t-shirt I felt obligated to embarrass her with a good ole scalp!! So I did!
I love city center cycling, and my limited experience in The Smoke is the pinacle of riding. In 2012 there should be a new sport, The Rush Hour Marathon Commute! Marathon course done at 8am on a monday morning. Everyone in a car is a bit hungover, late and grumpy. It could be a brilliant new extreme sport!!
Enjoy it...It's brilliant!Dance like nobody is watching, ride like you're 10 minutes late!0 -
Having entered into this discussion about tips for cycling in London, I got myself left hooked over the weekend. Typical circumstances.... I was going straight on, idiot car driver turning left, no indication whatsoever, he turns and hooks me. I failed to observe one of my own golden rules - down't hang out next to cars in slow moving traffic before a turn on the left. No damage to the new bike thank goodness, road rash on my elbow, knee and back and some bruising but I'll survive. Driver knew I was there as I saw his passenger look round at me quite a while before he turned. After he had left hooked me, he simply drove off without stopping....Do not write below this line. Office use only.0
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Surprised at the number of Red Light comments, I will generally stop at a Red but IF it is clear and safe to go then I will - sorry.
One other rule no one has covered yet, when riding on single track paths/cycle lanes, across bridges etc please always keep left when you see another bike coming the other way. Always notice this in spring/early summer when the new cyclists come out and the head on collisions begin.0 -
This isn't true. If it were, then peds would be able to cross willy nilly wherever they wished and cars, buses, cycles etc would HAVE to slow down. There woudl be no point having, pelican or zebra crossings because peds would have priority to walk out into the road whenever they wished! Of course as wheeled transport you need to be aware that peds may walk out without looking, but they don't have priority and in UK law it's not automatically your fault if you hit them when they have walked out in front of you.
Actually the situation is a kind of inbetween.
Pedestrians do have right of way and it is your responsibility to avoid them. Of course if they launch themselves into your path in such a way that you CANNOT avoid them then it is not your fault. But, yes, if you are cycling along and see that you are on collision course with a ped, you are supposed to give way to them (rather than the other way round). Pedestrian crossings are designed to make it safer for peds, they do not imply that peds only have right of way on ped crossings.
J0 -
Butterd2 wrote:Surprised at the number of Red Light comments, I will generally stop at a Red but IF it is clear and safe to go then I will - sorry.
good, if it's clear and safe to do so I will come round and burgle your house, trust that's OK?
only if it's clear and safe to do so, obv.<a>road</a>0 -
el_presidente wrote:Butterd2 wrote:Surprised at the number of Red Light comments, I will generally stop at a Red but IF it is clear and safe to go then I will - sorry.
good, if it's clear and safe to do so I will come round and burgle your house, trust that's OK?
only if it's clear and safe to do so, obv.
You'd be very welcome to try but I cannot guarantee it would be safe to do so.....0 -
Butterd2 wrote:el_presidente wrote:Butterd2 wrote:Surprised at the number of Red Light comments, I will generally stop at a Red but IF it is clear and safe to go then I will - sorry.
good, if it's clear and safe to do so I will come round and burgle your house, trust that's OK?
only if it's clear and safe to do so, obv.
You'd be very welcome to try but I cannot guarantee it would be safe to do so.....
See also jumpng red lights<a>road</a>0 -
el_presidente wrote:Butterd2 wrote:el_presidente wrote:Butterd2 wrote:Surprised at the number of Red Light comments, I will generally stop at a Red but IF it is clear and safe to go then I will - sorry.
good, if it's clear and safe to do so I will come round and burgle your house, trust that's OK?
only if it's clear and safe to do so, obv.
You'd be very welcome to try but I cannot guarantee it would be safe to do so.....
See also jumpng red lights
I'm not saying this to pick a fight or be controversial for the sake of it but I am genuinely surprised what a law abiding bunch you appear to be.
I get that it's dangerous but if I didn't do anything that involved risk I'd never get out of bed, for me on balance jumping a clear red light is a risk I'm willing to take.0 -
I'm not saying this to pick a fight or be controversial for the sake of it but I am genuinely surprised what a law abiding bunch you appear to be.
I get that it's dangerous but if I didn't do anything that involved risk I'd never get out of bed, for me on balance jumping a clear red light is a risk I'm willing to take.
My last word on this
yes it's obviously safe most of the time if you're careful. That's not really the point.
It is arrogant, rude and selfish. It says to every ped and motorist who sees you "I disregard the rules, I don't think they apply to me, therefore I think I am better than you".
Each time this happens there is a small drop in the already low level of respect that the general public have for cyclists.
More than once I have been thanked by pedestrians for stopping at red lights, this is embarrassing. You're an adult - show some responsibility and self-respect and cycle properly.
Behave like an arrogant selfish person and you'll get treated like one. Behave like a responsible law-abiding member of society and hopefully you'll be treated like one too.
rant over<a>road</a>0 -
Absolutely. Act like a c*nt if you want, but don't be surprised if everyone thinks you one.el_presidente wrote:My last word on this
yes it's obviously safe most of the time if you're careful.
However it's arrogant, rude and selfish. It says to every ped and motorist who sees you "I disregard the rules, I don't think they apply to me, therefore I am better than you".
Each time this happens there is a small drop in the already low level of respect that the general public have for cyclists.
More than once I have been thanked by pedestrians for stopping at red lights, this is embarrassing. You're an adult, show some responsibility and self-respect and cycle properly.
rant over
Unfortunately it taints the general view of those of us who ride in a non-c*ntish manner.0 -
BR 1979 wrote:el_presidente wrote:My last word on this
yes it's obviously safe most of the time if you're careful.
However it's arrogant, rude and selfish. It says to every ped and motorist who sees you "I disregard the rules, I don't think they apply to me, therefore I am better than you".
Each time this happens there is a small drop in the already low level of respect that the general public have for cyclists.
More than once I have been thanked by pedestrians for stopping at red lights, this is embarrassing. You're an adult, show some responsibility and self-respect and cycle properly.
rant over
Br1979 for a 31 year old to agree with a quote about behaving as an adult (which is a fair point) and then to use the "C" work even with that clever little star is really rather pathetic. I bet you sit at the lights wallowing in your righteous indignation too scared to say anything when people like me ride by - easy to be brave on a forum.
Absolutely. Act like a c*nt if you want, but don't be surprised if everyone thinks you one.
Unfortunately it taints the general view of those of us who ride in a non-c*ntish manner.0 -
Don't be silly. I just ride past once I catch them back up after the lights go green with a cheery "Think you missed a red one back there".
Oh, and regarding using the word "c*nt". It's just descriptive, as in:
"He was riding like a right c*nt, even going through the red lights - He clearly can't hack the pace of the commuting race, the big girl"0 -
BR 1979 wrote:Don't be silly. I just ride past once I catch them back up after the lights go green with a cheery "Think you missed a red one back there".
Oh, and regarding using the word "c*nt". It's just descriptive, as in:
"He was riding like a right c*nt, even going through the red lights - He clearly can't hack the pace of the commuting race, the big girl"
Funny, all my years of cycling in London and no one has ever done that to me, maybe I'm too fast or you people like you haven't really got the balls you like to pretend you have?0 -
Well, if someone says it to you one morning along the Embankment then you'll know who it is.
(PS - Don't get so wound up - If you don't like to be thought of as one, then don't act like one. Stop at the reds.
) 0 -
I also don't understand all the bluster around red lights and HAVING to stop WHATEVER. Sorry but I also RLJ if the way is clear. AFAIC it's no less safe than me walking across a junction as a ped when the red man is showing. Of course I don't do it if there's a load of traffic, but if there's literally nothing going through and you've clearly looked both ways, what's the harm? Yes it's against the law, but are you lot really, honestly telling me that you never, ever break any laws.... Absolutely ever? I cannot believe that you haven't.
As I've pointed out on threads like this before, it's simply a question of perception. Here in the UK it's perfectly acceptable for pedestrians to cross wherever they wish and even if the red man is lit at crossings, whereas in many countries this is NOT acceptable and the police will stop you. In other countries it is acceptable for cyclists to keep going through red lights. I have witnessed this in Antwerp (and in fact a while back someone who lived in Antwerp mentioned it) and in Paris. In Paris people ride on the pavements, through red lights etc etc and no one bats an eyelid. Same in Osaka, Japan. It's only here in London/the UK that people get all high an mighty about it.Do not write below this line. Office use only.0 -
Butterd2,
Most of us here feel that done carefully jumping RLs is not really dangerous. We just think it is obnoxious and lacks all class. Most experienced cyclists seem to feel that way. And we tend to look down on people who jump reds as a result.
Cheers,
J0 -
Thisjedster wrote:Butterd2,
Most of us here feel that done carefully jumping RLs is not really dangerous. We just think it is obnoxious and lacks all class. Most experienced cyclists seem to feel that way. And we tend to look down on people who jump reds as a result.
Cheers,
J0 -
I thought I'd add in a different type of tip rather than add to the ongoing RLJ debate.
I personally find it's good to work out a few alternative routes for your regular commute. There's usually more than one way for getting from A to B. Having a few routes worked out gives a bit of variety, becaue riding the same one every day can get a bit monotonous. Also, you can have different types of routes to suit different moods.
I currently have 3 different routes. One is fast and direct mainly along main roads, which is good when I want a bit of adrenalin and am happy to race a bit or deal with traffic. Another is longer and slower with large sections off roads (across commons on shared-use paths) - good when I can't face dealing with heavy traffic and HGVs. The third is in between, mainish roads but with traffic calming so no HGVs and buses. Also you can work out little detours for avoiding particularly nasty bits, such as some unpleasant big junction, if you're not in a rush.0 -
el_presidente wrote:I'm not saying this to pick a fight or be controversial for the sake of it but I am genuinely surprised what a law abiding bunch you appear to be.
I get that it's dangerous but if I didn't do anything that involved risk I'd never get out of bed, for me on balance jumping a clear red light is a risk I'm willing to take.
My last word on this
yes it's obviously safe most of the time if you're careful. That's not really the point.
It is arrogant, rude and selfish. It says to every ped and motorist who sees you "I disregard the rules, I don't think they apply to me, therefore I think I am better than you".
Each time this happens there is a small drop in the already low level of respect that the general public have for cyclists.
More than once I have been thanked by pedestrians for stopping at red lights, this is embarrassing. You're an adult - show some responsibility and self-respect and cycle properly.
Behave like an arrogant selfish person and you'll get treated like one. Behave like a responsible law-abiding member of society and hopefully you'll be treated like one too.
rant over
Common argument this one but I'm also a car driver (funnily enough a sensible one at that) but whenever I see another driver doing something stupid I don't worry that every ped/cyclist is going to think I too am stupid, I also a ped sometimes and the same applies. So sorry but I don't buy it.
The adult point is a good one, I drive like and adult, walk like an adult but when I swing my leg over a bike I do become a kid again - maybe that's why I enjoy it?0
