To those who cycle around Herne Hill

jonny_trousers

So what exactly is the deal with that little road by the shops and the station (Railton Rd I think)? Can we cycle all the way along it? I assumed not after they paved the end over, but then there is a dropped curb and a white line as it joins Herne Hill/Norwood Rd again and it even appears there is a traffic light set up specifically for traffic coming from that direction. Your thoughts?

deptfordmarmoset

Are you talking about the pedestrianised bit just over the road from Brockwell Park? If so, it looked ok to cycle to me when I passed it yesterday.

If you follow that route regularly, what's the deal with the old Windies guy who's set up a front garden bike repair shop on Railton Road just north of there? I wanted to stop and take a couple of photos for a possible blog article - he looked like one of those one-in-a-million characters - but I was a little pressed for time.

pianoleo

My thoughts are that it's probably not been thought through terribly well. I freely admit to cycling along there. I don't think there's a mixed use pavement sign there, but the last time I checked, there *is* still a LCN blue sign (Dulwich Village 1m IIRC), and so if I were stopped by a policeperson for cycling on the "pavement" that'd probably be my justification. That's to say I don't know what the legality is of that bit of road!

@deptfordmarmoset I've never actually stopped at the place on Railton Road, but I can tell you that it's a chap called Clovis Salmon, who goes by "Sam The Wheels". He arrived from Jamaica in the '50s and has been there pretty much ever since. He worked as a wheelbuilder for Holdsworth's back in the day, and is also known for his local video footage, taken in the '60s-'80s. Anyway, Google him if you're interested!

deptfordmarmoset

Sorry about hijacking your thread, Jean le Pantalon...

@pianoleo

Thanks for that bit of information. The man's 80! I knew the guy was a character but it looks like I underestimated him - he's a legend. Next free sunny day I'll see whether he's up for a quick ''interview'' and pose for a few shots. I think an 80-year old wheel builder running a streetside bike business in Brixton has got to be worth a bit of a story. Unless I'm the only person who didn't know about him, of course!

Almost back on topic...the traffic island the lights between the pedestrianised bit and the NE corner of Brockwell Park is designed to maim people who are crossing the road. They've actually built a raised kerb in the same colour stone on both sides, so that anyone who isn't paying 100% attention will either trip over the first obstacle and concuss themselves on the second raised kerb obstacle or trip over the second obstacle and fall over into the road where they're likely to get a Michelin tread tattoo across their butt.

jonny_trousers

Yep, that's the spot. I tend only to ride it on a return journey late at night so I only ever see the sign for the repair shop (riding in I do the Loughborough Junction route).

It's a weird little stretch of road as you actually do have to ride up a tiny curb if you wish to continue (which feels very illegal), but once beyond it looks like you have bike specific provisions in the drop curb, the white line and the traffic light.

cyclingpast

I saw two police cyclists riding over that bit this afternoon.

Not sure if that answers the question though!

pianoleo

@deptfordmarmoset - I'm not sure how many people do know about him. Either way, he strikes me as someone well worth interviewing.

Back to the topic, I guess it's legal but badly engineered. Wouldn't be the first time!

Smirf

Not sure the traffic light has ever been decommissioned from when it was a working road!

jonny_trousers

Smirf wrote:

Not sure the traffic light has ever been decommissioned from when it was a working road!

That's exactly what I suspect too. My guess is it's either a rendundant light from the old days or they have not made it anywhere near clear enough that it is a cycle specific route. It's not so bad coming out of it to join Norwood Rd, but the same route in reverse would be crazy dangerous for cyclists and peds.

pianoleo

Yep, if I'm travelling in the opposite direction (Half Moon Lane -> Herne Hill) I'll always go the long way round (Dulwich Road then right into Hurst Lane - think the one before's a no entry). It's either that or hop off and walk over the ped crossing which is far too much effort for me...

Applespider

Yeah... I do the same. When travelling towards Brixton, I go around the long way. But on the way home, I hop up on the pavement and over. It's quite a wide bit of pavement - and unless a train's just arrived, there's oodles of room.

EKE_38BPM

I was driving around that neck of the woods a while back and I saw the man this thread has informed me is Clovis AKA "Sam The Wheels" Salmon working on some bikes. I wanted to stop but was too busy and as I was a little lost I've never found my way back there.

Next time I'm in that neck of the woods I will stop to say 'Hi.'