Another hack piece on London cycling?

DrLex

If you London villagers have a mo' - is this piece in the Atlantic the usual over-blown "knock out 1000 words that'll generate some page hits"? My last commute in that there place was almost 20 years ago (& still have the bike used) and thus cannot reconcile it with my (fading) memories.

Sample prose to support hyperbolic opinion:
"nowhere else have I encountered a cycling culture so cutthroat, vicious, reckless, hostile, and violently competitive as London’s. New York City’s cyclists are, by comparison, genteel, pinkie-pointing tea-sippers pottering around Manhattan with parasols, demurring, “No, after you, dear.” "

Or is it perhaps better to consider it supportive of the skirmishes related daily in the SCR thread?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Ummm... there may be some truth in that article.

veronese68

I got the impression he may have been passed by KateF, BlondeCyclist or, worse still Green Brompton on said Brompton.

meanredspider

She just seems pi55ed off that somebody else has jumped on her bandwagon

Canny Jock

Good comment from downfader - do I recognise that user name from here?

rick_chasey

Sounds about right.

airbag

I swear this was kicking around a few weeks ago, but oh well.

Personally, it reminds me of a good clarkson article (no that's not an oxymoron!), a mixture of idiot humour to appeal to selfish berks with just the lightest of touches on something that no doubt tells you something very deep about culture and the human condition etc etc.

veronese68

Hadn't noticed he was a she, I always thought Lionel was a blokes name.

unclejimbo1983

Once upon a time an author changed her name to Lionel 'cos she was so bohemian and alternative. Moved to London. Cycled because it's oh so anti-establishment. Normal people started cycling too. They were quicker than Lionel. Lionel got pissy about it. Wrote an article with lots of long words. Everyone continued cycling regardless. The End.

I await my book deal.

Jay dubbleU

So she's hacked off because other people cycle ? And some of them are faster than her ? If she hates the London cycling community so much perhaps she should move to New York

notsoblue

"They cruise alongside three-ton lorries, right in the truckers’ blind spots, and when the lorries turn left, grinding them into biomass, everyone is supposed to feel sorry for them."

So brave.

rjsterry

Just so you know, Lionel Shriver is the author of 'We Need To Talk About Kevin'.

She's right about a lot of it, although I think she mistakes competitiveness for hatred, and in the years I've been cycling in London, I would never describe it as "contemplative", although it's certainly less solitary than it was.

Tricycleboy

I agree rjsterry, it is overzealous competitivness, rather than hatred.

I think much of the difficulty and trouble that she is talking about is simply down to the sheer number of new cyclists on the road, and their inexperience leading to dodgy manouvres and a lack of understanding about when it is appropriate to go fast- its more inexperience than animosity, although it often doesn't feel like that.

I'm hoping this years massive new crop will calm down in a couple of months. Although by then the olympics crop will be up and nodding all over the show.

rick_chasey

Real n00bs aren't the problem though.

It's the people who are slow enough that you're substantially quicker than them, but quick enough that they get a little racey.

Tricycleboy

Rick Chasey wrote:

Real n00bs aren't the problem though.

It's the people who are slow enough that you're substantially quicker than them, but quick enough that they get a little racey.

I have nicknamed that demographic 'Allez man', although they can often also be found on a trek 1.2 or any Fuji.

Apologies to riders of those machines- they're actually very good which is why a relative noob can go fast enough to cause problems on them.

Starting to sound like a bit of a snob now aren't i. :oops:

rick_chasey

Trademark moves:

- trying to squeeze back past you even though you're obviously slowing down in anticipation of traffic ahead.

- undertaking.

- re-passing you when you're stationary at the lights.

- tailgating (it's not drafting when you're in amongst traffic. There's barely any wind then anyway).

- pulling out to pass someone without looking over their shoulder.

- general unexpected movements.

Gizmo_

Silly septic bint.

"Dozens of bikes obstruct cars that have the right-of-way while streaking across the hectic roundabout at Hyde Park Corner." It's precisely that attitude which does make cycling in London hazardous. Not dangerous - no more 'laden with danger' than walking, as we know - but hazardous, peppered with hazards. Which can be avoided by cycling competently and with reasonable awareness.