Had to ride early this morning.

damocles10

I went out training at 7am this and my god I had forgotten the utter chaos on the London roads. Cyclists doing unpredictable crazy filtering around cars, cyclists undertaking at speed when I'm starting off from the lights and general selfish behavior. It's not just the bikes I got cut up twice by two cars at speed and was hit by a cabbie (slowly) while he was getting out of a way for an ambulance at a red light. I usually pop out around 10am, mostly for this reason, and feel safe as houses. I hardly ever filter unless I have to and I never jump red lights.

I am not usually a moaning old git, but, crikey - while it's not everyone, some people need to calm down out there.

cookeeemonster

Personally I prefer it at that time - to me there's less traffic and a lot less nodders (who are far worse than sports cyclists for breaking the rules/doing stupid things etc) but of course it depends on where you're riding in london and in which direction.

Some of the main cycle routes can get a bit manic in rush hour - people are pushed into using them but they're not designed for the amount of cyclists that are now on the road...and for the variability in speed/skill.

redvee

I follow a work colleague on Strava and saw she was on a ride at 04:30 and thought she's in work early, like 8 hours early. Then I looked again at the direction of her ride and realised it was the ride of shame, as a few of them went to the pub the previous night, and she was riding home :oops:

BigLights

I like that time - I leave at 620, arrrive at 7am. Roads quieter, ride a lot less interrupted, far less traffic and far less fumes.

markhewitt1978

At weekends it's even better. Sunday morning up at 5am, out at 6am. A good 3 hours of virtually having the roads to myself, busy A-roads which I wouldn't dream of riding on normally can form part of my route out as you just get the occasional car.

Only problem is that by the time you're heading back by lunchtime all the motorists are out of bed and driving around, so the return route is back to the quieter roads - which means hilly roads!

The Rookie

My commute starts at 7:20 ish as I start work at 8, but then my commute is more akin to Keiran 'capeman' Burns than anyone in London, a nice cross country jaunt, maybe get overtaken by 15-20 cars in 6 miles.

Greggyr

I commute into London, leaving at 6am and arriving at 7am. If I leave just 10 minutes later the difference in traffic volumes is huge, and the journey is considerably harder.

damocles10

It finally happened last week.... T Boned by a cyclist commuter, snapped handle bars, smashed up Chorus ergo lever. I also have bruised ribs and legs...looks really horrible

itokverygood

me too, I leave just 10 minutes later the difference in traffic volumes is huge, and the journey is considerably harder.thanks

RedWheels

It always amazes me that just a few short minutes are the difference between free flowing roads and a congested mass.

Regardless of the amount of planning that goes into traffic flow, and reducing choke points the fact is that at rush hour there are just too many vehicles on the road.