There are a lot of dicks about in the UK, some drive cars, a lot drive taxis, some ride bicycles. Higher population density means more dicks, that’s just the way it is.

Having ridden round New York a fair bit lately, I was impressed by the infrastructure and attitude of the drivers towards cyclists. It’s still hectic, but you’re viewed correctly as a fellow road user there.

Unlike here in the UK.

Are we also to blame for cycle (ha!) of spiralling negativity around cycling/cyclists in UK?

No, of course not.

I’ve commuted by bike for over 20 years (including Edinburgh) and have not experienced this “cyclist mayhem” you are describing. Forget about my anecdotal evidence, though, the actual traffic statistics demonstrate that cyclists are not causing a huge problem on our roads.

Motorists in the UK kill 4 or 5 people every day, and are responsible for 98% of pedestrian death and injury. If you are worried about bad behaviour by road users, that would seem like the obvious place to start…

The worst areas of Paris at rush hour make all parts of London look orderly and civilised. Pedestrians, cyclists, cars, taxis and buses all trying to occupy the same bits of Tarmac. There’s beauty in the chaos.

I cycle regularly in Bristol – depending on my mood I either do the 4.5 mile road route or the 8.5 mile cycle track route (Bristol to Bath track).

On the road I think drivers are quite careless around cyclists and far to keen to squeeze past in inappropriate places / when trafic is coming the other way. I’m not a slow cyclist (probably average between 18 and 20mph on the flat) and yet you can still feel cars hovering dangerously close on your shoulder sometimes.

This year I’ve had to slam brakes on / serve at least 3 times to avoid accidents with cars who eithe rhavent seen me, or have seen me and think I’ll just have to avoid them.

I’m pretty visible in a bright blue coat and run lights front and back. Now got 3 lights on the back and one on the front. I’m about to add a little blinker to the front to go alongside the regular solid light.

Even the cycle track now is getting quite hectic – it’s like a race track for lycra’d up roadies. I go quite quick in the quiet bits, but when it gets busy I slow down and don’t take any chances overtaking. Some people don’t take his approach and swerve in and out causing other people to have to take evasive action. I’ve seen paramedics twice so far in the last couple of months tending to people involved in crashes.

You just get idiots on bikes and in cars these days. Roads / cycle tracks and getting busier, people have less patience and are getting more aggressive. Bound lead to problems.

I have a Dutch friend visiting at the moment. After many years she has just moved out of Amsterdam as she is fed up of all the cyclists.

Yes, she cycles too.

🙂

London’s fine for cycling, I got a Boris bike from Paddington to Oxford street for a while, I could only conclude that the traffic is so bad that actually it means the streets off the main roads are actually quite quiet.

Only place that I genuinely feared for my life was Hyde Park corner, drivers seemed to treat it as a go-kart track.

curto80 – Member
1) there isn’t, and never will be, an “us”;

While that may be the case unfortunately to some motorists cyclists as a group are perceived as a “them”.

I commute in Edinburgh and while it isn’t perfect it is generally fine. Unlike Senor J’s experience in London, alarming moments are once a week or less frequent, not once per ride. When I visited London in 2010 the roads all seemed pretty alarming. But that’s all subjective.

Only place that I genuinely feared for my life was Hyde Park corner, drivers seemed to treat it as a go-kart track.

That’s why you don’t ride around it, you take the cycle path through the middle. Far easier.

…whereas I really enjoy Hyde Park corner… It’s ever changing singletrack!

Usually coming from Piccadilly and heading for Belgrave Square, so the “through the middle” option doesn’t really work.

That’s why you don’t ride around it, you take the cycle path through the middle. Far easier.

Wasn’t immediately obvious if there is an option going N/S. Just avoided it after that and went through the park itself.

Manchester is a city in dire need of cycling infrastructure – great that we have ChrisB fighting our corner but whether he has the cash to make it happen and the traffic design authority to spend in the right way remains to be seen

the behaviour change in motorists needs to happen nationally, starting with the change in the road legislation that was started in 2014 but stalled…

…whereas I really enjoy Hyde Park corner… It’s ever changing singletrack!

+1

I use it in the other direction from Belgrave Sq to Constitution hill, you just have to be brave (or stupid) enough to use the same lanes a car would. Out to the inside lane, 2nd lane from the inside around the top, 3rd lane at the Piccadilly junction, drift left for constitution Hill. It helps if you can sprint a bit!

Trafalgar Sq is an absolutely hateful place. Nothing but aggro at half 5 in the morning entering from the Strand going to the Mall, and same again going home from the Mall to Northumberland Ave.
I’ve started using Lambeth Bridge, St Georges Cross, Southwark Bridge to travel west to east now as there’s less conflict.

Manchester is a city in dire need of cycling infrastructure – great that we have ChrisB fighting our corner but whether he has the cash to make it happen and the traffic design authority to spend in the right way remains to be seen

He was talking about his job at a Cycling UK event I was at last weekend, he suggested budget negotiations are in progress and will be revealed soon.

It does sound like he’s gone into it with his eyes open and that he’s got Andy Burnham’s ear.

And they must want to make it work or they wouldn’t have appointed someone with such a platform.

Trafalgar Sq is an absolutely hateful place.

agreed, I actually walk up a short alleyway just to avoid it.