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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.
Wasn't immediately obvious if there is an option going N/S. Just avoided it after that and went through the park itself.That's why you don't ride around it, you take the cycle path through the middle. Far easier.
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.