Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)
  • Observations of cyclists in London from a migrant who came for a weeks holiday
  • big_scot_nanny
    Full Member

    I’ve got a much longer post/ramble/incoherant strategy document that I’m mulling over, I’m sure you all cannot wait, but in the meantime a short rant-et:

    Jesus wept, London cycling is like a battle ground! Was over (from der Schweiz) for a week with family for hols, thought me and oldest might rent boris bikes and tootle about a bit, but **** that!

    Drivers are aggresive, battling, many flaunting road laws, downright dangerous.

    Cyclists equally horrific or even worse! Aggresive, erratic, selfish, little/no adherance to road laws, dangerous – not 1 or 2 either, my impression was that a large percentage riders were like this.

    I can understand why a great deal of non-cyclist public opinion is against us.

    What a battle ground. Makes Basel look like a dithering backwater (which in many respects it is!), and Amsterdam cyclists look positively laid back.

    Are we also to blame for cycle (ha!) of spiralling negativity around cycling/cyclists in UK? What will it take to change this situation? Should I just stop reading the news?

    (BTW, observed pretty similar behaviors last time was home to Glasgow and Edinburgh, so not restricted to that there London)

    SaxonRider
    Full Member

    In Cardiff, by contrast, we’re a bunch of saints. 😀

    slowoldman
    Full Member

    I think the problem here is that at the moment cycling is seen as a sport rather than a mode of transport, with behaviour to suit.

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    bigjim
    Full Member

    Strangely I thought cycling in London last month was much better than riding in Edinburgh, many more cyclists, drivers more used to cyclists, considerably more cycle lane infrastructure. Edinburgh feels like death race 2000 in comparison.

    JonEdwards
    Free Member

    Riding in London is WAY more civilised than it used to be. Drivers are far more considerate, know how to act around bikes; and the infrastructure is much better. I feel far safer riding round London than I do around Sheffield.

    There are times/places when the sheer number of bikes gets a little overwhelming though. The Tour d’Embankment at 6pm on a weekday being a classic example…

    chakaping
    Free Member

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

    Just **** stop it please.

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    There are times/places when the sheer number of bikes gets a little overwhelming though. The Tour d’Embankment at 6pm on a weekday being a classic example…

    *waves*

    I don’t like it, but it is the quickest/safest route to South West London.

    I’ll be leaving a little earlier today – which makes a hell of a difference…

    ton
    Full Member

    my observation of cycling in central Leeds, is that most, not all lycra clad (proper cyclists ;o)) are a law un to themselves.
    most folk riding cheaper bikes, usually wearing a reflective tabard, with a rucksack (blokes riding to work) seem to adhere to road laws.

    to clarify that, most lycra clad riders are tossers.

    fifeandy
    Free Member

    my observation of cycling in central Leeds, is that most, not all lycra clad (proper cyclists ;o)) are a law un to themselves.
    most folk riding cheaper bikes, usually wearing a reflective tabard, with a rucksack (blokes riding to work) seem to adhere to road laws.

    to clarify that, most lycra clad riders are tossers.Interestingly, my experience in Dundee is the exact opposite.

    Bez
    Full Member

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

    We?

    You and me?

    I dunno, do you ride like an asshole? If you don’t, you’re not, and I’m pretty sure I don’t so I’m not.

    So, no, we’re not to blame.

    Anyway, London is a fairly unique melting pot. A huge number of people, with every piece of infrastructure bursting at the seams. The tube is overcrowded, the roads are bunged up, the pavements are rammed. The fastest—not just the most convenient but the fastest—way to get around is by bike and thus it attracts people who wants to go fast; in the centre there are lots of jobs for competitive, determined types of people; and wherever you go you’re still going to have to do some form of battle with motorised traffic.

    All of this means that much of the cycle traffic in central London is carrying people who are in a rush and who like spending their plentiful cash on fast bikes and gear. Much of it is still the habitat of the Mamil, even though it’s got a *lot* better thanks to the new infrastructure.

    I get annoyed by lots of people on bikes in London being in far too much of a hurry to have enough regard for others around them, but it’s important to remember that a lot of these people are just symptoms of what is still a largely hostile environment. It’s just that in London there’s vastly more of them than anywhere else.

    PS: flouting, not flaunting. Quite different 😉

    Bez
    Full Member

    to clarify that, most lycra clad riders are tossers.

    [quote]
    Interestingly, my experience in Dundee is the exact opposite.[/quote]

    *coughconfirmationbiascough*

    chakaping
    Free Member

    And my experience in Greater Manchester is that drivers of motor vehicles have the worst attitude, as well as being the most dangerous.

    JackHammer
    Full Member

    In Cardiff, by contrast, we’re a bunch of saints.

    Lol! Where about’s?

    Never cycled in London, but Cardiff is scary enough at times. Used to ride around Brighton (7 years) and never had an accident, first year of commuting in Cardiff and I had 2 collisions. Newport road is a dangerous place.

    benp1
    Full Member

    I love cycling in London 😀

    Beats getting public transport anyday!

    daern
    Free Member

    to clarify that, most lycra clad riders are tossers.

    Most people who make vast and daft generalisations are tossers.

    Now, where does that leave us? 😐

    hjghg5
    Free Member

    My feeling from commuting in Leeds is that it’s nothing like what the media suggests. Yes, there are inattentive drivers and there are red light jumping cyclists but I also get drivers who give enough room and give way to me to balance it out, and I rarely see any actual aggression. Maybe because it’s because I’m female (and visibly so – long ponytail and a quite often a hi viz pink gilet) or maybe it’s just not like London.

    ton
    Full Member

    Most people who make vast and daft generalisations are tossers.

    Now, where does that leave us?

    now in know that I am a tosser, but that does not alter my judgement on lycra clad cyclists in Leeds

    molgrips
    Free Member

    You can’t really compare Basel to London. It’s a mid-sized town; London is one of the world’s biggest cities.

    I’ve found London drivers to be pretty good. The cyclists themselves are far worse generally, at least in rush hour. But it’s all about the route you take. Certain roads and hotspots are bad, others are extremely pleasant.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Newport road is a dangerous place.

    I’d imagine it is at rush hour, that’s why I go out of my way to avoid it.

    Cardiff is pretty relaxed outside of a few spots, and even then only at rush hour.

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    There’s something about Britain generally with transport, or at least in the south east, which is very aggressive. Driven in France and USA many times and it’s positively relaxed by comparison (especially Rockies and west coast USA). Haven’t cycled on roads outside UK (not counting minor bit in Morzine to get to/from trails), but generally observed it seems to be chilled riding about too.

    But then, I imagine Paris or New York could be somewhat more chaotic.

    On the driving though, in US I sometimes wonder if it’s wide roads, sloppy suspension cars and automatic gears that makes people less aggressive. I find when I get back in my car at home from a foreign trip, I’m suddenly in aggression mode, have to fight my way through traffic and tendency to floor it. US driving in particular and just seem to cruise along at pootle speed with no fuss.

    milky1980
    Free Member

    I have no choice but to use Newport Road bit only heading west, no chance of me using it going east 😯

    Rest of Cardiff isn’t too bad, apart from matchdays.

    Mister-P
    Free Member

    I sat outside a pub in Euston around 7pm a couple of weeks ago ad was amazed at how many cyclists didn’t bother with lights or reflectives. One chap in particular stood out (or didn’t as the case may be). Black bike, black and dark camo clothing, no lights, no reflectives and dashing up the inside of traffic. I turned to the chap who I was drinking with (a non-cyclist) and said “I can see why cyclists are hated”. Sheer suicidal madness.

    curto80
    Free Member

    “I can understand why a great deal of non-cyclist public opinion is against us”

    Couple of things:

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

    2) please just go away.

    brakes
    Free Member

    the biggest problem with commuting by bike in London is that it’s so much fun, and far too tempting to race other cyclists and wind the drivers up who are stuck in traffic.

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    the biggest problem with commuting by bike in London is that it’s so much fun, and far too tempting to race other cyclists and wind the drivers up who are stuck in traffic.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12575770

    Bez
    Full Member

    I turned to the chap who I was drinking with (a non-cyclist) and said “I can see why cyclists are hated”.

    Seriously? 🙄

    brakes
    Free Member
    shermer75
    Free Member

    I agree with everything the OP says apart from the bit about the drivers- I actually find them to be fine (been cycling in London for about 13 years now), albeit a very different style to outside of London. You do have to accept that everyone is in a rush, and people are used to having to push their way out of a junction but once you get used to it it actually works ok (and, despite how it looks at first sight, the drivers are actually pretty law abiding!) The cyclists on the other hand, can be a little anarchic (to say the least!). Although I think it should also be said that some do stop at lights etc.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    On the driving though, in US I sometimes wonder if it’s wide roads, sloppy suspension cars and automatic gears that makes people less aggressive.

    That’s because no-one’s concentrating or giving a shit about what they or anyone else is doing, generally.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I have no choice but to use Newport Road bit only heading west, no chance of me using it going east

    Surely you only need a really short section?

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    My cycle commute seems to lack inconsiderate drivers and tossers in Lycra. I offer this in evidence:

    big_scot_nanny
    Full Member

    To be fair, in Basel all road users are kept in check by the bloody trams. Cars get heavily fined or cleaved into 2 if not careful, and cyclists have to be so bloody careful of tram tracks it negates a great deal of bell-endery. Most everyone rides a bike too, so driving in general very respectful. I know Amsterdam is very different, but as we know is a fabulous example of a bike/car system that works/is safe/avoids conflict in a big busy city.

    Matt – nice 🙂

    On my OP – we/us = cyclists as a generic identifiable community whether we like it or not. They = drivers. My perception in the UK was that ‘they’ were the problem. True, but ‘we’ seem just as culpable.

    Also, I am now very confused about flount/flaunt 😆

    alisonsmiles
    Free Member

    I did a day trip to London yesterday. It included a rush hour journey on a Boris bike from Waterloo to Euston. It was ace. Car drivers seemed to behave like thinking human beings. Other cyclists were not like Manchester, they were mostly riding at a kind of restful pace, watching out for each other, patient, indeed. Everyone seemed patient. Not like my regular Manchester commute either where it feels a bit more dog eat dog. Loved London cycling.

    milky1980
    Free Member

    Safe enough going west to use the bus lane between TGI Fridays and Clifton Street, much better than the other option of going via the roundabout joining East Tyndall St and Ocean Way. I come back that way though as I’m going with rather than against the flow of traffic then.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    The other option is to go past Morrison’s, come out on Ipswich way then go up Colchester Avenue then if you are going to town come back down through Roath, onto Albany Road, through StudentLand, across City Rd and into town that way.

    Newport road is terrible though, and Cardiff badly needs a cycle superhighway to go along the railway line behind all the retail units to get into town.

    milky1980
    Free Member

    We won’t get it as we have the cycle lane on the pavement, the one that weaves through all the bus stops and bins and broken glass…

    I’m usually heading Penarth direction though so going up via Roath etc, is the long way.

    alpin
    Free Member

    Much prefer battling my way through London on two wheels than pootling through Munich or Berlin and having to adhere to the rules…

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    Amsterdam, London, Paris, New York. In that order.

    Cyclists have as much collective responsibility as men: therefore Weinstein is your fault.

    imnotverygood
    Full Member

    Country yokels are always going to fail to understand a big city

    senorj
    Full Member

    I enjoy cycling in London* but I know my way around,not sure if I’d enjoy an unfamiliar British city.The fairly recent concept of 20 mph zones near me seem to have sunk in to the majority of drivers – less folk want to over take me when they’re in one. Someone does still try to kill you on nearly every ride though. 🙂
    *I’d much prefer a lovely off road jaunt any day.

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