Cycling in Leeds for the first time - anxious

[swoshbuck]

hi,

I’m ditching the bus on my commute to work but I’m a bit worried.

I haven’t ridden a bike for about ten years and I’ve never ridden in a busy city before.

I’ve looked on a cycle route website for the safest route but I’m scared of roundabouts and other car orientated areas.

Can anyone give me some tips?

My sister said there are groups where new riders go out together and get tips on what to do/what not to do.

Am I overthinking this? I suffer from anxiety.


Can anyone reassure me.

Thank you x

 

[Soltydog]

My sister said there are groups where new riders go out together and get tips on what to do/what not to do.
Am I overthinking this? I suffer from anxiety.
Can anyone reassure me.

There's a few folk on here from Leeds, so they may be able to offer advice on groups/clubs that could help build a little confidence.

If you say where abouts in Leeds you are cycling then someone may be able to offer a traffic free route for you & maybe that would reduce any anxiety.
Think wherever you cycle on roads there is a small % of drivers that are ar$es, always watch for cars turning left on you, or pulling out of side roads & if you are scared of roundabouts maybe walk your bike across any that you need to pass, until you have the confidence to ride them, which hopefully wont be long

 

[NorthernDave]

Where are you going to / from on the commute - a few of us are local so might be able to offer advice on routes.

The main thing is being confident and aware of your surroundings on the bike in and around traffic.

 

[Old jon]

To and from, please, as @NorthernDave says. On my first ever club ride, mumbletysum years ago, one of the other riders asked me where I lived. And I said Seacroft. Which is a pretty large area in an even larger city.

 

[MichaelW2]

You may want to consider some weekend practice before heading out at rush hour.
Join a group of experienced but slow riders such as the Cyclists Touring Club.
Read up on "roadcraft".
Pay special attention to your route to avoid big junctions where possible.

 

[swoshbuck]

Thanks for all the replies this is very helpful.

I’m in Beeston (LS11 very close to the white rose centre) and I work on the headrow in the city centre.

 

[ColinJ]

Experiment with routes on the cycle.travel site? [Example]

 

[Old jon]

Beeston Hill is likely to be quieter than Dewsbury Road. All the way to the bottom then turn left under the motorway and ride past the sorting office. Left, then right onto Marshall Street by the old library. Straight on to Water Lane and turn right to Bridgewater Place. Then either Lower Briggate via Great Wilson Street or turn left for City Square. I cannot think of a way to avoid one or other of those. I have recently been going to St James's, along Great Wilson Street, Crown Point Road and bridge and along the side of the bus station, which is not that far from the Headrow.

 

[DCLane]

@swoshbuck - Leeds has an interactive map here: https://fourpointmapping.sustrans.org.uk/westyorkshirecyclemap/westyorkshire.html

Beeston's OK for routes in and out. I either come through Beeston or Belle Isle from Dewsbury and have been riding this for over 7 years. You've got the new paths from just past the fire station but also quieter lanes as well.

Give it a go. I'm happy to advise/help and there's others on here who will ride the same route occasionally.

For beginners/returners Leeds Cycling Campaign runs their 'Easy Riders' group on a Saturday: http://www.leedscyclingcampaign.co.uk/easyriders At a weekend is probably the best time to try any route, when it'll be quieter.

With some practice, and confidence, it's easier to ride that route than you might first think.

My only area of concern, and it's because I've seen a collision there and nearly had several due to drivers not looking, is on Victoria Road just after the Clayton Hotel where the segregated bus lane ends and meets traffic turning onto Manor Road.

 

[NorthernDave]

Wrong side of the metropolis for me, but some good advice there from @Old jon and @DCLane

There is a new cycle lane (segregated i think) being put in from Park Square onto the Headrow by the Town Hall as part of the cross city centre cycle plans.

 

[DCLane]

There is a new cycle lane (segregated i think) being put in from Park Square onto the Headrow by the Town Hall as part of the cross city centre cycle plans.

It's half-built but currently unfinished. A new contractor was appointed to finish the job late last year.

 

[NorthernDave]

It's half-built but currently unfinished. A new contractor was appointed to finish the job late last year.

I thought it was taking a while - they should really have suspended the parking bays opposite it as the remaining road is too narrow now if cars are parked in them.

 

[mjr]

Also there's a book called Cyclecraft which may be worth a look. However people do have differing opinions on this.

The riding tactics are mostly sound, even if the political rants against cycleways (all of them, even the great ones) and slow riders are not. Use it as a source of tips for things that cause you problems, not a design for life.

 

[atbman]

Try talking to Leeds Highways Road Safety section on 0113 378 7306. They should have useful advice and be able to provide you with some suitable contacts.

 

[icowden]

Some additional thoughts...

For your first couple of weeks of cycle commuting, make sure you leave plenty of time.
If there is a section you don't like, you can always dismount and walk for a bit - then research around that area to find a better way.
As others have said, try the journey at a quiet time (early Sunday morning for example) first, so that you are happy with the route.

Adopt the Mantra "My safety comes first!". If the road is looking narrow, you are better off riding prime (that's in the middle of the lane) than trying to accommodate the motorist behind you. Find a safe place to let them overtake. Similarly if the road surface is terrible, ride where it is safe to ride rather than playing dodge the pothole.

My second mantra is "Chillax". The bus in front of you will move eventually. Why overtake that lorry when it will just overtake you back far less pleasantly? I always wait for the large vehicles. It might cost me a couple of minutes, but I have a happier and less stressful journey as a result.

I cycle in London and they key is to try and find a good route that minimises traffic and maximises safety. Roundabouts can be quite stressful, but you can always cross those on foot.

Finally, (and you will get differing opinions on this) I find that wearing a Go-Pro is a helpful deterrent to argument and bad behaviour when using shared cycle / pedestrian infastructure