Cycling in london on the up.

[Dogtrousers]

In some respects on my one experience it was cyclists that worried me the most.

The Must Get In Front attitude isn't confined to motorists.

In my last visit to central London by bike I was riding from Liverpool St to London Bridge station. Came to some lights and a rider on a Brompton came past and nipped through on red. I was surprised to catch up with them again near Bank, and again they went through on red.

Just riding with the traffic, I overtook them on London Bridge. I dismounted at the next lights to go to the station. Probably they jumped them, I didn't see.

Just staying with the traffic plus a bit of judicious filtering often gets you there just as quickly as riding frantically.

 

[matticus]

I would think that if cycling in the City is up, then cycling in London as a whole should be up, as the cyclists need to get to the City from the rest of London in the first place.

There's lots of reasons that might not be the case e.g.
cars are banned from that "district", so lots of riders find it's a nicer north-south route than their old/direct route.
\speculation

 

[Dogtrousers]

There's lots of reasons that might not be the case e.g.
cars are banned from that "district", so lots of riders find it's a nicer north-south route than their old/direct route.
\speculation

I don't think cars are banned from the city are they? I thought it was just regular congestion zone? Dunno, I've never in all my years lining in London had the urge to drive there.

Or was that a hypothetical example off the type of reason that might apply?

 

[matticus]

Or was that a hypothetical example off the type of reason that might apply?

yes exactly. I picked something simple, whereas reality is probably lots of different factors. (as I don't know The City, I'd be guessing anyway!)

 

[markharry66]

was up near london bridge Sunday so less busy that a normal commute day, had cabbie tell me in his words "just saying you should be in the cycle lane" my response "just aaying mind you own f**king business". I was in the cycle lane. Motorists now think since the introduction of cycle lanes that they mandatory has had self procliamed inforcer following me down the tooting horn and trying to push me off the road as I wasnt in cylce lane. Personally think cycling through london has got better over last decade. I see less people cycing in than 10 years ago and virtually nothing locally.

 

[All uphill]

I love my occasional bike ride in central London, partly because it means I'm on a tour, partly because of the sights. It feels no more risky to me than cycling in Bristol, for example.