Fun on Southwark Bridge this morning

[Blackandblue]

First off, an apology. Specifically to the scooterist who I cut up as I swerved in front of him at the lights as they turned green. I suppose it wouldn't have happened if he wasn't in the ASL (or indeed if the bus behind him wasn't in the ASL either) but two wrongs don't make a right (nor, indeed do three wrongs make a right). He didn't seem too upset about it, but nevertheless my bad.

Anyway, as I pull away from the lights heading northbound over Southwark Bridge, I'm aware of a cyclist racing up on my inside. I accelerate to test his speed and he moves it up a notch too. He pulls past me. I give it an extra blast and then swing past him and enter the bridge first and cruise over the crest of the bridge clear of him. A fun duel.

Good morning also to the lady in the Dennis the Menace top who stopped to chat at some lights on the A23. Sorry I wasn't more chatty. I'm just not really a morning person.

 

[Tynan]

my ride in started very early with a woman stepping across the cycle lane from between cars after crossing four lanes of traffic, the two on my side stationary, me freewheeling at 20mph down a hill, she doesn't look, but it's ok as I've seen her and covered the brakes, all good, a full second later a small child of no more than four, that I assume to be with her (he was that far behind her) steps out from the same slot, him being so short I am not expecting, luckily the brakes were already ready to go on and on they went to bring me to a sharp stop next to the bus stop, with an oath of F***ing hell, the woman looks me in the eye placidly and says 'sorry' as if nothing untoward has happened

I tried to point how very close the kid had come to being killed/badly hurt but I don't think she got it

 

[gaz]

I love it when people try and out accelerate me on vauxhall bridge. Not going to happen!

 

[hackbike 666]

Personally Waterloo Bridge is my favourite for going home and I use Blackfriars for getting to work mainly....

 

[Roadrunner78]

Funny. Every time I see another cyclist going my way I go into race mode.

 

[Browser]

If I see another cyclist going my way I stop and take a photgraph! You might call them 'rare'

 

[Tynan]

London Bridge southbound is my kingdom, sprint finish up the up slope, I'm normally good for 30, and then a good long rest at the lights at the far end while all the plodders catch up and try not to smirk at me

 

[hackbike 666]

Waterloo Bridge is my kingdom and battling the buses....a very nice 171 bus driver thought he would race me to the pinch point tonight (he won) but I still overtook him...After he released that bit of frustration or whatever it was to squeeze in front of me he was much better behaved...


Waterloo Bridge .Northbound.........Business as usual..
Blackfriars Bridge Southbound........Good as gold...

 

[Simba]

I also go into race mode when I see a cyclist going my way. Some of then "win" by jumping red lights.

 

[automatic_jon]

I'm having trouble commuter racing on my new commute into Southampton, most of the other cyclists disqualify themselves by jumping red lights.

 

[laertes]

Waterloo Bridge is my kingdom and battling the buses....a very nice 171 bus driver thought he would race me to the pinch point tonight (he won) but I still overtook him...After he released that bit of frustration or whatever it was to squeeze in front of me he was much better behaved...


Waterloo Bridge .Northbound.........Business as usual..
Blackfriars Bridge Southbound........Good as gold...

I'll be one of the peasants then. I'm happy enough blasting past Boris Bikers and other heavy breathers on the upslope of Waterloo Bridge. Ducking and weaving to get through the buses onto Aldwych can be fun too. Southbound is much better since they reopened both lanes.

 

[hackbike 666]

I'll be one of the peasants then. I'm happy enough blasting past Boris Bikers and other heavy breathers on the upslope of Waterloo Bridge. Ducking and weaving to get through the buses onto Aldwych can be fun too. Southbound is much better since they reopened both lanes.

You probably pass me then...I was $hyt£ tonight on the first bit of climb on Waterloo Bridge but I get better...Must be sitting around all day I must have concrete running through my veins....

 

[Blackandblue]

Until May this year I worked just north of Blackfriars Bridge so my commute entailed a trip north over that bridge in the morning and south in the evening. Sometimes I would head along Vickie Embankment in the evening and cross at Chelsea Bridge - but I did this rarely as I found (find) Vickie Embankment an unpleasant experience in the evenings due to "sheer volume of traffic".

Given the number of times I crossed Blackfriars Bridge I had very few incidents with other road users.

New job is north of Southwark Bridge and most direct route from home to work (and vice versa) is over Southwark Bridge. I did once, to inject a little varietal spice into my life, cross over Blackfriars Bridge in the morning but found the whole experience of turning right at the northern end of the bridge decidedly unpleasant.

I don't find Southwark Bridge too bad. Partic as now they have the segregated cycle lane on each carriageway which is wide enough for cyclists to pass each other (and notwithstanding that I'm not a big fan of segregated cycle lanes normally). However, again I feel my experience of this bridge is slightly skewed as I travel straight on in the mornings from the north side of the bridge. I've witnessed a few hairy moments with other cyclists that are turning right off the bridge. It's also fair to say that there is a much larger volume of HGVs that use that bridge than, say, Blackfriars and that makes a difference to the cyclist/road user interface.

Probably the most unpleasant part of my commute however is the stretch from the north side of the bridge where you end up mixing it on shared use sections with peds. I've nothing against peds as such (some of my best friends are peds) but mornings and evenings are hugely congested with peds and cyclists and you might as well just get off your bike and push it.

 

[stephenb]

my ride in started very early with a woman stepping across the cycle lane from between cars after crossing four lanes of traffic, the two on my side stationary, me freewheeling at 20mph down a hill, she doesn't look, but it's ok as I've seen her and covered the brakes, all good, a full second later a small child of no more than four, that I assume to be with her (he was that far behind her) steps out from the same slot, him being so short I am not expecting, luckily the brakes were already ready to go on and on they went to bring me to a sharp stop next to the bus stop, with an oath of F***ing hell, the woman looks me in the eye placidly and says 'sorry' as if nothing untoward has happened

I tried to point how very close the kid had come to being killed/badly hurt but I don't think she got it

You were luckier than me mate. First P***tured under Admiralty Arch - rear wheel of course. Then absolutely clattered a lovely young lady who stepped out in between two bendy buses queued up near St Pauls - didn't have time to react or even holler out. She'd looked the wrong way/not at all but I probably shouldn't have been going as quick filtering up the outside. We were both very British and apologetic, she was really worried whether I was OK and said it was all her fault etc but I still feel really rotten about hitting her. It was hard getting back on the bike tonight, not sure I can face it again TBH.

 

[rb58]

London Bridge southbound is my kingdom, sprint finish up the up slope, I'm normally good for 30, and then a good long rest at the lights at the far end while all the plodders catch up and try not to smirk at me

I love that bit. Except for the stupid Open Top Buses that behave in a random manner on the bridge and down Tooley Street....