I pity you London cycists for the next couple of weeks...

[cloggsy]

Not only is the traffic going to be carnage, but I have also just read this about cycling in Olympic Cycle Lanes...

Very interesting, especially if you get a 'Hobby Bobby' trying to issue you a ticket

 

[Drago]

You'd think they'd get the terminology right for a start.

 

[stowie]

I cycled yesterday from central London to Leytonstone down the Mile End Road and right through Stratford. This was around 6:30pm. The traffic wasn't too bad at all, a little busier in places, but in other areas it was less congested than the average rush hour. And this was with the games lanes in active use - I reckon with a standard road layout yesterday would have been as quiet as a Sunday. Lots of pedestrians and people milling around Stratford and the paths to the park, but less chaotic than when Westfield first opened. And it was odd but the cars were avoiding the inside bus lane even though it was out of use, so my fear of having streams of cars close passing didn't happen. I expect that will change as people realise the new layout.

Bow Flyover was a bit odd, they had cordoned the inside lane off for reasons that escape me and left the other lane too narrow for cars to pass a bicycle comfortably. So all us cyclists used the cordoned off lane without incident, although the flyover was so quiet that not one car passed me whilst I was on it.

Quite a few bicycles, although it is difficult to determine if there were more cyclists or the cyclists that were there were easier to spot in the lighter traffic. The only irritation was the odd close pass on Mile End Road (normal for this road with its idiotic two narrow lanes and CSH layout) and a significant number of private coaches who seemed to believe they could use the bus lanes (can they?) and weaved in and out of the bus lanes and traffic lane to try to gain places on the traffic which was free flowing anyway. I got the distinct impression that some of the coach drivers were unused to London conditions especially with cyclists, some seemed a bit out of their depth.

 

[snorri]

Don't waste time on pity for London cyclists cloggsy.
Have you ever been there? The place is full of roads, if one is closed they have the choice of a hundred others.

 

[Mugshot]

I'm not too sure it'll be that bad. I was watching something on the tele earlier about a group of guys riding their bikes in London and they seemed to be making great progress, I think they were commuting but I'm not sure.

 

[defy-one]

Been using the bike all week, been great. Lots of quieter back streets to use and the motorists give us loads of room

 

[Pisquee]

Commuting from Peckham to Greenwich and back (have a stall at Greenwich Market), roads a lot quieter now (as is trade!)

 

[subaqua]

on the ride home yesterday it was relatively quiet in stratford vehicle wise. people milling about aimlessly was obviously the demo sport for the 'lympics. to misquote Zulu " faarsaaands of em" and a lot of police in strange uniforms with things like Northumbria humberside merseyside on them

 

[Markymark]

Been cycling 10 miles passed Olympic site every day, including 6pm Friday and it's great. Roads are really quiet in central London. Roads around venue (eastway etc) are well organised and security have been waving us all through to use cycle lanes. Great atmosphere all around too.

Thanks for the 'pity' but not necessary.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

It wasn't quiet for me yesterday about 11pm it was carnage.Horrendous from Mile End to Stratford but it cleared at the bus station,was expecting worse.

 

[jefmcg]

I headed through Knightsbridge on Thursday night, and it was pretty horrible: idiot pedestrians stepping in front, and confused drivers.

Not helped by conflicting olympic lanes signs. First one said "All vehicles allowed in Games Lanes", then a kilometre further on "Games lanes now operating. Games vehicles only".

On the upside, pretty well left the games lanes for me ;-)

 

[cloggsy]

Don't waste time on pity for London cyclists cloggsy.
Have you ever been there?

Erm yes

I lived there from '91 to '94

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

On the commute in around mid-day.Tower Bridge caught me yesterday.(doh) loads of peds wandering into the road with their cameras.

Not that I have any problem with that.

 

[defy-one]

Came up to knightsbridge to see the start of the road race yesterday. A lovely ride through hyde park in the morning sunshine .... Thanks for your pity! Lol

 

[gaz]

TFL are purposefully keeping traffic off the ORN, so the ORN is actually great to use.