Islington cyclists

[dellzeqq]

are rubbish. They - by which I mean 80% or more of them - jump red lights. If you stop at a light they'll slide past bumping in to you without a word of acknowledgement. If you're freewheeling to a red they'll race in front of you as if to say 'Cavendish, who he?' If the light is red, and there's traffic coming the other way they wander in front of you, stop, reflect on life, and get in your way when it turns green. They never signal. Heaven help you if they think they can go fast - no manoeuvre is too sketchy and that includes swerving in to your line. If you make the mistake of using the two lane cycle way (I know, I know, I know) then don't expect them to ride on the left hand side. If you're a pedestrian then don't expect to get any quarter on the footpath.

I'm so close to swiping one of them. Imagine. 'Former CTC Councillor admits to assaulting cyclist'.

Thankyou for your time. I feel a little better now.....

 

[Gandalf]

So you're not a fan then?

 

[ttcycle]

I spot a man at then end of his tether....

Oh dear Dellzegg- I'll keep an eye out for you in the news!

 

[andyfromotley]

............... and you can bet your bottom dollar they're bloody labour voters too!

 

[hackbike 666]

I reckon they read The Sun.

 

[Nigeyy]

Hey, I live in Islington and cycle through it regularly and I can't recall a 2 lane cycle lane....

Oh wait a minute, I'm in Islington, Massachusetts!

are rubbish. They - by which I mean 80% or more of them - jump red lights. If you stop at a light they'll slide past bumping in to you without a word of acknowledgement. If you're freewheeling to a red they'll race in front of you as if to say 'Cavendish, who he?' If the light is red, and there's traffic coming the other way they wander in front of you, stop, reflect on life, and get in your way when it turns green. They never signal. Heaven help you if they think they can go fast - no manoeuvre is too sketchy and that includes swerving in to your line. If you make the mistake of using the two lane cycle way (I know, I know, I know) then don't expect them to ride on the left hand side. If you're a pedestrian then don't expect to get any quarter on the footpath.

I'm so close to swiping one of them. Imagine. 'Former CTC Councillor admits to assaulting cyclist'.

Thankyou for your time. I feel a little better now.....

 

[CotterPin]

Hey - I live in Islington and I am involved with Islington Cyclists Action Group. Personally I am not sure the quality of cycling is any worse than anywhere else in London.

You might be interested to know that some ICAG's members (including myself) have been trained as cycle instructors and we are have just set up a bike buddying scheme in conjunction with the council.

http://www.icag.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=232

Perhaps if you experience some of the same problems you can point the miscreants in our direction!

 

[Tynan]

everyone in Islington is rubbush

 

[CotterPin]

everyone in Islington is rubbush

succint and to the point

 

[pinkkaz]

totally agree dellzeg, although I'm not sure they're significantly worse than other parts of London. It's very rare anyone stops for the lights at the bottom of Essex Road. But I quite like the fact there's so many - it's like I'm in a gang or sommat.

 

[skwerl]

my straw poll of my commute from SW18 to EC2 (so battersea,Victoria/Belgravia,The Mall,Strand etc) says about 80% of London cyclists jump red lights.

you can't win even if (like me) you do stop. I got called a wanka (by a ped - said it quietly though) this morning for running an amber light, depsite the fact that I was mearly on top of it and doing 25mph when it changed from green

 

[dellzeqq]

my straw poll of my commute from SW18 to EC2 (so battersea,Victoria/Belgravia,The Mall,Strand etc) says about 80% of London cyclists jump red lights.

I genuinely think it's less than that, although it is depressingly high. And I do think it is worse in Islington than anywhere else.

 

[User482]

I reckon it's 50:50 in Bristol. What I've never understood is that the majority of RLJers don't appear to be in a hurry - I always seem to catch them back up again.

 

[dellzeqq]

I reckon it's 50:50 in Bristol. What I've never understood is that the majority of RLJers don't appear to be in a hurry - I always seem to catch them back up again.

(touches imaginary forelock) that would be down to your extreme speediness, Mr. User482, sir..

 

[Twanger]

(touches imaginary forelock) that would be down to your extreme speediness, Mr. User482, sir..

I've been watching RLJers over the past couple of months, and I think it's not speed which motivates them but keeping up momentum. They just don't like stopping. I followed one guy yesterday who jumped every red light between Horseferry road and Brixton road yesterday (including that suicidal junction where Kennington Road runs into Kennington Park Road), each time catching him up just in time to watch him vanish over the next red light. I couldn't have been averaging more than 13-14 mph.