Just out of interest......

[compo]

The following was posted on an older people's forum I go on and relates to the nice day we had on Tuesday, 28 Oct. He raises some interesting issues and I would be interested in the groups views. I think I can guess some of them! The important thng is he got out on his bike and had a pleasurable day's cycling. I don't know what his average speed is, I suspect not very fast.

It was a nice day, not too much wind, and Mrs S was off to her college, so I decided to bite the bullet and take the bike uptown. I have cycled up there before, when I was working, but of course the traffic was not so dense in those days. I did walk the bike up Dog Kennel Hill, quite a steep hill you have to go up when you are leaving Dulwich for the City. I decided to stick to the bus lanes and not mix it with the traffic, that's where I think most of the accidents to cyclists happen. I was in no rush, and the busses following me seemed quite happy to keep to my speed, until they reached a spot where they could overtake that is. It is a little frustrating following the busses, especially up the Walworth Road heading toward the Elephant and Castle, because what with the busses stopping to pick up passengers, and then stopping at traffic lights or just plain stuck in queues of traffic, it did take quite some time and I could see why impatient youngsters pull out of the bus lanes on their bikes to go a little faster. But I am 71, retired, and with all the time in the world. So I stuck in the bus lanes.

I did eventually get to Waterloo, chained the bike to a bike stand, and caught a bus to Leicester Square to see what is on at the cinema. Nothing. There is however a good film on next week, 'Turner' starring Timothy Spall, about the artist. We may well go and see that. Then a bus back to Waterloo, a little light lunch, and an uneventful (and quicker) ride on my bike home.

 

[steveindenmark]

Sorry but I am failing to see where the interest is.

 

[compo]

Sorry but I am failing to see where the interest is.

"I decided to stick to the bus lanes and not mix it with the traffic, that's where I think most of the accidents to cyclists happen" was something that caught my attention. I was wondering what regular London cyclists thought about this. I use the bus lanes around here because we don't have anywhere near the number of buses as in London, but in London the choice between the roads or the bus lanes seem to me to be a choice between the devil or the deep blue sea!

 

[Paulus]

I tend to keep in the bus lanes as much as possible, but, when I need to, I go out into the traffic to overtake the buses if the traffic conditions allow.

 

[summerdays]

I use the bus lanes here, why not? However I wouldn't say accident free, you still have taxis and watch for people using them when they shouldn't or even lots of cyclists. I would change lanes to overtake a bus if I need to though.

 

[Markymark]

Bus lanes in central london are the cyclists' friend. Wide and respected by traffic (cameras everywhere) and buses are generally well driven and slow.

 

[compo]

You can see I don't cycle in central London!

 

[Racing roadkill]

If he wants to stick to the bus lanes and blue lanes in that bit of town, then that's fair enough, that's why they are there after all. I wouldn't advise doing so in the outlands. I haven't seen official stat's, but from my own observations, I'd say the amounts and severity of accidents and incidents are fairly even steven's, whether in the bus lanes, or in the main stream. I've seen countless couriers / fixie hipster beardy monkeys, getting fired over the bars having ridden into busses and or cabs in bus lanes. I've seen a few incidents of cyclists and motorists coming together on the main carriageways too. The average speeds in that part of town, during the week are so slow, unless it's a cycle vs tipper truck type of incident, they are generally not that serious, in my experience.

 

[srw]

Sorry but I am failing to see where the interest is.

It's an everyday story of city folk. Man rides bike safely and is never in appreciable danger. The End.

Millions of similar stories happen every day.