People go nuts at 5pm!!

[lesley_x]

Yesterday I commuted into work by bike - great. The ride in was lovely, no hassles.

The ride home was crazy! First a van, on a 60mph road, passed so close to me I felt the wind rush by on my arm and then turned left right across my path. Could easily have been a death sentence for me.

Then I had a number of extremely close passes in a place where you really shouldn't be overtaking - no space (island on RHS) and blind corner. Lesson learned - I'll ride more defensively at this road next time.

But then the icing on the cake was waiting to turn right at a junction. The cars cleared but there was a cyclist still to come. Bags of room so I went. The guy started shouting abuse at me?! Why?! I couldn't make out what he said as I was a bit away by the time he passed the junction.

It was only 5 miles too!

 

[Kies]

If i am still in London at 5pm, i will usually find a coffee shop at watch the world rush around for an hour,before attempting the 22 miles home. You are right about the 5pm clocker outers

 

[lesley_x]

If i am still in London at 5pm, i will usually find a coffee shop at watch the world rush around for an hour,before attempting the 22 miles home. You are right about the 5pm clocker outers

Great strategy, I like it!

 

[Beebo]

I dont tend to leave until 6pm, but I find that cyclists go nuts in the evening too.
A certain breed of cyclist will be far more likely to try and engage you in a SCR in the evening than the morning.
It was the same when I used to travel by train, a total bun fight to get out of London as quick as possible, Friday being the worst.

 

[Maylian]

Personally love cycling at that time, although only a 5-6 mile route I love filtering and flying through traffic. Never have to worry about close passes as they're almost all stationary

 

[HLaB]

Depends what mood I'm in, etc like Maylian someimes I enjoy it other times like Beebo, etc I'll let things calm down a bit before heading out

 

[cd365]

I now leaver work at 7:15pm, previously it was 5:30pm, it is a much safer ride (but very dark at this time of year)

 

[Twelve Spokes]

I prefer cycling in a bunch with other cyclists or at least drafting one other and this is generally my strategy.I tend to find I get picked on more if im on my own.Well sometimes anyway,not sure if it's to do with a full moon.

Also prefer to cycle in the dark as im lit up like a Christmas tree,literally.

 

[Dmcd33]

I always purposfully take it a bit easier on a Friday at 5pm. Always more traffic getting nowhere fast and taking more chances i.e not indicating (must have been taken out of highway code over the past few years?) or giving way at 'Give way lines'. They prefer half their bumper taking up the blue pot holed super highway cycle area/lane/whatever it's classed as. More like 'use it at if you wish, but cars will also pull into it lane'

Mind you, Monday mornings can be on a par sometimes?

 

[lesley_x]

I think the trouble is my commute isn't busy, there's no tailbacks or anything so the traffic is free to go nuts and everyone's desperate to get home.

People are absolutely mental sometimes!!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Hardly ever leave before six. If I go at four or thereabouts and don't ride home the long way I get the 1700 mentalism at t'other end. Leaving a 1700 just makes for a pretty miserable hour's riding.

 

[Sara_H]

Tis bonkers at 5pm. Close passes galore. I have no idea what's wrong with folk.

 

[BentMikey]

then turned left right

Is that like the Afrikaans "yes-no"?

 

[Jezston]

Also prefer to cycle in the dark as im lit up like a Christmas tree,literally.

Literally?!?
You mean you wrap yourself and bike up in fairy lights?

 

[Tyke]

I work shifts so normally manage to miss the rush hour. Today I had to take the car past a local school at kicking out time, quarter mile of parked cars on both sides of road all way up hill two lanes of traffic trying to squeeze down the middle with small kids all over looking around watching cars as though they knew how to cross safely and parents just dragging them out into danger, and the same parents then put them in cars because its not safe for them to walk home. I wonder why.