Rant - I want to Cycle into London but the Mrs wont let me
- Thread starter Steppylud
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confusedcyclist
Veteran
Yes cycling could be safer, yes local authorities could do a hell of a lot more to improve things, but that does not mean that cycling is a no no. You might argue anything could be made safer with effort and expense!
I have the same disagreements about cycling safety with my GF, mother and father, my GF's mother gets in on the act too. I don't cycle in London, but I assume it cannot be worse than Bradford where the quality of driving is often lacking and there is very little infrastructure in place for cycling.
Family/spouses use emotional arguments that cannot be reasoned with, no matter the quality of your logic or come backs. They truly don't understand the concept of risk and assume cycling is an instant death warrant as they heard/knew of a guy who was killed or injured on a bike once (hmm). They give little consideration to the dangers of driving, or the thousands who die in their cars every year.
Just do what you want, I know it's hard, the emotional manipulation some people pull to stop you from cycling can be very discouraging (I thought about jacking it in a few times because of the pressure I was under, it gave my confidence a real knock) but their concern is ultimately misplaced and misguided. In the end just get out there and show her that you can do it every day without a hiccup. Just don't go feeding her insecurities with every little mishap, close pass, and fall as it only serves to feed their anxiety about the levels of safety.
Life's too short to be sat in a bus/tube stinking of pee.
I have the same disagreements about cycling safety with my GF, mother and father, my GF's mother gets in on the act too. I don't cycle in London, but I assume it cannot be worse than Bradford where the quality of driving is often lacking and there is very little infrastructure in place for cycling.
Family/spouses use emotional arguments that cannot be reasoned with, no matter the quality of your logic or come backs. They truly don't understand the concept of risk and assume cycling is an instant death warrant as they heard/knew of a guy who was killed or injured on a bike once (hmm). They give little consideration to the dangers of driving, or the thousands who die in their cars every year.
Just do what you want, I know it's hard, the emotional manipulation some people pull to stop you from cycling can be very discouraging (I thought about jacking it in a few times because of the pressure I was under, it gave my confidence a real knock) but their concern is ultimately misplaced and misguided. In the end just get out there and show her that you can do it every day without a hiccup. Just don't go feeding her insecurities with every little mishap, close pass, and fall as it only serves to feed their anxiety about the levels of safety.
Life's too short to be sat in a bus/tube stinking of pee.
Last edited:
vickster
Legendary Member
I am sure Bradford doesn't have the sheer volume of vans, lorries, buses, taxis as central London. Not the same volume of cyclists, many of whom in my experience don't seem to give a stuff about other cyclists and whether they have space to make their way safely. Just my experience of cycling to Central London from the same direction as the OP
I've never found London trains to stink of pee but rush hour roads do stink of diesel which is worse!
I've never found London trains to stink of pee but rush hour roads do stink of diesel which is worse!
Moodyman
Legendary Member
I've cycled in both, and I find London a lot safer. Bradford can be a bit wild west for driving etiquette.
confusedcyclist
Veteran
Sitting in it usually!What makes you think you stink of pee
confusedcyclist
Veteran
would rather collide with a cyclist than a lorry!
vickster
Legendary Member
Not if there are lorries around though (or taxis, buses, vans, cars)
From someone who cycles in central London as well as country Essex/Suffolk/Cambs lanes I can assure you London is probably the safest.
1. Relative speed - I keep up with cars so no fast overtakes
2. No winding country lanes with cars overtaking dangerously
3. Sheer volume of cyclists. I can get to lights with 20+ cyclists waiting there too. We become the size of a bus so are easily spotted.
4. Drivers in London are very used to cyclists and often find these days the MGIF has diminished as they know we'll just fly by at the almost immediate traffic jam.
1. Relative speed - I keep up with cars so no fast overtakes
2. No winding country lanes with cars overtaking dangerously
3. Sheer volume of cyclists. I can get to lights with 20+ cyclists waiting there too. We become the size of a bus so are easily spotted.
4. Drivers in London are very used to cyclists and often find these days the MGIF has diminished as they know we'll just fly by at the almost immediate traffic jam.
vickster
Legendary Member
That's the bit that terrifies me, especially those MGIF merchants who squeeze to the front to a non existent space...and those that are inept at clipping in and take forever to actually move away as there's a risk of running into their back wheel as they don't move and you have someone on your back wheel
jefmcg
Guru
Just after I started cycling through London, and for the first time in my life mixing with cyclists in volume, I was finding starting in a big pack difficult. One time I was waiting at the lights near London Bridge, and I just felt I'd have trouble starting with cyclists pressing in on both sides. I got off my bike and walked it towards the river. A few seconds later I heard a crash. The lights were still red, but one of the cyclists had lost his balance, and they'd all fallen like dominos or skittles.
I've also had 2 head on collisions on CS3, one of which would be the most serious accident I've had.
I've also had 2 head on collisions on CS3, one of which would be the most serious accident I've had.
Hip Priest
Veteran
For my wife it's win-win. If I survive, I survive. If I die, the mortgage gets paid off!
crazyjoe101
New Member
- Location
- London
If you like I can send you hours on end of footage showing trouble free riding in and around London and you can bore her into submission with it.
Tthat's how I won my parents over in the end.
Tthat's how I won my parents over in the end.
jonny jeez
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chislehurst, Kent, UK
Cool that your missus loves you enough to want you to be safe.
Problem is, she has no true perception of the danger. Some facts were quoted on here a while ago about annual collisions in London and if I recall correctly something like 3 times more people were injured crossing the road in london than on a cycle. Plus with something like 2 deaths a year on cycles, compared to a shocking number of pedestrian fatalities (like a hundred or something). The trouble is, the pedestrian fatalities are so common they don't make headlines like grizzly shots of mangled bike frames under cement lorries do. That said, none of this likely to turn her mind.
Would the option to ride with a really experienced rider who has never had any collisions, or incidents help to settle her mind?
If so, there must be some riders in here coming in via Putney or the like, for the "London bit". I come in from the opposite direction (south east ) I'm afraid or else I'd be happy to buddie up.
Problem is, she has no true perception of the danger. Some facts were quoted on here a while ago about annual collisions in London and if I recall correctly something like 3 times more people were injured crossing the road in london than on a cycle. Plus with something like 2 deaths a year on cycles, compared to a shocking number of pedestrian fatalities (like a hundred or something). The trouble is, the pedestrian fatalities are so common they don't make headlines like grizzly shots of mangled bike frames under cement lorries do. That said, none of this likely to turn her mind.
Would the option to ride with a really experienced rider who has never had any collisions, or incidents help to settle her mind?
If so, there must be some riders in here coming in via Putney or the like, for the "London bit". I come in from the opposite direction (south east ) I'm afraid or else I'd be happy to buddie up.
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