Tales from today's commute....

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i have been cycling in London and kent since 2008 in that time I have been knocked off my bike been over th bonnet of a car, tail gated, sworn at, threats of pysical violence etc. Some of of its been my own fault some of it down to bad driving, I still maintain sone of the worst drivers on the roads are so called proffesional drivers. This morning after being tailed gated down a hill at 30 miles an hour by a red double decker bus this idiot decides to over take on a blind corner then because he decided after all he couldnt see what was comibg tried to push me into parked cars. Just another day in London lol
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
I still maintain sone of the worst drivers on the roads are so called proffesional drivers.
Agree 100%. Though bus drivers on a whole are usually very good and patient, there are a few who like to bully cyclists.
Now, talking about bullying, black cab drivers are on a whole different level. They really do believe they own the roads and anything in their way is lowlife scum.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Morning all. Tis cold out there this morning, 6°. Eschewing leg coverings, braving it but gone for arm warmers under the wind cheater.
Beautiful morning here in the South East. Should warm up nicely for later today.
PXL_20260413_061135519~2.jpg
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
Reading these tales of commuting is hurting. 😭 Been slogging through winter and when the sun finally came out, tore a quadriceps tendon. Been off the bike 4 weeks. WFH sucks.
 
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Andy in Germany

Legendary Member
I still maintain sone of the worst drivers on the roads are so called proffesional drivers.

Agree 100%. Though bus drivers on a whole are usually very good and patient, there are a few who like to bully cyclists.

I generally feel much safer here when dealing with bus drivers and trucks. It may be because they're more used to dealing with cyclists, especially in Tübingen, or it may be the fairly intense training they get.

Mercedes drovers on the other hand...
 

spen666

Legendary Member
I generally feel much safer here when dealing with bus drivers and trucks. It may be because they're more used to dealing with cyclists, especially in Tübingen, or it may be the fairly intense training they get.

Mercedes drovers on the other hand...

The HGV drivers who drive into central London have to undergo extra training and part of that involves them as a group getting on bicycles and riding on London roads to get an understanding of life from a cyclists perspective.

I've meet groups on this training and its eye opening for the HGV drivers, or so they say
 

spen666

Legendary Member
A sunny, bright, relatively wind free ride today.

Sounds like a positive post?

Well...
1. It was much colder than I expected
2. Its back to work / school after Easter Holidays for many - so much more traffic, both motorised and pedestrian
3. Think it was Close Pass Monday - but I suspect that was linked in part to point 2 and motorists running late as they had not allowed for the extra traffic after 2 weeks of little traffic.

Still what better way to start the week than a slow 20 mile pootle before work
 

katiewlx

Senior Member
still on my alternate bike, the weekend passed in a blur and I never found the time (that in itself could be a whole other topic) to look at my normal commuter bike.

it was a Baker day today locally, in old money iykyk, so traffic still not full on normal school run type levels, but still enough crazy so and so's out there who all mostly seemed to be an insane rush to be somewhere else.

but numpty of the day award had to go to this one driver on the way home, Im approaching a junction I want to turn left at, but I can see a parent with her small kid on the pavement approaching the same junction at the same time who wont have heard me coming, or seen me and I wasnt about to chop in front of them as the kid could have easily scooted out in front of me thinking it was clear. So I stopped as per the Highway code rule H2 on the main road angled to turn in, and they thanked me.

there I am thinking good deed done for the day, karma is good, but of course theres now a car behind me, and the driver is leaning on the horn for me to get out of their way, erm there are people crossing the road what part of that is causing a problem.

the pedestrians get clear so I make my turn, and of course the driver follows me, who knows whether they actually intended to turn or not as well, but when I pulled off the road to let them through because Ive really had my fill of people following me like that over the years, of course they find the time to then pull alongside and we have the 2min argument about the highway code and their attitude was every bit as nonsensical as youd imagine trying to defend the indefensible of you cant stop on the road like that, as I had to use my brakes, yes that really was the thrust of his complaint. and no of course if Id been in a car doing the same thing, he'd not have said a peep would he.

love cycling just maybe not today :sad:
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
WFH today, so, having looked at the forecast, I nipped out after work for a quick 16 mile off road on the CX bike. Tracks still very muddy, and no dust yet. Quite a lot of old folk out at around 5-6pm, who can't hear three rings of a bell.
 
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