These kind of posts can be taken two ways, either in jest or as a narrow minded attack on another group of people. Personally its the kind of attiude I would expect from londoners towards other parts of the country.
I live in this "countryside" but also commuted to work at the Olympics for 4 months. From my experience there are a few major differences in commuting in the two areas. London is very busy and I found it hard to not turn the commute into a "battle" with everyone else in the road, you do have to keep an eye on everything at all times and anything could happen at any time, although generally the traffic is slower, or stationary. I tried to obay the highwaycode as much as possible. I had close calls with cars but also with other bikes, ridden by people who had no respect for other road users. In fact most of the other things I saw were caused the cyclists had no regard for the road laws, and was shocked then pedestrians thought they had to give way to cyclists on the pavement. I never spoke to anyone commuting as I was the only one not on the pavement and always on my own, stopping at the lights.
In the countryside, things are quite different. The roads are in worse condition but the main difference is the speed of others, things can be quiet one second then suddenly HGV's can appear around the bend, comming both ways, other vehicles forget you maybe around then have to react suddenly. Many people overtake you at 60mph, in the rain, just inches from you, and it can catch you out. There are also a lot of debris, mud and gravel on smaller roads. The other main danger is that most are unlit. Cars and lorries commuting home at night in the dark, on wet roads struggle to see cyclists, even if bikes have lights and glow in the headlights, it becomes vary hard to judge distances and speeds, in these conditions. The times I have repeatedly come close to accidents is mainly cause by people who make mistakes because they are just going too fast or cannot judge your speed, in relation to their own.
As for you typical London based view of the countryside, based on Radio 2, The Daily Mail and Downton Abby, if it keeps people like you away then fine, and yes the wicker shopping basket does slow you down and the rose bush thorns do give you punctures.