What I have learned after week 1 of commuting

[Drago]

Good morning,

At the risk of being subject to much scorn and doubts about my sanity I have had good results with Sports Direct cycling jerseys and shorts.

For the price and for shortish journeys where breath-ability is not that important they are great value for money, sure by absolute standards they are not that good but just doing the sums in my head my older SD stuff has cost around 1p per ride for shorts and jersey (each) and are as good as they were when they was new.

For longer or harder riding they fare less well as them seem to trap sweat!

Kind regards,

Mike Ashley.

 

[I like Skol]

Said a man who has probably never ridden in London

What, you think people wandering around aimlessly not paying attention to you is just a London thing do you?
None of those people stepped out suddenly or unexpectedly. That tool on the bike was assaulting people every time he sounded off his new 'toy' and I just wish there had been some grumpy coppers in the vicinity who might have dished out some justice to show the idiot the error of his ways. Great way to go on building up any kind of positive relationship between the cycling community, pedestrians and drivers (many of whom are also pedestrians at other times).

 

[mjr]

Gloves are just as essential as helmets if you are into personal protective equipment.

I'd say they're much more useful.

Don't forget they are always out to get you so never let your attention to traffic drop or leave your bike unlocked .

What a scary place to live!

 

[Drago]

What, you think people wandering around aimlessly not paying attention to you is just a London thing do you?
None of those people stepped out suddenly or unexpectedly. That tool on the bike was assaulting people every time he sounded off his new 'toy' and I just wish there had been some grumpy coppers in the vicinity who might have dished out some justice to show the idiot the error of his ways. Great way to go on building up any kind of positive relationship between the cycling community, pedestrians and drivers (many of whom are also pedestrians at other times).

Oh yeah, London is completely unique and no cyclist anywhere has to face anything like what the London massive do. Didn't you know that? Central cov, Brum, Glasgae or Manchester are rural idylls where motorists leave their cars at home and van drivers slip flowers in their hair before cautiously venturing forth.

The idea that any particular square mile of London is somehow nastier than a similar square mile from any other city or large town is utter guff. Some Laarndoners need to get out more.

 

[ukoldschool]

What, you think people wandering around aimlessly not paying attention to you is just a London thing do you?
None of those people stepped out suddenly or unexpectedly. That tool on the bike was assaulting people every time he sounded off his new 'toy' and I just wish there had been some grumpy coppers in the vicinity who might have dished out some justice to show the idiot the error of his ways. Great way to go on building up any kind of positive relationship between the cycling community, pedestrians and drivers (many of whom are also pedestrians at other times).

perhaps you missed the fact these were all cycle specific lanes? not shared use - cycle specific.....
Nah, your dead right, its not just a London thing...
OK so London London has a greater density of population than anywhere else in the uk, and has a greater concentration of tourists than anywhere else than the UK, but aside from all that you are right of course

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_districts_by_population_density
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_council_areas_by_population_density

 

[ukoldschool]

Oh yeah, London is completely unique and no cyclist anywhere has to face anything like what the London massive do. Didn't you know that? Central cov, Brum, Glasgae or Manchester are rural idylls where motorists leave their cars at home and van drivers slip flowers in their hair before cautiously venturing forth.

The idea that any particular square mile of London is somehow nastier than a similar square mile from any other city or large town is utter guff. Some Laarndoners need to get out more.

Er Jog on:
Islington density: 15,817 per km
Hackney density; 14,485 per km
Westminster density: 11,392 per km

Coventry density: 3,651 per km
Birmingham density: 4,246 per km
Glasgow density: 3,554 per km
Manchester density: 4,807 per km

 

[Drago]

Population density? Get real - were not driving through peoples bedrooms. Per capita Greater London actually has lower car ownership than most UK cities, and it's the roads where we ride, not peoples living rooms.

Here are photos of 3 x UK town centres during rush hour. One of them is London. From a cycling perspective London isn't terribly different to the other to. The congestion, traffic, dangers and risks are identical. Get over yourself.

And the Greater London road casualty rate is far from the highest in the UK. Indeed, per capita the semi rural county of Northamptonshire has a higher rate of death or serious injury - uep, statistically you're less li,rely to die on the roads of Lindon than poor old @PeteXXX cycling around his manor.

London is a city. BIgger than any other in the UK, but at heart little different aside from that. Its roads are safer than many other cities. This idea that London is a special case and requires prescient reflexes and death ninja skills simply to stay alive is complete, utter rubbish.

So to recap:

Lower per capita car ownership.

Not the highest per capita casualty rate by a long chalk.

The same laws of man apply.

The same laws of physics apply.

And the last time I checked the cheeky cockney chappies still put their trousers on one leg at a time.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Population density? Get real - were not driving through peoples bedrooms. Per capita Greater London actually has lower car ownership than most UK cities, and it's the roads where we ride.

Here are photos of 3 x UK town centres during rush hour. One of them is London. From a cycling perspective London isn't terribly different to the other to. The congestion, traffic, dangers and risks are identical. Get over yourself.

View attachment 453209 View attachment 453210 View attachment 453211

Stop it, you're making me feel like a wimp because my commute looks like this:

Look, look, I have to deal with cars too:

So there...

 

[ukoldschool]

Population density? Get real - were not driving through peoples bedrooms. Per capita Greater London actually has lower car ownership than most UK cities, and it's the roads where we ride, not peoples living rooms.

Here are photos of 3 x UK town centres during rush hour. One of them is London. From a cycling perspective London isn't terribly different to the other to. The congestion, traffic, dangers and risks are identical. Get over yourself.

View attachment 453209 View attachment 453210 View attachment 453211

And the Greater London road casualty rate is far from the highest in the UK. Indeed, per capita the semi rural county of Northamptonshire has a higher rate of death or serious injury - uep, statistically you're less li,rely to die on the roads of Lindon than poor old @PeteXXX cycling around his manor.

London is a city. BIgger than any other in the UK, but at heart little different aside from that. Its roads are safer than many other cities. This idea that London is a special case and requires prescient reflexes and death ninja skills simply to stay alive is complete, utter rubbish.

So to recap:

Lower per capita car ownership.

Not the highest per capita casualty rate by a long chalk.

The same laws of man apply.

The same laws of physics apply.

And the last time I checked the cheeky cockney chappies still put their trousers on one leg at a time.

Oh dear, I think you seem to have missed the point old boy.
The video I linked, which incidentally was mean to be humerus, (but the flat caps have taken offence to it, and who says northerners don't have a sense of humour?) showed a London cyclist, trying to negotiate the London cycle specific lanes, and being accosted with people in the lanes. Not cars, vans or black pudding delivery vehicles - pedestrians.......

Pay attention at the back!

 

[ukoldschool]

But since we are 'getting real' and you are obsessed with stats about cars, and how apparently there are less of them in Lindon (see what I did there) than how about:
The UK’s 10 Most Congested Cities/Large Urban Areas

City Peak Hrs in Congestion % of Drive Time in Congestion Cost/Driver Cost to City

1 London 73 12.7% £1,911 £6.2bn

2 Manchester 39 9.9% £1,136 £233m

3 Aberdeen 35 12.3% £1,331 £138m

4 Birmingham 34 8.5% £990 £407m

5 Edinburgh 31 9.8% £1,009 £225m

6 Guildford 29 8.6% £812 £44m

7 Luton 29 10.7% £964 £72m

8 Bournemouth 27 10.8% £1,019 £84m

9 Hull 27 9.4% £970 £109m

10 Bristol 27 8.8% £845 £154m

"London is by far the UK’s most congested city and the second most congested in Europe (behind Moscow but ahead of Paris), with the capital’s drivers spending an average of 73 hours in traffic during peak hours."



https://www.transport-network.co.uk/Most-congested-cities-revealed/13826

 

[I like Skol]

But since we are 'getting real' and you are obsessed with stats about cars, and how apparently there are less of them in Lindon (see what I did there) than how about:
The UK’s 10 Most Congested Cities/Large Urban Areas

City Peak Hrs in Congestion % of Drive Time in Congestion Cost/Driver Cost to City

1 London 73 12.7% £1,911 £6.2bn

2 Manchester 39 9.9% £1,136 £233m

3 Aberdeen 35 12.3% £1,331 £138m

4 Birmingham 34 8.5% £990 £407m

5 Edinburgh 31 9.8% £1,009 £225m

6 Guildford 29 8.6% £812 £44m

7 Luton 29 10.7% £964 £72m

8 Bournemouth 27 10.8% £1,019 £84m

9 Hull 27 9.4% £970 £109m

10 Bristol 27 8.8% £845 £154m

"London is by far the UK’s most congested city and the second most congested in Europe (behind Moscow but ahead of Paris), with the capital’s drivers spending an average of 73 hours in traffic during peak hours."



https://www.transport-network.co.uk/Most-congested-cities-revealed/13826

You need to get out of that smog and chill! I think it is you that is missing the point.
Not one of those people in the video acted suddenly, unexpectedly or erratically until Lord Nobber rode up to them and assaulted them with his air horn.
You are being distracted by the non-shared use, cycle specific lane status that you think applies to the cycle lanes in parts of the video. This is a total red herring and I think you will find only a small portion of the nations road network actually prohibits pedestrians. This is a mixed-use world with multi-user public spaces and Lord Nobber has no right to assault members of the public in that way. I do not use the word assault lightly, if one of his victims chose to make a complaint against him I would be 100% supportive of him being charged with assault, especially in light of the video evidence that he set out to do so intentionally.
Bang him up and throw away the keys your honour.....

 

[ukoldschool]

You need to get out of that smog and chill! I think it is you that is missing the point.
Not one of those people in the video acted suddenly, unexpectedly or erratically until Lord Nobber rode up to them and assaulted them with his air horn.
You are being distracted by the non-shared use, cycle specific lane status that you think applies to the cycle lanes in parts of the video. This is a total red herring and I think you will find only a small portion of the nations road network actually prohibits pedestrians. This is a mixed-use world with multi-user public spaces and Lord Nobber has no right to assault members of the public in that way. I do not use the word assault lightly, if one of his victims chose to make a complaint against him I would be 100% supportive of him being charged with assault, especially in light of the video evidence that he set out to do so intentionally.
Bang him up and throw away the keys your honour.....

If anyone needs a chill pill, its the guy advocating punching a fellow cyclist for having the audacity of trying to use a cycle specific lane... you need to have a word with yourself fella..

I'm not being distracted by the cycle lane - its the entire point of the video its no different to a car driver honking the horn - the people are in the road (in this case the sectioned off part of the road for cyclists), and in all the cases bar the last the pavement is just a few short phone zombie steps to the left.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I'm not being distracted by the cycle lane - its the entire point of the video its no different to a car driver honking the horn - the people are in the road (in this case the sectioned off part of the road for cyclists), and in all the cases bar the last the pavement is just a few short phone zombie steps to the left.

Hi from a rainy, sparsely populated Glasgow
Pedestrians are allowed to walk anywhere they like on a shared users facility, even the ones that have signage saying which one is the cyclists half.

Segregated paths
These paths are divided and a solid line separates pedestrians and cyclists - there will be a bicycle painted at the start of the path to show you which side is yours.
However, be aware that dogs, small children and pedestrians may wander on to your side of the path.
Be considerate, sound your bell and thank them when someone moves over for you.

Linky

 

[mjr]

Hi from a rainy, sparsely populated Glasgow
Pedestrians are allowed to walk anywhere they like on a shared users facility, even the ones that have signage saying which one is the cyclists half.

They are also allowed to walk anywhere they like on most cycleways, bridleways and even carriageways, but the court-sanctioned threat of death from motorists generally deters most of them from exercising that right on carriageways in most places. That's why I really hate those segregated ways which leave cyclists legally trapped in a tiny channel that they have to share with walkers anyway, especially when the highways department refuses to remove one of many carriageway lanes to give both walking and cycling decent space - that's telling cyclists that they rank beneath walkers as well as motorists, which is just a bizarre perversion of all transport policies.

When I moved to Norwich 25 years ago, it was a joy to witness people fairly-blithely walking onto the carriageways in the city centre and getting right stroppy with any drivers who dared try to harass them - that's mostly becoming a thing of the past with motorists being banned from more of the centre.

We shouldn't wish for cycling to become as nasty as motoring IMO, although I do sometimes jest that cyclists are far too nice for our own good and should destroy more stuff to get respect from highways departments like motorists do.

 

[I like Skol]

I give up, I feel no need to win every discussion or confrontation. Bye matey, enjoy your cycling......