What is it like cycling through London

[SuperHans123]

It sounds horrendous.
So glad to live in Swansea!

 

[ianrauk]

It sounds horrendous.
So glad to live in Swansea!

Well it's not.

 

[vickster]

It can be, but I'm sure Swansea can be too!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think I'm a ring-wraith. You know, those baddies from Lord of the Rings who don't like crossing water. I'm perfectly happy South of the River, but crossing the water ... oooh, dodgy.

 

[jonny jeez]

It sounds horrendous.
So glad to live in Swansea!

So are we!!

 

[Paulus]

It sounds horrendous.
So glad to live in Swansea!

The perception of danger makes It sound a lot worse than it really is.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I rode in Swansea earlier this year. It was well dangerous. But I'm well, 'ard, and had the Fridays on my side, so we called it quits.

 

[srw]

The perception of danger makes It sound a lot worse than it really is.

Cue "Denominator Neglect" by Jo Wood at City University's GI centre. A graphical representation of the safety of London cycling.

 

[Paulus]

Cue "Denominator Neglect" by Jo Wood at City University's GI centre. A graphical representation of the safety of London cycling.

What does that mean?

 

[vickster]

What does that mean?

http://www.gicentre.net/blog/2013/11/24/risk-cycling-and-denominator-neglect

And rather crazily I'm pretty sure he is the long time partner of a very old school friend of mine!!

 

[srw]

One of the comments on that page:-
Now imagine all the red dots if we coloured in all those who had close passes, verbal or physical abuse, left hooks, near misses, tailgating or anything else that normally goes unrecorded in official statistics but makes a journey dangerous or unpleasant as a direct result of having to "share the road" with motor vehicles, and hence the exact type of thing that puts off most normal people from ever getting on a bike past school age. I imagine the picture would look different.

Well. You're wrong. But you're also missing the point. The pictures show that *real* risk is way way way way below *perceived*risk.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well. You're wrong. But you're also missing the point. The pictures show that *real* risk is way way way way below *perceived*risk.

I'd go further and say that the real risk of non-reported problems like "physical and verbal abuse, left hooks, near misses and tailgating" is below the perceived level.

I tend to remember run ins with other road users on my bike, but to be honest I think I get cut up in my car a lot more often. But when driving I'm more relaxed and feel less vulnerable so I forget about it as soon as I've muttered "tosser".

 

[PaulSB]

I guess it depends what you're used to. Up here in Lancashire I feel happy riding in traffic.

Summer 2014 I had to cross London from Euston to Victoria, about 4 miles, with my tourer.

I was so nervous after the first few hundred yards I got off and walked for about two miles until I found relatively quiet roads.

Awful experience.

 

[SuperHans123]

Well. You're wrong. But you're also missing the point. The pictures show that *real* risk is way way way way below *perceived*risk.

Not my view.
As I said, quoting a comment.

 

[PaulSB]

Anyway, IME it's the lack of local knowledge that is the worst part of cycling in London, it is difficult to be concentrating on the actual cycling when struggling with navigation, and you'll be very lucky indeed to find any locals capable of assisting with directions.

Returning to my earlier post that my one experience of London cycling was very frightening I know the above was a large part of the problem.

I had studied the route and loaded it in to my Garmin but found navigating while dealing with what for me is a huge level of traffic was very tough. It was this combination which made the experience so difficult.

I did become very stressed, tried asking a two policemen the way (that's an age thing!!) who didn't have a clue and the same with pedestrians. It's understandable but very different from my experience in the north AND in other cities or countries.

Eventually I found a very nice and helpful lady who was a "here to help tourist guide" type person (brilliant idea London as are the map guides on lamp posts). The lady talked me through a route, marked it on a map and I survived. I'll probably have to do this again for my next French tour but will allow much more time than the hour to travel 4 miles that I had done.

Some of this makes me sound like a country hick in the big city. At 62 I've travelled a great deal but my more recent experience of London, on other trips without bike, is the sheer volume of people and traffic makes it much harder to get around than anywhere else I've visited. The lack of local knowledge from people one might ask for help in the street is surprising and leads, for me, to a rather uncomfortable sense of isolation. Simply no one can or wants to help. When my wife and I visit, very much as tourists, we now make sure we are even better prepared than if visiting a foreign capital.

The other comment I'd make, and I don't want to upset or anger others, is I've observed some very dangerous and inconsiderate riding in London, far more than elsewhere. No doubt part of this is due to the huge numbers cycling but I've seen riding which simply invited a serious accident. That is rare anywhere I have lived or visited.