Today I are been mostly in London



J

Just Zis Guy

Guest
Riding a bike in London is certainly different from anywhere
else. The first thing you notice is the incredible number of
junctions. Navigation is a nightmare! The second thing you
notice is that discipline is almost entirely absent.
Courtesy is common, but so is ignorance. Red lights are
treated as Give Way signs by just about everybody,
pedestrians amble into the road looking the other way, buses
drive completely at random and taxis do U-turns in the road
- but none of this seems to cause a problem because
everybody is expecting it!

My monthly trip to the Smoke is looking like being a big
learning experience...

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University
 
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Riding a bike in London is certainly different from
> anywhere else. The first thing you notice is the
> incredible number of junctions. Navigation is a nightmare!
> The second thing you notice is that discipline is almost
> entirely absent. Courtesy is common, but so is ignorance.
> Red lights are treated as Give Way signs by just about
> everybody, pedestrians amble into the road looking the
> other way, buses drive completely at random and taxis do
> U-turns in the road - but none of this seems to cause a
> problem because everybody is expecting it!
>
> My monthly trip to the Smoke is looking like being a big
> learning experience...
>
> Guy
> --
> May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle
> after posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
>
> 88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
> Washington University
 
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Riding a bike in London is certainly different from
> anywhere else. The first thing you notice is the
> incredible number of junctions. Navigation is a nightmare!
> The second thing you notice is that discipline is almost
> entirely absent. Courtesy is common, but so is ignorance.
> Red lights are treated as Give Way signs by just about
> everybody, pedestrians amble into the road looking the
> other way, buses drive completely at random and taxis do
> U-turns in the road - but none of this seems to cause a
> problem because everybody is expecting it!
>
> My monthly trip to the Smoke is looking like being a big
> learning experience...
>

This is the second attempt at a reply - the first just went
off before I'd even written anything.. my mouse seems to be
sending two clicks for every one I do!

So, what I was going to say, Guy, was.. welcome to London!
Your experience is the way London 'works'. Not only are
there an incredible number of junctions, an incredible
number of them are controlled by traffic lights, often only
a few tens of metres from the last set. Which is perhaps why
they are so often treated as 'give way'....

Rich
 
Guy:
> Riding a bike in London is certainly different from
> anywhere else.

Yup.

> The second thing you notice is that discipline is almost
> entirely absent.

I don't know that I agree with that - people seem to adhere
to some kind of procedural rules, but they aren't the same
set of rules that you'll find Anywhere Else. And they aren't
necessarily the same set of rules that the person in the
next car is following.

I find the simplest rules for self-preservation when riding
a bike in London are to always go as fast as you possibly
can, and to always ride in the middle of the lane - it's
usually possible on most roads to keep up with the [motor]
traffic, and doing so in the centre of the lane guarantees
that they aren't even tempted to try overtaking you - I find
this to be true even of taxi drivers.

And the one other rule you must always follow is to be
*extremely* clear with your signalling.

> Courtesy is common, but so is ignorance.

Unfortunately, this is as true of cyclists as it is of
everyone else. I was infuriated today as I sat at the
junction waiting to turn right into London Bridge station,
watching cyclist after cyclist make him/herself a nuisance
by pottering along oblivious to the world at large, cutting
up the inside of the cars and buses coming south off London
Bridge - I saw taxi drivers seething as they had to wait for
cyclists to get out of the way before they could turn left
into London Bridge station (and yes, they were indicating
too!), and several having to brake sharply as they belatedly
realised there was a cyclist cutting up on their left, and
for once my sympathy lay entirely with the taxi drivers
rather than the cyclists.

> buses drive completely at random

Drafting buses is great fun, but you have to always be
prepared to brake *very* sharply.

> My monthly trip to the Smoke is looking like being a big
> learning experience...

What I learn from cycling in London is that you really are a
lot better off following the rules of the road, even more so
than when cycling in less traffic-intense situations - this
might seem to contradict first impressions, which would
suggest that a dog-eat-dog attitude is the best approach,
but as long as you remember that the majority of other road
users are *not* sticking to the rules of the road, and take
appropriate precautions, you can get by really quite well.
Stopping at traffic lights, for example, actually becomes a
useful way to get your breath back as you pause before the
sprint to the next set of lights...

d.
 
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Riding a bike in London is certainly different from
> anywhere else. The first thing you notice is the
> incredible number of junctions. Navigation is a nightmare!
> The second thing you notice is that discipline is almost
> entirely absent. Courtesy is common, but so is ignorance.
> Red lights are treated as Give Way signs by just about
> everybody, pedestrians amble into the road looking the
> other way, buses drive completely at random and taxis do
> U-turns in the road - but none of this seems to cause a
> problem because everybody is expecting it!
>
> My monthly trip to the Smoke is looking like being a big
> learning experience...
>
> Guy

Think yourself lucky it's monthly not daily, wouldn't go by
tube instead of riding myself though; a bike is the only
reliable means of transport in London.
 
i love London. I miss it too. In Sydney, motorists will
happily run you down because they 'think' that they have
right-of-way.

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote
in message
news:[email protected]...
> Riding a bike in London is certainly different from
> anywhere else. The first thing you notice is the
> incredible number of junctions. Navigation is a nightmare!
> The second thing you notice is that discipline is almost
> entirely absent. Courtesy is common, but so is ignorance.
> Red lights are treated as Give Way signs by just about
> everybody, pedestrians amble into the road looking the
> other way, buses drive completely at random and taxis do
> U-turns in the road - but none of this seems to cause a
> problem because everybody is expecting it!
>
> My monthly trip to the Smoke is looking like being a big
> learning experience...
>
> Guy
> --
> May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle
> after posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
>
> 88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
> Washington University
 
"davek" <[email protected]> wrote
in message
> I find the simplest rules for self-preservation when
> riding a bike in
London
> are to always go as fast as you possibly can, and to
> always ride in the middle of the lane - it's usually
> possible on most roads to keep up with the [motor]
> traffic, and doing so in the centre of the lane guarantees
that
> they aren't even tempted to try overtaking you - I find
> this to be true
even
> of taxi drivers.

I agree with this. I love riding in London, in fact it's the
only road riding I really enjoy. You have to race and you
have to be as quick as the cars for your own safety. The
buzz you get from getting from one side of central London to
the other in 10 minutes when it would take 30 mins in a car
or by tube is worth it alone.
 
On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:25:55 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>My monthly trip to the Smoke is looking like being a big
>learning experience...

Having decided to start taking my bike with me on my monthly
trips Down South, I have all this to look forward to.

When I was down there t'other day I picked up the relevant
cycle map and walked the route I'd be taking (as I usually
go by tube, I have very little knowledge of the overground
geography of London). Some of the junctions looked pretty
scarey, but many of the roads marked in yellow were quiet
as promised, even at 5 pm. Nearly got knocked down by a
bicycle courier cycling on the pavement, as I stopped to
consult my map.

A

--

email = audmad aaatttt hhhottt mmmaailll dddoottt ccccoommm
 
"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote
> Riding a bike in London is certainly different from
> anywhere else. The first thing you notice is the
> incredible number of junctions. Navigation is a nightmare!
> The second thing you notice is that discipline is almost
> entirely absent. Courtesy is common, but so is ignorance.
> Red lights are treated as Give Way signs by just about
> everybody, pedestrians amble into the road looking the
> other way, buses drive completely at random and taxis do
> U-turns in the road - but none of this seems to cause a
> problem because everybody is expecting it!
>
> My monthly trip to the Smoke is looking like being a big
> learning experience...
>
> Guy

When I cycled through London last month, I felt like I was
the only cyclist in town who actually stopped and waited for
red lights to turn green. I started to feel a bit self
conscious about it after a while, wondering if I should just
stop blocking traffic and do as the locals do...
--
mark
 
I used to cycle in London regularly when I lived there (for 1o or so yrs). The strangest bike-related mishap I had was getting knocked off by an ambulance, who turned left, not having seen me. He didn't notice, didn't stop, and thankfully I didn't need his services!
 
FranklynMint wrote:
>
> I used to cycle in London regularly when I lived there
> (for 1o or so yrs). The strangest bike-related mishap I
> had was getting knocked off by an ambulance, who turned
> left, not having seen me. He didn't notice, didn't stop,
> and thankfully I didn't need his services!

Doesn't sound as if he'd given them anyway.

John B
 
In message
<[email protected]>, mark
<[email protected]> writes

>When I cycled through London last month, I felt like I was
>the only cyclist in town who actually stopped and waited
>for red lights to turn green.

The other one is me. Wave the next time.

--
congokid Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google
http://congokid.com
 
In message
<[email protected]>, MartinM
<[email protected]> writes

>Think yourself lucky it's monthly not daily, wouldn't go by
>tube instead of riding myself though; a bike is the only
>reliable means of transport in London.

It's more comfortable than public transport, too, in
this weather.

OK, it only gets as hot as it was last Tuesday about once
every two years or so, but temperatures as high as 38 C were
recorded inside buses by someone from the Evening Standard,
and I hate to think what it was like on the tube.

Colleagues who use London public transport when it's hot
arrive at work even more bedraggled than I do. At least I
usually enjoy the journey, and don't take as long to
complete it. And don't have to pay for it.

--
congokid Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google
http://congokid.com
 
"mark" <[email protected]> wrote:

|
| "Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote
| > Riding a bike in London is certainly different from
| > anywhere else. The first thing you notice is the
| > incredible number of junctions. Navigation is a
| > nightmare! The second thing you notice is that
| > discipline is almost entirely absent. Courtesy is
| > common, but so is ignorance. Red lights are treated as
| > Give Way signs by just about everybody, pedestrians
| > amble into the road looking the other way, buses drive
| > completely at random and taxis do U-turns in the road -
| > but none of this seems to cause a problem because
| > everybody is expecting it!

The main thing I remember is the speed. That's the main
reason it all looks chaotic - there's just so much more
going on. Taxi drivers are unnervingly accurate IME.

| When I cycled through London last month, I felt like I was
| the only cyclist in town who actually stopped and waited
| for red lights to turn green. I started to feel a bit self
| conscious about it after a while, wondering if I should
| just stop blocking traffic and do as the locals do...

I felt the same, but after trying it for a bit I just
thought "why should I risk my life to keep up with the Armstrong-
Joneses?". They're mostly couriers AIUI.

--
Patrick Herring, Sheffield, UK http://www.anweald.co.uk
 
JohnB [email protected] opined the following...
> FranklynMint wrote:
> >
> > I used to cycle in London regularly when I lived there
> > (for 1o or so yrs). The strangest bike-related mishap I
> > had was getting knocked off by an ambulance, who turned
> > left, not having seen me. He didn't notice, didn't stop,
> > and thankfully I didn't need his services!
>
> Doesn't sound as if he'd given them anyway.

If they're on call, they're not allowed to. It's why despite
common sense (Kind of) drafting ambulances is a bad idea.
After you've slid down the back of the van, they'll just
radio it in while they carry on their way.

Jon
 
"Patrick Herring" wrote ...
> "mark" wrote:
> | When I cycled through London last month, I felt like I
> | was the only
cyclist
> | in town who actually stopped and waited for red lights
> | to turn green. I started to feel a bit self conscious
> | about it after a while, wondering
if I
> | should just stop blocking traffic and do as the
> | locals do...
>
> I felt the same, but after trying it for a bit I just
> thought "why should I risk my life to keep up with the Armstrong-
> Joneses?". They're mostly couriers AIUI.

The cyclists I saw didn't seem to be couriers ( no messenger
bags, etc.), although I could be wrong.

My own feeling about running red lights, etc., on a bicycle
is that it infuriates the cagers, and since the cagers can
hurt me more than I can hurt them, I'd prefer not to ****
them off any more than absolutely necessary. Contrary to
what the OP implied, I saw mostly cyclists running red
lights, with motorists stopping for them.
--
mark
 
congokid wrote:

> The other one is me. Wave the next time.

Then there's THREE of us! I'm the one lying down on
the job...

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================
 
On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 11:55:33 +0100, "Dave Larrington" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>congokid wrote:
>
>> The other one is me. Wave the next time.
>
>Then there's THREE of us! I'm the one lying down on
>the job...

once a month there will be four I would wave I but I expect
I will be hanging on to my bike for grim death ...

A
--

email = audmad aaatttt hhhottt mmmaailll dddoottt ccccoommm
 
Mark:
>Contrary to what the OP implied, I saw mostly cyclists running red lights, with motorists stopping for them.

I see lots of cyclists going straight through lights that are already well into their red phase, and not many cars doing the same. But! I also see an awful lot of cars/taxis/buses/vans (and cyclists) slamming their foot down when they see an amber and continuing through the light even though it's clearly red before they reach the stop line.

d.
 
davek wrote:

> I see lots of cyclists going straight through lights that
> are already well into their red phase, and not many cars
> doing the same.

I see a significant number of drivers who do exactly that,
including one on Friday who actually drove round me (waiting
at the line like a good boy) in order to jump the red light!

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!
 
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