Any London Cyclists Here?
Discussion
I've not cycled in London for years. Last millenium in fact. Not particularly cycle friendly I thought. Has the bike won now?
"All of which is to say that in central London, cyclists rule the road. Most of us don’t bother obeying red lights when there’s no reason to do so, channelling the spirit of the driver with his phone out in a traffic jam perhaps. Personally, I always observe the Highway Code, of course. But it’s bliss.
The city is bustling with pedallers, from the lean young Turks on adapted racing bicycles to those delivery cyclists guiding their cargo bikes, with their great wooden boxes implausibly on the front. One bloke the other day was blaring Radio 4 from a portable speaker as he rode. The city is the cyclist’s playground: we ride the wrong way up one-way streets, cruise along the pavements, ignore zebra crossings and flex our speed in the plentiful cycle lanes. "
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/we-dont-need-b...
"All of which is to say that in central London, cyclists rule the road. Most of us don’t bother obeying red lights when there’s no reason to do so, channelling the spirit of the driver with his phone out in a traffic jam perhaps. Personally, I always observe the Highway Code, of course. But it’s bliss.
The city is bustling with pedallers, from the lean young Turks on adapted racing bicycles to those delivery cyclists guiding their cargo bikes, with their great wooden boxes implausibly on the front. One bloke the other day was blaring Radio 4 from a portable speaker as he rode. The city is the cyclist’s playground: we ride the wrong way up one-way streets, cruise along the pavements, ignore zebra crossings and flex our speed in the plentiful cycle lanes. "
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/we-dont-need-b...
hole about it. If I encounter a cyclist ignoring a zebra crossing I’m using they’re going down!Yes, that piece is designed to trigger Speccy readers more than anything else.
But I have been cycling in London for 20yrs and there is a grain of truth in what he says. There are many times more cyclists now than there were, and by UK standards anyway the cycling infrastructure is good.
In the centre of town most drivers are much more aware of bikes now, with the occasional exception of course. Out in the badlands beyond zone 3 the level of aggressive driving does go up a lot though.
It is an inevitably busy environment so you do need to keep your wits about you, but overall, cycling round London is quick, cheap and enjoyable.
But I have been cycling in London for 20yrs and there is a grain of truth in what he says. There are many times more cyclists now than there were, and by UK standards anyway the cycling infrastructure is good.
In the centre of town most drivers are much more aware of bikes now, with the occasional exception of course. Out in the badlands beyond zone 3 the level of aggressive driving does go up a lot though.
It is an inevitably busy environment so you do need to keep your wits about you, but overall, cycling round London is quick, cheap and enjoyable.
Yes weirdly when I commute into london via public transport, generally I would say on my walk from station to office crossing roads cyclists generally do stop at lights etc, I would say 80% do. Lots of traffic also means slow speeds so less chance of a flare up, Lime bike users are the main culprits for causing problems meandering all over the place.
I cycle with my son out in zone 4, we are in West London where we have the power lanes or whatever they are into central london. I would say light hopping ignoring zebra crossings etc is more at around 50-60% which no doubt infuriates other road users, probably causing more issues.
PS, drivers are bad too before anyone goes off on a rant. I am agreeing with the poster above that it goes a bit wild west further out you go as traffic moves faster, roads generally more open, people less likely to follow the rules etc.
I cycle with my son out in zone 4, we are in West London where we have the power lanes or whatever they are into central london. I would say light hopping ignoring zebra crossings etc is more at around 50-60% which no doubt infuriates other road users, probably causing more issues.
PS, drivers are bad too before anyone goes off on a rant. I am agreeing with the poster above that it goes a bit wild west further out you go as traffic moves faster, roads generally more open, people less likely to follow the rules etc.
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