Are you too scared to cycle in London?

Stella

As much as I understand them wanting to reason a few people, but don't they have any real crime to solve? I mean there's stabbings and all that going on, which is far more serious than a cyclist without a light. Some days you just forget a light, but that doesn't mean you're not generally cycling without it. You'd be stupid to, anyway.<br>

dion

I drive and wonder why cyclists insist on having flashing lights. I find this distracting and harder to judge their distance or speed. LEDs are so bright I think that cyclists should leave them on full and not flashing

NorthNineteen

There's always an increase in accidents after the clocks change and the weather starts changing.  This year definitely had more fatalaties than previous years which the media jumped on (much like teenage murders a couple of years ago).<br>

Stella

Well, then the government should put out warnings around that time, remind people to be more careful, look out, use lights, use their brains, etc., to avoid it happening. <br>

Stella

Dion, some car lights are equally bright. I had to close my eyes a few times. I personally think flashing lights are much better than static (is that the right word?) ones, as you can get overlooked among the city lights, traffic lights and car lights. If it's flashing, at least you know it's a cyclist. <br>

Sutent

Dion my front lights are so bright I have to have them flashing otherwise it could be quite hairy. Stella for your riding list - my friend is called boozysuzie

Stella

Cheers, Sutent. <br><br>I'll add her to the list. :-)<br>

NorthNineteen

For those that cycle in Central London, you may be interested by this consultation which we released today:<br><br>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/29172.aspx<br><br>Most interested in comments of suitability of alignment, if you have specific queries or concerns please make sure you clearly state the road you are referring to (including the section is runs to/from) and if you know the Borough which that section is in.<br><br>Looks like we won't be having any superhighways up our way but I suspect there will be a quietway or two!<br>

andy

<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">And it's freezing, freezing cold.</font>

Idoru

Top tip against the cold: Pretty Polly 200-denier, fleece-lined tights.<br>

miss annie

Primark do their own, cheap version of those. Much cheaper and a surprisingly good fit.

Stella

Today's weird and wonderful things:<br><br>I cycle along Tollington Park and signal I want to go right, cycle slightly more into the middle of the road. What does the driver behind me do? He puts his foot on the gas and drives around me, causing me having to stir back in order to not get overrun. <br>Next thing a minute later: I cycled past two cars to get in front of the light, Hornsey Rd. into Tollington Way, patiently waiting for it to turn green. Driver in the car behind/next to me decides s/he can't wait any longer and nonchalantly ignores the red. The guys to the left were getting green just two seconds later. <br><br>You all know I'm no angel, but first rule of rule bending: never go through a red light if you can't be 100% sure that the others have red and are not likely to start moving. <br>

Sutent

Too many idiots around. <div><br></div><div>I am not looking forward to my cycle home later Stella</div>

djmattyoung

Stella I've had that with motorist who just get inpatient and drive off before the light turns green. <div><br></div><div>Cycling this morning was pretty windy and not looking forward to the cycle home too in this weather. </div><div><br></div><div>Be safe out there fellow cyclist and merry Christmas! </div>

Stella

Yeah, super windy. Keep your hands on your handlebars. I had a massive blow almost knocking me over. Hope you get home safely, guys. <br>

Stella

Anyone know the best and fastest route from FP to Battersea (Northcote Rd.?) I was thinking of going through the city (Embankment) and then riding along the Thames. Not too sure about going over Camden and Hyde Park. <br><br>Edit: just looked again and will probably go through Liverpool Rd. Rosebery Ave, Farrington straight through to the south, then along the Thames. That way, at least, I don't get lost. :-)<br>

miss annie

I do Rosebery Ave, Holborn, Covent Gdn, Trafalgar Square and over the bridge after Houses of Parliament. It's easy.

Stella

Thank you. It confirms what I thought, though I've not gone through CG yet and I always get lost at TS.<br>

djmattyoung

<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">Jeremy Clarkson being ignorant and having a rant. He obviously doesn't know about taking the lane 'Primary' position. This is what happened to me the other week on Liverpool Rd.</font><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/jan/13/jeremy-clarkson-cyclists-taking-the-lane">http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/jan/13/jeremy-clarkson-cyclists-taking-the-lane</a></font></div><div><br></div>;

Stella

It's a shame that Clarkson did this, but I'm honestly sick and tired of all the arguing on the roads. We have good and bad drivers and cyclists. I've had wonderful encounters of late, drivers who considered my safety and those who thanked me for quickly dipping into a longer gap and waving them through. All this drivers vs. cyclists stuff is so damn blown out of proportion.<br><br>Not saying that I don't swear every other day at someone in a car endangering my safety, but I let that go right after that. One idiot isn't representative for millions. And I have my off-days, too, where I just deserve a hoot from the back, because I'm not familiar with the area, or am confused as it changed and want to turn where I shouldn't.(Happened the other day.) Nobody's perfect.<br>

Idoru

Clarkson's a dick. Simple as that.<br>

miss annie

Hear hear!

djmattyoung

<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">Transport Minister says cyclists can ride on pavements as long as they are responsible and should not automatically get FPN. Well that makes it a lot clear now or rather not... </font><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><a href="http://road.cc/content/news/108119-transport-minister-responsible-cyclists-can-ride-pavement">http://road.cc/content/news/108119-transport-minister-responsible-cyclists-can-ride-pavement</a></font></div>;

Stella

Vulnerable people? Aren't all cyclists vulnerable compared to cars? If the pavement is wide enough and one cycles slowly, I don't see any problem. If it's a narrow one, I dismount anyway, no point in trying to stay on the bike when I have to hop on along with one foot on the pedal. <br>What I often see is young blokes in their teens cycling through the crowds like manics. That ain't right. <br>

Idoru

That's all well and good but the law states that cycling on a footway is illegal, and saying police should use discretion doesn't cover it. Should we risk getting an FPN because an officer happens to be in a bad mood? Words like 'vulnerable', 'responsible' and even 'fear of traffic' are all open to interpretation. This morning in traffic I got onto the pavement to go round a but (I walked), another cyclist moved into the middle of the road to go round, potentially putting him in the path of traffic coming the other way. I thought this dangerous, he clearly didn't. Which of us was correct? Probably both. <br>

miss annie

My bike is now covered in battery operated, super bright, fairy lights. You can see me on Mabel from space. If you see me go by, give me a wave!

ADGS

I'm just back from a trip to Bruges where the streets are very narrow, the delineations not too clear (even between pavement and road, sometimes, with all those cobbles) and it's sometimes easy to accidentally stand yourself in a cycle path (or even a car's way) while taking a picture. And yet I noticed that people responded to all this with good-natured aplomb, just moving gently around the foreign idiots.<div><br></div><div>Of course, I imagine at the height of tourist season, with hundreds more foreign idiots, it might go rather differently.</div>

Stella

You go and cycle in Hyde Park at the weekend ... many foreign idiots, not so much patience from me, I have to admit.<br>

Idoru

"You can see me on Mabel from space."<br>So now we know the answer to the question: What's the only man-made object that can be seen from space? It's Mabel with all her lights on <br>

Stella

You can see me from afar, too: bright red face, matching the colour of my current favourite bike. <br>