This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Well, it’s not. Cyclists are encouraged to wait in front of traffic in bike boxes by the Highway Code, they aren’t being dicks, they’re following the rules.

By stopping in front, cyclists in theory are safer by being more visible, can get underway and into position for turning before traffic and they’re not sat in pollution from drivers. Perhaps get a bit of patience and read the HC whist you’re at it?

Cyclists are encouraged to wait in front of traffic in bike boxes by the Highway Code

Which bit of the highway code encourages this or highlights a rule that cyclists should follow?

@Jameo

Literally nowhere in the Highway Code does it say wait in advance of the stop lights.

I don't know whether or not it says it in the highway code but the bike boxes are there, and the points above stand. I would much rather set off in front of all the traffic than be squeezed up against the kerb or in between cars in the middle of the road as they start moving.

Kinda shocked people on a bike forum are jumping in to say otherwise, regardless of whether it is literally written in the highway code or not.

My favourite is when I'm doing a steady 17 or 18mph on a long straight road with many speed bumps. (Oh hai Milkwood Rd)

Car behind accelerates to overtake then has to slam on the brakes for the bump. Then accelerate to prevent me passing. Then slam on brakes. Rinse, repeat.

I know, as a driver, that if they had kept a steady 18mph they could just go over the bumps, all calm like.

And of course, red light at the end of the road. Oh hai, it's me, here again. Would you like a Werther's?

Kinda shocked people on a bike forum are jumping in to say otherwise

Could it be that the issue of ASLs is not as clear cut as you might otherwise have thought?

How, for example, are you supposed to get to the ASL box. What risks are involved in filtering through traffic. How many people are already at the ASL. How long have the lights been red. How much time do you have before it starts to move.

Some of the points do stand. But they also stand if you are waiting in line with the other traffic. They don't stand if you're squeezing up the inside to get to the front.

ASLs are a bad idea most of the time. If there isn't room alongside then sitting in the queue is the next best option.

Cyclists who needlessly plonk themselves in front of a queue of motor traffic, where that traffic will be largely outpace a cyclist on the upcoming road, aren't helping anyone.

Is nice to not have to directly inhale fumes from the vehicle in front of you though.

True, but if your cycling in London that's almost inevitable!

You can always stop a little sooner. No need to be directly behind the vehicle in front.

Tired: Cs7 chock full of blithe Sunday riders.
Wired: Avalon being belted out from someone’s backpack. Would have hung on for True to Life, but I had to be somewhere (kinda stalker-y anyway y/y?).

Embarrassingly clipped the newish bike lane curbs on Park Lane/Hyde Park and went flying whilst going home in the evening on Christmas Day.

Destroyed my front wheel and my dignity.

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Ouch!

I know it's cold out there but c'mon buddy

(stolen from Twitter)

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Decided to give Mrs JJ some moral support by riding from CR7 to Chelsea & Westminster hospital with her while she has her rheumatology appt. it’s about 2°c out there, so we’re wrapped up well. Thought I’d warm up with a coffee in the waiting area while she’s seeing the doc, but no, the cafe are is in the enormous foyer here and it’s fucking freezing. I’m going to have to drink up and go for a brisk walk to warm up. Madness.

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If they’d put them horizontally, across the top of the pack...

Isn't that one of the Brits who fled Switzerland after the lockdown?

Youre saying that people that don’t ‘outpace’ others on the road aren’t helping anyone? You realise that all people have an equal right to the public road? You have the same feeling about other slow moving traffic like children, pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians, farm workers yeah?

Either way, cyclists in London genuinely ‘largely outpace’ all motorists so we should force all motorists to the back for all traffic lights yeah? So, basically the way it’s setup currently with bike boxes 🙄

Mostly, no.

You've missed the caveat. Please re-read and see if you can spot it.

I very much agree with your sentiments over use of public space.

Buddy, I don’t see any caveat, my issue is with this - “cyclists that needlessly plonk themselves in front of a queue of motor traffic”. Your language says a lot.

You’re missing the whole point of bike boxes/ASLs, I don’t think that they are the greatest thing ever, but if you don’t understand why they are there then see my points above or take your beef up with TFL/DFT/get yourself off a bike forum

Hint: "on the upcoming road".

Check your aggression Jameo, its's misplaced and unwelcome.

And misguided.

Buddy,

Just no.

He's just getting in an Advanced Strop Line.

More constructively, Jameo, you may not be aware that ASLs are controversial. They were actually conceived not because of a positive desire to help cyclists, but because cyclists have long had poor stop line discipline, i.e. they would (and still do) roll over the stop line to be ahead of drivers. The provision that you now see everywhere was basically designed to stop riders from rolling over the main stop line by introducing a secondary stop line, creating the box that they can enter.

This is a problem because, while there are circumstances when riders are well-advised to go to the front, at other times they very much shouldn't do that--not because they might hold up drivers, but because they may be caught out going down the nearside when the lights change, thus becoming susceptible to left hooks, the main crash risk for cyclists. Also, if you put the box there, it suggests that filtering to the front is always a good idea. Quite apart from the crash risk, it isn't. There's nothing wrong with waiting behind drivers if there are only one or two waiting at the lights, for instance, even if there is an advanced stop box ahead.

Riders need to learn good judgement as to when to filter and when not to filter, which is something that's part of basic cycle training, but many untrained novice and non-novice riders are misled by the existence of infrastructure that's provided for them into believing that they're always 'safer' when they use it. This is something which needs to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

Hope this explains it a bit.