Worried for your safety

Traffic makes me happy. A Bit too much sometimes.

I don't get it I will admit that when you first come to London (being from the sicks myself) it seems a bit intimidating. Once you get out there on to the roads I do not consider London a bad urban area to ride, I think it is pretty good. Mainly traffic light not littered with large roundabouts and dual carriage ways e.t.c like many uk towns / cities which for most cyclists are hard to negotiate. Like any thing as long as you work with in your limits. You don't hear load of stories from B'ham or Mancheter because they are smaller places and less of the population ride anyhow.

I think people can take a little too much pride in how "hardcore "it is to ride in London. Really most of inner London is not too bad, there are bad roads and junctions I know, but perpetuating the image that you can only ride in London if you are tough as nails is bad as it discourage too many people. When I meet people and they find out I am a cyclist they tell me I am brave and I hate it, it shows a that image persists that cycling is effectively bad for you. With a little common sense anyone who can ride a bike can ride inner London.

Mat Sinclair Traffic makes me happy. A Bit too much sometimes.

• lots
  unless I'm on the oxford tube, when it makes me :(
  

TheBrick(Tommy) With a little common sense anyone who can ride a bike can ride inner London.

thats the problem though tommy, most numpty flouro brompton riders don't have any common sense riding a bike in central london!

then natural selection will take it's course.:)

wish it would hurry up sometimes!

I feel like Robocop

It's a bit manic, and as much of an adrenaline thrill as cross country mountain biking. You get used to it though (hopefullly not complacent though)

Still, it is like people are out to kill cyclists - dirty great concrete lorry turned left without indicating at the Centre Point junction this morning. Luckily I'd hung back behind him because I didn't trust him.

Then, when I was in the hatched box waiting to turn right outside Barbican station, a taxi driver decided he was more important than me and tried to run me off the road.

i'm more worried about the no look door openers, missed one by millimeters last night, thank god i was ridin out from the cars for that reason.

dogsballs i'm more worried about the no look door openers, missed one by millimeters last night, thank god i was ridin out from the cars for that reason.

Read soem stat that have doors open on you is the second most common cause of cyclist death. Keep wide!

this is true, I can ride for pleasure a 120km out to the country and back, on the way in I am running out of gas sucking on sweeties just to keep myslef ticking along, then just as soon as I am back in the inner city, I am up in the clips and I am gone, I have been riding in the city for twenty-five years I still get a rush out of it, at the moment I am riding this Dahon, which is a stupid bike, not a proper bike at all, but because its so small its an absolute blinder for traffic jams, of which in Paris we have rather alot right now.

the-smiling-buddha this is true, I can ride for pleasure a 120km out to the country and back, on the way in I am running out of gas sucking on sweeties just to keep myslef ticking along, then just as soon as I am back in the inner city, I am up in the clips and I am gone, I have been riding in the city for twenty-five years I still get a rush out of it, at the moment I am riding this Dahon, which is a stupid bike, not a proper bike at all, but because its so small its an absolute blinder for traffic jams, of which in Paris we have rather alot right now.

Have you made yourself an rear aero cover for your Dahon yet !? :)

http://www.londonfgss.com/discussion/921/2/dahon-build/#Item_40

It depends on your perspective and how you want to ride.
Playing in the traffic is the most hardcore adrenalin sport I've ever done (And I'll try everything in persuit of C9H13NO3), but only if you want it to be. It's certainly quite possible to go for a sedately paced & safe ride in London if you choose to.

I haven't had a chance me old druit too busy working and studying

Got it fitted up now with a Jet-lite which is pretty groovey

Next week I'll be picking up a drilled ring for the cranks

Still need to figure out how to cut of the brase-ons

without buggering the paint or the frame

Its MAD but this bike gets more looks than any other bike I ever owned

Shit, when did that happen?

the-smiling-buddha Still need to figure out how to cut of the brase-ons

without buggering the paint or the frame

velocity boy [quote]Soweto888 When I got to my accommodation on Monday, I shut the door behind me and put on the kettle. I was pretty sure I was safe from the traffic, but then I discovered that I could make my hanky go black by blowing my nose... Now that can't be good, can it?

That wasn't the traffic. You went on the tube too didn't you. Northern Line by any chance?

The black snot is the dirt and grime that you breathe in travelling underground, not the stuff that you breathe in when you're on the streets above.[/quote]

i don't know about that.. ride around central london for 9hours a day and you will have black snot.. and black eye goop

Roberto, man they look horific. Well done on healing thoes scars. did your eye heal allright?

Did they get that cassette spacer out of your ear ?

Seriously, bad scrape ! Hope you heal and seal quickly.

Cycling on fast country A-roads scares me way more.

The worst I ever cycled on was the road between Andover and Salisbury. Fast, narrow, and drivers who've never even heard of a bicycle, let alone seen one using their roads.

yeah, i'd agree with that.

some cunt ploughs into you at 60mph, there won't be any "get well soon"

willski ...and if you have had a $hitty day at work, 30 minutes of mixing it up with the traffic means you've forgotten all about it by the time you get home

Very true!

London is easy I think, most drivers (including cabbies) are well-mannered and courteous. Paris is a bit more intense (less space, more scooters, mad peds), and I guess places like Cairo or Bogota bust be even worse...

but mainly: who still uses HANKYs in 2007??

i do!