What are you afraid of whilst cycling

So where is a more appropriate place for people to cycle?

I've always been puzzled and annoyed by the fact that TFL/highways continue to push all traffic into the same main roads with bottlenecks and dangerous junctions, instead of putting cycle paths into quiter residential areas. There's an awful lot of London which is essentially shut off to traffic and remains largely unused you know...

hammering along in areas with lots of parked cars and children playing, with poor lines of sight is not the most sensible thing to do.

there tend to be a lot of constriction points, narrowings where there are cars on both sides of the road etc. so trying to race in such areas will often involve riding very close to parked cars, reducing your view of pedestrians walking out etc

Even if we break that into an acronym, that's a lengthy sticker :(

Not a courier? Get off the clock.

Courier? GOTC

I don't know, I don't even like stickers.

hammering along in areas with lots of parked cars and children playing, with poor lines of sight is not the most sensible thing to do.

there tend to be a lot of constriction points, narrowings where there are cars on both sides of the road etc. so trying to race in such areas will often involve riding very close to parked cars, reducing your view of pedestrians walking out etc

This is the diatribe of a weak, weak man.

Many of the 'skyride local' led rides are still based on the mapping I did in 2009. Funny how commuter cyclists are expected to mix it with rush hour traffic all crammed into the same area, yet 'recreational' cyclists are given nice, quiet mostly traffic free routes.

blame sustrans

Being called out on my piss poor cycling.

being late for work

^ This everyday

Many of the 'skyride local' led rides are still based on the mapping I did in 2009. Funny how commuter cyclists are expected to mix it with rush hour traffic all crammed into the same area, yet 'recreational' cyclists are given nice, quiet mostly traffic free routes.

I hate quiet back streets. At least major roads most of the traffic is heading in the same direction.

I lost count of how many cobwebs I went through this morning along the A30. On the way back it was flies and mosquitos for some reason.

The flies and mosquitos were there on the way back because you'd cleared all the cobwebs that would otherwise have caught them. You've only got yourself to blame.

Hot goth chicks. Those girls are responsible for so many of my near misses. :(

Hot goth chicks. Those girls are responsible for so many of my near misses. :(

dont normally associate the words/ goth/ hot/ chick?

Most scared of my back wheel being clipped.

Had my back wheel clipped by a car crossing a junction in a yellow box. I was on the back of a train of traffic going straight over at speed and she was going perpendicular. It was dark, raining and fucking scary. Andypancakes, who's house I was off to to collect something, didn't seem as freaked out about it as me.

I'm afraid of steep downhills with conditions I can't control/where I'd have to react faster than I can/where I have to brake so hard that I get worried of brake failure.

I'm also afraid of ice, although when I know that it is going to be icy, I don't ride at all and I'm excessively cautious when there might be ice.

I'm cautious around bad surfaces--my only everyday cycling worry. Rutted, potholed surfaces, uncomfortable cobbles, etc. all bother me a great deal. I hate badly-reinstated excavations and also the time between the first and second cover (waiting for the first cover to settle a bit), even though I know it's necessary. Sometimes this work never gets done and gets forgotten about.

quicksand

When the front wheel get into an elliptic fit.

Nice malapropism, whether intentional or not. :)

Basic wreckless driving

Stating the obvious here, but wreckless driving is of course much to be welcomed and reckless driving to be deplored.

So where is a more appropriate place for people to cycle?

I've always been puzzled and annoyed by the fact that TFL/highways continue to push all traffic into the same main roads with bottlenecks and dangerous junctions, instead of putting cycle paths into quiter residential areas. There's an awful lot of London which is essentially shut off to traffic and remains largely unused you know...

Many of the 'skyride local' led rides are still based on the mapping I did in 2009. Funny how commuter cyclists are expected to mix it with rush hour traffic all crammed into the same area, yet 'recreational' cyclists are given nice, quiet mostly traffic free routes.

'Quiet' backstreets where you will get mugged on the head.
Allways.

All of the above, but "The Green Death" still gives me the wibblies..

http://youtu.be/TO-F-2et8XE

OMG! This.

Going to make my kids watch this tonight and scare the bejeezus out of them. Possibly.

I'm afraid that Ian might hug me.

I'm afraid of my handlebars snapping again.

^ this

that ^

That the arrospoke man will whisk me away in the middle of the night.

Large parts of Hackney and some bits of the West End, especially the circus with the giant fucking high heel.

Landing on the edge of the curb facefirst and gnashing all my teeth down the back of my throat and then having to spit them out really fast machinegun style

Bananas - severe fruit fear for me.

potholes, and poorly finished Saw cuts in the road. Just wide enough to catch an edge on your wheel and throw you under something bigger/heavier/deathly

Rear wheel clippage is a constant terror thought.

Sneezing while filtering

Not seeing that big 'fuck off' pothole whilst on the brompton. Followed up by the driver behind me t-boning me.

I hate quiet back streets. At least major roads most of the traffic is heading in the same direction.

My point is not to force ALL cyclists to use back streets, merely to encourage the use of them where applicable.

Previous comment about mugging is also interesting, we've created some nice traffic free ghettos for the ambushing of the lone traveller.

If NIMBYs don't like cars going down their precious residential streets, then why do they own them? Break down the barriers, I say. If reducing vehicular traffic isnt going to happen then open up what roads we do have to all. Except HGVs.

And minicabs.

And dancing James.