You are reading a single comment by @Brun and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@Brun
My experience of France was quite different. I'd agree that most drivers seemed more patient than those in the UK, although the amount of space they gave when passing varied enormously. I'd go so far as to say I was passed closer than I felt comfortable with more frequently than back here, even when there was nothing coming in the other direction.
The other thing I noticed is that chosing to use the road rather than a cycle lane/path isn't at all acceptable. I'll admit to being in complete ignorance of the actual law, but riding through a small town I was beeped at more than once despite being at or near the 30kph limit. Granted, there are lots of very good segregated cycle paths, but in this case it was a very British strip of green paint along the pavement where the markings suggested you had to defer to traffic at every t-junction.
The biggest contrast I noticed between here and there was everyone cycling on pavements and through pedestrianised areas, a lot of them doing so with very little consideration for anyone on foot. I joined in, was great fun.