Road Conditions

What are the road conditions like in Central at the moment?

I'm on one of my regular commutes from Liverpool-Essex that involves a brief ride from Euston - Liverpool street but I'm also meeting a friend which possibly involves a ride down to Victoria.

However on Monday morning, I fell on some black ice while I was going pretty fast and I tore my muscle fasica in my forearm and gave myself a pressure induced 6" laceration just in front of my elbow. This needed internal and external stitches. I've still got the stitches in but I feel pretty ready to get on my bike, I've had a few test rides up and down my road and I'm about 75% confident, but not if it's going to be slippery, slushy, etc etc. I don't fancy going down and busting open my stitches on what would normally be a simple graze.

Am I being silly here anyway? Is it a bad idea to get back on the bike so soon?

I'd be careful about anything that's going to a) over extend the area with stitches in causing them to split and b) cause you to be a nervous rider.

Being nervous is more likely to lead to a panic response that'll cause an accident.

Road conditions are shit house.. not ice or nuffink.. but since the "Big Snow of '09", fUxbridge Road and Euston Road and shit are fucking covered in deep fucking holes.
And now since there's motos all over the fucking bus lanes, swerve around them at your peril! WAC

If you have to ask it prob means you're not up to it.

If you're confident that you can ride safely and gently without hurting yourself then do it.

I rode around with my arm in a sling for a day after a little accident then realised it was pointless as the injury was nothing and it was just hospital staff being over cautious. I just rode carefully one handed.

Murtle rode around with a broken arm.

Object rode around with a broken collar bone but he has mental problems.

So it's up to you, how your arm feels and your confidence.

Risk reward balancing init.

PANlC! YOU MUST FUCKING PANlC! POTHOLES ALL OVER! VANS TRYING TO KlLL YOU! PEOPLE JUMP OUT FOR NO REASON! AHHHHHH!

On a serious note, if my girlfriend can do it (and she hasn't rode a bike properly for several years), so can you as long you follow some of the unwritten rules of cycling (such as always assumed that every vehicle on the road is being driven poorly, etc.).

I have notice quite a few potholes appear recently has the shithouse weather caused this?

PANlC! YOU MUST FUCKING PANlC! POTHOLES ALL OVER! VANS TRYING TO KlLL YOU! PEOPLE JUMP OUT FOR NO REASON! AHHHHHH!

On a serious note, if my girlfriend can do it (and she hasn't rode a bike properly for several years), so can you as long you follow some of the unwritten rules of cycling (such as always assumed that every vehicle on the road is being driven poorly, etc.).

I don't think you read the first post properly Ed.

Loads of new potholes. Older ones have grown. Lots of loose crap on the road plus grit. Care is necessary.

I have notice quite a few potholes appear recently has the shithouse weather caused this?

Yep
Water must have got under the surface and then froze which cases it to expand and so lift the tarmac up. Traffic then breaks it up.
Loads of new potholes all appeared after last week's snow / freeze.

well I decided I felt pretty confident so I'm on the train with my bike. Let's hope I fare as well as I usually do...

I don't think you read the first post properly Ed.

No I didn't actually, was having quite a lazy day I must says.

well arm didn't cause any problems, just got bumped by a Range Rover on Pentonville Road for my troubles!

PANlC! YOU MUST FUCKING PANlC! POTHOLES ALL OVER! VANS TRYING TO KlLL YOU! PEOPLE JUMP OUT FOR NO REASON! AHHHHHH!

On a serious note, if my girlfriend can do it (and she hasn't rode a bike properly for several years), so can you as long you follow some of the unwritten rules of cycling (such as always assumed that every vehicle on the road is being driven poorly, etc.).

I just worked out what you were going on about. Don't worry I don't fear London, I've been terrorizing peds and traffic alike since I was 15.

That sounds like a nasty injury, well done for getting back on the bike.

Do you often take your wheels on the train? I've only had to do it once but got loads of grief about not booking space in the cargo area.

Seem to be lots of extra burst water mains throwing up streams onto the road. Nearly came off when going round a corner to discover a new river, the bed of which consisted of loose stones.

I do take bikes on the train a fair bit. I've been booking them on Virgin Trains for about 4 years. I started after a jumped up train guard wouldn't let me on despite an empty cargo area. I had to leave the bike locked up at Lime Street for a week!

Sometimes they don't even ask if I've got a cycle reservation and sometimes they won't even let the bike on to the platform without a valid cycle reservation ticket. If you're traveling on short notice I think cycle reservation deadline is the same as seat reservation deadline, 3 hours before the train leaves.

Never had a problem on local trains, apart from services to and from London Liverpool Street. NX East Anglia won't let bikes on some services at peak hours.

I've been terrorizing peds and traffic alike since I was 15.

This might explain your Section 44 problem...

haha not really, I have calmed down a lot in the last few years. I just used to ride as fast as I possibly could on my BMX weaving in and out of traffic and shouting at peds if they dared to step into the road in my general vicinity. After I full on body checked a 6' man mountain who didn't see me, I ended up on the floor and he was just standing looking at me, I decided to take it more easy. Most of my S44s have been while on foot with bike or on public transport.

The roads need to HTFU so they don't develop so many new potholes. Pfff ...

Do you often take your wheels on the train? I've only had to do it once but got loads of grief about not booking space in the cargo area.

Check this link for all the Train Company's policies on carrying cycles. Some, such as Southeastern who I use, will only carry bikes at quieter times unless you get on at certain stations. Very confusing. Luckily I only use it on rare occassions such as a couple of weekends ago when the wind was real strong from the east so I cycled up to Petticoat lane and then took the train back out to Bexleyheath. None of this mtfu malarky for me....

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/cyclists.html

The roads need to HTFU so they don't develop so many new potholes. Pfff ...

Man coming down Green Lanes by Turnpike Lane yesterday I saw some enormous new potholes. They were practically graves - some of the biggest I've seen on London streets. Thankfully it was about 1.30 am so there was plenty of room to swing round them.

We came across some absolutely shocking potholes on our ride to Southend yesterday. I'm talking about craters. The relevant local authorities should hang their heads in shame.

Well fair enough if they've appeared since the snow. Apparently it costs the LA £72 per pothole, expensive business fixing them up.

Cost will vary enormously. Fixing potholes is not just a question of dumping a bucket of tarmacadam into a hole. For instance, where there is subsidence, a road might be sliding away, etc. In heavily-trafficked areas, especially with heavy HGV traffic, it is a completely hopeless endeavour to keep up with maintenance. £72 per pothole may be cheap, but in a lot of cases it wouldn't last for long.

just to say that i was out amongst surrey hills today and boy were the roads cutting up badly. still pockets of snow and odd slush bits there so if anyone is going out take care.

p.s. i once lost a leg in 'nam and still rode my bike!