Should I ride my first fixie back from the shop (in London)?

I'm just catching up on this thread, you know getting tips, do's and dont's.....

Argh, I was starting to feel sorry for you too but that comment blew it.

Was that aimed at me?

This thread is the best laugh I've had in ages.

@PHer - just walk the bike round the corner to a quiet side street and ride up and down a few times until you feel reasonably confident then go for it.

London not even dangerous, fucking hell, one of the biggest myth about London.

I'll bet my experience of cycling in London against your's Ed. That's a shockingly complacent thing to say. It may not be as dangerous as non cyclists think, or cyclists from outside London think, but there are still considerable risks. There are new threads started almost every day about accidents, near misses or examples of how members only escaped because they have experience of riding in traffic.

@PHer

mate, you been reading horror story from the Daily Mail about cycling and how unsafe it is.

there has been like 15 cyclists been killed last year in London, it's horrible and it shouldn't have happen, but there's an estimation of 500,000 people cycling in London everyday.

I'll bet my experience of cycling in London against your's Ed. That's a shockingly complacent thing to say. It may not be as dangerous as non cyclists think, or cyclists from outside London think, but there are still considerable risks. There are new threads started almost every day about accidents, near misses or examples of how members only escaped because they have experience of riding in traffic.

Those threads is one of the reasons why I started this whole thread! If experienced cyclists are being knocked down day by day, surely it's even more likely I may be knocked down!

This thread is the best laugh I've had in ages.

@PHer - just walk the bike round the corner to a quiet side street and ride up and down a few times until you feel reasonably confident then go for it.

+1

Brick Lane itself and the streets around it are quiet (BLB is actually round the corner from Brick Lane) so you can go up and down there a few times.

It's not an unreasonable question. It took me a few minutes of getting used to riding fixed and I'm pleased I did it round the quiet streets where I live rather than through the city.

When you're ready to head to Waterloo go straight down Bishopsgate and cross the river at London Bridge then ride along the south bank to the station.

Be careful going south of the river. There be dragons.

Was that aimed at me?

Afraid so, I know it's used interchangeably but you'd have been better off with "wouss". Sorry, I'm far too picky and tetchy and it's just too easy to pick up on wording on the internet and bitch about it. As you've already seen!

I'll bet my experience of cycling in London against your's Ed. That's a shockingly complacent thing to say. It may not be as dangerous as non cyclists think, or cyclists from outside London think, but there are still considerable risks. There are new threads started almost every day about accidents, near misses or examples of how members only escaped because they have experience of riding in traffic.

I'd agree but in general, hearing from people comment about how unsafe it is in London to ride bike, it's generally never as bad as it sounded.

like how people hate black cabs because they're considered a bad apple, but in reality, a lots of them are decent, but it's always the bad apple that we remember the most.

you see what I mean?

PHer, seriously, you'll be alright, London is just like any other place with cars.

Not being able to coast takes a bit to get used to, but I trust you won't blast down the streets anyway. The problems I think you're most likely to encounter are clipping in, getting to stand with the right pedal forward and all that stuff, so you might look like a dickhead at the redlight, but that's about it.

Some proper advice:

1. don't get all wound up by the pisstaking replies. It's all friendly banter.
   
2. go to liverpool street in preference to bank, it's a lot closer, and buses are slow as hell through the square mile
   
3. you can get the 8 or the 388 - they both stop outside BLB on Bethnal Green Rd.
   
4. walk halfway down Brick lane to 14 bike co in the Truman Brewery - there are some nice bikes in there too - or you could walk up from Liverpool St to BLB and 14 will be on your way.
   
5. There are plenty of quiet streets around there to have a practice on.
   
6. but you'll be fine, really.
   
7. you can ride to waterloo. It's not far. follow a 26 bus from Bishopsgate. The roads are busy but slow. keep an eye out for traffic and you'll be fine.
   

Afraid so, I know it's used interchangeably but you'd have been better off with "wouss". Sorry, I'm far too picky and tetchy and it's just too easy to pick up on wording on the internet and bitch about it. As you've already seen!

Sorry, I wasn't using it as an insult, it was more aimed at the people calling me a fag and big pink skipping rope or whatever. Didn't mean to offend anyone if I did! :)

Those threads is one of the reasons why I started this whole thread! If experienced cyclists are being knocked down day by day, surely it's even more likely I may be knocked down!

That's an interesting point really. People on here naturally want to share their experiences and to let off steam about bad driving and such but it can end up making London sound more dangerous than it is and putting people off cycling. Ed's right up to a point; cycling in London is not like going to war but nor is it entirely safe. But then it's not entirely safe anywhere there are cars. Sadly the only way to learn is to do it; which is why couriers have more accidents in their first few months than they do after that.
Telling you to HTFU seems not only unsympathetic (and a bit smug too actually) but reckless. Give it a go but don't feel embarrassed in to continuing by the comments of some of the people on here who seem to have forgotten what it was like when they were new to the experience.

Okay guys cheers! BQ point 7 is really helpful, wondered how I was going to find my way back! I'll pop into 14 Bikes and have a look I think.

Right, I'm off out for a quick blast on my MTB now - not going to stop pedalling! And sorry again if I offended anyone with the homo comment.

Toodles!

Good luck mate, you'll be fine. It's all a comparative thing, London is bigger/busier/scarier than elsewhere, but it's not hell on earth. (Or is it?)

First time i rode a fixed, and the first time i rode with spds, and the first time i rode brakeless, was all at once, ...

Then you were:

a) silly
b) silly
c) silly

Or you are lying.

Then you were:

a) silly
b) silly
c) silly

a)H
b)T
c)F
d)U

diving in at the deep end ftw.

Oh, and make sure your seat is somewhere about the right height when you leave the shop!

Two things pop to mind.

Get them (BLB) to put at least one brake on, and go with a foot retension system that your used to (reckon I could fall off a kids trike if i had new pedals). Other then that enjoy ;)

This sums it up.

.....ultimately it's just bike riding.

I find central London safer than be 'burbs because other road users are alert and bike savvy.

I commute in from Bexleyheath on my little Fuji and I am most wary out there cos people aren't looking out for cyclists.

if you have to ask, then best to get it back to your manor and find a few quiet roads to get your bearings and what not.
take the front wheel off and get on the train, if you get any jip say you got a puncture.

...Be careful going south of the river. There be dragons.
not anymore, the zombies ate them.

yet another thread that proves we can talk endlessly about the most trivial flotsam that life has to offer. it's Zoo on wheels.

Homophobe

Homophobophobist

London not even dangerous, fucking hell, one of the biggest myth about London.

You know what dude, you're not far off the truth there, the apparently "friendly on the surface" rural areas near where I used to live felt much more dangerous than London, faster moving traffic, people far less aware of cyclists, and stupid fucking WAGS in 4X4's pulling endangering road users on an hourly basis,
"This is Essex my friend"

Be careful going south of the river. There be dragons.

Southist motherfucker, I live South of the river, that by default makes it cool, don't go dissin ma ends blud.

Then you were:

a) silly
b) silly
c) silly

Or you are lying.

a) HTFU
b) HTFU
c) not everyone is a sissy like you ;) I went brakeless after two days of riding fixed and have never looked back, then again I did ride 7-8 years of brakeless bmx beforehand.....

Oh, and make sure your seat is somewhere about the right height when you leave the shop!

Good advice, long-life knee's ftw :)

Don't stress it dude, you'll be fine, its a bike not a space ship, once you get used to the whole non/no coasting thing it'll feel just as natural as your mtb, but do stick a brake on if this is your first time riding fixed, at least a front brake as a minimum.

100 posts already. The forum is on fire!