Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

On the way home from Regents along past Kings Cross - one of the worst bits of riding I have ever seen by someone who is definitely old enough to know better. Old chap on a red and yellow Serotta TT bike with melting seat-stays and Zipp wheels. Mate, if you are completely incapable of stopping for a red light, picking a lane or riding considerately around traffic, you will want to hand over your flash bike.

I was leaving from the Park Square East gate. He runs the red and heads right, which, despite hugging the kerb, causes a few cars to have to swerve to avoid him because DUHHH there shouldn't be anyone emerging into that lane. He then proceeds to cycle through the red lights at the junction of Marylebone and Great Portland Street, which turns out to be rash as there are many, fast moving cars currently drive across his path. He deals with this with great aplomb by simply turning right (so facing in the correct direction for South to North driving traffic on GPst.) and stopping. Bravo.

I'm not interested in hanging around a bellend like that, so I go through the underpass at some pace. However, his inability to stop at red lights means that when I next see him, he is jumping the red at Euston place (Gordon St. junction) and swerve immediately all the way into the right hand lane. Not in the lane, mind you, but on the white lines between the directions of traffic. He proceeds to stay in that position, basically as far over in the right hand side of the road it's possible to be without being smacked in the face by wing-mirrors by the traffic of the other lane, all the way down to Pancras Road at the start of Kings Cross. If you know that stretch of road, you might have noticed that he's been riding in the right turn only lane for about 800 meters, with no intention of turning right.

We eventually diverge when he wobbles through the red light by Kings Cross, and swerves across the entire opposite lane of traffic to make an illegal turn down Belgrove Street.

By this point, I was actually trying to catch him and give him an extremely stern talking too. Unfortunately I didn't fancy my chances making that specific turn...

If, by any chance, you read this, Serotta Rider: You are a fucking pellet. You managed to endanger yourself and terrify basically everyone else on a very long, very busy stretch of road. Stop cycling. You are not good enough at it.

Just wait a bit longer and he may get dealt with via Darwinian effects.

All the gear no idea. I see these kind of tools every morning around Regents Park

Quite an impressive list of cycling voodoo. He must be a priest.

.... cycling from south to north over the Chelsea Bridge is quite eye opening in the morning, are these lycra clad lot just hooked into Strava or something? I'm happy to pootle along and indicate to move out to the right lane in order to head to Pimlico but it's like a bleeding race track. And don't get me started on the riders filtering between the two lanes in a five hand width space.

On the way home I opt for the left hand pavement, I know the cycle infrastructure over there is shit but there's no way I'm gonna get stuck in a left turning bottle neck to the bridge.

:(

I don't find that bridge too bad in either direction TBH. The left turn to head South over the bridge is usually fine because not many people take it. Since it can get quite busy with cyclists you quite often find yourself strung out in single file down the left hand side in CS8. Obviously stay clear of the HGVs, but there's enough room turning into the bridge that cars and vans can swing quite wide, so it's not a stressful turn to make. What I find really frustrating round there is that it's totally unclear whether you can ride on the pavement or not. The cycle path runs out just before the bridge and then there are no-cycling signs on the bridge, but loads of people do anyway.

The real shit is then turning right into Battersea Park. For some reason, taxis love parking on the left hand side of the road directly opposite the park gate. This means that, while you're stationary on the centre line of the road with your arm out, traffic coming from behind is squeezing between you and the taxi to your left. Plus your facing a stream of fairly heavy traffic (in both senses) coming the other way. Not nice.

All me

I'd left the iron on.

All the gear no idea. I see these kind of tools every morning around Regents Park

He's definitely the MAMIL sort, but the Serotta was out of the ordinary enough to make me think he wasn't just the classic buys-a-madone-and-gets-hit-first-week executive dickpiece.

All me

I'd left the iron on.

If I can overtake 'em, it wasn't you.

The real shit is then turning right into Battersea Park. For some reason, taxis love parking on the left hand side of the road directly opposite the park gate. This means that, while you're stationary on the centre line of the road with your arm out, traffic coming from behind is squeezing between you and the taxi to your left. Plus your facing a stream of fairly heavy traffic (in both senses) coming the other way. Not nice.

Yep. By far the worst bit of my commute. Makes you feel pretty vulnerable even when the parked taxis aren't there and I've often wondered if I would be better served continuing along Embankment to the next bridge to avoid sitting like a plum between lanes of traffic. But that road is quite narrow and busy too.

Shame as riding through the park is nice.

ken bikes.

Just read "On The Road Bike" by Ned Boulting and Ken doesn't come across at all well (as far as cycling goes) in the book.

The real shit is then turning right into Battersea Park. For some reason, taxis love parking on the left hand side of the road directly opposite the park gate. This means that, while you're stationary on the centre line of the road with your arm out, traffic coming from behind is squeezing between you and the taxi to your left. Plus your facing a stream of fairly heavy traffic (in both senses) coming the other way. Not nice.

Yep. By far the worst bit of my commute. Makes you feel pretty vulnerable even when the parked taxis aren't there and I've often wondered if I would be better served continuing along Embankment to the next bridge to avoid sitting like a plum between lanes of traffic. But that road is quite narrow and busy too.

Shame as riding through the park is nice.

True! Who do you reckon we could appeal to in order to get a parking restriction put on that bit of road?

He's definitely the MAMIL sort, but the Serotta was out of the ordinary enough to make me think he wasn't just the classic buys-a-madone-and-gets-hit-first-week executive dickpiece.

If I can overtake 'em, it wasn't you.

Aren't bikes the new Porsches for MAMILs looking to spunk their bonuses and show off down the cafe on a Sunday morning?

The real shit is then turning right into Battersea Park. For some reason, taxis love parking on the left hand side of the road directly opposite the park gate. This means that, while you're stationary on the centre line of the road with your arm out, traffic coming from behind is squeezing between you and the taxi to your left. Plus your facing a stream of fairly heavy traffic (in both senses) coming the other way. Not nice.

I abandoned an attempt to route my old commute through the park for exactly that reason and chose the (equally stressful, but quicker) Queen's Circus roundabout and Prince of Wales Drive route instead.

If you want to experience the full joy of London cycling infrastructure you can go past the turn for the park and turn left onto the pavement to wait for the Toucan crossing onto the right hand side. I think the remaining few meters to the park is a cycle path. You might want to take a book to read whilst you wait though.

https://twitter.com/horseb0x/status/494413444846981121

Slack chain.

What I find really frustrating round there is that it's totally unclear whether you can ride on the pavement or not. The cycle path runs out just before the bridge and then there are no-cycling signs on the bridge, but loads of people do anyway.

^Its a shared path after the cycle path runs out, there is a shared path sign when the cycle path ends (But the bridge is no-cycling once you get to the junction!) I think the pedestrian lights also have a green bike?

I got in a heated discussion with a PCSO who was stopping cyclists riding during along that small stretch during one of the junction watches. I pointed out the sign and he said "yes i know its a shared path but I've told you to get off!"

The real shit is then turning right into Battersea Park. .

^This is the worst junction on my way home, for all the reasons you and others have listed. I've lost count of the number of close encounters I've had there.

^^ slam dat stem etc.

Sounds like there are many "on here" who share the Battersea Park dice with death then! As soon as the evenings get dark I go across Albert Bridge instead. Not sure if there is anything that can be suggested to help in terms of road changes... Even a little traffic island thing to hide downstream from would help. At least then you'd have worry less about vehicles accelerating towards your back.

Anyway if you spot a skinny tall guy on a brown pompino with a yellow dry bag bungee'd to a rack, marooned in the middle of the road flinching say hi!

I cross the park from Battersea bridge to the roundabout at the SE corner (or vice versa). This time of year, more hazards inside the park than at the exits. Dogs in ridiculously long leads, whole families on recumbents they can't steer etc.

Sounds like there are many "on here" who share the Battersea Park dice with death then! As soon as the evenings get dark I go across Albert Bridge instead. Not sure if there is anything that can be suggested to help in terms of road changes... Even a little traffic island thing to hide downstream from would help. At least then you'd have worry less about vehicles accelerating towards your back.

Albert Bridge is ok, but that stretch of the Chelsea Embnkment always feels a bit fume-choked. Also the pinch-point at the south end of Albert Bridge is properly shit. That was the location of the worst bit of yeah-I-can-see-you-there-and-I've-almost-taken-you-out-but-I-don't-give-a-shit driving I've ever encountered in London.

A traffic island on the turn into the park from Chelsea Bridge would be soooooo good.

I cross the park from Battersea bridge to the roundabout at the SE corner (or vice versa). This time of year, more hazards inside the park than at the exits. Dogs in ridiculously long leads, whole families on recumbents they can't steer etc.

Not just in the summer. My one and only off in London was due to a dog running into my front wheel a few months back.

Couldn't agree more with the sentiments concerning the right turn into Battersea park after Albert Bridge.
I tend to take a central line early giving me the chance to dive across the road before the proper turning, if I see some serious traffic approaching from the lights further down. There is a drop curb in front of the bus stop that you can hop up and meander into the comparative safety of the park.
On the dogs and people front, some cyclists need to slow down when it's busy on a summers evening. Its a park, a place of recreation for all. Flying through in time trial mode is not very sociable to any one. I use it as a time to cruise, admire the view and contemplate all my workmates stuck on the sweaty tube/train/bus.

guy at work parking his bike, noticed it was freewheel with no brakes!
didn't want to say anything though, i'm not that kind of person (yet)

^^You're overassuming. There's no need to be racing to encounter hazards, from slowly passing a recumbent which decides suddenly to spiral at speed and on up. The very long dog leads can also, depending on the light and the corner, be surprisingly hard to spot.

guy at work parking his bike, noticed it was freewheel with no brakes!
didn't want to say anything though, i'm not that kind of person (yet)

Deffo no coaster break?

some shocking cycling last night in regents park.
went down there for a late spin and somehow kept ending up in a 25+ strong peloton. by the time you got up a bit of momentum with a good group you'd hit a red light then get swarmed by everyone. i saw all sorts. queue drag race take off from the lights, people wobbling about in young gears, stopping suddenly the lot.
guy in a red specialised allez deserves special mention. going up the inside of a car turning left on that sharp left dog leg by regents park tube end causing him to beep, you stop and then realise whats going on. yes i told you what not to do. what a twat.
also there was some dude who could have been tom boonens double. full rapha, colnago get up with SRM. thought he was the business and wasn't even going fast. everytime he came to the front he'd clear his nose into everyone behind. wtf is that about? is that normal?! u did 4 laps then got dropped by everyone you stuck up twat with your SRM.
end of rant

I was at regents on Tuesday, I think my sunglasses fell out my jersey pocket.