This morning's commute and other commuting stories

LCN 19 to Greenwich then Q1. I take LCN 19 from Plumstead and it's quite nice apart from two 100m stretches. I have also made a caouple of slight modifications.

Big mistake as a driver myself instinctually if something lets say a Motorcycle or moped or truck is coming towards me or pushing over into my lane naturally I pull the car away from the middle towards the left and I don't know in a quick reaction scenario where anyone would really check for bicycles/motorcycles/mopeds undertaking. Dangerous.

Hugging the curb also means unless she can bunny hop like a BMX rider she is asking to get clipped or pinned.

I'd recommend if she is a more casual/slow rider to not hug the curb but be slightly left of centre forcing the car to do an actual overtake where she will be seen. That is what I do on faster roads as I'm rehabilitating my knee as I'm on a skinny gear myself and 30 roads its far safer.

20 mph roads same rule if she is going slower than 20.

What happens after plumstead stays in plumstead 😜

All of these points I've made before, and the one that she's equally allowed on the roads as much as motorised traffic so shouldn't feel like she's inconveniencing anyone. After cycling with her mate she who said very much the same things she's starting to see sense!

Many thanks!
I'll look at that now.
I'm kind of tempted to go back to my old house in woolwich as I think I'll go right by it.

Maybe take her on one or two SHORT rides not too fast but assertive rides then a quiet trail, have a picnic and ask her how it felt.

Either she loves it or wants to use TFL from now on.

Skills to learn:
Filtering
Moving to the front and not being afraid to take your time to move off from a stoplight/ zebra crossing the cars HAVE to wait. Fuck em.
Riding left of centre FORCING cars to noticeably overtake.
Knowing when to undertake stationary vehicles
Riding centre when street full of parked cars
High street riding with pedestrians crossing.
Shoulder checking before you move out or in on both sides.

Hope this helps.

Forum rides passim.

Well, what a silly idea. It'd never catch on.

Waiting in the right hand lane behind traffic for the lights to change on the north side of Waterloo bridge this morning, two buses on the left. A few other cyclists squeezed through the tiny gaps to get to the front but most waited where I was.

As we move away the bus immediately to my left starts pulling into the right hand lane forcing me over towards the barrier, I accelerate to get around and make eye contact with the driver to check they've seen me and everyone immediately behind me, at which point she leans out of her window and shouts out "so it's ok when you lot do it is it??" and carries on trying to cut me off.

Managed to get ahead, and turned around to see someone else avoid getting hit by the rear end of the bus by a whisker. Not sure who "us lot" are, everyone she nearly took out were waiting for the lights to change the same as everyone else.

Got the plates and route number, worth reporting to tfl?

Depending on the London Borough that she lives or works in there may be free cycle training she can do. It's well worth doing and the instructors are great at letting you know (from a position of authority) where people should, and are perfectly entitled, to ride in the road.

Eh?
Are you speaking forrin?

Again.

I've got a few backstreets routes, rush hour rides always end like this though with cars desperate to pass on roads that are narrow due to loads of parked cars. I just end up sticking with the main roads and bus lanes.

Yes, always - is my opinion at least. They will review onboard CCTV.

So have you moved to Bexley? Also, don't listen to @amey he's a heretic.

that's what I wondering - worth doing if someone actually takes a look and hopefully has a word with the bus driver.

Nope

#se264lyffam

I have to visit some "stakeholders", public transport takes 90 mins. Cycling there takes an hour.
Cycling back to office is similar.
Would like fast route though.

listen mr guy on aero bars - i got a backpack, lights and 3 days into a weeks commute,
SO DONT F******* DRAFT ME FOR 15mins AGAINST THE WIND

I saw that twat indicate left from the road, drive over the kerb and into the cycle lane and just park up. Hopefully someone took his details and reported it, and I also hope that someone passing d-locked his fucking windscreen.

Much better

surely that picture is enough to at least road safe the prick? Or will it be a: "oh we don't know who was driving the van boss, can't do anything about it?"

LCN 19 to Greenwich then Q1

Might have to try this instead of my current Dartford > Westminster route that basically goes in a straight-ish line via Bexley, Blackfen, Eltham, Peckham, Camberwell and Vauxhall...

This straight line route, how nasty is it?

I've cycled it before when working out that way it's better to go slightly north and go along Greenwich and Deptford Bridge way or even the other one Hornfair and sun in the sands(maybe bias it's my favourite roundabout) but Old Dover then Langton way and Vanbrugh Park can get you around into Greenwich Park avoiding it then go via tunnel and up to join the far east parts of CS3.

Not a huge fan of the Lewisham ‘gyratory’ and the Peckham/New Cross area isn’t that much fun but overall it’s not bad.

Previous commutes from that side of London have been in from Royal Victoria Dock and Charlton, so may well give it a go at getting Greenwich way earlier (the CS3 way via the tunnel sounds like it’s worth exploring too).

This might be useful.