Cycling in London

London
Bike

Every now and then I hear people saying that they’re scared to cycle in London. There’s no reason to be scared, it’s easy if you follow these simple tips.

  1. Car drivers may seem to be scum but that’s because you’re thinking of them as people. When a person gets behind a steering wheel they stop being human so don’t act all surprised or angry when they behave like a moron. It’s your job to anticipate and prevent their stupid behaviour. Don’t bother shouting or getting all het up, they will never improve. Just accept them for what they are.
  2. Wear an iPod. If you’re using the standard ear buds they won’t block out enough road noise to make things any more dangerous but they will discourage other road users from talking/shouting at you because they will think that you can’t hear them. Music will also make your ride a great deal more enjoyable.
  3. Stop at every red light. As a good middle class man/woman it’s your responsibility to set a good example to those people who may not properly understand the rules of the road. People who jump the lights deserve to be run over.
  4. Keep at least a metre of space to your left. Force cars to make a positive decision to over-take you otherwise they’ll just try and squeeze past. If a car does get too close to you then ride further out in the road otherwise it will just happen again.
  5. Try not to let busses get in front of you, they’ll just leave you no room at the next junction.
  6. Be cool, you’re the winner, you don’t have anything to prove.

5 thoughts on “Cycling in London”

  1. It isn’t just London, York is hard enough with inconsiderate motorists, trying to enforce a point with by giving one a hard time.

    I find that riding responsibly (as you suggest) and giving big hand sgnals, that remove any ambiguity about your intended direction, make most of them behave reasonably.

    I do find that cycling in Europe is easier, probably because of the traffic regulation in many countries that says ‘If you hit a cyclist, the xcycle is presumed to be in the right!’

    safe cycling

    Jim
    York UK

  2. Good advice Jon, although I’d swap Number 2 for wear a helmet.

    Number 4 is a really good tip – and like most of these applies to cycling on quiet roads as well as the city streets.

    It also helps to sort out a good route. When I was cycling to work in London I did a mile or so across Clapham Common. It’s nice to have a break from the traffic and to get some some fresher air. Routes can be fine tuned to suit your mood or how much of a ruch you’re in. It’s always nice to have a couple of alternatives handy.

    I also try to establish eye contact with drivers – especially at junctions when I’m crossing lanes of oncoming traffic. If you’ve looked them in the eye and maybe exchanged a nod and a grin they’re much less likely to run you over.

  3. Of course you’re right about wearing a helmet James, and I was going to mention how cycling without lights at night is a good way of showing how little you value your life, but then I figured that anyone who was nervous about cycling in London would be bound to do all that sort of thing, they’d probably get one of those daft fluorescent vests and put a light on their helmet as well.

  4. Jim, as far as I can remember from my days in the motor insurance business, the “hit a cyclist and it’s your fault” principle operates in the UK too – at least for insurance liability purposes.

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