Cycling lesson please

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
fluffybunnyuk
Posts: 450
Joined: 1 Sep 2013, 10:58pm

Cycling lesson please

Post by fluffybunnyuk »

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4630191,-0.0126133,3a,75y,209.23h,89.34t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1siS8O1q7Kx4BqvCh9wkxQjg!2e0

When cycling down molesworth street the inside lane is used by several buses to park up at. Meaning only the 2nd lane(outside) can be used.
If i cycle to the left edge of the outside lane(forced because of the stationary buses) I encourage near passes that engender strong bowel movements, and fear for my life.
If i cycle taking the middle of the outside lane doing 20mph (preventing near passes) I get some jack*** steaming up behind me tooting his horn cos im blocking the road causing strong bowel movements cos it sounds like hes about to plough right over the top of my bike. And when said car passes me swears vociferously that Im in the road....

Now places like the ele&castle roundabout+bow roundabout dont scare me half as much as this road does...In fact Ive cut down my cycling drastically because Ive lost my bottle for cycling this stretch.

Any ideas how to cycle this? Or how to recover the bottle...

Emma

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.462348,-0.0129741,3a,75y,209.23h,89.34t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sFaCdU2mW4Y2oSXRdC2A7uw!2e0

This is the squish point im talking about that gives me nightmares between the 2 buses if i dont take the lane.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4604924,-0.0128769,3a,75y,185.65h,85.92t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s57aCgJ1PRRIuAJ_qw9PT7g!2e0

My last encounter was when I pulled into the inside lane after the last stationary bus, and the driver behind me swerved left into the lane in frustration at not being able to pass and tried to ram me off the road...luckily his wing mirror just scraped my hand...
Steady rider
Posts: 2749
Joined: 4 Jan 2009, 4:31pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by Steady rider »

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.46222 ... rpJD8g!2e0

I am not local to the area, so my reply may be inadequate. The other side of the road there is a cycle path it seems, I assume this is of little value to your needs and may cause delays. If alternatives routes are feasible or have equally other problems I cannot say.

The whole road needs redesigning - starting from the extreme limits, measure peds and cycle usage, pavement to suit peds usage levels, cycle paths to suit cycle usage, approximately 2.5m for cyclists and 2 - 2.5m for peds. Limit bus stopping to some areas where they can be accommodated without causing problems for cyclists. Width of road easement minus 10m for cyclists + peds, allow 1.5m for central reserve in parts, not where bus stops, see how much is left for traffic lanes.

This is no solution to your immediate problems but how do other parts of London deal with this sort of issue?
Tonyf33
Posts: 3926
Joined: 17 Nov 2007, 3:31pm
Location: Letchworth N.Herts

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by Tonyf33 »

Emma, keep taking the lane and if need be slow down, don't speed up for the sake of a few idiots and don't let the ******* grind you down.
IF (that's a big IF btw) someone where to nudge you going slower would mean any impact would be at a lower speed.
I'd also take note of any particular motorists that are particularly unpleasant and notify the police of intimidating/dangerous driving.

I know it's easy for me to say but you have to stick to it, try to blank out the idiots, I always find a few choice words even if not directly directed at the drivers gets it all out.
I hope you can overcome the sphincter moments..
GL
Bicycler
Posts: 3400
Joined: 4 Dec 2013, 3:33pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by Bicycler »

+1 for taking the lane. Whilst it may not seem like it the chances of being followed by a murderous psycho are small. Despite the horn honking it is very unlikely that somebody will intentionally try and run you down. The real danger comes from those who think there is enough space to squeeze through because a cyclist is keeping left
User avatar
661-Pete
Posts: 10593
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 8:45pm
Location: Sussex

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by 661-Pete »

Where you say "buses to park up at" do you imply that this is more than just a bus stop, is it a terminal point for bus route(s) where several buses may be stationary for long periods? It looks like it, since one of the painted road markings says BUS STAND instead of BUS STOP.

If so, this is definitely an inappropriate place for such a facility, along a busy dual carriageway with a walled central reserve. Perhaps the first step should be to approach the bus company and/or the relevant local authority. They should at the very least provide a lay-by for the buses to draw in off the carriageway.

If the left hand lane is as you say blocked by parked buses, it seems to me you have no option but to take the right hand lane, in primary wherever it is unsafe to be overtaken. There are no options. If someone hassles you, report it as Tony says. It's the buses and the impatient motorists that are the problem, not you.

But getting the fear in you of a particular stretch of road is not easy to overcome.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Stop in the lane to ask what issue they have noticed on your bike?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by Cunobelin »

[XAP]Bob wrote:Stop in the lane to ask what issue they have noticed on your bike?



There is a bridge (single lane) in Gosport that I used to cross frequently when I moved between the Haslar and St MAry's Hospitals

Similar issue, single track controlled by lights, and a cycle lane either side. Not really wide enough, and with a hump meaning you could not see oncoming traffic, and if a cycle came up the rise then one of us would get cut up

The same used to happen, when the primary was being taken, verbal abuse and tooting

However one day I got my own back.

As I was not doing anything wrong, I assumed the motorist was being courteous and warning me there was a problem with the bike, so stopped dead centre, and started checking the bike over.

Then asked what the problem he had seen was?

He wasn't polite when he answered!

Which was fine because what he hadn't realised was that the lights had changed and he was about to face a bus and three cars coming over the brow

So I took the bike to the side and proceeded to walk along the pavement till the vehicles had passed

He meanwhile had got into an argument with the bus driver, who was insisting he reversed down the road and let the bus and other vehicles pass.

Of course by this time there were vehicles at the light on his side, so he had to reverse along the road to a service road and then join the back of the queue at the lights.

Best bit was all the other drivers though that he had jumped the lights and were giving him a dose of his own medicine with teh verbal abuse and tooting.

I merely enjoyed the spectacle and smiled....
ferdinand
Posts: 376
Joined: 31 Oct 2014, 6:59pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by ferdinand »

In the circumstances, I'd say take the lane. That moped in the pic is asking for trouble.

A rear facing camera could be interesting. And perhaps a loud horn is indicated for when you are worried someone hasn't seen you eg if a bus pulls out. I find that helpful, if only I can find a fix for the Hornit handlebar mounting system.

It seems a badly designed section of streetscape next to an entrance to a shopping centre.

WRT the buses,the pavement is huge and they could just carve out a BUS STAND layby with minimal effect, by the look of it.

Ferdinand
User avatar
ArMoRothair
Posts: 351
Joined: 20 Jun 2013, 10:55am
Location: Londinium

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by ArMoRothair »

Cunobelin wrote:There is a bridge (single lane) in Gosport that I used to cross frequently ...................
I merely enjoyed the spectacle and smiled....


Lovely story. :)
snibgo
Posts: 4604
Joined: 29 Jun 2010, 4:45am

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by snibgo »

Yes, I love the story, Cunobelin.

Yes, that street design needs changing. The lanes have that critical horrible width: just wide enough for a bus, so car drivers think bikes should keep to the left of the lane so they can squeeze past us.

If I was doing 20 mph, I would certainly not want cars whizzing past me in the same lane doing rather more than 20. Parked buses = pedestrians wandering, so that would be a recipe for disaster.

My rule of thumb for these situations: take the lane. Pinch points are often short but this one is long. It takes time to cycle past a row of buses. At the speed I cycle, nowhere near 20mph, it takes a long time. My heart bleeds for car drivers behind me who are delayed. Tough for them.
fluffybunnyuk
Posts: 450
Joined: 1 Sep 2013, 10:58pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by fluffybunnyuk »

Thanks everyone its been very helpful.

As for the cycle path...well yes there is one on the other side of the road...to reach it i have to stop before the roundabout...get off my bike cross at the lights..walk 3 mins cross again at lights...walk back 3 mins...cycle down cycle path filled with pedestrians for 3mins...get off bike at toucan....cross road ...walk 3 mins...get on bike... instead of just a quick 60 second cycle though the section...

I only cycle at 20 mph to get through this section quick, and not hold motorists up...

It should be pointed out the loampit vale roundabout that leads into this section is being redesigned to make it a bigger deathtrap from what i can see of the work in progress...

One day i was cycling the section with a police officer on a bike...the driver behind me was leaning out the window shouting at me to get out the ******* way! Then he saw the copper and wound his neck in. I said to the copper arnt you going to do something? to which he replied "you should get a jacket like mine!" ie hiviz with police written in blue across the back...
On the plus side he weaves in between buses like that moped driver in the picture so we should be short of one less numpty from our local bacon force soon...
ferdinand
Posts: 376
Joined: 31 Oct 2014, 6:59pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by ferdinand »

You could of course get a 'polite' hiviz jacket, as used by many horse riders, to tell people that you are .. Er .. Polite and would they please treat you accordingly.

They cost from about £25.

Various policemen have various opinions on whether there is a legal problem, but if it's a 0.001% chance of a verbal ticking off by the Bow Street Runner vs a 0.1% chance of an accident and a broken rib, I know what my choice would be.

Ferdinand
fluffybunnyuk
Posts: 450
Joined: 1 Sep 2013, 10:58pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by fluffybunnyuk »

lol thatd be 100% in my case...since I complained about one of their own they dont seem to like me anymore....im gutted :mrgreen:
but it also means no polite jacket for me :(
User avatar
Tigerbiten
Posts: 2503
Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by Tigerbiten »

The trick to do when somebody beeps at you from behind is wobble.
You may want to look back at the same time but the important thing is the wobble.
If car drivers think you are a novice then they give you more room because they don't want you to fall off in front of them and damage their car.

The daft thing is it works ...... :roll:
Steady rider
Posts: 2749
Joined: 4 Jan 2009, 4:31pm

Re: Cycling lesson please

Post by Steady rider »

Post Reply