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How was your cycle commute?

What's a 'Mandatory cycle lane'? I don't quite like the sound of that. There's a few other bits of language I could take issue with, including the idea that this is to divert cyclists away from 'less suitable routes'. All routes are suitable if people share them respectfully.
 
Dogsauce said:
What's a 'Mandatory cycle lane'? I don't quite like the sound of that. There's a few other bits of language I could take issue with, including the idea that this is to divert cyclists away from 'less suitable routes'. All routes are suitable if people share them respectfully.
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Mandatory cycle lane = motor vehicles not allowed in it
Voluntary (or Discretionary? can't remember the right term) = motor vehicles are allowed in it, eg to park or pick up/drop off.

At the moment, these are distinguished by solid white lines (mandatory) or broken white lines (voluntary) and therefore there are no mandatory cycle lanes ime as far as drivers are concerned, most are voluntary anyway tbf.

Voluntary lanes are used in the Netherlands on roads with fairly low motor vehicle traffic lows which aren't wide enough for cycle lanes each way and two motor vehicle lanes, so they have one motor vehicle lane with drivers using the cycle lanes to pass each other when they meet.

They are basically pointless here, although any section of mandatory cycle lane will need gaps where the lane becomes voluntary so that drivers can enter/exit side roads, crossing the cycle lane to do so.

Mandatory does not refer to a requirement for cyclists to use the lanes, afaik no such provision exists within the higway code/dft design documents.
 
Thanks for the clarification bigtom. I just don't want that thing where drivers are aggressive towards you for not using the shitty cycle infrastructure, I think some are of the opinion that if the council paint a bike on the pavement then you shouldn't be on the road, even if the pavement is full of bins, lamp-posts, dogs etc. and gives up priority at every side road. This proposed scheme should (at 4m) be good enough to not need the road.
 
yeah, absolutely, most people think that cyclists are legally required to use cycle lanes if they exist, and the terming of these as mandatory/voluntary sounds like it's referring to that, they should use some other term like exclusive/non-exclusive or something, as this language will only add to the perception that cyclists must use cycle lanes.
painted cycle lanes are worse for this than shared pavements I reckon because the narrow nature of them means that you are put at more risk using them than the road, whereas the pavement is annoying but lower risk than the road. In any case, properly designed cycle lanes should be good for more or less every cyclist, 4m wide should do it, enough space for one cyclist to overtake another.
 
BigTom said:
yeah, absolutely, most people think that cyclists are legally required to use cycle lanes if they exist, and the terming of these as mandatory/voluntary sounds like it's referring to that
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Definitely - I ran into this issue just last night... one of my commute routes takes me up the Lea Bridge road which has a terrible cycle path that goes on and off the pavement. The pavement sections are very narrow and have obstructions - bollards etc and pedestrians of course.... so I don't use them and nor do lots of others. In general there is still room for cars to pass you without issue but depending on oncoming traffic they may have to slow a little - the traffic is generally stacked back anyway. A driver last night was absolutely livid about the audacity of cyclists making use of the road rather than the shitty cycle path - hurling abuse to all that passed in a very aggressive fashion. I suggested to him that he might try cycling along the cycle path himself as this might help him to understand. He called me a cunt and threatened to punch me. So I smiled and called the conversation to a close.....
 
I doubt it would tempt me from my more direct (probably less suitable) route over Waterloo bridge. I commute Brixton to Euston
 
There was a strong tailwind on the path this morning so there were plenty of guys smashing it trying to take Strava segments. It was like a criterium with old people wandering around in the middle of it. I was behind someone who was towing their sprog in a trailer at 40+km/h. I was at 310W on the power meter and was struggling to stay in the draft - he must have been a beast.
 
Hopped across town to a halal shop to get flat breads and some other stuff and arrived just as the Hearts crowd were coming out. Was a bit of a ballache with cunts wandering about the road and stuff, but I was able to effectively demonstrate the advantage of being on two wheels.

And then I shipped my chain at the bottom of the last hill on the way home so me hand are pure manky. Should probably clean it really :S.
 
I got caught in a bit of tailback this morning as, unbeknownst to me, work is going on on a major roundabout nearby. However, once through that I put in a good 17 miles.
 
I was back on the bike commuting at the end of last week (Weds, Thurs), train-assisted on the inbound leg (about 4.5 miles riding, mostly downhill), then the full 8.5 coming home. Thursday's 'moving time' for the home leg at 32 minutes was quite satisfying given I'm only just getting back into it, that's not a bad time for me at full-fitness let alone in my current state. Friday I was working in the Euston office and having the joy of commuting via King's Cross, shitty road, but fighting for space on it is weirdly exhilarating.
 
I am lucky enough to have a relatively late start at work and seldom leave the house before 9.30 am, thus missing most of the rush hour. Today however I had to go in early and was on the road at 8 am. I was surprised at how different the vibe is amongst cyclists commuting at that time. Far more energetic cycling, widespread jockeying for position at traffic lights, tailgating... maybe it's a London thing.
 
T & P said:
I was surprised at how different the vibe is amongst cyclists commuting at that time. Far more energetic cycling, widespread jockeying for position at traffic lights, tailgating... maybe it's a London thing.
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I hardly ever even see another cyclist on my daily commute!
 
Tektro CR720 stock pads are fine in the dry. I just found out they are about as effective in the wet as forcing a dishcloth on the rim with a soggy newspaper.
 
Sigmund Fraud said:
Tektro CR720 stock pads are fine in the dry. I just found out they are about as effective in the wet as forcing a dishcloth on the rim with a soggy newspaper.
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Picked up my new bike yesterday, lovely, except the brake blocks are crap, squealing and innefective in the wet, and the tires are pretty poor also, Vitoria Zaffiros, you spend all that money and they spoil it by making you lash out immediately for an upgrade.....
 
a_chap said:
I hardly ever even see another cyclist on my daily commute!
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About two thirds of my route is through back streets or parks, but the other third is on busy roads and cycle superhighways. There are some bikes to be seen at 9.45 on the busier part of my route, and hardly any on the back streets/ parks. But at 8 am there are probably more bikes than motor vehicles. Which is a great thing in principle of course. Only, unlike the likes of Amsterdam where cycling seems to be more relaxed (for what I have observed anyway), in here it looks like the start of a race as you wait at a traffic lights :D
 
I rode home hard and fast last night. Had someone draft me most of the way from Stockwell.
At Balham we engaged in banter and I invited him to take the lead for a bit to give me a rest before I turn off at Tooting Bec
“I can only just keep up this pace by drafting you” he said. Lazy bugger

I do like it when I’m quicker than a be-cleated, carbonified roadie ridden by someone a lot younger than myself…
 
Put a 'new' (used) brooks on the Pashley on Monday night, one without broken springs. It's kind of nice not feeling like having your pelvis smashed with a hammer when riding over potholes.

Seems to be a lot of dickheads around this week; dickhead drivers, dickhead buses, dickhead dog-walkers, dickheads on pedestrian crossings. Hoping I make it through the week alive.
 
I rode in today and seemed to catch every red traffic light in both directions. I also got yelled at to "get on the fucking pavement" by some lovely young women in a car.

It also turns out I need a new chain, cassette, gear cable and headset bearings, amongst other things, which will set me back the best part of £200. It's still rideable until I take it in next week though.
 
stavros said:
I rode in today and seemed to catch every red traffic light in both directions. I also got yelled at to "get on the fucking pavement" by some lovely young women in a car.

It also turns out I need a new chain, cassette, gear cable and headset bearings, amongst other things, which will set me back the best part of £200. It's still rideable until I take it in next week though.
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New headset bearings - a few pence each, chain about a fiver, cassette about fifteen quid, gear cable a couple of quid. I take it they're fitting them for you at that price?


I replaced the grips on my main bike last week at the local bike workshop place. My bars are a little wider diameter than standard which limits the choice available, but I pulled one out of the second hand parts bin that fitted pretty snuggly. Couldn't find the other from the pair so fitted another that's a bit shorter with a different texture. Helps keep up the image of a 'tramps bike' and further reduces the stealability of it.
 
The dual carriageway bit on the way into work has been reduced to one narrow lane for a few hundred metres due to some gas main works. Some driver got their knickers in a twist because I was in their way on it this morning, even though I was pushing 30mph along that bit, almost the same speed as the car about thirty metres in front. Next time someone starts tooting me like that I think I'll slow to a stop in the middle of the lane, pretend to adjust something at the back, give a wave of thanks and set off again.
 
Dogsauce said:
New headset bearings - a few pence each, chain about a fiver, cassette about fifteen quid, gear cable a couple of quid. I take it they're fitting them for you at that price?
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They are. I could possibly do the gear cable myself, but the rest of it I'm afraid not.
 
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