Riding in London

[Robbie8666]

I've been lucky enough to have been selected to work in London for the olympics as part of the Military security team.

not sure where I will be based and we are been taken there by bus. I intend to pick my bike up and then ride it home to Cornwall, or thats the aspiration however I have never riden in London. I have driven cars & mini buses so know that you have to have your wits around you.. are there any tips or words of wisdom that anyone can impart?

[Phil TK]

 The only advise I would venture as a golden rule is Don't be indecisive or hesitant, make good decisions and watch what other bikers are doing -it's an education.
 BTW, Boris passed a new law last year making it legal to use abusive and intimidating language towards black cab drivers, so don't be afraid to comment on their driving and/or parental status as often as you like.

[Chillum]

Nice one Phil

If you are riding along and filtering and see a gap in the traffic up ahead (even a 2 ft gap between bumpers) go on full alert and cover your brakes - coz something is going to be in that gap just as you get to it - it's the law.

Observe the couriers - but don't try and follow them until you have your confidence and have observed the knack.

If you try to boot a car door, don't. Your upper body will move away the same distance you extend your leg and just make you look a bit of a twat. Instead stick your leg out straight ahead like a jousters lance and take the wing mirror off - much easier.

[Phil TK]

Instead stick your leg out straight ahead like a jousters lance and take the wing mirror off - much easier.

Aim with your heel, I might add.
 Yesterday I had a BMW cage pull accross me without looking so as I passed I lifted my leg and mimicked kicking the side of his car, he over-reacted, swung to his left and ran over a line of plastic bollards one of which got stuck under the car making lots of expensive graunching noises.
 A noise that he will forever associate with not using his mirrors hopefully.

[breadlord]

In zones 1 and 2 stay under 35 all the time; where there aren't speed camera there are police.

[Chillum]

Aim with your heel, I might add.

An excellent point and easily overlooked by the newcomer to the sport of wing mirror collecting.

Also, the standard answer as to why you removed them is, of course, that they were of no use to them so you didn't think they would miss it

[Robbie8666]

not sure I will get adventourous as restyling cage body shapes, however as I will be armed n dangerous at certain times during the month the temptation to ride with full body armour and a 9mm sounds tempting but sure I would have the ARU's chasing me very quickly!!

[Chillum]

They'd better be on bikes then, coz even a cop car can't keep up with the bikes in London

[JZS 600]

London's like a big play ground, been riding round it for 20 yrs.
 
Mind the Bow Flyover roundabout near the park, it's like chariot racing round there.
 
Enjoy!

[Skippernick]

not sure I will get adventourous as restyling cage body shapes, however as I will be armed n dangerous at certain times during the month the temptation to ride with full body armour and a 9mm sounds tempting but sure I would have the ARU's chasing me very quickly!!

Or not if you read the reports today of the two officers in Manchester who went over the automatic bollards, 2 hours they had to wait for recovery.

[wraith600]

all the above sounds good to me just go at your own pace and expect the unexpected

[Ben Diesel]

BTW, Boris passed a new law last year making it legal to use abusive and intimidating language towards black cab drivers, so don't be afraid to comment on their driving and/or parental status as often as you like.

This new law applies to cyclists, too; but is extended to include offensive and deadly weapons.
 
On and off, I commuted into central London on the bike for about 10 years and in my opinion, it's the foccin' cyclists that ruin the experience.
 
What was it Father Jack called them? A shower of bastards. 

[Grahamm]

are there any tips or words of wisdom that anyone can impart?

Be assertive in your right to use the bit of road you're on, but don't be stupid because you're not going to win arguments with White Van Man etc, so back off if you have to.

Keep an eye on your mirrors for London bikers and especially Couriers, they're used to the conditions and will blat down gaps at high speed with about a cigarette paper's clearance each side, just let them go. Also don't try to play "First away from the lights", they're better at it than you!

Talking of traffic lights, especially when yours are green, watch out for idiots on bicycles who think that red lights don't apply to them and who will try to nip across your route when the traffic is slow.

Always have your headlight on and wear Hi-Viz. It won't help if they're not looking, but it might give you a little assistance.

Know where you're going. Even if you're not sure, pick a lane and stick to it. If you dither you're likely to get people carving you up from all over the place!

Finally, as you say, keep your wits about you, ride with confidence and keep scanning all around all the time and avoid putting yourself on a bit of road that some other pillock is about to try to occupy!

[steeeve66]

Be careful with bus lanes - not all are open to motorbikes, without any rhyme or reason, so be sure to check the blue square sign as there are quite a few cameras set up to catch you out

[Robbie8666]

Be careful with bus lanes - not all are open to motorbikes, without any rhyme or reason, so be sure to check the blue square sign as there are quite a few cameras set up to catch you out

thanks for all the advice everyone and cheers steeeve cant afford anymore points on my licence!

I will let you all know how I get on and if any of you are heading down for the olympics let me know

[breadlord]

This new law applies to cyclists, too; but is extended to include offensive and deadly weapons.
 
On and off, I commuted into central London on the bike for about 10 years and in my opinion, it's the foccin' cyclists that ruin the experience.
 
What was it Father Jack called them? A shower of bastards.

Cyclists are the worst thing about riding in London, by far. It comes from a big chunk of them having lived in London all their lives and never learnt to drive. They don't know how to use the roads.


I'm massively in favour of some kind of mandatory CBT-style thing for every rider over about 14.

[DILLIGAFF]

From memory just a few things to avoid/give a wide berth...........................






Black cabs
Mini cabs
Buses
Vehicles with no wing mirrors
Vehicles with wing mirrors
Drivers who look down at the gear lever before changing
Drivers texting
Drivers prodding satnavs
Excessive and unnecessary indicating
No indicating at all
Brake dabbers
White line wanderers
Drivers with wipers on in dry conditions
4x4 drivers
School run mums in 4x4s
Ditherers
Out of towners lost and out of their depth
Vehicles with lots of panel damage (DILLIGAFFs)
Our Asian friends
Left hand drive articulated lorries
Lorries
Smokers (watch for flying fag ends!)
Drivers eating
Drivers drinking
Drunk drivers
Last minute turn left/righters
Sudden unexplainable stoppers?
Can't get through that 12 foot gap stoppers??????????????
Blue lights coming in the opposite direction stoppers?????????????????????????????
Unmarked police cars
GATSO/SPECS/TRUVELOS and other assorted municipal stealth tax devices.




&c..........&c...................&c




Then again there are the Darwin award winning suicidal pedestrians.




So not much really.......................enjoy. 

[JZS 600]

Also, it's quite refreshing and life affirming getting home unscathed every night!

[spider]

i ride my fazer and black cab in london. i aint never hit a thing but have had 2 bike riders go into me. once at the lights and he sed fuggin hell i never noticed you stopped at red light        the other bloke who went into the back of me while i was parked.  smashed up rear of my  cab. my coffee made a mess in cab. i got out to see if he was ok. then it was quite clear he had been drinking. another cab driver pulled me off him and i paid for my damage as he said he was not insured. what a nice day at the office

[rustyrider]

From memory just a few things to avoid/give a wide berth...........................

Black cabs
Mini cabs
Buses
Vehicles with no wing mirrors
Vehicles with wing mirrors
Drivers who look down at the gear lever before changing
Drivers texting
Drivers prodding satnavs
Excessive and unnecessary indicating
No indicating at all
Brake dabbers
White line wanderers
Drivers with wipers on in dry conditions
4x4 drivers
School run mums in 4x4s
Ditherers
Out of towners lost and out of their depth
Vehicles with lots of panel damage (DILLIGAFFs)
Our Asian friends
Left hand drive articulated lorries
Lorries
Smokers (watch for flying fag ends!)
Drivers eating
Drivers drinking
Drunk drivers
Last minute turn left/righters
Sudden unexplainable stoppers?
Can't get through that 12 foot gap stoppers??????????????
Blue lights coming in the opposite direction stoppers?????????????????????????????
Unmarked police cars
GATSO/SPECS/TRUVELOS and other assorted municipal stealth tax devices.

Two you missed off there,

Red 59 plate Astra van with too many aerials on it's roof for it's own good
Blue 09 plate VW Transporter van with too many aerials on it's roof for it's own good

Because I'll be driving one or the other of them.  I'm down there every day and will be glad when it's all over, the traffic is getting worse by the day.

and Robbie, I hope you like the temporary missile sites, it's taken us weeks to get the pirate radio stations to stay off them for you.  But if you do see someone on an adjacent tower block roof in the middle of the night, you'll make our job a lot easier if he's taken out with a suitable calibre of bullet......

[alan sherman]

Pedestrians are the biggest danger in my opinion.  When filtering really make sure you can stop if someone runs through the stationary traffic.  Because they do.  A pedestrian crossing the road at Hammersmith shouted at me to F off this morning.  I tooted my horn from a long way back to warn that I was coming (and the lights were green for me)! 


Be Zen and laugh at the absurdity of a lot of it.

[JZS 600]

I had a granny in wheelchair have a go at me after pulling an emergency stop going round a corner to stop hitting her as she obviously thought she had the right of way to cross the road any bloody where she saw fit!

[DILLIGAFF]

Many years ago I mowed down a pedestrian near Waterloo. She stepped straight out from behind a stationary van as she was trying to catch her bus on the other side.
Of the dozen or so rubberneckers who encircled us, entangled in the middle of the road, not one offered me any support and ALL were convinced I was at fault???

[Lawrence]

Rode in on my POS 125 (not done my mod 2 yet so can't ride the Fazer yet ) today.  If you noticed a brown streak from Liverpool street up the A11 I'll apologise now, that was probably me 

[rufus t glasgow]

i'm about a week away from my first taste of london traffic.tbh i'm looking forward to the craziness of it all.


i just have to remember it's just a ride, just a ride.