hyr00 wrote:
I'm in London UK for a year, coming from North America, and have finally gone ahead and purchased an old, decrepit bike perfect for commuting. I can't seem to find much about cycling etiquette in London, especially for the cycle superhighways, so I'm looking for advice from experienced London commuters. I've taken the bus a lot but haven't observed anything consistent about cyclists except that signaling doesn't seem common here.
Here are some questions I have:
- how do right-hand turns work at intersections? Do cyclists move into right-turn lane along with cars and wait to turn, or do they do the corner-to-corner hop along with pedestrians?
- my commute requires me stopping in a cycle superhighway to cross it (right hand turn) and head into a lane. Do I get off the bike entirely, move to the left, and wait for the cyclists to pass, or do I move in to the right and wait to turn?
If anyone has advice on the above or anything else, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm a pretty good cyclist at home, but I have to admit I feel like a total newbie here in London.
Welcome. I've ridden in London for over 25 years, and despite what you might think, it's actually relatively safe.
- Right hand turns: as I approach the junction (ahem. "intersection") I move across the stream of the traffic into the right hand lane. I'll either then sit dead centre of the lane that is turning right, or I will sit on the line that demarcates the left side of that lane (ie remaining on the left of right turning cars).
- the latter. Don't get off your bike unless you've punctured or you've arrived at your destination (where is this particular spot? I may be able to give more specific advice).
More generally:
- concentrate on what you're doing, listen to the sounds around you.
- vehicles to beware of, in order: buses (they love to pull into their bus stops and really don't give a shit if you're in the way); Addison Lee cabs (immensely sub-competent drivers); tipper trucks (not many of them about, but NEVER EVER EVER get between the kerb and the left hand side of one of these. They have very bad reps for squashing riders under the rear wheels as they turn left).
- generally speaking though there is not a single driver who is out to harm you. I find drivers in London pretty good with cyclists, I think because they are so used to them. Out of London at the weekend can often be more nerve wracking.
- watch out for exposed ironworks on the road surface when it is wet. Easy to slide a wheel.
- try to ride with the vehicle traffic as if you're part of it. The closer you are to the speed of the things around you, the safer you are (and that includes riding slowly when everything else isn't moving much).
- when you're riding in a nice empty cycle superhighway, and you are passing a queue of slow/stopped traffic that's on your right, be very vigilant if you see a junction up ahead on your left. Two reasons: first, drivers can often change their minds about their route when stuck, and suddenly and without warning dive down a side turn cutting across you; secondly, queuing drivers will often be "helpful" and let an oncoming car through their queue into the left turn - said oncoming car has no idea about you though and won't see into your lane until all of its bonnet (hood) is across your lane. Seen riders get speared this way lots of times.
- in the wet, and it is wet very occasionally in London (!) no one can use their wing mirrors. You're largely invisible to traffic ahead of you.
- the cardinal rule is to get to your destination in one piece, conscious. Not to feel like you're a stuntman in training.
- for the first few weeks of your route, learn where the holes and dips in the road are. Really learn. First time it rains, every indentation will fill in with water and it helps a lot to know how deep each puddle is likely to be, and whether there's a hole at the bottom of it.
- generally speaking, treat cycle superhighways as bike tracks that are two bikes wide. Don't swerve sideways suddenly and you should be ok 99% of the time.