Forum Topic

Cycling

We have tried cycling.  It is not for us. We recently took the decision as a family to give cycling a go (my husband wasreluctant  as he had tried earlier in the year an had a nasty incident.)We bought inexpensive bikes, protective gear and locks andtook a cycling proficency course. Tentatively we took to the local streets. We have all found it a very stressful and scary experience. In particular we have been astonished at the lack of courtesy shown towards us novices by other cyclists.  We found drivers no better. I never felt safe on local roads as needed 360 Vision at all times. It was not a relaxing experience. To cap it all one bike has just been stolen despite being securely locked. We have tried and thought we would share our experience.  Cycling is simply not for everyone.

Alina Dansord ● 1850d43 Comments

Oh and by the way we are not anti cycling. Just saying it is not fo everyone at least we tried.

Alina Dansord ● 1850d

I completely respect that view. I cycle all over London and feel fine as I am confident to take prime position when needed and I tend to stick with less busy roads and use routes and paths I feel safe on but I will not cycle ( for example) to Windsor with hubby even though he has asked me several times.  I don’t feel comfortable on some of the longer narrow roads and lorries that come up alongside and pass etc. We all have our comfort zone and have to respect our own intuition  Good on you for trying something new ❤️ Sorry the bike got stolen. That stinks. We have lost several bikes over the years and it’s quite demoralising

Margie Frew ● 1850d

It certainly isn't for everyone as you say and people should not feel pressured. I'd rather not comment on lack of courtesy. We have lots of existing quiet ways in Chiswick and W London where cycling can be really uplifting, but those routes are so much busier since people started working from home and taking their exercise during the day (rather than going to the gym as they perhaps used to).  The river routes are a wonderful way to lift the spirits. The A4 Cycleway is also a proven route and has been going for many years with few crossovers. Owning an old bike noone would steal avoids the distress of theft - that worked for an old colleague of mine and now works for me. But each to his own whilst we still have choice.

Mandy Waters ● 1850d

My advice would be to stick with it. Getting your bike stolen is a fact of life. I now have a very cheap tatty looking bike with a lock that costs more than it for trips where I know it won't be securely parked and a much better one otherwise. I've gone four years without a theft - the longest ever.Confidence builds the more you cycle so maybe initially plan routes away from main roads and difficult junctions. Never compromise on space for a motor vehicle if you feel your safety is also being compromised  and never forget that you have just as much right to be on the road as a motorist. If they get annoyed at being delayed by a few seconds that's their problem. Same goes for cyclists lacking in courtesy.

Mark Evans ● 1850d

Getting a bike stolen is very depressing and I've lost a lot over the years - the amount of theft is unacceptable. Imagine if car owners had to buy old scruffy cars because nice ones were always being stolen.Can someone tell me why we can't have tracking devices in bikes? Everything else seems to have them these days.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1850d

People are already using Apple AirTags (or similar products ) to track bikes and products are beginning to come into the market to attach them to a bike. For example, a reflector that attaches to a seat post with a holder for an AirTag.These tracking devices don’t really work if they are surrounded by metal such as placed in the bike down tube or stem.I was speaking to a local police sergeant recently and he was saying they regularly recover stolen bikes but most times they don’t have sufficient information to return them to owners.  Registration numbers and frame numbers can be filed off and when people report the bike stolen, quite often they dont provide much information (“it was red”) rather than the make, model and some key components.Fingers crossed, touch wood, in 20 years I’ve never had a bike stolen in Chiswick. I’ve had a wheel, seat and seat post and lights stolen but never the bike.  I’ve always used top of the range D locks from Abus or Kryptonite. Cable licks aren’t  wort bothering with unless as a secondary lock for wheels.A thief will get through any lock if they really want to but as most are opportunistic, they will go for the easiest ones first.

Michael Robinson ● 1850d

Exactly the answer I was hoping for. Since I have started using a D-lock I have managed to hang onto my current bike for a few years.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1850d

It's just miserable to have your bike stolen - so commiserations.Depressing as it is it is important to be prepared and have a photo and the information about your bike ready in case it is stolen.  If you don't report a stolen bike then you are just making it easier for thieves.If the police find your bike you are going to need to prove that it is yours.You can register your bike with Bike Register:https://www.bikeregister.com/advice/how-it-worksThere are other websites and there are websites that are good to check eg Gumtree to see whether your cycle comes up for sale.I believe that cyclists also tweet some details in order to find lost and stolen ones and it is always useful to be a member of a cycling association for lots more tips and advice.

Philippa Bond ● 1850d

If I'm leaving mine for an extended period of time where I'm unsure on the level of security of the bike racks; I use 2 different types of locks. A D-lock and a heavy chain lock. Useful twofold because it means you can lock more bits of the bike together and then to the bike stand but also, usually it takes two different tools to break a D-lock or a heavy chain lock (unless they have an angle grinder...). But sadly if they want it enough then they'll find a way. At least you can slow them down or deter them.

Tom Trower ● 1850d

Depending on where you park your bike a D Lock is not sufficient unless the D Lock also goes through a completely immovable and unbreakable obstacle.When I park my bike outside my house it is triple locked: a d lock to secure the front wheel, a very thick supposedly not cuttable chain securing the rear wheel and frame which goes through a ring attached to the wall using security screws and then finally the bike frame itself is secured to the wall using what is known as a bike trap (look it up on Amazon it is a fantastic bit of kit).And the reason for the security overkill is that my last bike was stolen from outside my house within a month of buying the bike - thieves simply used bolt cutters to break chain (again supposedly uncuttable - I guess it depends on how big the bolt cutters are) to the wall and then threw the bike into a van with the d lock still attached.  The police said that what happens is the thieves take it to a workshop miles away and angle grind the d lock off which takes around 20 minutes.

Justin Stephenson ● 1850d

Alina: after 30 years of cycling in London my experience is that you will always need to practice defensive cycling, by which I mean assume everyone else is complete idiot liable to do the stupidest and most dangerous thing without warning.Over time it will become second nature and you will feel more confident and feel safer - although possibly never completely safe.  Certainly sticking to segregated bike lanes such as CHR would also help

Justin Stephenson ● 1850d

Having the bike stolen wasn’t the main issue for us. We were intimidated by other cyclists and were fearful on most occasions.

Alina Dansord ● 1850d

I know just what you mean. I've got brewer's droop and I get intimidated by the dirty pigeons. They love a bit of me.

John Hall ● 1850d

One problem, about cyclists, is that.many have no respect for pedestrians;  and yet they use the sidewalks. I have been abused several times, when walking on pedestrian pavements by cyclists who think that I am in their way. They should be in the highroad.

Mike Preece ● 1850d

Whenever I have a run in with someone, I go to the park and I feed the pigeons, I sometimes feed the sparrows too. It gives me a sense of enormous well-being.

Ed Saper ● 1850d

Alina Dansord explained" We were intimidated by other cyclists and were fearful on most occasions."I've been cycling since the 1960's, and still do a coupleof journeys every week and find your your view perfectlyunderstandable. I started riding a bicycle around the age of 12 to do a paper round and ride to school/ And so learned road sense from that perspective first, early on. Rather than the other way around as a car driver much later in life.Which possibly makes a difference for some people at least; certainly nowadays with more traffic around as well It would be possible to write further paragraphs about this but it would be all to no avail. From what I can see the two approaches to this problem are basically incompatible in their objectives given the physical limitations ; and so no amount of argument or evidence as produced by either side will persuade their opponents to accept their solution. Basically its all goimg to end in tears for someone or other; while in the meantime it gives people with plenty of time on their hands something to argue about.As has probably been the case throughout history.    michael adams

Michael Adams ● 1849d

Justin Stephenson suggested: " Certainly sticking to segregated bike lanes such as CHR would also help"Unfortunately sicking to segregated cycle lanes would do nothing to prevent the OP from feeling "intimidated"by "other cyclists". In the form of either yobboes or proslytising self righteous mamils; neither of whom thankfully, in more civilised times would have wanted to be seen dead on a bike. michael adams

Michael Adams ● 1849d

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences. Since I had my catalytic converter stolen, I resorted to my bike whilst it was in the repair shop. Haven't looked back. Commute everywhere local now, love the freedom of my bike, no matter what the weather. Have never felt scared or intimidated, quite the opposite actually. Most other motorists and pedestrians I have encountered are decent and courteous. Lucky I suppose. The only gripe I have is with the state of our roads, the cracks, the pot holes. It's pretty shocking!

Shamini Saxena ● 1849d

OOF!

Simon Temple ● 1849d

Very well put. I too started cycling at an early age and developed invaluable road sense. Also obeying the rules of the road. It all adds up to safety. No quarrel with people who try cycling and don't feel safe and comfortable. I'm sorry they don't.

Simon Temple ● 1849d

But.I took up cycling again more than 12 years ago, it took a little while to bring back the confidence thing, but it's a great feeling when for example you float down the hill on Park Road with the wind blowing through my full head of 3 hairs. And just as you have built up speed some thoughtless eejit flings there car door open, and you continue your journey flying through the air, far faster than any knicker elastic could propel you.But seriously I have no regrets, it is a confidence thing. And it can be a form of mindfulness, you, the bike, the environment, and peace of mind it can give you.But.But I can't always be on my bike, life can change your circumstances, sadly, very quickly and it happens to most, sooner or later, that being on a bike is not possible all the time, to do the duties I have to complete. I hope your family will try again, one day.

PATRICK MULHALL ● 1849d

Getting knocked off is so extremely rare - unless there's real carelessness on whoever's part. Riding's terrific. If a bit sweaty.

Simon Temple ● 1849d

I was joking about flying through the air, but yes, people in motorised vehicles, driver or passenger occasionally fling the doors open, and it's happened a few times to me.I have too much wind blowing through me to be too sweaty. 

PATRICK MULHALL ● 1849d

and help make it better for everyone

Philippa Bond ● 1849d

You need to stay a car door's width out from parked cars.  That saved me from getting doored 2 or 3 years ago.

Al Webber ● 1849d

Do you use C9 and Road or sometimes the pavement ?

Loraine Pemberton ● 1849d

Oops, my question was to Shamini

Loraine Pemberton ● 1849d

Provocative.

Simon Temple ● 1849d

This modern life is rubbish.

Ed Saper ● 1849d

I returned to Chiswick recently, after 12 months Covid-enforced exile. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the traffic on Chiswick High Road was nowhere near the gridlock described by opponents of the (temporary?) cycleway. However, I have to say that the pedestrian experience  has been negatively affected. The additional light phases mean that there is an exceptionally long wait to cross CHR at Dukes Avenue and TGT, and the pedestrian phase is such that the halt or the lame may be hard-pressed to cross in time. The problem is compounded by the lack of refuges. The best places to cross are the pedestrian crossings, despite the lack of refuges there as well.The bus stops must present a problem for both bus users and cyclists. For bus users, because it's easy for alighting passengers to forget to look right as well as left when crossing to the pavement (although hopefully people will in time adjust to the new situation); and for cyclists, because they may be surprised by alighting passengers who don't cross via the designated crossing. They couldn't have done that tonight because the cycleway by the Police Station stop was under more than an inch of water. Only the raised pedestrian crossing was passable.When the weather is as filthy as it was tonight, and there is no-one using the cycle lane, one is tempted to ask "Cui bono?"But hurrah for the closure of Fishers Lane. The junction with CHR was always potentially dangerous, especially before they probibited the right turn from Duke Road.

Robert Fish ● 1849d

12 months! Gosh, how things must have changed! As for the Fishers Lane / CHR junction - wow. What a notorious deathtrap that always was. And the wait to cross such a wide highway! With no refuges! O Tempora O Mores!

Simon Temple ● 1849d

Hi Lorraine, I never cycle on the pavements unless it is designated as such E.g. along A406 to Hanger Lane, across Kew Bridge, etc. On the tow paths I use my bell respectively to alert pedestrians to my presence, not as a warning to get out of the way

Shamini Saxena ● 1849d

I’m so sorry you have decided to give up on cycling in Chiswick. You obviously gave it a good try. However, as one who has cycled since getting my first bike at 14, I feel that cycling only enhances my life. When I was in my twenties, I used to cycle to work in South Kensington along the Great West Road and over the Hammersmith Flyover. These days I stick to local roads but it is a great form of exercise and has kept me fit during lockdown. Please don’t give up entirely and do encourage your children to become proficient cyclists. You will increase in confidence.

Susan Jennifer Thackray ● 1848d

Thank you, I assure you that Hounslow always gets my updates on potholes 👍

Shamini Saxena ● 1848d

Not only are parts of the cycle lane under water, but there are a lot of very slippery damp leaves in it.  The two facts may not be unrelated as leaves may have blocked the drains.If we are going to have cycle facilities, then they need to be looked after properly.  The one on the A4 through Brentford is bad for that, especially in winter when it doesn't get any salt to de-ice it.  You are definitely safer on the main road then.

Al Webber ● 1848d

......thank you!  I've also reported them as a pedestrian.  It has always surprised me how people walking to catch the tube seem to step over problems and not report them - when they usually have to hang around for a tube train or providing the tube isn't too crowded - do it then.  Just look at the number of tube users staring at their phones! Sometimes it is everyone except me.

Philippa Bond ● 1848d

An ex-colleague of mine always used to walk straight towards a person walking towards him and looking down at their phone. "Oh sorry!" they'd say in surprise. A good lesson.

Simon Temple ● 1848d

""Calls have been made to stop speeding cyclists through Richmond Park as it’s revealed only cars can be fined for speeding in the park.The speed limit in the park is 20mph but whether the rules should apply to cyclists has been questioned, with one Conservative councillor calling on fines for speeding cyclists.Cllr Pamela Fleming, Conservative councillor for South Richmond said: “It’s actually very dangerous because of the deer.“I actually watch cyclists go past cars on occasions when the cars have been stopping waiting for deer to cross.“Most cyclists are perfectly responsible so it’s a few but I think that cyclists the same as motorists should be fined for being over the speed limit.”The Liberal Democrat councillor for the ward has also been contacted for comment.The Department of Parks and Recreation, a local campaign group, disagree with Cllr Fleming.It told The Local Democracy Reporting Service, “A cyclist travelling at 25 mph has the same destructive force as an SUV moving at 4.3 mph.“Charging a cyclist with speeding for such an offence would be absurd.“Motorists present nearly all the road danger inside Richmond Park, and this is where the focus of enforcement should be.”A Royal Parks spokesperson said: “There is no speed limit for cycling on Britain’s roads as cyclists are not required to have a speedometer.“It is the same in the Royal Parks, although we do ask that cyclists observe the motor vehicle speed limit for the park, the road or path in question. This varies from 5mph to 20mph.”They added: “It is, however, an offence under the Royal Parks Regulations to intentionally or recklessly interfere with the safety, comfort or convenience of other visitors. Enforcement of park regulations is a matter for the police.”In 2015, a cyclist was caught speeding in Richmond Park at 38mph and was ordered to pay more than £600 by magistrates as he was cycling without due care and attention – according to an Evening Standard report.Royal Parks Police has been contacted for comment.

John Davies ● 1848d

38 mph?! He deserves a medal!

Simon Temple ● 1848d

Do those riding Penny-Farthings 'look down on other cyclists'?

Bobbie Carnegie ● 1848d

Wah ha!

Simon Temple ● 1848d

Depends if they have had had sprouts and cabbage with there lunch ... The answer is blowing in the wind.

PATRICK MULHALL ● 1848d

There always used to be cycle rides that were led by an experienced cyclist and these gave you a more relaxed ride rather than just the got-to-do-it-to-get-to-work by a particular time ones.Check out the Ealing Cycling Campaign website and the Hounslow Cycling Campaign website.

Philippa Bond ● 1846d