Is it safe to cycle on London streets???

I am a car driver and have been for years. I have recently started to use the bus service to and from work after a job change.

I am now considering investing in a cycle to get to work, and I have found some really good cycles out there, even power assisted ones for the hills.

This is only an idea at the moment, primarily to save money and keep fit. But what concerns me is the maintenance of the cycle, and especially how safe I would be on the road.

I am concerned by other motorists driving close to me, and really concerned on those cyclists who cycle quite hard/fast on London streets and hitting me.
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  • hugheskevi
    hugheskevi Posts: 3,783
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    It is now very easy to find cycle ways through parks and quiet streets, using applications such as Google maps, Komoot, and so forth. Personally I choose to commute 1km further on my commute so that I can mostly go through parks rather than taking more direct and faster roads. This isn't so much due to danger as to pollution - cycling busy A roads in London means you are right in the middle of a lot of heavily polluted air.

    Remember that in London, especially around commuting times, traffic is going extremely slowly. The average speed is about 8mph, so you rarely have drivers going past you at speed - typically you are filtering past them as they are stuck in traffic and at lights. The biggest annoyance is roads with nowhere to filter where you get stuck, which tend to be in the centre. How good the infrastructure is will vary massively depending on your route.

    In terms of cycle maintenance, you will probably find there are multiple cycle shops on your journey so you don't need to know much and can even get punctures changed out by shops if you like. But it would be helpful to learn how to change a puncture, change brake pads and adjust brakes - none of that is difficult. Then just take bike to a shop for a service maybe once a year.

    Other cyclists aren't a concern and I have never had any issue with another cyclist, aside from idiotic teenagers on bikes, but there aren't many of those around at commuting time. It doesn't matter what speed you are cycling at you will be fine, although it does help if you are able to accelerate quickly every now and again to ensure you can get your bike wherever in the road you want it (eg if you are to the right of some cyclists at a red light, and want to be able to get ahead and move left once the lights turn green).

    Personally I've cycled about 3,000 miles a year commuting in London since 2010. That is at a variety of speeds, eg, at the moment I am doing a lot of running so am cycling very slowly to preserve muscles for running. In that time I have had one accident, when a taxi failed to give away and pulled out of a side-street hitting my rear wheel (so I was literally right in front of him). Several other close calls, but more often with pedestrians running out into the road without looking than with other vehicles.

    I wouldn't work in London if I couldn't cycle in, given how awful and over-crowded the public transport options are.
  • Tilt
    Tilt Posts: 3,599 Forumite
    I am a car driver and have been for years. I have recently started to use the bus service to and from work after a job change.

    I am now considering investing in a cycle to get to work, and I have found some really good cycles out there, even power assisted ones for the hills.

    This is only an idea at the moment, primarily to save money and keep fit. But what concerns me is the maintenance of the cycle, and especially how safe I would be on the road.

    I am concerned by other motorists driving close to me, and really concerned on those cyclists who cycle quite hard/fast on London streets and hitting me.

    You mean like this?

    https://youtu.be/en9bTyEYgLI
    PLEASE NOTE
    My advice should be used as guidance only. You should always obtain face to face professional advice before taking any action.
  • trinidadone
    trinidadone Posts: 3,337
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    Tilt wrote: »
    You mean like this?

    https://youtu.be/en9bTyEYgLI

    Well that is one worry yes, although i do not think i would be traveling at that sort of speed.
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  • missile
    missile Posts: 11,684
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    Cycling in London :eek:
    Only a matter of time before you become another statistic.
    "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
    Ride hard or stay home :iloveyou:
  • elverson
    elverson Posts: 808 Forumite
    edited 12 November 2018 at 10:07AM
    It's not risk free, but there is no completely safe way to move through a city. On average cycling is more likely to extend your life than shorten it. Try a few different routes and see how you get on.

    I cycle a lot in London and the surrounding areas. I find the central area (basically Zone 1) is safest - due to low traffic speeds and also more cyclists using the roads, so there's a "safety in numbers" feel. I feel least safe in places like Bromley where there is less congestion so drivers go faster and take less care.
  • missile wrote: »
    Cycling in London :eek:
    Only a matter of time before you become another statistic.

    Why only a matter of "time" and what statistic?
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  • Richard53
    Richard53 Posts: 3,173
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    missile wrote: »
    Cycling in London :eek:
    Only a matter of time before you become another statistic.
    Silly scaremongering.
    If someone is nice to you but rude to the waiter, they are not a nice person.
  • surreysaver
    surreysaver Posts: 4,022
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    Personally, I find cycling through London far safer than my local streets. In London, there are bus lanes I can use, the roads are well maintained, my speed is similar to the speed of the traffic, and motorists are used to the presence of cyclists.
    In Surrey, the roads are in an appalling state, with potholes causing me to swerve, the roads are narrower, and car drivers are more hesitant and unpredictable around cyclists.
    I consider myself to be a male feminist. Is that allowed?
  • trinidadone
    trinidadone Posts: 3,337
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    Personally, I find cycling through London far safer than my local streets. In London, there are bus lanes I can use, the roads are well maintained, my speed is similar to the speed of the traffic, and motorists are used to the presence of cyclists.
    In Surrey, the roads are in an appalling state, with potholes causing me to swerve, the roads are narrower, and car drivers are more hesitant and unpredictable around cyclists.

    Got ya,. but how do you cope with the cycle lanes with no solid white line, or segrgation? the ones with a splash of paint of blue paint on the ground?
    Trinidad - The hottest place to go
  • Got ya,. but how do you cope with the cycle lanes with no solid white line, or segrgation? the ones with a splash of paint of blue paint on the ground?

    Do what all the other road users do. Ignore the cycle lanes. Pointless waste of time and money
    I consider myself to be a male feminist. Is that allowed?
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