Altercation with a van - driver suddenly goes mute

I had a bit of a tricky situation on my way home yesterday. There's a bit of road - for those of you who may know London a bit - which comes down past the Brunswick Centre in Russell Square - it's called Bernard Street. To get into Grenville Street at the bottom, you have to go right, which is normally fine. But another road filters into Grenville Street too from the opposite direction. Now in theory this is fine too because the traffic coming the other way has a give-way dotted line - so you have the priority from Bernard Street.

Van rude

Anyway, I was doing my stuff, when I saw a green van taking the other road. Somehow I could sense that the driver was not paying any attention to traffic coming from the other direction and I immediately suspected he would not give way. Sure enough, totally ignoring the give way markings and not even noticing that there was a cyclist coming into the same road with the right of way, he ploughed on.

Right to silence?

Luckily I'd slowed down enough to avoid a collision. I fear that a less savvy cyclist might have been hit. Anyway, he had his window open, so I asked him if he'd seen the give way markings. Silence, staring straight ahead. I asked again. Silence. It was almost comical, but infuriating. I suppose he was so used to "bloody cyclists" berating him or "getting in the way" that he simply didn't care. Another more sinister explanation, which I only thought of later, was that he was completely stoned and didn't really know what he was doing. He looked the type.

Anyway, I had to cycle off, muttering about how dangerous he was.

Vicious circle

Just another motorist/cyclist contretemps in London - there are probably hundreds every day. Maybe he's learnt something. Maybe not. I have. Look upon cars or vans with the utmost suspicion - it's highly likely they won't do what they're meant to do.  Sadly, as my wife pointed out last night, the same could be said of a large number of cyclists, so this vicious circle is likely to continue. What do we need everyone? Karma, that's right!

Would you stop to help someone whose bike has a puncture? A London bicycling insight ...

I'm back. Forgive the blog silence but I've spent the last few weeks looking after my lovely kids rather than scything my way through London's mean streets. And for the record, it was a superb time though I am now far more tired than I've been in years and I've got a terrible cold I can't shake off. I never normally get them. Is there a connection between cycling inactivity and sickness? Yes.

Blob of jelly

Anyway, I was determined to get back on the LCM (London Commuting Machine for those new to the blog) this morning. The three weeks of inactivity certainly took their toll. I was like a blob of jelly on a bike and found it quite difficult to steer properly. I was (yet again) wearing too many clothes and started boiling pretty quickly. I found myself not really being bothered about overtaking anyone (normally I'm tediously but secretly competitive), and this pretty much applied to pedestrians.

The puncture moment

To add to the general indignity, after only 5 minutes or so along the canal, I felt the familiar sensation of the front wheel becoming unresponsive when steering and a quick look down revealed just what I suspected - the tyre was flat.

Always carry one of these!

I parked up on the grass beside the canal and started fixing it, pleased that at least I'd got the right tools. As I worked, I realised that I was feeling pretty relaxed, not caring much about how quickly I did it. And I started wondering, casually, if any other cyclists would stop to ask if I was OK or if I needed a hand.

The kind Brompton man

I would add that I probably looked at least half confident in what I was doing, so there was probably no need. But towards the end, a lovely guy on a Brompton slowed down and asked very nicely if I had everything - I told him I was fine, but thanks - and he cycled off. It made me feel great and brought a smile to my face. Then I realised I was being eaten alive by some really horrid bugs - possibly mosquitoes - and rushed to get through the job and the hell out of there. Guess that slow moving canal water, grassy verges and a sweating cyclist mean paradise for blood-sucking creatures.

Anyway - thought du jour, as they say - is this: even if someone looks like they know what they're doing, it can make all the difference to stop and ask if someone's OK if they're by the road or river with the old bike upside down. Spread that karma now, you know it makes sense.

"Wish I'd started earlier..."

Nice comment in the showers at work (sorry for putting that image into your heads) - colleague in his 40's, after we'd had a bit of a chat about our cycle in and compared notes on bikes (God we're dull aren't we?!), he said:  "I only wish I'd started biking to work years ago". I assumed he was talking about physique. "You mean - in terms of fitness?" I asked. "No", he said, "so I wouldn't have had so many miserable years on the tube".

Sort of know what he means. Once you're out there above ground it seems inconceivable to be forced to go under there every day.

And it made me think - it's never too late to start. Then I had my shower. The shower room was so hot, by the way, that I think (again, forgive the unpleasant image) I was more sweaty after it than before.

I've biked too much in London recently ... is it OK to have a break from 2 wheels?

I'm wondering if it's just a sign of old age, or whether a commuter can occasionally get "bike fatigue". I've been deligently cycling back and forth across what feels like most of London for weeks, and I just feel knackered.

This is about how tired I feel ...

I was going up a pretty long and steep hill behind a fellow cyclist yesterday. When we got to the top I said "Wow, that was some good excercise!" She said "yes, and I just feel fed up with cycling at the end of a long day". I kind of knew exactly what she meant.

Anyway, I decided to take the tube this morning, something I probably haven't done for about 4 weeks. I actually rather enjoyed the journey (I know, heresy) and I'm looking forward to being whisked home without me having to make an effort tonight.

BTW - the old Giant Seek Zero is due for its 3 month service. I'm beginning to worry that it's rather a slowpoke. That might just be me feeling ... tired (is there a theme developing here?!).

Man gives car driver a sound ticking off. He deserves a medal.

This isn't strictly bike related, but I did see the incident while on my bike, and is also about road users, so indulge me, please.

The road I live on has a 20 MPH speed limit. It has a sign which flashes "20!" when people go over 20. But probably more often than not, it's ignored. Some motorbikes (sorry fellow 2-wheelers, I know most of you are very decent!) seem to see it as a challenge to accelerate as fast as they can when they see that sign and try to achieve 50, 60 MPH.

I was getting on to my bike just outside the door. There's normally just enough time to get on and head off at a reasonable speed before a car comes round the bend. This morning I had just got on when a very noisy car sped round the bend. I had to pull in to the side of the road again and wait til he had gone past as I hadn't picked up enough speed to feel confident. I thought nothing of it as I'm used to cars speeding.

Cut to the traffic lights at the end of my road. I'm waiting at the lights when I hear a raised voice behind me. It's a pedestrian and he's leaning over the railings telling the driver of the above-mentioned car off - pretty firmly. Not shouty, but assertively. He's saying that the driver should slow down. That there are children all over the place (true). That he'll "quite happily report you to the police, my friend".

I felt like prostrating myself on the road in admiration and respect (though of course that would be dangerous). How many of us actually dare nowadays to say something to a driver who's going well over the speed limit? The road really does have loads of schoolchildren crossing all over the place at that time of morning, and cars really do need to go carefully. But how many of us say anything?

OK, I've made my point. I'm a coward, and there's someone brave and decent out there. I salute you. Enough said.

KC

Link to that video?

Next you'll be actually wanting to watch that video ... here's a link to YouTube where you should find it. Sorry. KC

Still a bit of confusion over "two tings" bike guidance on the Regent's Canal, London

I had a funny experience on the canal this morning which I can share with you as I had helmet cam on. Being the good citizen I now am, I was dutifully tinging away as I made my merry way down the canal in the beautiful sunshine.

I went past the two lady joggers you see first with no problem. But when it came to the men - well, it was just odd that the reaction on hearing the tings was to run diagonally across the path. I kind of guess he was thinking "I have to get out of the way" while I was thinking "I'm just warning them I'm here". I sort of think this is probably the source of all canal conflict. In fact it's probably how most wars are started - unclear intentions and misinterpretion. Discuss.