London Cycling Diary

Some handy tips for newbie cyclists

In the words of British band the Kaiser Chiefs, "oh my god, I can't believe it!"

Yes, after yet another extended hiatus (almost 6 weeks -- a combination of annual leave, yet another upper respiratory tract infection, back pain and sheer bloody laziness) I finally took my poor trusted treadly out of storage and trundled into work this morning. I'd forgotten how exciting it is to battle with London traffic, but by goodness where did all you cyclists come from? Honestly, I've never seen so many two-wheels out and about at 7.45am -- normally the influx doesn't hit the roads until after 8am.

I have such mixed feelings about seeing more cyclists on the road. Yes, it's wonderful that so many are ditching motorised vehicles (or the tube), but I can't stand all the idiots who ride their bikes as if the entire world revolves around them.

Here's some handy tips you newbie cyclists might like to take note of:

WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING!! OR, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WATCH WHERE OTHER CYCLISTS ARE GOING -- DON'T EXPECT THEM TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T SEE THEM!!

DON'T WEAVE ALL OVER THE ROAD -- TRY TO KEEP A STRAIGHT LINE

DON'T CUT OTHER CYCLISTS UP (SEE ABOVE)

USE HAND SIGNALS -- WE'RE NOT ALL MIND READERS, YOU KNOW

DON'T OVERTAKE BUSES WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR INDICATORS ON (UNLESS YOU FANCY  BECOMING SOMEONE'S DINNER)

TRY TO TAKE OFF FROM THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT A FAST PACE; WHEN YOU PUTTER ALONG IT CAN PUT OTHER CYCLISTS BEHIND YOU IN A DANGEROUS POSITION.

DON'T WEAR YOUR FRIGGIN' iPOD -- HOW CAN YOU HEAR WHAT'S APPROACHING IF YOU'VE GOT AMY WINEHOUSE PUMPING INTO YOUR EARS AT 20 DECIBELS?

There. Glad I've got that off my chest.

See you all tomorrow for more tales of commuting across the capital!

Total distance: 12.28 miles | Ride time: 1hr, 13min and 31sec | Average speed: 10.64mph | Top speed: 18.5mph

New book on cycling

I don't often buy a newspaper these days, preferring to get all my news online, but this morning I picked up a copy of the Guardian and discovered an ad for a new book I plan to order. Two Wheels is by Guardian journalist Matt Seaton, who is...

... an out-and-out bike nut who rides to work during the week, races at the weekend, and has even been known to attend transport policy conferences in between. There's really nothing about bikes and cycling that doesn't interest him. Based on the success of two years of the Guardian's weekly Two Wheel's column (since imitated by other newspapers), this collection, revised and updated, will contain something for all bicycle owners - whether commuter or racer, recreational rider or cycle tourist.

You can order a copy via the Guardian's online bookshop.

A cycling tip that might save your life

An alarming story in yesterday's Guardian claims that "between 1999 and 2004 (the period for which figures are available), 85% of female cyclist fatalities in London involved a heavy goods vehicle (HGV)".

This news comes hot on the heels of two cycling fatalities in London this past week involving young, female cyclists.

The article does not claim to have any answers as to why women are the ones being killed in these accidents, other than to suggest that men ride more aggressively, so are less likely to get trapped on the inside of a HGV.

Personally, I'm not sure that riding aggressively is the answer. How about riding defensively instead?

I know that we cannot predict accidents, but you can help avoid them by not putting yourself in danger. Sidling up alongside a big vehicle, whether it be a truck, bus or van, in which the driver has limited visibility of what is sitting next to his left fender (or right fender if you are in the North America/Europe) isn't exactly wise, is it?

Fortunately, I have very little exposure to HGVs on my normal commuter route, but on the odd occasion when I have seen them on the road I have made a point of not sitting alongside them, because I know the driver is not going to have a clue I am there. It's better to either hang back and sit (a good distance) behind them, or get so far in front they cannot help but see you. If in any doubt, it's always wise to make EYE CONTACT with the driver.

In fact, I think this is the quickest, easiest solution for preventing accidents with either car drivers or HGV drivers: all it takes is a look and a nod, and you know that your presence on the road has been noted. While I'm sure it would definitely help if HGV drivers were more conscious about the presence of cyclists on the road, us cyclists have to take some responsibility for our actions too.

It might sound silly, but staring into the eyes of someone behind the wheel of a vehicle might just save your life. It's a pity that all those female cyclists killed in accidents involving HGVs in London didn't make a point of doing this.

The office masquerading as a wardrobe

This hat rack is adorned with two pairs of trousers, one cardigan, one jumper, one shirt, one long black coat and a velvet scarf. Doesn't leave much room for my colleagues' coats and scarves, does it?

Ever since I started cycling, my colleagues have taken great joy in ribbing me about the fact I have turned the office into a veritable wardrobe. I have suits and trousers and jumpers and scarves hanging off the communal hat rack, there's a mountain of shoes under my desk and if I ever get wet on my cycle in there'll be tights and fleeces and gloves drying on the heaters.

Little do they know I also have a secret stash of clothes (and socks) hidden away in one of my desk drawers, along with a collection of washroom stuff -- perfume, deodorant, face wipes and moisturiser.

But let's get one thing straight: I am no fashionista. All these clothes hanging around are just the consequence of my cycling. I don't wear my work clothes while riding my bike, so I have to lug them into the office somehow, and if it means keeping them near my desk -- or strewn under it -- so be it.

I'm fairly fortunate in that our office has a fairly relaxed policy about work attire, so there's no need for me to get too dressed up. I can get away with wearing some nice trousers and a smart-looking shirt or jumper. But cycling does mean I have to plan ahead.

I tend to keep several pairs of trousers in the office, both of which are dry-clean only. As soon as they need cleaning I whizz them around to the dry-cleaners -- a short walk away -- so I don't ever need to take them home!

Ditto for a smart black jacket, which is a permanent fixture on the back of my chair. I don it whenever I need to smarten up my "look" for meetings or unexpected outings.

But the rest of my "kit" -- shirts, jumpers, skirts etc -- has to be taken with me. I do this by either taking a bundle of stuff with me on the tube (I catch the tube up to twice a week) or I pack a small bundle in my bike's carrier bag each day. The stuff I bike in I don't usually wear that day: I let it hang up in the office so that any creases drop out and then I wear it the next day. So I have a weird little system of working out my outfit one day ahead. See what I mean about planning?

Unfortunately, because I am one of those paranoid people that lives in fear that my clothes might unexpectedly go walkabout thanks to a light-fingered cleaner or colleague, I make sure I've got a secret stash locked away comprising a spare pair of trousers and a t-shirt. I also have a collection of jumpers, because our office is notorious for being cold when you least expect it.

But on the whole, I don't find the clothing thing too much of a problem. Although my colleagues might disagree!

This is my drawer containing spare socks, a few cycling t-shirts, a scarf and a bunch of washroom stuff. I didn't bother taking a photograph of all the shoes under my desk!

Hard braking

Mental note. When you ask someone to tighten your brakes, make sure you go for a short ride on your bike to check they feel okay. Do not wait until your morning commute to discover that the back one is rubbing, making it feel like you are cycling through 2-foot high sand drifts. Honestly, talk about an extra tough workout for my legs! They are going to be oh-so sore tomorrow!

Cycling for the terrified

To the person who arrived at this blog after doing a Google search for "cycling for the terrified" I hope you found something of comfort here.

Believe me when I say that if a nervous, anxiety-stricken person like me can cycle through London peak hour traffic ANYONE can do it! For many years I would not even get in a car, let alone ride a bike! Now, I do it with relative ease -- although I'm not sure it's ever wise to truly conquer the fear, because that's when you begin taking silly risks.

If you want to gain some handy tips, I can recommend John Franklin's Cyclecraft: Skilled Cycling Techniques for Adults. I bought this book about six months after I first started cycling and wished I'd bought it before I began: it's got brilliant tips for making difficult turns and how to improve your visibility in every day traffic conditions, among others.

But the best thing you can do is just go out there and try it for yourself. Practise makes perfect and all that. Good luck!

Some tips on sharing the road with buses

Urban commuter, who also cycles in London, has a great post about buses and bus drivers that is worth reading. This made me think about my own experiences with London's red buses.

When I first started cycling I was terrified of them. I found their size intimidating. And because I wasn't very fit, I was too scared to go past them, knowing they had more speed than me.

For the first few weeks I'd see a bus in front of me and my heart would start hammering in panic. And if you've seen the number of buses that travel along Hammersmith Road and Kensington High Street during peak hour, you'd realise my heart hammered for the first two miles of my commute!

However, before long, I realised that buses were nothing to worry about -- as long as you treated them with respect.

Over the course of the past year I cannot recall one incident in which a bus driver put my life in danger. If anything, I find them remarkably patient and courteous on the road.