crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

Some days you just think , its all getting out of hand ...all you need is a few bikes n scooters lined up at the lights and the next GP is all set to start, full throttle past stationary lines of traffic, its goes on and on....

sorry to sound like a grump, but the day started so badly - gf comes in, wakes me up , crying , "Theres a man lying in the road out there , looks dead " ...they closed the road, bike had been fire extinguished, took long time putting him in ambulance , but he moved thank goodness...car driver was wondering about, didnt seem too fussed...my mrs described him as a posho witness, but i could tell he was the driver...anyway, she leaves for work wailing..."I hate that bike ....":(

thing is i cross the road every day to get the bike into teh front garden...im thinking when its dark, this is going to be horrendous dangerous, what with the speeds people bomb down the inside n outside of the traffic waiting for the lights...might have to park up and wait till after rush / race hour...

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

why dont you just ride up on the side your garden is on then you wont need to cross the road.

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

cos theres not really enough room on the pavement, i have to get up the steps with wedges which were constructed when it was one way along here...so no problem...maybe get a new wedge made thats shorter....

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

As much as I like London I could never live there.

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

it's alright mate, my ex used to bang on at me about getting rid of my bike everytime she saw an RTA involving a bike... So everytime I spotted an RTA involving only cars, I'd tell her it was about time she got rid of her deathtrap Fiesta Zetec-S, it didn't even have a passenger air bag ffs..

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

How noble of you to offer to drive each time you went out, Paul6 ;)

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

I used to enjoy blatting through the london traffic. As a stupid youngster, it gave me a thrill the faster I went.

until I got knocked off over the bonnet of a shogun who was turnign through the traffic, or the time some old clobber jumped over some fences and walked out between a vana nd bus (he got his deserves for no looking!!), plus blah blah blah... There been a few :lol:

I calmed down luckily to survive. The worst thing in London was the cars not paying attention. Used to make me so angry, had very very VERY strong verbal rows at least a few times a week.

I don't miss that part of London at all. Thats or it hammering it down outside, and you knowing that it would be a slow ride home, doubling your journey time, and vastly increasing risk of being knocked off, esp in winter in the dark.

Saw my fair share of accidents though, inc one chap who didn't know his brakes too well who was chasing me, changed lanes, rammed an estate mondeo right next to me. But the worst was a pedestrian, reading a book, crossing a main road, walked straight out in front of a double decker, literally 1m to my right. Luckily she bounced. Bloody pedestrians and not looking. They are too busy checking their paper/iphones and such to be bothered about life by walking out in the road. I gained quite a few death race points.

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

Luckily, awful traffic aside through Hammersmith to Shep's Bush, I've not suffered too badly on London Traffic. Thankfully, open bus lanes has helped that a little and I've not really met any seriously dumb drivers to remember in town yet (except the taxi on Bayswater Rd doing a U-turn from the left lane.)

Wouldn't want to do it every day though.

My worst bad driver amazement was actually on the A3 northbound at Painshill. Got speed up to join the A3- a van was bimbling along completely oblivious to people trying to join lane 1. Had to slow down for him. Becuase he was doing 50mph. Then, got alongside to find the driver reading a newspaper and eating an apple. Really couldn't believe that one.

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

The A3 is always full of fools though donal....or people who decide leap frog is the best idea when overtaken, even if you are doing more than supposed to.

I like the london traffic and have got in a fair few arguments ( always around hammersmith due to the stupid lane system and people decideing to go from 3rd to 1st lane because they dont want to que ). I really think though that the loud can helps 10000times and although im not slow i see people filter at stupid speeds.
To the point yes its dangerous which is why you give it your full concentration and dont take stupid risk, although this wont stop it you can learn alot from looking at mirrors and general observations to make your ride safer.
Shouldnt let it put anyone off as you know the risk and have to accept.

Re: crazy London riding / nasty crash
 

Indeed- Surbiton, A3, Weybridge is often an area for max hazard awareness! In fairness, my 6th sense is fairly well trained on the bike and I agree on the loud can thing. Makes a big difference imo.