dumbass LCC bike lane on Stratford High Street

[w00hoo_kent]

Almost a good idea, just the wrong way around. Give motorised vehicle users the troglodyte experience and leave the daylight for pedestrians, cyclists, and trams.

We didn't get to the tunnels, but if I was reading the Garmin right, they do a good job of avoiding some climbing, I'm happy to leave that to the cars.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I have a bit of a suspicion that a significant proportion of motorcyclists actively embrace the danger as part of their self image.

Not really.

Motorcycling is a lot more like cycling than either side care to admit. The big differences are that the motorcycling lobby failed to stop helmets becoming compulsory (I guess that may not be a difference given enough time) and motorcyclists tend to admit that their choice includes a degree of danger while cyclists seem not to. Although perversely the reason for the degree of danger is identical (other road users, generally cars and lorries).

As with any two forms of transport, the conflicts tend to arise because what is acceptable for one form is seen as crazy dangerous for another.

Oh, and as with cyclists, some motorcyclists are nobbers.

 

[subaqua]

That's not for sure but I can see that it's far more fun to have the anecdote than fix the problem.

do you really think think that. then you are a bigger nobber than i had originally thought.

or you are high in the LCC and don't like criticism so try to belittle.

 

[mjr]

do you really think think that. then you are a bigger nobber than i had originally thought.

or you are high in the LCC and don't like criticism so try to belittle.

Sat here, it looks like either this bothers you and you want this fixed so should contact LCC HQ and see whether this is policy or - as seems more likely - a rogue ride guide... or you'd prefer to have the anecdote.

I'm not high in the LCC (or even in LCC - I'm a member of another cyclenation group) and have gotten used to criticism but I really don't understand your motivation for acting that way.

 

[subaqua]

Sat here, it looks like either this bothers you and you want this fixed so should contact LCC HQ and see whether this is policy or - as seems more likely - a rogue ride guide... or you'd prefer to have the anecdote.

I'm not high in the LCC (or even in LCC - I'm a member of another cyclenation group) and have gotten used to criticism but I really don't understand your motivation for acting that way.

what bit of not wanting to waste my time for no result is the hard bit to understand. i spoke to several reps and got utterly fobbed off.

segregation is not the way forward . being able to use the roads without fear is the way. if thew LCC think segregation is a panacea then they are utterly misguided.


i am beginning to smell troll

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm not high in the LCC (or even in LCC - I'm a member of another cyclenation group) and have gotten used to criticism but I really don't understand your motivation for acting that way.

Are you letting on that you're lecturing us on what we need from afar? Sweet!

 

[mjr]

Are you letting on that you're lecturing us on what we need from afar? Sweet!

I've been quite clear (see sig or profile homepage) that I only ride in London (usually going to/from work) and live/campaign elsewhere. I joined this thread to try to correct the incorrect claims being made about MK (where I used to live) and then noticed some about LCC. I'm quite willing to listen to people who spend more time in London about London, but that includes LCC's 12000 too. I'm also not comfortable that protected lanes are suboptimal everywhere which seems a popular view on here.

@subaqua - I thought you approached the ride leaders who had gone the wrong way. LCC also campaigns for 20mph, green ways, no through motors, school routes and I've forgotten the sixth element of the space 4cycling just now. Protected lanes aren't seen as a panacea but nor are the failed MTFU policies of the last seventy years. As for smelling a troll, I've been thinking that already :-p

 

[dellzeqq]

set that 11000 against the 780,000 who cycle regularly in London and the 6000 that go round the Old Street Roundabout (the most dangerous junction this side of Mars etc., etc.,), and you have some idea of the LCC's relevance in London.

How about we agree that Zimmers and I never, ever pronounce on cycling in Kings Lynn if you leave us to worry about London, not least one of our favourite rides?

 

[theclaud]

How about we agree that Zimmers and I never, ever pronounce on cycling in Kings Lynn if you leave us to worry about London, not least one of our favourite rides?

Zimmers might be more suited to Kings Lynn than you think...

I'm sure that I used to think you were pretty rock n roll. Now you post like Patrick Stevens, live with your mum and think that commuting to Windsor by train makes you as hard as an Ice Road Trucker.

 

[stowie]

same here. In Milton Keynes. Which, despite what the LCC bod is telling us, is almost devoid of cyclists. In fact, on six visits to MK this year, most of those visits spread over two days, and involving visits to 23C in Stony Stratford, we saw less than a dozen people riding bikes, And two of those were on the A5.

Still and all, what they do in Milton Keynes is up to Milton Keynes. Says the man drawing a six storey hotel covered in CorTen steel heading for the Theatre District............

That is interesting. I spend some time in MK with work, and I very much doubt many people commute to work, or are "utility" cyclists. I wouldn't be if I lived there. For instance my office is conveniently located off a 60mph dual carriageway and - despite there being an entire office complex - the closest places to eat, save a small snack bar on site, are a car ride away. The whole thing is set up for cars as I said before. You can have the best infrastructure in the world but if you are expecting people to cycle for significant distances just to grab a decent sandwich then it probably isn't going to be somewhere people will cycle.

On the other hand, colleagues of mine - people who wouldn't consider a bicycle for commuting or shopping - will often cycle with their children on the offroad paths to get to parks and generally have a ride out with their family. I would say they probably cycle for family leisure far more than my friends in London. I have seen more cyclists at weekends than during the week

It seems topsy turvey to my world where I use a cycle for pretty much all local tasks but haven't ever managed to muster courage to cycle with my child locally to anywhere other than the park across the street because any further involves roads - and drivers - that are simply unwilling to share.

Solutions to this aren't easy to achieve I think.

 

[subaqua]

I've been quite clear (see sig or profile homepage) that I only ride in London (usually going to/from work) and live/campaign elsewhere. I joined this thread to try to correct the incorrect claims being made about MK (where I used to live) and then noticed some about LCC. I'm quite willing to listen to people who spend more time in London about London, but that includes LCC's 12000 too. I'm also not comfortable that protected lanes are suboptimal everywhere which seems a popular view on here.

@subaqua - I thought you approached the ride leaders who had gone the wrong way. LCC also campaigns for 20mph, green ways, no through motors, school routes and I've forgotten the sixth element of the space 4cycling just now. Protected lanes aren't seen as a panacea but nor are the failed MTFU policies of the last seventy years. As for smelling a troll, I've been thinking that already :-p

I did explain that i approached the ride leader and the protest organisers on the day who confirmed they were from HQ , the attitude back from them was a CBA one.

 

[mjr]

set that 11000 against the 780,000 who cycle regularly in London and the 6000 that go round the Old Street Roundabout (the most dangerous junction this side of Mars etc., etc.,), and you have some idea of the LCC's relevance in London.

Credit to you for speaking up, but we've no idea whether the other 779900+ agree with you or LCC.

How about we agree that Zimmers and I never, ever pronounce on cycling in Kings Lynn if you leave us to worry about London, not least one of our favourite rides?

How about if you ride in Lynn much, then you can comment on it? I'm riding in London to work again this week and while I'm happy to listen to others who ride there more, I'm going to keep commenting on riding there.

 

[dellzeqq]

How about if you ride in Lynn much, then you can comment on it? I'm riding in London to work again this week and while I'm happy to listen to others who ride there more, I'm going to keep commenting on riding there.

Don't. Seriously. It's our city. Screw up your own home town by all means, but just leave ours alone.

 

[mjr]

Don't. Seriously. It's our city. Screw up your own home town by all means, but just leave ours alone.

Why should travel design be decided by a place's residents rather than its travellers? You already get disproportionate power over those who have to use London, because we can only elect to Parliament while you also elect to Assembly and boroughs.

 

[dellzeqq]

'Travel design'. That sums up your ignorance.

I'll give you time to think about that one.