I've been trying a new route to my newish job and it's reminded me why I settled on my old route a long time ago after a lot of trial and tinkering
The ride in is ok but needs care, Ferry Lane into Seven Sisters into Finsbury Park and Camden and then Holborn, less bikes which is the point but heavy traffic, the return leg is plain not safe and today is the last time I ride it, the one way through Seven Sisters is plain bike unfriendly and they actually managed to make it even more dangerous for bikes that it was ten years ago when I last rode it, in the dark and the wet to boot, there an unlit stretch of Ferry Lane between Tottenham Hale and Walthamstow with a bad surface that's not nice either and too many side roads with bad drivers trying to get out or in
In two days I've made a full scary emergency stop (that on the way in in daylight) when someone hit his brakes and started to hang a left across the bus lane I was caning it down, the truck behind him wasn't best pleased either, in fairness he did stop the turn but I'd stopped by then, can't have done the tyres any good
And three or four incidents that would have been an accident if I hadn;t been cautious, eased off, covered the brake in anticipation, a car turning right pulled out in front at the top of the hill into Seven Sister, while I hit the brakes and started to swear, he actually drove up the bus lane wrong side straight towards me to get through a gap further up, he'd seen me and the fella behind me too
gah
I've really really noticed there's far more traffic this year, more congestion more often and more desperate driving as people try and dodge and weave through it all
more bikes then usual without lights and why is cool now to have a single led tiny rear light on the seatpost with a battery so flat it barely glows
The ride in is ok but needs care, Ferry Lane into Seven Sisters into Finsbury Park and Camden and then Holborn, less bikes which is the point but heavy traffic, the return leg is plain not safe and today is the last time I ride it, the one way through Seven Sisters is plain bike unfriendly and they actually managed to make it even more dangerous for bikes that it was ten years ago when I last rode it, in the dark and the wet to boot, there an unlit stretch of Ferry Lane between Tottenham Hale and Walthamstow with a bad surface that's not nice either and too many side roads with bad drivers trying to get out or in
In two days I've made a full scary emergency stop (that on the way in in daylight) when someone hit his brakes and started to hang a left across the bus lane I was caning it down, the truck behind him wasn't best pleased either, in fairness he did stop the turn but I'd stopped by then, can't have done the tyres any good
And three or four incidents that would have been an accident if I hadn;t been cautious, eased off, covered the brake in anticipation, a car turning right pulled out in front at the top of the hill into Seven Sister, while I hit the brakes and started to swear, he actually drove up the bus lane wrong side straight towards me to get through a gap further up, he'd seen me and the fella behind me too
gah
I've really really noticed there's far more traffic this year, more congestion more often and more desperate driving as people try and dodge and weave through it all
more bikes then usual without lights and why is cool now to have a single led tiny rear light on the seatpost with a battery so flat it barely glows
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it's now chucking it down.
Brakes and shouting from me, absolutely no acknowledgement from them
