Tube strike

In article <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm?

I work from home these days so there's no need to get the bike out,
unless I'm cycling to my local swimming pool. But at present the news is
only reporting on commuters facing five-hour home journeys and being
'forced to let two full buses go past before they could get a seat'.
--
congokid
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http://congokid.com

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

Parts of London were like a critical mass ride this morning. Round
Hyde Park Corner I'd guess there were about three times as many bikes
as usual. I'd expect it to be a bit busier this week with a lot of
folks back to work after school hols anyway, but this was real busy.
What surprised me was how competant and well-equipped most of them
were. I'd expected a lot of wobbly unloved mountain bikes and carrier
bags on handle bars, but most looked like regular commuters. Maybe a
lot of them are occasional cycle commuters and it's just that they
were all out at once today.

POHB said:

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

Parts of London were like a critical mass ride this morning. Round
Hyde Park Corner I'd guess there were about three times as many bikes
as usual. I'd expect it to be a bit busier this week with a lot of
folks back to work after school hols anyway, but this was real busy.
What surprised me was how competant and well-equipped most of them
were. I'd expected a lot of wobbly unloved mountain bikes and carrier
bags on handle bars, but most looked like regular commuters. Maybe a
lot of them are occasional cycle commuters and it's just that they
were all out at once today.

Perhaps there's enough experienced commuters out there that
the less regular cyclists will be able to go with the flow.

BugBear

POHB said:

Parts of London were like a critical mass ride this morning. Round
Hyde Park Corner I'd guess there were about three times as many bikes
as usual. I'd expect it to be a bit busier this week with a lot of
folks back to work after school hols anyway, but this was real busy.
What surprised me was how competant and well-equipped most of them
were. I'd expected a lot of wobbly unloved mountain bikes and carrier
bags on handle bars, but most looked like regular commuters. Maybe a
lot of them are occasional cycle commuters and it's just that they
were all out at once today.

The latter is VERY interesting. It implies that
there are more cycle-commuters that any (one)
daily measurement would reveal.

BugBear

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

no sign on my SE London to Canary Wharf route. In general, traffic
was busier (poost hols etc). Cycling is significantly up in my
building thsi summer anyway. Tubers report very easy journies on the
lines that are open. It is a lovely morning to walk/cycle. It
strikes me that between bombs, strikes and other PT disruptions many
Londoners have a backup strategy these
days
and this often includes human power

best wishes
james

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

It's taking me a little longer but mainly due to weight of traffic
after school holidays (that's my excuse for being late and not the
fact that I've started using my single speed).

Coming from Kingston -upon-Thames, there's no change through Richmond
Park, Putney ... but when you start hitting London proper you start to
see more inexperienced wobblers away from the lights. The biggest
problem I had this morning was inexperienced peds. Far too many
stepped out in front of me today. I honestly am going to write that
"Pedestrians Handbook" I've been promising.

Apart from that it all seems good natured and as already mentioned
most Londoners now have backup plans. The weather is fine and everyone
were having their good-natured moan about the state of the country ...
so service as normal.

Nick

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

IMO there were a lot more and I keep to the main roads around the edge
of the charging zone which I'd guess inexperienced cyclists would tend
to avoid. I also saw one clutching a map while cycling.

One who got off at every red light[1], wheeled their bike across and
then continued. No way they were a regular cyclist. They'd either have
jumped the lights or waited.

[1] well three or four along the Euston Road before I left them behind
for good.

And a few with the saddles so ridiculously low that I don't know how
they managed to pedal. I think that, more than anything, is likely to
convince them that cycling really isn't fun.

There were also a lot more cars. Bank holiday Monday I got from Euston
to work in 10mins. Today it took about 16mins. Typically it takes
12-13mins. (4200m according to the computer and 25 independent sets of
traffic lights).

One cyclist pulled out infront of me - I don't think he'd conceived of
the possibility that someone might be cycling at 20mph up a hill. Will
be interesting to see how it looks on the camera - I'd assumed he
wanted to pull out (from my left) to turn onto the hill I was riding
up so as he started wobbling out I moved out to give him room. Then
he didn't turn but kept straight on across me.

Tim.

email hidden said:

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

no sign on my SE London to Canary Wharf route. In general, traffic
was busier (poost hols etc). Cycling is significantly up in my
building thsi summer anyway. Tubers report very easy journies on the
lines that are open. It is a lovely morning to walk/cycle. It
strikes me that between bombs, strikes and other PT disruptions many
Londoners have a backup strategy these
days
and this often includes human power

Our part of London was probably the least affected.

The East London Line was open, the Jubilee Line was open, the
Docklands' Light Railway was open, and all National Rail services were
running as nornal. There are no other tube lines in South East
London.

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

Woops, just managed to get a gloating email onto BBC London ...

"Will be getting on my bike for a twenty mile cycle home. If I can
manage this every day, I will save myself £200 a month.

Today was glorious, and it only takes an extra ten minutes or so than
normal. Sometimes twenty minutes late when I have to stop and wait for
a herd of deer crossing the road in Richmond Park.

Yeah, it's not too tough."

Will listen again later to see whether I baited anyone!

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

Anecdote only - a colleague cycled in for the first time: about 10
miles in about his normal journey time. Seems to have enjoyed it.

Colin McKenzie

--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at
the population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as
walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

Tony Raven said:

I hear lots of people are out on their bikes in London with the tube
strike. Can anyone confirm? Good weather and a 3 day strike this week and
again next week could do more to encourage cycling than years of Government
"effort". Only slightly wary as the streets became a nightmare of
inexperienced cyclists just after 7/7

Fewer cyclists and pedestrians today but much, much, much, much ...,
much more traffic (single occupancy cars).

Tim.