How cyclists can beat the elements
The smugness with which a certain type of cyclist proclaims ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather – just bad clothing’ makes me want to knock them off their waterproof perch. The merest wisp of precipitation, and out comes the bin-bag couture of nylon trousers, foul-weather cagoule and waterproof haversack. It’s not just water that they repel – all notions of style go flying too.
If I suspect a deluge, I’ll often skip the pedal power for the day and take public transport. But as soon as I climb aboard a bus that’s sluggishly lurching into town I realise it’s a false economy: traffic is always ten times worse when it rains during rush hour, as everyone else tries to dodge the puddles too.
A downpour certainly makes cycling less than pleasant, particularly along Hackney Road and Cambridge Heath Road towards Clapton, where the runoff gathers in filthy roadside pools through which cyclists must plough. But considering the average cycle time is only 22 minutes for a four-mile London journey, perhaps I should aim to be more robust. And for all the rain it appears to suffer, London actually only had 116 days of rain last year. Since a heavy downpour never seems to last longer than 20 minutes, the best solution is to wait it out. For fair- and foul-weather cyclists alike, that’s blue-sky thinking.
Route rating
Miles 3.4 Hackney Rd to Clapton Rd
Average cycle time 15 mins
Calories burned 144
Times splashed 37
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6 comments
'Why adhere to a law that endangers me?' (re illegal pavement cycling) The same stupid selfish comment could possibly be made about knife-carrying. Get off the pavement, you selfish git - even if people say nothing to you don't take it as tacit acceptance, it's probably because they're frightened. Read letters in the local press and reports of local community and police meetings - it's you and others like you who are making the pavements in London a no-go area for old, disabled and vulnerable people. What a stupid and irresponsible article for Time Out to endorse - I will not be purchasing it again.
I was with a cyclist who was catapulted off her bike in an accident last week. She landed on her head and shoulder. Result: Helmet severely dented, concussion, face had a nasty case of road rash, broken collar bone. Without a helmet I think it could have been much worse.
Re: amazing statistics - the trouble with accident statistics is it is impossible to measure all the accidents that don't happen...
Did the writer really mean;
'Anarchic behaviour under the guise of protest is selfish and self-defeating.'
Or perhaps;
Selfish behaviour under the guise of protest is self-defeating.
Or maybe;
Selfish behaviour under the guise of anarchy is self-defeating.
Clean up on the stereotypes mate.
I ride through that road system most days and, as I've found generally with cycling in London at all times of day and night, if you ride with your wits about you, it isn't a problem. A cycle lane past Central St. Martin's would be safer and there's loads of pavement but in the mean time the author should grow a pair and use the road.
LB 's Southwark and Lewisham provide free Adult Cycle Training for all those who live, work or study in the borough. Available via www.cyclinginstructor.com. Online Booking!
Statistics show that amazingly cyclists who wear helmets have more accidents than cyclists who don't. This is because, the study says, drivers of cars and other vehicles tend to take it "slightly easy" when they see a cyclist wearing a helmet as opposed to when a cyclist is unprotected. A model Catch-22 situation innit?