How to beat bendy buses
So, bendy buses will face the wall if any number of mayoral candidates have their way. Though I suspect the candidates of political opportunism, while cycling the route of the 38 along Essex Road this morning, I find myself agreeing with them. It seems that the transport genius behind bendies cared little for the safety or comfort of cyclists. Rounding Holborn is perilous in itself. But the problem is particularly bad heading west on New Oxford Street towards the turning for Tottenham Court Road. Because driver visibility on the left of the bus does not extend along its entire length, I’m forced into the centre of the traffic lane instead of the safe left-hand side.
Then the dreaded moment arrives: up ahead I see another bendy approaching. Marooned in the centre I try to speed up to outflank the first bus before the second bus reaches me. Too late! Sandwiched between the two, sunlight vanishes in a seemingly endless red wall of doom. For bendy buses the margin for error on London’s narrow roads is hairline thin. While a shorter style of bus gives cyclists the option of speeding up or dropping back to avoid being trapped, the length of a bendy bus does not. And when you consider the consequences if a careless bus driver were to narrow the gap even further, it’s no surprise that cyclists are so keen to see the back end of this bus.
Route rating
Miles 3.1 (Essex Rd to Tottenham Court Rd).
Average cycle time 30 mins.
Calories burned Around 180.
Metres of buses dodged 36 end to end.
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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?