Applespider

Can I recommend the Fibre Flare as a great light to be seen by. It comes in various lengths but it's basically a long flexible tube that lights up in virtually all directions. You can clip it to your bike or to yourself - I have one clipped on to my rear jacket pocket (that admittedly looks a little like a tail) and a micro one attached to my helmet. They come in different colours - white, red, blue, green etc - and their battery life is great too (about 3 months if you use it for an hour a day on flash). I've been chased down a few times and asked what light it was.

Here's the iTunes link https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/a-bridge-over-you-radio-edit/id771004173?i=771004177 But it is only at 170 today so there's a way to go...

How big is the general fitness population to see what proportion that is? Google suggests that there are around 10,000 gyms in the UK. So 7 members in each who are more focused on image may be accurate. If the average gym has 500 active members then it probably isn't that big an issue. The majority of those that I exercise with do so because it is fun, it is destressing and it means we can eat those Xmas mince pies without guilt ;-p Since we generally end up as a sweaty mass at the end, I don't think image is a primary concern!

For those times where you do want to relax on the sofa without chilling out, think about buying an electric throw. They cost pennies to run and bundled under it, you can keep your regular heating lower.

It's been done mostly all the way - there's still a stretch of old bumpy tarmac from the roundabout, past the park gates and a little beyond the zebra crossing but then it all evens out beautifully - although it now has a few speed bumps that I don't recall being there before.

Agreed - truly a great man. If he hadn't been so gracious and forgiving, South Africa could have been a far uglier place post-apartheid. Heck, we might not yet be post-apartheid without him. RIP, Madiba

Thanks annabel42. I'll see what I can rearrange at work and try to be there.

the man with a van Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Really most do I would say you are wrong because I > would say most do not because they do not get > caught go over vauxhall bridge on the cycle super > highway at 5 pm a raceway for cyclists that most > do not stop f > act There's no super highway on Vauxhall Bridge. The cycle lane southbound is miniscule - just about wide enough for handlebars and not much else. It's pretty much lethal to end up in there at rush hour since coaches or trucks are too wide for the nearside land and regularly impeded the narrow cycle lane. If you are a cyclist capable of keeping a reasonable speed (more than 15-20mph), you are far safer in the lane there. If you're talking about the CS5 crossover on the Embankment, I'd say that's one of the few junctions where you rarely see RLJ since there's almost constant traffic as each of the four lanes go. You do see anticipation of lights there where cyclists start moving just before their lights change but that's more about getting out of the way of traffic accelerating but they are rarely over the midway point of the junction before it actually turns green. Where you do see cyclists RLJ more are the junctions where there is a phase where all the traffic stops and all the pedestrian lights are green. It's still wrong and it annoys the heck of me (as a law-abiding cyclist who is stopped) just as much as it does you. FJDGoose - I'm sorry that you saw someone nearly knocked for six which I expect shocked him immensely despite not being hit and it would be nice if that cyclist is one of those pulled over next week when the police start their new crackdown. I'm not condoning going through 'green men' at all but it is safe to say that even those idiots going through don't want to hit a pedestrian since it's likely to hurt them more than the pedestrian if they come off. So there are likely to be a lot of 'close shaves' but not as many accidents. Cyclists do need to realise that a close shave to a pedestrian by a cyclist is just as scary to them as a close shave with a car is to one of us. It would also be nice though if pedestrians realised that bikes don't come equipped with power-steering and ABS brakes and looked before stepping off the kerb in front of us even if it's just a little hop on/off to get past a slower pedestrian.

I'm quite happy with the police being there cracking down but glad that they are now saying it is everyone including motorists in ASLs rather than how it's felt the last couple of mornings with cyclists being hauled over to be told about helmets (which aren't obligatory by law) while motorists ignore the ASLs. It did feel a little like victim-bashing at that point. Not to mention them picking some awkward positions; yesterday the police positioning at Vauxhall Bridge forced all the cyclists into the main flow of traffic which I'd reckon was slightly more dangerous than the odd bod not having their magic fluorescent vest on. Having said all that, it's common sense to ensure you are visible - something bright (not necessarily screaming yellow/pink), lights on dreary days and nights - since I'd rather be alive than in the right but dead or seriously injured. I have long hair that's visible in or out a helmet but since I don't cycle often without a helmet, I can't say I've noticed a difference in how I'm treated. The only time I've noticed getting a lot of extra room was one day this summer where I lost my cycling shorts during the day and ended up cycling home in what turned out to be a very short sundress! However, that's not really an safety option at this time of year. It's also worth noting that there are a heck of a lot of good drivers out there. I must get passed by a few hundred vehicles on my way to work and there are probably only a couple every other day that I actually want to swear at. I wave or give a thumbs up to just as many who are uber considerate.

Josephine, I nearly got taken out by an HGV there a year or so ago. He moved into the nearside lane to go straight ahead on South Circ and obviously didn't see me in what had been the bus lane (despite me have double rear lights and reflective belt on). I stay on the left when the traffic is flowing faster than I can cycle. At junctions or where the road narrows (e.g. a traffic island), I'll signal right and move outwards a little to try to stop cars overtaking at a dangerous point. If the traffic is stopped (and the road is wide enough), then I'll move to the right and filter down that side. Not sure what your normal route is but I go from around Wood Vale to Vauxhall every day and find the route via Herne Hill/Brixton/Stockwell far more pleasant. The roads are quieter until Brixton and then there are longer stretches of bus lanes and less traffic than on Camberwell New Road. It's worth checking out the council website for some free cycle training. They'll often ride your regular route with you and point out where you need to be more assertive and what to watch out for. It's one on one and lasts a couple of hours. I found it invaluable.

Annabel, many condolences to you and your family. This week has really brought home the 'there but the grace of god' factor as a cyclist and I'd hate to imagine my mother going through what you are. Please let us know if there are any local services for him or if there's anywhere to send donations in his name. I'd like to pay my respects as a fellow cyclist if I can.

VeronicaSawyer Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- Or, more commonly but bizarely, will see you > are there but forget you are actually moving. So > they treat you as a stationary object in the road > and pull out to go around you but then pull back > in or make a left turn directly in front of you, > seemingly not realising that you have moved > forward. If you're lucky you'll realise what's > about to happen and manage to slam on the brakes > or jump on to the pavement in time. If you're not > then you'll end up knocked off, like Josephine, or > worse. - Happened to me tonight on South Lambeth Road. A car moved into the right hand lane to overtake me (since I was in the middle of the left) about 10ft before the junction and then promptly put his indicator on and turned left in front of me. He obviously saw me otherwise he wouldn't have overtaken in the other lane. Thankfully I was able to brake. Glad that you're OK Josephine and I'd agree with those who suggest reporting it to the police even if there's no other evidence. It's been a horrid week for cycling news. Ride and drive safely everyone and watch out for one another.

Some of the cost of doing it did benefit south London. The animation company who did the filming of the ad are apparently based in Clapham and the company that produced the accompanying windows in JL Oxford St (the woodland animals made out of household goods) are from Croydon. The M&S advert didn't appeal quite so much since I did end up questioning exactly why her clothes kept flying off and gratuitously showing her underwear. The JL one at least suggests spending the day with friends is more in keeping with the spirit of Christmas - and that gifts should be thoughtful rather than simply costly and come in bundles. LN - sure they'll miss your dollars but given #hareandbear has been trending on Twitter positively, I suspect it will be made up by others. At least both of those companies pay their taxes so better to buy gifts there than from some others.

Was also a lovely clear night and not too chilly which probably encouraged more to go...

Was astonished at how many people had disregarded advice on junction closure. I pushed my bike through the junction just before 9 and there was a lot of traffic - cars and buses at a standstill. Lots of dodgy parking in surrounding roads too! The crowds walking seemed cheerful though and whoever sold the light sabres must have made a fortune. Every other kid seemed to have one

barniepage, I appreciate that as you work with Ryan, you must be really disappointed that his idea didn't win. But that doesn't mean that if the local community would like a theatre space, they can't try for one. I liked the idea of a shared theatre space - although that particular grassy circle is already used for theatre reasonably successfully - but struggled to see it as artwork. That may because I don't tend to associate landscaping with art per se - but also because there was no real sense of it except from above and few of us would have really been able to appreciate it. I had however considered which side of the plane you'd need to be on to try to spot it! I do quite like the idea of a series of sculptures and I hadn't appreciated that they'd be large and tactile enough that you could climb/sit and interact with them. That puts a new complexion on them.

Remember that you can report non-urgent crimes online and the police will give you a call back with a crime reference number (if appropriate) and to talk it through. Lots of info on which number/process to use on the Met's website https://online.met.police.uk/

Sorry to hear about your wife's experience. Just wanted to say that it's normal to feel quite jumpy for a few months afterwards. After it happened to me, I would startle at any noise behind me or any movement out of corner of my eye. The good news is that the hyper alertness passes eventually.

You can ask for a meter but if they can't fit one (I can't as it's a flat in an old conversion), they will give a discount for one-bedroom properties. Think it's 20% off. I'm still sure I'd be cheaper with a meter since I often shower at work/gym but still... it's better than nothing.

titch juicy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > While we're at it. > > Cyclists that use cleat pedals on their commuting > bike- > > Completely unnessecary in town. Ooooh - something I can confess to on this thread. I love my SPDs on the commute. They help me accelerate away from lights quicker since you can pull up. And stop me slipping off the pedals when it's damp. SPDs are easier though than SLs which I think is where most of the delays occur. I get frustrated too - I know the roadie will overtake me 50ft up the road so there's no point in overtaking but waiting for him to clip in when I've already done it can make me mildly irritated. I'll raise your clipless pedals though and throw in trackstanders. I can sits understand when it is for a few seconds when the lights are flashing amber but the ones who try to keep it up for long traffic sequence only to admit defeat just as the lights change and they end up slower pulling away make me chuckle

titch juicy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Men over the age of 40 should not wear Lycra- this > is an important issue. > > I'm not quite 40 but have the decency to wear a > pair of shorts over my cycling shorts. Nor should men or women over a certain waist measurement... And both sexes should also ask an honest friend to check the opacity of older lycra from behind while bent over...

rodneybewes Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Applespider Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > It makes you shiver doesn't it? Child seats on the > back of bikes in London traffic... > > I have a few friends who are keen cyclists in > Holland and they regard London cycling provision > with utter horror. I'm not too stressed by the child seats - what freaked me out about this family was that the two kids were on their own bikes. The 8 year old was about 20ft ahead of the mother with the 6 year old who was valiantly pedalling up the bridge incline. It was the thought of the mother trying to signal to stop the traffic for the two kids to get into the right lane that worried me. Thankfully another cyclist had slowed to chat to her and was helping to 'block' the way. I did wonder whether they were perhaps from Holland or Denmark and expected better provision.

Incidentally, I think the description of a fish's picture is more true to pavement cyclist than lycra louts. Most of those wearing lycra (or other cycling specific clothing) are those who commute or ride regularly and are therefore fairly comfortable on the roads and have the lights and other gear to do so. The ones who regularly wear club gear (e.g Dulwich Paragons) are generally aware that they'd tarnish the reputation of their club if they broke the law so tend not to. The cyclists who I see on the pavement, without lights and/or jumping red lights, tend to be those in more normal clothing and on non-road bikes. There's one real eejit who regularly swings through Herne Hill cackling madly (literally) at those of us waiting at the lights. As someone who went from not having ridden a bike on the road in more than a decade to cycling around Vauxhall Cross on a daily basis with a bit of training, good awareness and an understanding that even if you are in the right, you may need to give way, you can feel safe on the roads. Cyclists have no place on pavements unless they are shared use - and even then, it should only be at walking pace and giving way to pedestrians. Having said that, I'd like to see better cycling provision - not least for the family I saw crossing Vauxhall Bridge this morning. A mother and two little girls (8 and possibly 6) in the bus lane making their way over the bridge northbound - I'd have preferred to see the kids on the pavement there since potentially having to cross two lanes of traffic to go straight on the northern stretch made me shudder at what might go wrong.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The point of these small format stores is that > they're local, convenient, and open long hours. What I don't quite understand is that when convenience stores were genuinely small traders, I could understand the price premium on the products. Now that the convenience market is increasingly made up of all major supermarket chains who have the economies of scale that a large supply chain brings, why do they still charge a premium in their Express/Local/Simply/Little formats?

Agreed. I started as a fair weather cyclist only planning on riding in on sunny days to justify having got my bike on the cycle to work scheme. Then I discovered that it made my commute far more pleasant and stuck at it year-round. I save a good 30-40 minutes a day too on the round-trip. I'd seen the version of that map where you put in your location but the one on that page is interesting. I'm assuming the pink near us is because of the Overground line that makes getting to Stratford quick from Forest Hill/Honor Oak. The worst thing about getting to Stratford on a bike is getting across the river...