My daughter has decided to go to King's College in London and may be in Halls of Residence in Hampstead. How cycle friendly is London these days? Will she be able to cycle to and from uni without much in the way of problems or should she opt for a Brompton and do a hybrid commute with the tube?

Hi Avro

I was recently informed that I had transgressed all laws known to man for taking a Brompton on the tube, checking the web London Underground website it gives the options for each of the lines. Not sure which route your daughter would be using.

I made the journey easier by fixing a wide strap to the bike at the hinge and the seat post and slinging over my shoulder. Kept the bike nice and close and out of the way when going through barriers and doors.

[www.tfl.gov.uk]

The short answer to cycling in London is "Very mixed, but improving". There are route options, and an excellent set of route maps from TfL/London Cycling Campaign (LCC).
I would strongly recommend joining LCC, as they can give advice on routes, and where future improvements are scheduled. They also have local groups who can offer 'buddying' for newbies.
My daughter is also 18, and has no trouble cycling in London, although she doesnt have to tackle some of the really nasty bits.
LCC will tell you the golden rule for safety in London. "Don't ever, ever, go down the left(nearside) of a lorry". Last year every single cyclists death except two happened this way! It's currently a hot topic. Almost all the victims are women for some reason.

"Don't ever, ever, go down the left(nearside) of a lorry". Last year every single cyclists death except two happened this way! It's currently a hot topic. Almost all the victims are women for some reason."

How strange because we have exactly the same problem in Denmark (Except on the right, of course)

We have cycle lanes on most of our roads but obviously when turning right the cars, etc have to cross the cycle lane.

The obvious answers to me is more education for cyclists because some of them have the idea "It is my right of way regardless of the consequences". The other is to stop the lorries 5 metres behind the cycle stop line and to try and stop the cyclists stopping alongside lorries.

As an ex HGV 1 driver I know you can put 10 mirrors on the inside and you can still miss a bike.

We live in a cycle Eutopia, but there can still be improvements.

Steve

I lived, worked and cycled in London for 7 years during the 1990's.
When I return to London to visit friends (some of them in Hampstead) I am very aware of how different it is to cycle around the place now, than it was 10 years ago.
The attitude of most drivers towards bicycles seems to far less aggressive, and there are many more people, both men and women, on two wheels.

If your daughter is used to cycling and reasonably assertive on her bike, she will not have a problem.
It is possible to have 'how to cycle in the City' lessons [www.lcc.org.uk] if she feels the need.

As far as which type of bike, a lightweight Brompton would be a very good idea. Bike theft is a real problem in London, I would advise to take the (folded)bike to lectures, Halls and out on the town; do not lock it outside and walk away, it will be stolen.

You could go for a cheaper conventional non folder, but your daughter will have to carry heavy locks with her which would be tiresome.

Lastly, your daughter will save a small fortune by not using public transport and getting on her bike.

@ Steve, and also relevant to Avro

Advance stop boxes for bikes are great, except in this case, because they encourage cyclists to sneak up the inside to get to the box. This becomes a problem when the lights change mid-sneak. The deaths seem to be occuring where there are pedestrian 'cattle barriers', giving the cyclist nowhere to fall except under the wheels of the lorry. Replacing these with bollards (or nothing!) would at least allow the rider to fall onto the path. An almost zero-cost option.

A good answer (and one which LCC favour) would be to give agreen light to bikes a few seconds before the motor traffic, allowing us to be salfely on our way before anything starts moving. it's an expensive solution which would take time to install and re-programme the lights.

Education of cyclists, and warning signs, saturation ad campaigning, telling them to go up the middle, is probably the most effective pragmatic solution, and certainly the answer for Avro's daughter.

Blaming the driver is futile. as Steve points out. They don't deliberately drive over cyclists! If you ever follow a big articulated LGV through the city centre, the skill level of these drivers becomes clear. It's awesome to watch! Lorry drivers (95% anyway) are highly aware, and some of the best drivers on the roads.

It's interesting how many of the lorries involved in these deaths are skip or waste lorries (as was the one which nearly killed Boris Jonsson - see youtube). The Road Transport Industry admit that this is the 'low end' of the LGV spectrum. Low wages, dodgy operators and a 'traveller' tradition are endemic in this sector.

Night-time-only LGV operation is another non-starter for practical reasons of site operations, drivers hours regulations etc.

The next 2 years will see huge lorry operations around the Olympic (spits on ground) building programmes, though Hampstead to West End should be free of that. It's just us East Enders who are at risk there. Thy havent even finished building Canary Wharf (where we are) yet, and now we're going to have 2 years more 24/7 lorry movements. GRR!

> The deaths seem to be occuring where there are pedestrian 'cattle barriers', giving the cyclist nowhere to fall except under the wheels of the lorry. Replacing these with bollards (or nothing!) would at least allow the rider to fall onto the path. An almost zero-cost option.

I guess the cattle barriers are to coral pedestrians to safe crossing points: i.e. what would be good for the cyclists would be bad for the peds :-(

> A good answer (and one which LCC favour) would be to give agreen light to bikes a few seconds before the motor traffic, allowing us to be salfely on our way before anything starts moving.

I have seen that in Germany, but it depends on the cars *not* starting on the cyclists green light !! But it would not help the cyclist caught halfway along the inside of a lorry would it ?

> It's interesting how many of the lorries involved in these deaths are skip or waste lorries (as was the one which nearly killed Boris Jonsson - see youtube).

I read somewhere that whilst most lorry drivers are paid by the hour skip lorry drivers are paid by the *trip*. So more trips = more cash per hour :-(

Well Zoxed, i can see the point you make, but as a part-time ped (who isnt?) I resent being corralled. Its my right to cross the road, more than it is the Authorities right to prevent me. I tend to hop over barriers as I please. Maybe the cars should be the ones inconvenienced?

Good point about skip lorries. In New York, the refuse trucks have long been regarded as the worst-driven, most lethal vehicles. In the old days in London, it was the Evening Standard vans, but that seems to have abated now. Royal Mail are putting in a convincing bid for the title though!

Black cabs have gone from being one of the worst hazards, to being some of the most courteous drivers towards cyclists. Some psychological war has been won there. Maybe it was education, maybe a long term realisation that we help reduce conestion, but they seem to like us now. Even help us sometimes!