London: Motorbikes and TFL bus lanes

[Crispy]

I have twice now been caught out by a motorbike coming up fast in the bus lane. I want to overtake a cycle in front of me. I look back - there's nothing. I signal, I start to move. I look back again (lifesaver check) and Whoom! there goes a motorbike.

As a result, I overtake much less now, unless I'm absolutely sure that it's safe. It's particularly hard to make a good judgement at night, when a glance backward just fills your eyes with headlights.

 

[Orang Utan]

The more I cycle, the more I hang back

 

[Crispy]

Truesay. I quite often find myself wincing when I see other cyclists being foolhardy and think "I would have done that 3 years ago"

 

[FunkyUK]

We've too much in common to argue.

*Hugs Mauvais*

 

[subversplat]

Motorbikes have been allowed to use the bus lanes around here for years and nobody has a problem with it. I think this is a great idea, but it sucks that it came from that wanker's office.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I have twice now been caught out by a motorbike coming up fast in the bus lane. I want to overtake a cycle in front of me. I look back - there's nothing. I signal, I start to move. I look back again (lifesaver check) and Whoom! there goes a motorbike.

As a result, I overtake much less now, unless I'm absolutely sure that it's safe. It's particularly hard to make a good judgement at night, when a glance backward just fills your eyes with headlights.

This scares the shit out of me, I got this a lot on my stretch form stockwell to clapham north before the Motorbikes in lanes thing came in.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

I have twice now been caught out by a motorbike coming up fast in the bus lane. I want to overtake a cycle in front of me. I look back - there's nothing. I signal, I start to move. I look back again (lifesaver check) and Whoom! there goes a motorbike.

This is my one concern about motorbikes being able to share the bus lane. Because if they want to overtake a cyclist they don't have to edge into the lane next door, they can overtake so quickly that you can look and they're not there, and be there zooming past a second later.

Though IME, for any road user, most of the problems come from the twats. The potentially worst experience I had with a motorcyclist was some idiot undertaking me whilst accelerating fast at the lights (I was in the advance cycle box, they were just behind me). As we didn't collide it probably has done me a favour in some ways because I check over my left shoulder a lot more than I used to. Still - that's could have been pretty nasty. But that's no way indicative of the majority of bikers.

There are just really a lot of selfish twats out there whatever their mode of transport. I guess what expanding the rights of one set of driver does though is it gives the twats more potential to be dangerous. Yesterday because of the road resurfacing, there were no stop lines outside the lights in front of Brixton tube. There were cars taking advantage of this by continuing to nudge themselves through the red light, even when the green man was on.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

anyone spotted the new pointless cycling lanes between Stockwell and Brixton?

I do this cycle 3 days a week atm moment and I haven't noticed them.

Where are they?

 

[Agent Sparrow]

I always get the feeling that a lot of motorcyclists think they are allowed into the advanced stop line area anyway.

Tbh, I thought they were allowed till quite recently, just because the vast majority of them I come across seem to do it!

I don't really care about that one as long as they don't undertake me and don't block access for cyclists. It can not work too badly having a couple of motorbikes on the right of the ASL and cyclists to the left. In a way, at least you're more alerted to where they are when they're next to you than behind you. Though I guess if they made such a rule (a few motorbikes allowed based on the safety of the specific situation, i.e. based on a on the spot common sense assessment) it would often be abused due to some individual's sense of entitlement.

 

[Orang Utan]

I do this cycle 3 days a week atm moment and I haven't noticed them.

Where are they?

On the way from Stockwell to Brixton - they start just after the big junction and then carry on intermittently til just before the medical centre opposite the Far Side pub.

 

[obanite]

<hugs our cycling cousins>

FWIW, I'm always very careful overtaking cyclists and even occasionally slow down a bit

I guess on the plus side, at least you guys aren't cycling in the age of the motorbike courier, when London was full of people zipping around on motorbikes like suicidal monkeys.

 

[liberty]

As a motorbike rider I'm 100% for this it is just as dangerous on a motorbike as on a cycle.

I don't believe there is a big increase of danger to cyclists it's cars, lorrys and vans that cause most of the killings. Motorcycles are much less dangerous to cyclists than the buses.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

I don't believe there is a big increase of danger to cyclists it's cars, lorrys and vans that cause most of the killings. Motorcycles are much less dangerous to cyclists than the buses.

Hmmm. I've had more almost trouble with motorcyclists than buses. But then I've had more almost trouble/intimidation from car drivers. As I said earlier, it's largely about the twats rather than the actual form of transport. And as there are more car drivers on the road, there is more likely to be a higher number of twats in cars - QED

 

[nino_savatte]

The only 'motorcyclists' that I'm concerned about are those who ride scooters or bikes that are 125cc. In other words, those who haven't passed a test. I have no problem with proper bikers who ride 500s or above because they have been trained....unlike the pizza delivery geezer from Dominos Pizza.

 

[CorkieMagic]

Thank you all for your comments - very constructive.

I am not a joke poster - these are my opinions as yours are yours and I would like to think some of you are decent enough to respect that. My arguments may seem flawed to you guys but I was just expressing my views.

Having looked at the map of where bus lanes have allowed bikes around SW11 it doesn't seem that extensive anyway. Any different experiences?

I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that there are just lots of selfish twats on the roads who don't seem to appreciate that if they slam into a car it may cause a dent which can be fixed. If they slam into me they leave a dent in me that might not be fixable!

 

[CorkieMagic]

The only 'motorcyclists' that I'm concerned about are those who ride scooters or bikes that are 125cc. In other words, those who haven't passed a test. I have no problem with proper bikers who ride 500s or above because they have been trained....unlike the pizza delivery geezer from Dominos Pizza.

A while back one of our pizza delivery friends came hooning into the back of me on my bike. He went over my head and his bike skidded down Knightsbridge. He tried to blame me until I pointed out that it was, by definition, his fault. As soon as the fuzz turned up asking for ID and insurance our friend from a little place north of greece became as slippery as the oil he left on the road and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

So there you go - motorcyclists sometimes crash into other motorcyclists too. We do not, contrary to popular belief it would seem, go out 'cyclist bashing'!!

 

[CorkieMagic]

Last in? Actually, were both posts his first post?

Cock

Touchy

 

[salem]

I don't really care about that one as long as they don't undertake me and don't block access for cyclists. It can not work too badly having a couple of motorbikes on the right of the ASL and cyclists to the left. In a way, at least you're more alerted to where they are when they're next to you than behind you. Though I guess if they made such a rule (a few motorbikes allowed based on the safety of the specific situation, i.e. based on a on the spot common sense assessment) it would often be abused due to some individual's sense of entitlement.

Personally if I'm at the head of a queue I'll stay out of the ASL. If the light is red and I pass the queue I'll often nudge into the ASL if it means that the car to my left sees me better (rather then trying to cut in after the lights have gone green). The narrowness of bicycles/motorbike is such that there is generally space for a good few of us at a time with cycles on the left and motorbikes on the right. I'm always careful to leave as much room as possible and let them move off first if I have any doubt about them turning.