2010-09-29 - Rider Down, Tavistock Place

The cycle lane light is red when the road light is green. It's a long annoying wait, so pretty much everyone jumps there.

If you're released from the previous traffic light, by Regents Sq, you can't make it to that one (in the cycle lane) while it's still green, so it's always wait or jump. Someone really needs to sort the timings there.

The sequence is so annoying at this very spot that I usually take the road and accept the abuse hurled at me from drivers for not being in the cycle lane.

I thought that was the case.

I get regular abuse too for using the road (primaryish position, same speed as traffic), going eastbound. I ride the stretch from Malet Place to Wakefield St to travel between shifts at different sites, and as it's a short hop, I'm happy/able to go at the motorised pace.

A couple of 'chats' have been quite productive, making drivers aware the cycle lane isn't compulsory, that it's more dangerous than the road, that I'm as much part of the 'traffic' as a car, and that I've written to the council suggesting it's ripped out and perhaps they could do the same.

Most 'chats', however, involve cabbies having aneurysms and embarrassing their passengers.