For this weeks Comment Friday it’s time to revisit a deep and repressed memory! Bike Theft! Have you had it happen to you and if so what happened? I remember well my bike being stolen outside college. I returned from my class, walked to the bike ...
Safe cycling in London
Turning right on a multi-lane roundabout
I don't know how many other people would relate to this but I have a problem summoning up the nerve to turn right at multi-lane roundabouts. I would be interested to get advice on best way to survive this manoeuvre. I'll only go left or straight over ...
How the rest of the world sees us cyclists and how not to answer an interview
Recently LBC radio invited me to talk about an exciting topic: “How safe is London for cycling?”. I was glad that finally main stream media were asking the right questions. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. The topic that was pitched to me was very ...
Should the news of Gary Mason make me doubt myself?
Post by Nicole Hands up those who were spooked by the untimely death of former boxer Gary Mason in a cycling accident at the weekend? I was. Apart from the awful loss of another human being, there are two reasons why this made such an ...
Snow skidding on your bike
Guest post by Godwyns Onwuchekwa Due to the treacherous nature of snow, it can be difficult for the non-fair-weather cyclist to keep up. But there is always a way. For me, the more dangerous it is to cycle, the merrier I am. Living in London for ...
Making a Claim in a Cycling Accident – Bike Accident Advice
We received a very positive response when we posted up the steps to keep in mind if you are ever involved in an accident. Whilst it’s often something we never think about, knowing what to do when you have a cycling accident makes a big ...
Tips to keep you cycling safely this winter
When winter arrives everyone has their own way of dealing with it. Mine is to hibernate and spend as much time in bed as possible. When I do finally manage to get myself out of bed and hop on the bike I end up thoroughly enjoying the winter cycling. ...
Steps to keep in mind if you are ever involved in an accident
It’s a horrible thought, but it is far better to be aware of the steps needed if you are in an accident or indeed if you witness an accident with a cyclist and need to help. When we tweeted about this it got a lot more clicks than expected so ...
I’m scared to leave my bike..
I get a lot of reader questions on London Cyclist and many of them I answer without ever showing on the blog but there is one common theme emerging: Fear to leave a bike somewhere. Take a look at the latest one.. I am about to change jobs, and I ...
How to prevent your bike from getting piranha’d
A couple of my cycling friends have recently been victims of bike piranhas. They’ve come back and noticed their bike is missing a saddle or a front wheel. In the worse cases friends have reported coming back to their bike to find nothing but the ...
Make your bike 57.5% less attractive to thieves. Get it tagged
When the bike thief is sneaking around with a huge pair of bolt cutters under his arm he doesn’t want a bike that is security tagged. A little sticker on a visible part of the frame can identify the security marking and lately I’ve been seeing an ...
3 new initiatives that make cycling in London safe – will they work?
Whilst I’m a strong believer in cycle training as a solution to London’s high cyclist accident rate it is important that the problem is tackled from many angles. Here are three of TfL’s new cycle safety initiatives. Take a look and let me know what ...
Spending the day with the cycle task force of the Met Police
We’ve spotted two males cycling on the pavement. P.C. Johnston makes a quick turn and is off his bike questioning the one. Within seconds he has the bike turned over and is doing a frame check. Often a thief will scratch off the frame number. ...
How to get the ultimate revenge on bad drivers
You’re cycling along, trying to get to work on time, feeling good with your new iPhone app tracking your progress and at some point the inevitable happens. Some clever person has found an incredible parking spot that just so happens to be a bike ...
Unconventional ways of preventing your bike from being stolen
My first time was outside my college when I was 16. I remember it well. Everyone remembers their first time. She was beautiful. The most gorgeous mountain bike you have ever seen. Sure it was just a £200 bike from JJB Sports but I was young and I was ...
How to Lock Your Bike – The Best Way to Lock a Bike
The latest figures show a 71% increase in bike thefts in parts of London so I thought I should revisit some bike lock safety tips. Make sure you don’t leave your bike anywhere without following these tips. It is best to take 2 minutes to read these ...
Cycling in winter
I often manage to embarrass myself by bumping into the back of a car before I realise that it is now winter and I need to be more careful. This article will go through some of the precautions I take during the rainy winter months that help me get ...
Ugly your bike
Make-digital has posted up an awesome guide on how to deter thieves from stealing your bike by making them think its not worth anything. I have often seen this done on bicycles in London and I think its a very good idea especially if its a highly ...
Preventing bicycle theft
One of my main worries when cycling around London is that my beautiful bicycle that I love so dearly will get stolen by some pikey and sold down Brick Lane. So here's some tips to keep your bike safe: Note: I have written a more comprehensive ...