London cycling impressions [248]

[@TheNigelrojo]

Cycling infrastructure in London is an absolute disgrace. I went on a cycle holiday through Belgium, Holland and parts of Germany in the summer, 1200 km in all, and had to cycle only 5 km across London at the start of it, from one railway station to another. And that 5 km was BY FAR the most stressful and dangerous part of the whole trip...

[@herbertsdottir9223]

@John so is Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Copenhagen

[@tobeytransport2802]

Herbertsdottir I think what he means is that London is a big city

[@wimahlers]

@@tobeytransport2802 London is a big city. So what?

[@luke_222]

Now try american cities

[@timpauwels3734]

Goed gedaan! A very accurate, well balanced and constructive analysis of the situation.

[@daiburt1833]

They are not called cyclist in London they are called organ donors

[@04smallmj]

Despite the hype about the cycle "super"highways, I didn't see a single piece of decent cycling infrastructure (not even much crap either) when I was in central London last Monday. There's so much potential, it's such a waste.

[@googlesuckscock6538]

The new segregated cycle routes through elephant and castle and Tower Hill are very good though.

[@G1NZOU]

We Brits tend to focus on a few localised projects and give them a fancy name compared to the Dutch who just apply common sense and preventative safety in their road design every day.

[@ChrisDuffy_82]

it's getting there. N-S cycle superhighway, Tavistock Place, Royal College Street

[@politicalphilosophy-thegre3894]

They're too expensive to sustain in the long term, that's why.

[@trentr9762]

I think the cycle highways are great get good use outta them myself

[@Charlienmeg]

Cycling in the UK - everywhere - and cycling in Holland are chalk and cheese. I often get on a ferry and cycle/camp in Holland/Belgium just for the hell of it and for peace of mind - and no hills!

[@allardfreichmann3733]

E-bikes.

[@trentr9762]

Ya need to revisit. A lot has changed, in guessing the super highway system wasnt there when you visited? Also the park you visited was a registerd cycle route to get from one district to another :)

[@darkdynasty5097]

I think we should have a mid 2016 update, so please do that to see if anything improves

[@politicalphilosophy-thegre3894]

Nothing has really improved.

[@bl4ckth0rn39]

Good video from 2017 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rajEdmaDh5qhgc0

[@irrelevance3859]

There's been improvement from when he filmed this is yes

[@daggertom1]

Hmm I started cycling to work in London recently and I don't think it is so bad anymore. I'm riding from Tower hill up to notting hill gate and a lot of the route is on the new segregated cycle superhighway and through the cycle lane that goes through hyde park.. There are definitely a couple bad bits though espescially near buckingham palace but allegedly they are planning to bring the super highway there too eventually

[@tescotrain]

4 years later, even more has changed

[@Ukid111]

As a person who lives in London, cycling on the road for the first time is scary however you get used to it. Although you do hear of accidents with lorries in the centre.

[@Greenglefingle]

An update video would be great! I'm from the UK and watch your Dutch cycling videos with envy!

[@Zoza15]

If Mark sees amazing cycling infrastructure put in another, then he will likely visit to see it for himself.. Someday i guess :)

[@bryntownshend6528]

New cycle schemes have now been implemented in London, some with good design and segregation. I would like to see a re-review of London for cycling and pedestrianisation. I would also like to see you review Stevenage and Milton Keynes for cycling, where infrastructure is available, but very few people cycle.

[@Dubnside]

Great video, you guys should come to Dublin, Ireland. Pretty much the same as London, except smaller streets...

[@Buck2901]

Thanks for this insightful video. We were considering traveling to London for a bike sightseeing trip. I'm not too sure anymore.

[@ianji]

I live outside London but when I go in on the train (about once a fortnight) I always take my bike because it is the quickest and cheapest way for me to get around. The video makes it look scarier than it feels, and cycling is actually one of the things I look forward to about my visits. Still, it could be much better and I understand why it is not yet a popular mode of transport as it is in certain other cities of Europe.

[@ShortieLeeroy]

Super video with spot on observations.

[@Vinyltoast]

The worst, and I do mean THE WORST problem with cycling in london are drivers that do NOT indicate when turning, or indicate whilst turning. I've nearly got into tons of accidents because of this stupidity. If you plan to turn, indicate BEFORE the intended turn and check your mirrors. If im coming up to a t-junction or turning and running along side you and don't see any indicator blinking then im assuming youre not going to be turning!

[@bacburrito4225]

Timothy definitely not dangerous cyclists then!

[@derekheeps1244]

Then don’t overtake at junctions and don’t ride alongside other vehicles where the drivers can’t see you . Stay in the gaps between vehicles . To do otherwise is asking for trouble

[@supremeleader9838]

i got hit by a van who decided to hang a right without signalling… from the left lane

[@supremeleader9838]

@@derekheeps1244 it doesn’t always help, sometimes people are lost or confused and just turn without looking while the traffic is flowing.

[@Prembo2011]

You should come to Bogotá to get some impressions. We have a lot of exclusive infrastructure but the most of the streets are very chaotic.

[@JustClaude13]

0:53 That looks like my visit to Osaka.The sidewalk near my hotel was divided: one side for bikes and the other for pedestrians. And people were walking and riding on both sides with a total disregard for the markings. Is it time for a follow up video to examine the changes over time?

[@ziasong]

Hope you will make a video of cycling in Bangkok, Thailand.

[@bacburrito4225]

a fair an balanced perspective

[@Artrocker86]

Great video, thanks mate!

[@paolagrando5079]

When I used to live in London I would cycle a lot. It was cheaper and plenty of times faster. I would have never think of doing it on Oxford Street. Then again, I biked around the big roundabout at Elephant&Castle 100s of times. I have to say, maybe, I was lucky, but the wast majority of the drivers were respectful and I didn't feel scared.

[@politicalphilosophy-thegre3894]

Thanks for posting, good video.

[@rommeljuanillo]

i'm from the Philippines just wondering if FOLDING BIKES will be used,bike parks will be maximized to the fullest-thanks.Folding Bikes can be folded to 3x smaller than ordinary bikes

[@roivosemraiva]

Thank you for such an intelligent comparison. You should pedal and come to Florida.

[@dazzasp3]

We need cycling everywhere

[@BRAWGWill]

Please do a side-by-side comparison of cycling in the Netherlands and in the UK (if you feel you can cycle in the UK - that is). It would make a very informative video to cycling infra nay-sayers.

[@fam.vanveen3026]

We've been to that charming village not so long ago. There's a beautiful church. What struck us the most was that the people all looked the same; young, old, male, female, they all had the same features. And yes, we've also witnessed some very 'unlucky' children...! Not so great for cycling though!

[@vincewhite5087]

This is old video. There had been huge changes.

[@jakieboiZ94]

Not really, it's still bad.

[@Planet_Brent]

It's film?!

[@Jcarroll1992]

Excellent video

[@luismanuel2612]

The same where I live. We have a long way to go before we reach Dutch's standards ...

[@newinsouthwark]

Incredible cycle protest London 2.9.13

[@TimpBizkit]

Most cities in UK you either have to ride 5 mph or 35 mph

[@MarcoTheGreat2008]

The cyclist's paradox... You're going to slow for drivers... Unless you're going too fast for them when you pass through traffic.

[@fedor5664]

Here in the NL cyclists almost always stop for redlights

[@mariamanuelararosilva2017]

Assim é em Portugal também :-( ninguém respeita, nem pedestres nem automobilistas :-( é um perigo!

[@LandscapeArchitecture]

Thank you for an excellent video - though it may be too generous.

[@MarkDmowskiYoutuber]

In London is not always safe / comfortable to cycle, but I can say from my own experience at least car drivers are considerate. Many bike roads or those narrow paths taken from the main streets are in bad condition. Positive thing is that there are not too many bicycles, unlike in Netherlands, where cyclists and motorbikes do not respect any traffic rules and run over the pedestrians.

[@josh.cohenmusic]

The rules seem to be different there though. I think cyclists have priority in the same way if you stepped into a London road cars would have priority

[@zivkovicable]

I don't think this is misleading at all. Why should cyclists have to stay away from the centre & avoid the direct routes? After all that is where many people need to be. You have to travel at least a couple of miles from Oxford st to find a street safe enough for a child to cycle on. This is possible in the centres of Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, etc.

[@0KiteEatingTree0]

As a Londoner I,ve never felt comfortable cycling I now live in the 52 year old New Town of Telford There are no dedicated cycling lanes but some split with pedestrians. And an outer Network rather than links between increasing new developments which are car oriented. Paths often end and are not painted a separate colour or signposted except at main junctions Being half Dutch this makes me very angry when the local authority claims there is good cycling in the area Hoping to go back to Holland at some point for a break, need to scrub up on my Dutch and find somewhere to do Heamodialysis

[@irrelevance3859]

Despite it being bad London still does have the best cycling infrastructure versus the rest of England

[@petec3241]

You still need nerves of steel to ride in London, but things have improved since Johnson bailed out as mayor. There are now a number of physically separated cycle routes and there are a series of commuting Quiet ways. There’s more wearing of helmets on the part of cyclists. If you want to treat yourself to something hairy, try some of the canal towpaths, sometimes narrow with blind spots under bridges. And on the straight parts there are often speed bumps and offset barriers to try to slow it down a bit 😏

[@BicycleDutch]

The guy posed, thinking I wanted to take a picture. My video camera looks like a photo camera.

[@extreme2themax]

very well made

[@AviationMetalSmith]

In America, we drive on the right side of the road, while in the U.K., they drive on the correct side of the road.

[@mysurlytrucker7510]

You hit it on the head in my country Scotland cycling is mostly not wanted dangerous and cars park in the cycleways, and are not moved on .

[@PuebloBicicletero]

Excellent!

[@sognsvann3]

those on the pavement could be norwegians, here it is completely legal too ride on the pavement

[@ceminay96]

I suggest you come see Istanbul and make a video of it, you'll go crazy when you see how bad cyclists are treated...

[@AndreMonthy]

its safe as long as you don't want to turn right

[@reverendbluejeans1748]

I don't know if things have changed in the last two year but cycling in Central London is like a cycle party man! loads of cyclists, too much in many cases. I feel safe there.

[@malen-ch]

In Russia too very bad. We not have bicycle parking!! In my city 1-2 bicyclepath(Saint-Petersburg)

[@xzaz2]

Everyone is riding on the wrong side!

[@pipellis6672]

Complete chaos...very dangerous.

[@BicycleDutch]

Read the blog post and you'll know why this is.

[@mikedempsey7987]

That was his point Einstein!

[@edrobbin5161]

not sure I agree. you make some interesting observations but...

[@KrunchyJD]

NO, it is a great advert as to why cycling needs to be made safer.

[@G1NZOU]

The trouble with Britain is our cycle infrastructure is too broken up, not standardised enough and underused, if the infrastructure like the shortcuts were more universal and clearly done with a standardised colour more pedestrians would notice them and more importantly, understand them. Every time I visit London as a tube user and pedestrian it's an uncomfortable experience seeing so many people behaving so dangerously.

[@007floppyboy]

its ok, in a few months after brexit no one will be able to afford a car, streets will be clear and cyclists can enjoy the freedom.

[@ronwhite8503]

England is appalling for cycling but I don't care because I am emigrating to the Netherlands ha ha! Update....I am now living in the Netherlands and it is wonderful; ha ha again!

[@bryntownshend6528]

I want to do the same thing, for the reasons of cycling

[@arshadedlu3416]

I’m migrating from London to the Netherlands too next month.

[@mb106429]

How?, you'll need a six month visa soon, get yr arse back to blighty, and stay there until Boris says you can leave

[@CollisionChaos6]

Try making film like this in Moscow - you'll be surprised how people react to cyclists here.

[@JaccoSW]

Uhm no, this is an advert to improve the cycling infrastructure. Because apparently, people do use them.

[@r.v.b.4153]

1:09 hoppaaaa (very Dutch)

[@politicalphilosophy-thegre3894]

Thanks.

[@RadwegbloggerDO1]

damn good video.

[@edscoble]

Hah, loving how you made a mountain out of a molehill.

[@francescocapaccioni2124]

Accidents, brawls, assaults. We cyclists are the most vulnerable. Any of us might have seen, recorded and heard. We stay in voice contact. We can ask / provide help / information, or just give us a good morning in the morning. It is a free channel, where everyone can exchange information, tips, suggestions, and above all seek immediate help! Come on channel: Solidarity on two wheels in Zello zello.me/k/euE46

[@timjrvine]

Considering the amount of people that ride in London and the congestion charges in the city you think there would be a decent alternative, but alas, it seems like Sydney and London are two peas in a pod. Cyclists: enemy of the state.

[@fjones63]

The US is a very dangerous place for cycling. Many roads don't have any bike lanes and drive very fast. With the onset of Ebikes the US needs to get with the times.

[@TimpBizkit]

I am from the UK and it seems like the US roads are wider and easier for cars to pass bikes, but the intersections are tougher to negotiate. I'd find 4 way stops a bit of a shit show as to who is going to go first, rather than a roundabout. A single traffic cone in the centre of a 4 way stop might encourage circuitous behaviour, or just a white painted circle so that larger vehicles can cross it.

[@SalmaBchr]

0:24 made me so fkn mad

[@Joe90V]

Even I feel I need a helmet when in London, and I'm a very experienced rider from Cambridge. Unfortunately, for 50 years succeeding governments have looked to the US for inspiration & what we have are sewers for traffic intended to spew the contents as fast as possible. Those that use bikes do so increasingly for financial reasons despite a high level of inconsiderate & bloody-minded road users. When rats get overcrowded they start eating each other.

[@sombracycle6821]

Cycling in kensington gardens, London, with a sticky surprise at the end... kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpCkn5eNq8-rb5I

[@2_Wheeled_Wolf]

Ah I see we have our lil annoying cycle hating Troll here... Great video, just need the Government to listen some more.

[@njtsmith52]

This is an old video. Cycling in London is a fantastic experience these days. Private car usage is being very much unpromnoted and 1st class bike infrastructure is shooting up literally everywhere. We now have more trips made by bike per day than Amsterdam in 2016. Also this is the greatest city in the world.

[@simmer484]

London Population 8.6 million (wiki) Amsterdam population 851 thousand (wiki) London is ten times the size of Amsterdam. The only useful comparisons would be cycle to car ratios. So, in 2016 Transport for London said in central London 32% of daily movements are bicycles. That is compared to less than 10% in 2000. Amsterdam authorities in 2017 say 48% are bicycles in central Amsterdam. London is seemingly getting better, but to be honest I think just about every city elsewhere in the UK is a 'healthier' environment for cyclists.

[@captainchaos3667]

Uh, no.

[@bacburrito4225]

You’re talking total rubbish

[@DrBreezeAir]

This is heaven compared to Moscow.

[@MeenakshiDutta-cu5vi]

Seems like the absolute worst for cycling with the traffic... I mean the worst

[@banpowel9784]

2019, and the cycling infrastructure in london is appalling, they do use buzz words like ( cycling superhighway)????? Which you share with parked cars and lorries. My advice to cyclists, london is extremely dangerous to cycle in, don't do it.

[@hrdcdr]

Nice vid. Makes me wish the Dutch colonised Australia before the English :)

[@OakleyANDSittingBull]

Wishing (in any way) for European colonising...

[@kayjones1252]

shite in it?....

[@unexplainedwearenotalone3537]

This sicks this death free if u want die earlier. Like dutch system code best and safety on the road and healthy with no many cars.

[@allardfreichmann3733]

Get London car free.

[@keremmoral6913]

London city is not good for bike riding.Even,very bad.

[@sunrazor33]

Cycling in London is terrible! it's a accident ready to happen! The United States is no better, we have bicycle accidents daily.

[@MsPardaillan]

The way cyclists behave in London is so dangerous and they are so prone to insulting pedestrians that it should simply be safer to ban them from London.

[@HelenaRG71]

+MsPardaillan Ban the cars and lorries inside city centers and nobody will be killed anymore! Cyclist behave badly only if there is no safe infrastructure.

[@MsPardaillan]

HelenaRG71 I don't think so.

[@HelenaRG71]

Then check the Netherlands or Denmark. Wonderful cycling infrastructure, separated from the streets and almost all cyclists behave well and stop at red lights. But also because almost all the car drivers there are also cyclists. They understand and respect (!) each other.