Oh my god they're back...

[Chris71]

The X5s, the Cayennes and the Range Rover Sports (not forgetting 'hubbie' in his dubiously driven Transit); they're all back from holiday now the school term's started. I'm getting used to the whoosh of intercoolers as 4X4s and vans sweep past my ear only for them to find out I'm going quicker than they expected and they now have to pull back in (through me) to avoid the next oncoming parental unit.

Don't you just love term time in the suburbs?

I guess some small consolation is it's still relatively warm and dry, and it's once again faster to go by bike than by car.

[VEA]

I got clipped 3 times on the way home last night, all by mums in X5's!!!

Yup gotta love it, just glad my reactions are quick enough to pull my arm in enough to (almost) get out of the way.

[anonymous-user]

lol you must live in a posher area than me, its all citroen picassos and megane scenics round here!!!

[louiebaby]

Possibly the only thing about commuting in Central London that is better than in the 'burbs.

When I used to live in Henley it was amazing how little traffic there was at commuting time when the kids weren't in school. Properly amazing.

[Chris71]

VEA said:

I got clipped 3 times on the way home last night, all by mums in X5's!!!

THREE TIMES?! Jesus.

I've only been properly clipped once (although they were doing some speed) and I have to say it scared the st out of me. I'm permanently worried a knock is going to send me onto the deck to be run over by the next car.

I suppose the upside is that traffic speeds have come down a lot. I'm in prime yummy mummy territory so the roads are practically deserted outside of term time and many people do 40+mph on the straight (30mph zone) stretches during the summer. Now it's back to gridlock anywhere within 500yds of a junction.

[BliarOut]

Chris71 said:

VEA said:

I got clipped 3 times on the way home last night, all by mums in X5's!!!

THREE TIMES?! Jesus.

I've only been properly clipped once (although they were doing some speed) and I have to say it scared the st out of me. I'm permanently worried a knock is going to send me onto the deck to be run over by the next car.

I suppose the upside is that traffic speeds have come down a lot. I'm in prime yummy mummy territory so the roads are practically deserted outside of term time and many people do 40+mph on the straight (30mph zone) stretches during the summer. Now it's back to gridlock anywhere within 500yds of a junction.

Get a stigpinne with a nail on the end

[Chris71]

pablo said:

lol you must live in a posher area than me, its all citroen picassos and megane scenics round here!!!

I certainly ride through one! It's all leafy avenues and smart 1930s houses on my way to work (Barnet/Whetstone type area).

But we still get the rif raf coming in off the North Circ at the far end.

Actually the vehicles that terrify me most are minicabs. The white MPVs with hose hologram stickers in the back window, maybe they've all passed enough cyclists to have it down to a fine art or maybe they simply don't care, but they seem to have a knack of blasting past with the valves bouncing at the red line, precisely 3/8ths of an inch away from your right elbow.

I think the driving standards take a drop when the school run's in town, but that's sort of offset by the lower traffic speeds. Like most of the negative points of urban life I don't think they're fundamentally worse, just greatly exagerated by having so many people jammed in one place.