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Surviving the urban jungle - Bob Pickett passes on knowledge earned in over a decade of riding in one of the most dangerous environments there is… commuting to London in rush hour…

With thanks to St John Ambulance for the photo

OK, this photo provided by St John Ambulance is comic (notice the blood coming from the wrong side of the mouth), but if you are hit for real, it isn't so funny. Think about what you're doing and I hope no bad photographer ever takes a photo of you on the floor I've been riding in one of the busiest environments out there - the London rush hour - for years now… and have the 'battle scars' to prove it. But - touch wood - I've been safe and sound for a very long time. If you're about to start commuting, or maybe you do but you're nervous about it - or even if you've been doing for ages and have become a bit complacent - hopefully the contents of this article will give you something to think about. I know I would have liked to have learned some of this stuff before I started out.

Town riding calls for a different set of skills to those employed out on the back roads and in the countryside. The skill set for town riding can be broken down into four elements:

Positioning

The safest position to ride when in town, no matter what the DSA recommends, is just to the right of the centre of the lane. This gives a good all-round view and allows you to move to the left if needs be to avoid a hazard. Hug the left-hand kerb and you're vulnerable to every little kid or granny who decides to wander out into the road, as well as reducing your visibility. Kerb hugging also makes you liable to have some impatient sales-rep join you on the same piece of tarmac, just at the moment you pull out to the right to avoid a parked car.

Sit right on the white lines and you leave yourself open to any sudden moves from the twat on your right.

Try to make some space between yourself and the vehicle in front - not easy in town, but if you can make yourself a car length or so, then you've given yourself time to react to the next dumb move. But do be aware that any space will be viewed by as a sign you're going slowly and someone may well try to pile into the space you just carefully created.

Own the lane - you have as much right as anyone else to ride in town, by riding assertively, you make sure you have more time and space to cope with what is happening around you.

Hazard Awareness

Whilst awareness of road conditions is still important, much more focus has to be given to the actions of other road users, pedestrians etc. On a packed urban road, the patience of the average car driver is likely to be far more stretched than out on an open backlane, so be aware that they may just dive from one lane to another, often without any warning.

Look out for pedestrians wandering out with no consideration for what is heading their way. Be especially careful at junctions or pedestrian crossings (zebra and pelican). Quite aside from walking out before the 'Green Man' is showing, for some bizarre reason, a considerable number of people insist on crossing just a few feet away from a designated crossing point - why on earth anyone wants to leap between lines of traffic instead of crossing in safety I have no idea, but this is a major danger in town.

Junctions are a major accident zone in town. When approaching one, if you can back off the speed a little, in safety, do so. If they're not regulated by traffic lights, then there is a strong chance someone is going to drive straight over with no consideration for who is on the other lanes. Even if they are controlled by lights, still show caution. You never know when someone is going to try to jump them.

Indicators, or often the lack of them is another important factor. When I started riding, one of the first lessons I was taught was this;

Q. You are in a side road waiting to pull out onto the main road. There is a car approaching and his indicator shows he is going to pull into the side road. What does this mean?

A. The bulb works.

Also, watch out for any vehicles sitting at the side of the road - are they occupied? Are there any exhaust fumes? If so, they may pull out with no warning. Don't take things for granted. The pressures of driving in town often means people forget to turn off their indicators, or worse still, don't bother using them.

Finally, use your mirrors - OK, you don't need to check them every seven seconds like they teach you in the CBT course, but they should be scanned regularly to check what is going on behind. And if you are going to change lane or brake, USE THAT LIFESAVER! It is called that for a very good reason!

Filtering

An essential skill to develop in town. An entire book could be written on the subject, but the basics are:

a. Keep your wits about you. Your focus should mainly be on what is happening ahead of you. Look out for gaps in the lanes ahead - if one appears, it is a good bet someone will just pull into it from the other lane (bank queue mentality rules in this situation). Again, try to note the position of the wheels of the vehicles you're approaching - are they turned towards the other lane? If so, they're looking to move across and will do so without thinking about the bike heading down the middle.

b. Go at a pace you're comfortable with - OK, you've just seen a DR fly past at 40 - he's been doing this for years and his instincts are tuned to the demands of filtering at this speed. Are yours? If not, then don't try it. A reasonable rule of thumb is no more than 10mph faster than the traffic around you. This gives you time to react to a situation developing.

c. Don't get pressurised to up the pace by someone behind you. If you are holding someone up, do show a little consideration and move out of the way as soon as it is safe.

Dealing with Peer pressure/Road Rage

With the roads filled with vehicles, tempers are frayed, especially on hot days when they've been sitting in their tin boxes for ages and want to get home to watch the latest instalment of Hollyoaks. Bear this in mind - the final straw could be you gliding past on your bike as they sit there seething, then dropping suddenly into place in front of them with no warning.

Someone once said the best way to treat car drivers is like disciplining a pet. Be firm, but gentle. When overtaking, don't hammer past line after line of them, laughing as you go, but try just riding past one or two, then slotting into place, keeping it all smooth. Don't just drop the bike in front of them, hauling on the anchors, but wait until you've got some space, do that lifesaver, signal then move over and take the position that is rightfully yours. If they let you in, then give them a little nod of thanks - they might just remember it for next time.

If someone is sitting right up your chuff, see if you can make a little space for yourself, of if really necessary pull over and let them past - if you start banging on the brakes really hard to force them to back off, it could be the last straw and they'll shove the white van right up your backside and have you off. Don't wimp out and let them bully you, you ARE entitled to that piece of tarmac, but don't make it a major issue.

If you're cut up or whatever, don't lose your cool. If the red mist starts to come down, then pull over if you have to. Revenge is a dish best served cold. If you keep your cool, then they'll soon be out of your way as they leap into the next life-threatening situation. Or, of course, when they pull up at the lights, you'll have the satisfaction of gently filtering past, with a quiet smile on your face as you're back in front of them again.

In summation

Town riding isn't something to be viewed with fear, but caution should be employed. The density of traffic, along with the added pedestrian hazards mean a gung-ho approach will probably end up with you sprawled on the floor.

If you are new to town riding, then why not try to talk yourself through the situations you are approaching? This is what the police drivers and riders have to do - forcing yourself to look for and discuss everything that is happening around you focuses the concentration. If it isn't easy to do this in your head, then why not do it out loud to begin with? You might get the odd look, but by and large your helmet is going to muffle it, and its better to be considered a bit of a loon than meet with the tarmac!

Keep your cool and your wits about you and town riding isn't a problem. They key to it is to check and assess every potential hazard, treating it on its merits.

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