Guilty as charged. Almost never cycle in a cycle lane.
Youād have to cycle a bit further out than that to get around all the taxis and amazon vans parked in a typical London cycle lane.
Iām dropping the Piaggio in for its annual and MoT this morning (at Maitland Racing - highly recommended). I will be cycling home after dropping it in, luckily my Brompton fits on the running board so I can avoid public transport.
This is the only cycle lane on the entirety of my journey. I can assure you I will be avoiding it.
My 20 mile cycle commute involves a grand total of 2 cycle lanes - one is putney bridge which has 2 bus stops in the space of 100 metres, the other was segregated with red & white barriers when Covid first kicked in and as a result itās often unusable because of parked cars - if you spin the streetview 180 degrees, you can see two in the image below, making the bike lane entirely useless (and a worrying number of people manage to drive into the barriers, blocking the cycle lane.)
The cycling infrastructure is so half arsed. I think they should do it properly or not at all. The Netherlands didnāt have a cycling infrastructure until the government decided there were too many cycling deaths and retrofitted it all. Same with Copenhagen. People seem to think it was always like that. It wasnāt. Yes it takes time and money but thatās whatās required to get the results.
Iāve cycled in London a few times but I always seemed to end up infront of a bus. It was no fun what so ever. Those that do cycle see themselves as some sort of road warriors, like a sub culture. In The Netherlands ācyclists,ā are not seen as an identifiable group because everyone cycles.
Iāve been cycling since I can remember, mostly in Italy - cycle lanes were not even a thing. I used cycle on main roads right next to fast traffic, that was normal.
Cycling in London has never given me any bother, always observe traffic lights and road priorities and make sure you make eye contact with people before moving, use the blind spot check as you would on a motorbike and its all good.
The only complaint Iāve ever had is about other cyclists!
Thereās been some great updates to the cycle lanes in central London over the past few years. Sadly there hasnāt been such upgrades to peoples brains and these cycle lanes often have smashed glass in from the weekend wankers āout on the townā. The last three rides through town Iāve made have ended in punctures because of this so sticking to the roads now. Fairly easy to do the speed limit in London anyway so no real problem.
Do need to get one of those dildo saddles mind you. Anyone got a link?
Like a lot here I have been a member of a few different commuter demographics in London, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclist and driver and every single one think they are Godās gift to commuting and every other group is wrong. Pedestrians hate anything thats faster than them, cyclist think everyone should stop for them, drivers think every lane is for them, buses move or I crush you, taxis left is right and right is left and motorcyclist where to start 
.
I donāt know if itās the general Me vs Us culture we have but no one wants to give way. Even without full cycle infrastructure in London you can cycle safely, BUT BUT, when a few jump the lights, or fly across a zebra crossing or go down a one way, then every other group hates you and no one gives you the time of day and will run you over at a moments notice. Same for motorcyclists, the number of times I see bikes going through Central London at ass hole speeds no wonder eeeeveryone hates us.
Donāt get me started on the way the government has been closing complete streets in towns, claiming cycle infrastructure only to be causing even more traffic during rush hour and not even 5 cyclist on the road at any given time. I guess that is their draconian way of saying out your cars, on your bike. 