When you get on your bike in the morning/evening and before you start it sit quietly for 30 seconds and say “calm”, think calming thoughts and be calm. Then ride to work/home. You really need to calm down your riding style and you will find you actually get to were you are going quicker and dont get wound up. Riding in London is stressful and stress effects our concentration.
Biking is supposed to be fun, go out, enjoy yourself and have fun.
I think it was a very good video, perhaps a thought of things to do or not to do. I recognize a fair few of those roads and I get the same with people pulling out on roundabouts and I’ve noticed recently alot of people seem to think there is an invisible pathway in the middle of the road?!!
I know again we all take a certain number of risks when we’re on our bikes I reckon any commuter would be lieing if they said otherwise but I always have in my head I really don’t want my bike sliding down the road with me behind it so I will not take an opportunity if it feels dangerous in any way. I get to work 15-20 mins before I have to start and this is simply so I’m not on a mission to get there.
What I don’t really do is show an aggression towards the other drivers as I also don’t want to feel hassled by them on the road, how easy it would be for a little nudge to have me off and I’d rather not take that risk thanks.
But it was a good video and a stark reminder of the dangers on the road 
Reminded me of my riding twenty years ago.
You need to mellow out a bit, yes there are twats out there but you are the more vulnerable person on the road and you have to ride with that in mind.
As others have said, a lot of those were developing hazards and you could have done so much more to reduce the risks to yourself. Take that as constructive and work on it. 
Phew! I think this video is a great example of how attitude affects riding.
London is full of preoccupied, unobservant, lazy, selfish and just plain stupid drivers (and pedestrians). It’s also full of good considerate drivers who, like all of us, with the best intentions make genuine mistakes and poor judgements. As the saying goes, it’s a jungle out there - and it isn’t about to change.
I’d suggest that into this scenario a wise person would bring caution, anticipation, OBSERVATION, and a cool head. To meet it with aggression, self-righteous anger and reckless risk-taking is just asking for trouble. Remember, when a Transit van or 4 x 4 takes you out it might indeed prove to be their fault, but it will be a dent and a scratch for them and broken bones, pain, blood and possibly worse for you.
For God’s sake Tehswerver listen to the words of the older wiser and experienced bikers here (they are genuinely trying to help you). Sure it may seem boring and even like they are attacking you but they have years and years of experience that they want to share with you. Only a fool would ignore it.
It’s vitally important to recognise that passing the bike test is really incredibly easy. Sure you will feel proud you’ve got through it (that’s great), but it is absolutely no measure of your ability to ride, it simply means you have convinced an examiner you have grasped the basics of bike control in very predictable and contrived setting. Skillful road riding takes years of experience . . . it is literally ‘Roadcraft’. 90% of that skill is attitude and mindset; it’s about coolly observing what’s going on around you and planning accordingly and keeping yourself safe. There are no prizes or rewards for ‘being in the right’ or for ‘teaching people a lesson’ - these are just ego and vanity. You MUST get a grip on them or, on the road, they can kill you. It’s no coincidence that the first chapter of Roadcraft is all about attitude - if you can read it with a genuinely open mind and are prepared to be quietly self-critical I think it could safe your life (or a spell in hospital).
I know this all sounds preachy and boring and how you ride is of course up to you. But, as a test, next time you are out in traffic (on the roads in your video) see if you can ride without needing your brakes, putting your feet down, needing to use your horn, revving your engine, accelerating hard or swerving. Criticise yourself, what could you have done better? What did you not see? What surprised you? Why? See how many hazards you can spot before they happen and what you are going to do to protect yourself. And, if you see a hazard appearing, are you still looking around to see if there is another one developing elsewhere?
Most important of all is not to think that you are riding well because you have not had an accident or been hurt; it just means you’ve been lucky so far. Don’t make pain and injury be your teacher when they don’t have to be.
OK, sermon over!
Doug
They should take his license, crush his bike and ban him from YouTube and this forum.
How about let him make his own mistakes
I can’t be bothered to keep defending myself in this thread simply because of the example above: the bus lane started way before the clip did, and I was already in it. The van driver knew very well that it was a bus lane he knew very well that he was not allowed in it, and he also knew that I was in it. He moved over simply to prevent me from passing. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been trying to undertake, aggressive perhaps - I prefer progressive, but this displays the misconceptions people are making because if they are not familiar with these roads then they only see the incidents form the camera’s perspective which doesn’t give the full picture.
I’m sure if all of the people posting in this thread were to upload their daily commutes (if indeed you do commute daily in rush hour London traffic) then even I could go through it with a fine tooth comb and start getting pedantic about whether you pulled away a femto second too early before the traffic light turned green. This isn’t advice, it’s pedantry.
I do appreciate the experience of the other riders on this forum, but I didn’t post this video on here to ask for advice. I knew advice would be forthcoming and plentiful however, and I take it all on board, but the biggest lessons I learn are from my own mistakes and I have learned a lot in the year I’ve been riding.
I may have only been riding for a year but I have been driving for over twenty years and I am familiar with roads and traffic. I have all the barriers up when I’m riding because I ride expecting everyone to be out to get me - which I find is the best survival mode to be in - something that I learned here. Because of this I might get verbal, but this is a personality trait, not a riding trait. I only shout at people who put me or themselves in danger, but if someone puts their hand up and says sorry then I just smile and don’t say anything and those clips don’t end up on youtube - along with all the other hundreds of hours of normal riding footage that will never be put on youtube.
Thanks Chris, we met before at Eddie Kidd’s marathon finale. Like I said, I do appreciate the advice of the more experience riders and glad you’ve got something out of it too 
I really don’t think there is anywhere to mount the Nautiluses, but I’m sure we’ll catch up at BM one night so we’ll have a look. Cheers.
Mate, I love it, I look forward to it every day. I ride in all weather, every day of the week, and I do enjoy it and have plenty of fun. This clip is just a concentrated, condensed, distilled complilation of the bad bits because it makes for interesting viewing, this obviously doesn’t reflect my average daily commute.
Struth, where to start …
A statistic waiting to happen, it’ll all end in tears.
yawn
I deserve nothing less bazza, throw in a public flogging too I reckon.
Exactly why I never bother posting my videos here. There’s always someone with a motorcycle instructor complex who believes the sun shines out of their arse.
They should be careful with that - could dazzle motorists approaching from behind :hehe:
So lets get this right, you post up your near misses and expect us to all applaud your riding ability when clearly you have no idea what the feck your doing.
I stand by my initial quote and can’t believe that you are still riding and not lying in a box.
Take the criticism and learn from it.
As for Premises comments grow up.
We are passing on comments that may help his riding and safety and you comment about us all being riding instructors, nice.
Of course, sorry I’m losing my memory in my old age :crazy:
+2
Cant believe the video crap thats posted on what is supposed to be a biker forum.
Hey, all you said was his riding was “horrendous”. You never attempted to give any helpful safety pointers.
Good video, and your brave putting the worse bits out there to get kicked about. Some of the clips are out off your control others you shd have seen them coming. But **** happens and no body will ever have a clean commute in the jungle.
All I’d say take it easy as you’ll always lose a fight against a car, swearing at them won’t do you any good esp if they think they havent done anything wrong.
Stay safe
