Cycling and "Fixie knobs"

Those that know us will be aware of our pro-cycling stance in London.  I give full credit for getting me on a bike to one Patrick Uden.  To this day Patrick can be seen majestically cruising the streets of London on his strange Danish (I think) cycle.  When you first start cycling in London there is a tendency to think that in order to "beat" the traffic and stay alive one has to break the rules of the road.  It has to be said many cyclists never mature out of this stage and some of them are now dead.  

Each day I cycle to our attractively appointed office pondering the events of the coming day, composing the lyrics to hitherto unheard of Country songs, thinking on the creative problems of our clients, sometimes solving them and marveling at the beauty of the world and the people who walk the streets of London.  The cycle ride to this place of work is life-affirming and even allows me the luxury of thinking I have exercised.  My cycle ride is also practical, it gets me here in exactly the same time-frame every day and it costs next to nothing.  

You may be wondering how does he do this "thinking" with the ever present danger of "White Van Man", seemingly unaware bus drivers, angry black cabbies and mums on the school run? It's simple, obey the rules of the road in London and your mind and eyes can go on a journey of their own.  Cycling is actually relaxing if you are not worrying about being hit by a lorry because you have just jumped a red light.   Each day I see the most amazing antics by fellow cyclists, mainly jumping the lights at dangerous major junctions or turning left on the inside of articulated lorries.  I know that one day I'm going to see something very bad but in the meantime my message is simple to all cyclists in London; you WILL arrive quicker than any other mode of transport in London EVEN if you stop at all the red lights and adopt the courtesy of stopping at pedestrian crossings.  And to all you fixie riders, I know its important to appear cool while on the way to Clerkenwell but there is nothing less cool than bent fixie and and squashed geek in the road.