PH bikers - request for London commuting info!

[Wyvern971]

Used to live in a 1 bed flat in Clapton, refused to leave a bike parked there if i could avoid it.
(and occasionally, naughty I know, parked inside the block of flats).

Train beat bike hands down, total journey time - 20-30 minutes including walking
Bike journey time, 20-30 minutes including changing at the other end

Moved to a place in surrey with a garage;
Train (including all required changes and walking) 1:30 on a good day, when trains cancelled (which has happened about 6 times in the last 2 years) I'm pretty much f**ked as I have to get a train somewhere else and get a lift from someone.
Oh, and cost, approx £3,300 a year £14 a day (when holidays and weekends subtracted)

Scooter (SH300) or VFR 400 approx 1 hour door to door with very little variation.
Cost, all in, probably around £5 a day. (inc fuel, insurance and maintenance, fuel £3.50 if with the gf, £3 without. insurance less than £1 a day)

Oh and the best part, not having to plan things around the train schedule of 1 every half hour.

Couldn't care less about the weather

[Barry Sheene]

creampuff said:

I actually think your biggest risk comes from other motorbikes and pushbikes. .

I disagree, whilst they are indeed mostly a menace, I find brain-dead pedestrians walking into the road/crossing the road without looking and seemingly without care to be the most frightening prospect. How I haven't killed one yet amazes me.

(some background: currently commuting Woking-Waterloo on a Tiger, up the A3, cut through Wimbledeon/Balham to miss White Hill and Wandsworth. Av time 1 hour.
Was a prof. motorcycle courier in 2005 for the year whilst 'between contracts', which was nice, not

Discovered my Dutch waterproofs aren't very any more this morning whilst being hailed upon, spent the day at work with wet trousers and pants, lovely....