And today's commuting highlight is...
Discussion
Mario149 said:
Commuting highlight: getting out of bed at the same time as I do for the bike, but taking the car, and the commute only taking 5 mins longer (1hr15 vs 1hr10) on 4 wheels than it normally does on 2. I like half term 
... And the complete abortion that is Lower Thames Streetsjtscott said:
Mario149 said:
Commuting highlight: getting out of bed at the same time as I do for the bike, but taking the car, and the commute only taking 5 mins longer (1hr15 vs 1hr10) on 4 wheels than it normally does on 2. I like half term
Half term has made zero difference (unlike usual) to my bike commute into central London on account of Tower Bridge being closed unill the end of the year. Even the reduced half term traffic is queuing like last week.Angrybiker said:
Mario149 said:
Commuting highlight: getting out of bed at the same time as I do for the bike, but taking the car, and the commute only taking 5 mins longer (1hr15 vs 1hr10) on 4 wheels than it normally does on 2. I like half term
... And the complete abortion that is Lower Thames Street
king bad it will be reworked. Provided the cyclists can part with some of the acres they've been afforded along there for seemingly low usage rates. 308mate said:
Angrybiker said:
Mario149 said:
Commuting highlight: getting out of bed at the same time as I do for the bike, but taking the car, and the commute only taking 5 mins longer (1hr15 vs 1hr10) on 4 wheels than it normally does on 2. I like half term
... And the complete abortion that is Lower Thames Streetking bad it will be reworked. Provided the cyclists can part with some of the acres they've been afforded along there for seemingly low usage rates. TFL have still not come back to me (ignoring me) from months ago when I raised a formal complaint about it and pointing them to their own document on planning/making road space better for motorcyclists. Asking them why this wasn't followed or considered when planning the road space heading east.
Just another few feet/metre of width would safely allow filtering past the larger stuff unimpeded. At the moment it even generates cross biker agro as some riders have zero respect for their fellow powered two wheelers, if bikers/scooters are waiting they are not doing so for fun. I've seen impatient t*ats ride on the raised reservation between the road space and cycle lane
sjtscott said:
Agreed heading east towards tower hill is a complete cluster f**k of a road, single lane made just large enough for trucks/coaches with huge . I've seen impatient t*ats ride on the raised reservation between the road space and cycle lane
well to be fair, sodding frustrated at the thick inept motorbike hating bds in council planning tw*ts. Must admit few mornings go by when I'm not tempted. Although I've only ever seen scooters actually mount the reservation - because you know the closer you get to being a push bike the more st you can get away with, the more hair raising risks you can take and the less protection you need.308mate said:
As it is on lower thames street the stupid dumb ass double white lines they painted liberally for what I can only see is to again stop motorcyclists making progress have to basically be ignored to make any progress on certain parts - safety in numbers with everything on powered two wheels ignoring them now, its perfectly safe to pass the traffic when nothing is coming the other way (standard filtering/overtaking in london) - this is my personal limit on that piece of sh*tty road though.
I sometimes try & get around the lower thames street part by coming off of at embankment, up the slip road, along & turning right on to cannon st, re-joining at the top part of lower thames st but most of the time I see the bikes go past me that I was with on embankment so no quicker really, just feels it because your moving more.
sjtscott said:
As it is on lower thames street the stupid dumb ass double white lines they painted liberally for what I can only see is to again stop motorcyclists making progress have to basically be ignored to make any progress on certain parts - safety in numbers with everything on powered two wheels ignoring them now, its perfectly safe to pass the traffic when nothing is coming the other way (standard filtering/overtaking in london) - this is my personal limit on that piece of sh*tty road though.
Assuming a stopped queue of traffic counts as a stationary vehicle(s), crossing a double white so long as it's safe is no problem it seems. Number 129 here....http://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/general-rules-techn...
Sea Demon said:
I sometimes try & get around the lower thames street part by coming off of at embankment, up the slip road, along & turning right on to cannon st, re-joining at the top part of lower thames st but most of the time I see the bikes go past me that I was with on embankment so no quicker really, just feels it because your moving more.
In reality its a few hundred metres of road where you are completely stuck if there is a coach/truck and unlike the occasional few you don't ride on the raised road/cycle lane reservation. If it was just cars/smaller 4 wheeled stuff you can pass on the left just fine (assuming they are positioned normally) just with so many coaches/trucks travelling in and out of central london still on that piece of road you will get held up guaranteed now.The fact TFL have ignored my formal lodged complaint speaks volumes.. silence = guilt of clueless design/planning in my view. I mean if the cycle lane was actually full I could be more sympathetic it just isn't, there's a huge ton of wasted empty space. On Cable street the semi segregated CS3 cycle lane both ways together is less than the width of one way/side of the cycle route on lower thames street.
Sea Demon said:
What about through the tunnel? Same? Even though there are cones & lines etc? Rules are made to be broken 
I think liberal interpretation of double white line and other road rules.. you'll get nicked doing it past a cop. I don't believe otherwise. Rotherhithe clearly states no overtaking due to narrow single lanes, again traffic tends to be so busy peak time (even without tower bridge closure) you can't really safely overtake let alone remotely legally in my view.I mean all the bikers in london push the limits of road rules to make proper progress otherwise there is no point riding. However some are basically not abiding by any and verging on the dangerous riding category I see everyday (generally its the L plate scooterists) I watched a guy L plated supermoto ride up the sizable central reservation at a pelican crossing the other morning to 'filter' across it just before the tower bridge lights the other morning.. you telling me that is remotely 'acceptable'? The guy had only kept pace with the other bikers by riding the wrong side of some 3 or 4 keep left sides before that too.
sjtscott said:
Sea Demon said:
I sometimes try & get around the lower thames street part by coming off of at embankment, up the slip road, along & turning right on to cannon st, re-joining at the top part of lower thames st but most of the time I see the bikes go past me that I was with on embankment so no quicker really, just feels it because your moving more.
In reality its a few hundred metres of road where you are completely stuck if there is a coach/truck and unlike the occasional few you don't ride on the raised road/cycle lane reservation. If it was just cars/smaller 4 wheeled stuff you can pass on the left just fine (assuming they are positioned normally) just with so many coaches/trucks travelling in and out of central london still on that piece of road you will get held up guaranteed now.The fact TFL have ignored my formal lodged complaint speaks volumes.. silence = guilt of clueless design/planning in my view. I mean if the cycle lane was actually full I could be more sympathetic it just isn't, there's a huge ton of wasted empty space. On Cable street the semi segregated CS3 cycle lane both ways together is less than the width of one way/side of the cycle route on lower thames street.
Shout out to the SP2 I had the joy of carving up some of the nearly empty roads with, this not too cold beautiful sunny morning. Nice to see some proper old school still about.
And, on lower Thames, both lorries and a coach responded to a polite quick bip on the horn and moved aside, thus making that part of the journey nearly like it should always have been. All rewarded with a big wavy hand and thumbs up. (I hope you all join me in encouraging nice behaviour).
AND, to top it off - looking with one of those 'really??' expressions at, and watching the shame of, a guy leaving behind a powder blue scooter in the car park.
Almost makes me want to say fk it and go get a bacon sandwich.
And, on lower Thames, both lorries and a coach responded to a polite quick bip on the horn and moved aside, thus making that part of the journey nearly like it should always have been. All rewarded with a big wavy hand and thumbs up. (I hope you all join me in encouraging nice behaviour).
AND, to top it off - looking with one of those 'really??' expressions at, and watching the shame of, a guy leaving behind a powder blue scooter in the car park.
Almost makes me want to say f
k it and go get a bacon sandwich.Edited by Angrybiker on Friday 28th October 09:23
...The surprising - getting a friendly nod and a smile from a bike cop on the Lee High Road in Lewisham.
….The funny - Watching a cyclist’s head nearly explode when I kept smiling and telling him I couldn't hear a word of his amazing rant because I was listening to the Eagles. I think in his own way and using only four letter words he was trying to tell me that in his little world I got too close when passing on Westminster Bridge, or something like that….tt
….The funny - Watching a cyclist’s head nearly explode when I kept smiling and telling him I couldn't hear a word of his amazing rant because I was listening to the Eagles. I think in his own way and using only four letter words he was trying to tell me that in his little world I got too close when passing on Westminster Bridge, or something like that….t
t Back on the bike this morning after repair to the ignition barrel following last weeks attempted theft - thankfully the third set of locks in just over a year was avoided - thanks to MH Motorcyles in Bromley! - so much quicker than the train!
First time in for a while given that and a smashed finger but so much has changed, I presume it's the impact of the Tower Bridge closure causing a queue on London Bridge, at 6:30am! (and how shocking the new Lewisham road system is!)
Last few weeks commuting from Lee, move into the new place (with a garage!) in Beckenham shortly then I cna even look at getting the pedal bike back out, have to mix it up occasionally!
First time in for a while given that and a smashed finger but so much has changed, I presume it's the impact of the Tower Bridge closure causing a queue on London Bridge, at 6:30am! (and how shocking the new Lewisham road system is!)
Last few weeks commuting from Lee, move into the new place (with a garage!) in Beckenham shortly then I cna even look at getting the pedal bike back out, have to mix it up occasionally!
Andy XRV said:
...The surprising - getting a friendly nod and a smile from a bike cop on the Lee High Road in Lewisham.
A few months back I was filtering from the tunnel up to Kidbrooke, in the bit where it's 30mph currently, and caught up a bike cop. Discretion being the greater part and all that, I decided that 33 mph wasn't going to get me past any more cars so I slotted in alongside the cop, who turned to me with a big grin and waved me on enthusiastically. Maybe the same chap.On the other hand, another night I followed (on my R1200RT) 4 police R1200RTs along to Horn Park. We all stopped at the lights, so I looked over to one of them and said, jokingly, "wow, nice bike!". "Eh? Oh…..er….yeah" was the slightly grumpy response.
So less than 24 hours after the attempted theft damage was fixed the bike is now back at the garage after a woman misjudged a turn and decided to run over my front wheel :/
Don't think handlebars are meant to point 10* to the left when riding straight!
Think I need to man up, take the test and get something with more presence (and a loud can), despite revving as much as I could when sat there with her coming at me she didn't even react! - my little CBR125R must be invisible!
Don't think handlebars are meant to point 10* to the left when riding straight!
Think I need to man up, take the test and get something with more presence (and a loud can), despite revving as much as I could when sat there with her coming at me she didn't even react! - my little CBR125R must be invisible!
Edited by kiethton on Wednesday 2nd November 07:30
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