And today's commuting highlight is...
Discussion
308mate said:
Young lass on a scooter this morning did about a mile and a half with her left hand indicator on. Finally got alongside her at the lights at the omniplex at Waterloo but thought by the time I turn my music down, get her attention and explain the issue, the lights would go green. So I reached across and cancelled it for her. The problem is that I was slightly behind her and that I had managed to do it without her seeing what I had done, only that I had invaded her personal space and then the lights did indeed go immediately green. So instead of looking like a white knight, I looked like a late-night sneaking uncle. Blast.
PTF said:
308mate said:
Young lass on a scooter this morning did about a mile and a half with her left hand indicator on. Finally got alongside her at the lights at the omniplex at Waterloo but thought by the time I turn my music down, get her attention and explain the issue, the lights would go green. So I reached across and cancelled it for her. The problem is that I was slightly behind her and that I had managed to do it without her seeing what I had done, only that I had invaded her personal space and then the lights did indeed go immediately green. So instead of looking like a white knight, I looked like a late-night sneaking uncle. Blast.
dibblecorse said:
PTF said:
308mate said:
Young lass on a scooter this morning did about a mile and a half with her left hand indicator on. Finally got alongside her at the lights at the omniplex at Waterloo but thought by the time I turn my music down, get her attention and explain the issue, the lights would go green. So I reached across and cancelled it for her. The problem is that I was slightly behind her and that I had managed to do it without her seeing what I had done, only that I had invaded her personal space and then the lights did indeed go immediately green. So instead of looking like a white knight, I looked like a late-night sneaking uncle. Blast.
Minor highlight this morning as I passed a slip road on the motorway as another bike was joining - glanced over and it was my old TDM. Not that I was particularly attached to it but good to see it's still going. Not sure what it was doing there, as the guy I sold it to lived elsewhere.
My momentary smile was somewhat reduced a short time later when some p***y canute in an ancient ML tried to come past me making 2 lanes out of 1, when I had nowhere to move left as there was a car inside me already. I wasn't happy and after I'd explained that to him, I think he realised I wasn't.
My momentary smile was somewhat reduced a short time later when some p***y canute in an ancient ML tried to come past me making 2 lanes out of 1, when I had nowhere to move left as there was a car inside me already. I wasn't happy and after I'd explained that to him, I think he realised I wasn't.
I had another "upsetting the sportsbike" moment last night too 
They really don't like it when an aircraft carrier out-handles them.
This one waited until the road straightened up a bit and then pinned his Fireblade hard, without checking what was in front. I could definitely smell the fear when he realised he'd left himself with nowhere to go other than into the back seat of a hatchback
Being the gentleman I am, I backed off and let him have the gap I was about to drop into, stopped at the lights and just looked over to him and said "Nearly" 
They really don't like it when an aircraft carrier out-handles them.This one waited until the road straightened up a bit and then pinned his Fireblade hard, without checking what was in front. I could definitely smell the fear when he realised he'd left himself with nowhere to go other than into the back seat of a hatchback
Being the gentleman I am, I backed off and let him have the gap I was about to drop into, stopped at the lights and just looked over to him and said "Nearly" Well no issues lately, beyond a cocksocket on a scooter this morning.
2 up, L plates, no gloves as wouldn't go over the (fake) gold rings innit, some of the worst riding I've seen in a while, completely inappropriate speed, cutting around traffic in the most retarded ways possible while wobbling, cutting myself and others up to sit at the front of the queue at lights constantly (despite being passed immediately after - common moan, especially food delivery scooters and cyclist boxes...what do you think I'm sat where I am!?!?). Then out brakes himself trying to take a left turn near Peckham, nearly having a head on with a car waiting to pull out (set back at lights) in the process.
L plate scooters are normally bad but this guy was a complete liability.
Seperatey the CBF is plodding on, as boring as ever. Chain has started making some noise so going to give that a good check this weekend!
2 up, L plates, no gloves as wouldn't go over the (fake) gold rings innit, some of the worst riding I've seen in a while, completely inappropriate speed, cutting around traffic in the most retarded ways possible while wobbling, cutting myself and others up to sit at the front of the queue at lights constantly (despite being passed immediately after - common moan, especially food delivery scooters and cyclist boxes...what do you think I'm sat where I am!?!?). Then out brakes himself trying to take a left turn near Peckham, nearly having a head on with a car waiting to pull out (set back at lights) in the process.
L plate scooters are normally bad but this guy was a complete liability.
Seperatey the CBF is plodding on, as boring as ever. Chain has started making some noise so going to give that a good check this weekend!
Ok my first post for a little while and the first with my new outside of London commute.. so I've moved I now live in Hampshire and its a trip up the M3 into London now if I take the bike. Having collected the bike yesterday from my old place and with the weather being continually good I decided to try a commute on it this morning.
Well door to door it takes just over an hour to get to my office on the Southbank - worst part are the A316 Speed average 40s and 50s esp with school holiday empty roads - in the olden days one might have been able to make a little better progress before limits became so mind numbing lol I'd forgotten about the poor lane positioning of certain vehicle and narrow lanes on the A4 by earls court basically preventing any filtering oh well luck of the draw.
I took the train in yesterday as I didn't have the bike then and its actually about an hour door to door too and transport/walking needed each end as well.
Let see how the return journey is - best thing is my bike loves being given a chance to be opened up/breathe the engine really is noticably better and smooth after being worked through all the gears that bit more than my old commute!
I've gone from 7miles each way and 25-30mins to 40miles and approx 70 mins
Well door to door it takes just over an hour to get to my office on the Southbank - worst part are the A316 Speed average 40s and 50s esp with school holiday empty roads - in the olden days one might have been able to make a little better progress before limits became so mind numbing lol I'd forgotten about the poor lane positioning of certain vehicle and narrow lanes on the A4 by earls court basically preventing any filtering oh well luck of the draw.
I took the train in yesterday as I didn't have the bike then and its actually about an hour door to door too and transport/walking needed each end as well.
Let see how the return journey is - best thing is my bike loves being given a chance to be opened up/breathe the engine really is noticably better and smooth after being worked through all the gears that bit more than my old commute!
I've gone from 7miles each way and 25-30mins to 40miles and approx 70 mins
sjtscott said:
Ok my first post for a little while and the first with my new outside of London commute.. so I've moved I now live in Hampshire and its a trip up the M3 into London now if I take the bike. Having collected the bike yesterday from my old place and with the weather being continually good I decided to try a commute on it this morning.
Thats my route heading into the city from Bracknell too. What bike are you on? I will keep an eye out for you. I will the chap on a black NC30 or a battered 748
Two highlights this morning.
1. The wonderful weather combined with the light traffic. (Is that actually 2 highlights?)
2. The d
head on the CBF1000 with a couple of LED lights that were very nearly as bright as the sun and his full beam on, riding behind me. When we stopped at the lights I asked if he'd dip his headlight as it was blinding me in my mirrors to be told me in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't be pressing the dip switch.
There's nothing like a bit of consideration and that was nothing like a bit of consideration!
1. The wonderful weather combined with the light traffic. (Is that actually 2 highlights?)
2. The d
head on the CBF1000 with a couple of LED lights that were very nearly as bright as the sun and his full beam on, riding behind me. When we stopped at the lights I asked if he'd dip his headlight as it was blinding me in my mirrors to be told me in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't be pressing the dip switch. There's nothing like a bit of consideration and that was nothing like a bit of consideration!
Came back after work to find my bike leaning against another (having left it on the centre stand) with scratched handlebars and my left wing mirror ripped off. There's a bike in a cover with 3 locks attached that hasn't moved in a few days and I suspect someone was trying to ascertain if it was worth stealing and barged past my bike. Looked like two clean knife slits in the cover to see what is underneath. So off to honda today to have the mirror replaced- annoyingly it's snapped where it meets the clutch lever so the whole unit needs taking apart and replacing.
black-k1 said:
Two highlights this morning.
1. The wonderful weather combined with the light traffic. (Is that actually 2 highlights?)
Its is two but I concur with both for my sub hour commute into central London this morning from Hampshire 1. The wonderful weather combined with the light traffic. (Is that actually 2 highlights?)
My specific highlight is that my bike (Speed Triple) loves being used 'a bit more' properly, engine is so much smoother and pulls way better up through the gears after a couple of days of a 40 mile commutes each way. I guess like the old 2 stroke days I've de-coked her lol Only downside my fuel costs will be going up, its a new tank every 1.5 days now instead of every 9.5 working days before. But my fuel economy/miles per tank is way way better
flux said:
sjtscott said:
Ok my first post for a little while and the first with my new outside of London commute.. so I've moved I now live in Hampshire and its a trip up the M3 into London now if I take the bike. Having collected the bike yesterday from my old place and with the weather being continually good I decided to try a commute on it this morning.
Thats my route heading into the city from Bracknell too. What bike are you on? I will keep an eye out for you. I will the chap on a black NC30 or a battered 748 Yes would be good to have a commuting buddy. I hate the 40 and 50 Average zones 
pretty much empty being school holidays and mine numbingly boring sitting at the indicated limit yawning. Unlike the 959 Panigale (can tell its one of these due to those twin pipes by the back wheel) bloke this morning who put his hand over his plate as he passed the start of one of the average speed zone and blitzed it off into the distance. Novel way to avoid speed detection.. his tail tidy holding his full sized plate seemed to facilitate this easily.sjtscott said:
Re your other post.. a Red Triumph Speed Triple! Yes would be good to have a commuting buddy. I hate the 40 and 50 Average zones pretty much empty being school holidays and mine numbingly boring sitting at the indicated limit yawning. Unlike the 959 Panigale (can tell its one of these due to those twin pipes by the back wheel) bloke this morning who put his hand over his plate as he passed the start of one of the average speed zone and blitzed it off into the distance. Novel way to avoid speed detection.. his tail tidy holding his full sized plate seemed to facilitate this easily.
Novel, but also likely to exercise plod far more than a handful of routine murders/rapes/child abuse cases, if they notice him! Yes would be good to have a commuting buddy. I hate the 40 and 50 Average zones pretty much empty being school holidays and mine numbingly boring sitting at the indicated limit yawning. Unlike the 959 Panigale (can tell its one of these due to those twin pipes by the back wheel) bloke this morning who put his hand over his plate as he passed the start of one of the average speed zone and blitzed it off into the distance. Novel way to avoid speed detection.. his tail tidy holding his full sized plate seemed to facilitate this easily.Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff