My most fun ride ever, and I averaged about 15mph!
My most fun ride ever, and I averaged about 15mph!
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Discussion

jon-

Original Poster:

16,534 posts

247 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Saturday I was bored so me and a mate decided to pop down to ACE to see what was going on. We got there (he nearly dropped his bike then stalled in front of about 100 bikers, classic!) and there wasn't much happening so I had an idea...

Me: Do you know how to get us to the centre from here?
Mate: What? The city?
Me: Yeah, oxford street, pall mall, regent street, Trafalgar square etc
Mate: Yeah... but do you want to die?
Me: Yup!

So off we go. The experience of riding round central London at 4 in the afternoon with shoppers, buses and taxies everywhere was surreal and quite quite amazing. I'd recommend everyone should do it once! You see a lot more on the bike, and being on a loud yellow 675 you get some odd looks from shoppers, especially when you've appeared from a gap about 3 inches wider than your bike, between 2 busses, and ended up at the front of the traffic lights outside Oxford street tube station!

xspencex

1,534 posts

267 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Sometimes I divert from my normal route home, especially Friday nights, Kensington to Harrods (round the back), the roads are lined with the finest cars you can buy, down Sloan Steet, across to Picadilly, up into Goldern Sq, amaze at the wealth of eye candy, stop for a beer, ride up Regent Street and off home... I love that ride.

RemaL

25,103 posts

265 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
all I can say is I have never driver/rode around london. never fanced it to be honest

Hooli

32,278 posts

231 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
riding in london is fun, i find it a lot safer than some other cities too. at least in london the drivers seem awake when they aim for you rather than just asleep at the wheel.

xspencex

1,534 posts

267 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Hooli said:
riding in london is fun, i find it a lot safer than some other cities too. at least in london the drivers seem awake when they aim for you rather than just asleep at the wheel.
yeah, although there is always the exception in most cases I feel people are more aware of bikes in London. They just get on with their journey and let you get on with yours... ( bad vibes now..I'll get knocked off on my way home tonight!!)

jon-

Original Poster:

16,534 posts

247 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
xspencex said:
Hooli said:
riding in london is fun, i find it a lot safer than some other cities too. at least in london the drivers seem awake when they aim for you rather than just asleep at the wheel.
yeah, although there is always the exception in most cases I feel people are more aware of bikes in London. They just get on with their journey and let you get on with yours... ( bad vibes now..I'll get knocked off on my way home tonight!!)
My my few hours around london it was either people on scooters or motorcycle couriers that were the most dangerous towards me. Cage drivers were extremely well behaved with only one old Asian woman trying to side swipe my mate.

untruth

2,834 posts

220 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Riding in London is fun, I do it every day! Drivers are generally very considerate and there's a lot of nice runs you can get.

Pedestrians and 50cc scooter owners are idiots, however.

RemaL

25,103 posts

265 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
seem driver are better aware of bikers in london than Bristol. seem most got their eyes closed all the time

randlemarcus

13,646 posts

262 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
RemaL said:
seem driver are better aware of bikers in london than Bristol. seem most got their eyes closed all the time
Loud pipes save lives...

RemaL

25,103 posts

265 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
randlemarcus said:
RemaL said:
seem driver are better aware of bikers in london than Bristol. seem most got their eyes closed all the time
Loud pipes save lives...
I got race can's fitted to the triple, very loud. I think they are deft toobanghead

Stig

11,823 posts

315 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
lol - I do it every day - TWICE smile

RemaL

25,103 posts

265 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Stig said:
lol - I do it every day - TWICE smile
I don't know if to say your mad or lucky

robstvr

3,217 posts

299 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I do it once a week - off into Herne hill tonight. It's hillarious fun - usually. Pedestrians are suicidal, however. Much revs needed.

RizzoTheRat

29,143 posts

223 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
You've just missed it this year but keep an eye out for the Unity Ride next year. Several hundred bikes right through he centre of London with a police escort stopping all the traffic for you. Brilliant fun.

randlemarcus

13,646 posts

262 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
RemaL said:
Stig said:
lol - I do it every day - TWICE smile
I don't know if to say your mad or lucky
Lucky. If he wasnt, it would be an odd number of rides biggrin

RemaL

25,103 posts

265 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
well sounds like I might need to visit you London PH bikers soon then

xspencex

1,534 posts

267 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
RemaL said:
well sounds like I might need to visit you London PH bikers soon then
I saw a group of Ducati riders doing a tour around a few weeks ago, there was about 10 of them...looked like fun. They pulled up outside a great bar in Golden Sq just off Regent Street. Night time around there is pretty interesting as well, with Soho just round the corner.

aeropilot

40,895 posts

258 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
xspencex said:
Night time around there is pretty interesting as well, with Soho just round the corner.
Bar Italia grand prix......biggrin

Happy days.....