Commute to London - Bike vs Train

Commute to London - Bike vs Train

Author
Discussion

Pazuzu

Original Poster:

435 posts

236 months

Wednesday 3rd April
quotequote all
Looking for advice from the collective.

Long time biker, have several but they are all nice.

Currently work remotely but a company takeover means I may have to commute to London City (Fenchurch Street) 2 days a week from the Autumn.

Coming from Ashford in Kent, an appropriate season ticket to London Bridge plus parking/petrol cost is around £500/month.

The company has facilites at their office and apparently underground parking for bikes but probably first come first served.

My thoughts are I could buy something like a CF Moto 650 MT for about £5k, probably peanuts on PCP, 50MPG so about £140 per month in petrol few hundred for maintenance, insurance, tax etc. and happily just run it in all weather after drenching it in ACF50.

Alternatively, something secondhand around £5k with similar weather protection etc. NC750? VFR? Older GS? I guess it will need to be ULEZ compliant.

Route would be M20, M25, A2 probably so plenty of motorway.

I get that deep winter will be pretty crap but I can always take the train during the worst spells. I have decent Rukka kit etc. so I understand how to weatherproof myself and genuinly love riding so no drama there. I've done the NC500 in June - I know what wet means :-)

Advice appreciated.

Edited by Pazuzu on Wednesday 3rd April 21:34

HybridTheory

415 posts

32 months

Wednesday 3rd April
quotequote all
I quite like the train but not if it's rammed

Marquezs Stabilisers

1,224 posts

61 months

Wednesday 3rd April
quotequote all
How old are you, how fit are you, and what other responsibilities do you have? In your shoes I'd get the Southeastern High Speed. I did Brixton to Slough on a bike for five years. It was exhausting, destroyed the value of my bike, and now as a parent with little sleep, if I had to do it again I'd probably crash due to tiredness.

And that's a shorter journey than you are planning.

mikey_b

1,821 posts

45 months

Thursday 4th April
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I commute Tonbridge to City, so a very similar route. Though I come off at the M20/A20 and head up that way, and then join the A2 via Kidbrooke before Blackwall Tunnel and A13 into City. Not wildly different, I just prefer it as frankly there is more actual riding to do. I normally use Minories car park which is free for bikes and only a few minutes walk to Fenchuch Street (depending which end you need, of course - I work in Aldgate). I wish I had an underground car park - have had it in previous roles where you get a service lift upstairs from the basement and bike transport is literally door to desk!

It will definitely need to be ULEZ compliant, and it will need to be reliable and comfortable. Don't get something too small, you'll soon get used to something bigger in traffic, and you'll appreciate the more relaxed nature of a bigger bike on the motorway which will form at least 75% of your mileage. I use a Tiger Sport (1050cc one) and it's ideal for me - which is why I still have it after >10 years and 73k miles. The longer you keep it the cheaper it will get; I have spent well under £1k a year in depreciation, insurance is ~£200 a year, ~£100 a year tax, £80 a month on fuel (I get 45mpg), £350 on tyres every ~3 years (based on 2 days a week), servicing I do myself, and maybe every few years I'll get a new helmet, some new riding gear etc. I spend roughly £2500 a year I reckon, and that's with me being quite generous with maintenance - very much a preventative schedule, rather than break/fix. So about 45% of your projected train cost, though you'd probably need more fuel than my 35 miles each way. In all honesty I think it being a fairly large and relaxed bike helps with reliability - you don't have to thrash it. And it certainly helps with comfort!

SteelerSE

1,895 posts

156 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
Pazuzu said:
...CF Moto 650 MT for about £5k, probably peanuts on PCP, ...
Just be wary of mileage if you go that route. Fag packet mileage puts you at 6500-7500 miles per year. Most PCP deals are between 3-4k per year. Add in the need to keep it in good nick for when it's handed back and you might be better off buying outright. Worth double checking what the options are on that front. Nice to see a four year warranty on them though.

Ken_Code

390 posts

2 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
The last few miles of your journey will be quite hard work. You’ll be needing to filter, squeeze around buses, watch out for cyclists etc.

It’s fine, but not relaxing, and there’ll be quite a bit of time stationary stuck behind things.

Whether you go South London or the Blackwall tunnel you’re going to find the same thing.

I’d suggest doing it in pleasant weather when it’s actively enjoyable to be on the bike, but to use the train much of the time. The bike will be a huge benefit when the trains are messed up.

SteelerSE

1,895 posts

156 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
I'd also echo mikey-b - get a bike that can take the miles OR get something disposable. My criteria for a commuter is reliability first and foremost, so I've tended towards Hondas. You see a lot of NC750s in London and while they're limited as bikes they do seem to just work as a commuter.

I don't know the route in that you're talking about but so long as the bike is reasonably manoeuverable and not too heavy then pretty much anything you go for should be fine.

Minories is a good shout if the parking under your building doesn't work out. I tended to use Tower Hill which was closer for me but had less spaces so you need to be there early.

I now only commute one-two days a week into London and it is far cheaper for me by bike. With the car it's £10 for parking and £39 for a return ticket, so even one day a week is £2500/year.

Biker9090

743 posts

37 months

Thursday 4th April
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Why spend so much? Why not get something older and make it even cheaper? There are enormous numbers of NC750/NC700/CB500(47HP)/CBF600/CBF500s etc and all are ULEZ compliant and almost all come with ABS - they're also all bulletproof and more than capable of that distance.

OverSteery

3,612 posts

231 months

Thursday 4th April
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If it were me, a tidy second hand nc750. Half a Jazz motor and excellent mpg, with Honda reliability.

Not the most exciting bike on the market, but not bad either.

I used to have the choice of a London commute on train or my 1200 GS. I usually chose the bike, but really the GS was a bit big for the job.

stu67

812 posts

188 months

Thursday 4th April
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Add to the above list the good old SV650, cheap to buy and run. I'm on my 3rd to commute into London, man maths dictates that they pay for there selves against public transport over 3-4 years purchased new with 3 year warranty I commute in 4 days a week so the cost on public transport adds up, even from where I am it's £23 per day.

Gixer968CS

599 posts

88 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
I commute from Sevenoaks to Moorgate, so some of your route (A20 then A2 is better than A2). I use the bike as I find it more relaxing, I have the radio on in my crash helmet and just don't have to deal with the human race and Southeastern delays. I ride a BMW GS1300 but was on a GS1200 before that and a Kawasaki ZX9R before that over about 15 years. I generally am in London 2-3 days a week now and use the bike from March to Dec ish. I find that now in my mid 50s I use the train more in the cold, dark winter weather.

Taking the bike is no faster, possibly a bit slower with all the faffing. Probably quite a bit cheaper (I too have an underground car park at work) but I'd say if you don't want to do it (e.g. you're doing it for cost not love) it'll be a slog. It's going to be c1hr 30-45m on the bike and you'll get very hot, very cold and very wet at different times. Actually the easiest best bit of the ride is from Sidcup in to London, the A20 and A2 in to the City are quire wide and if you take your time and don't do stupid things its easy enough. The motorways are hateful though. I'm glad to get off in Sevenoaks and you'll be a good 30mins+ over than and on the M20. Yuck. I love riding and I choose it for my commute, but from Ashford. No, I'd take the train!

PurpleTurtle

6,999 posts

144 months

Thursday 4th April
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As a 10 months a year bike commuter for 20yrs I've got mixed feelings.

My commute is 25 miles each way, I did it by bike February to end of November, every day pre-pandemic for two decades.

I used to take the car December and January, simply because it is too cold for my liking (despite decent heated kit) but moreover because of slippy roads. I'm a freelancer and main breadwinner, so any kind of off resulting in extended time off work would have a significant impact, so I just decided to manage my risks by not riding in the slippiest months.

Post-pandemic I am back in the office 2 days a week doing a hybrid model like you. Am I on the bike? Very rarely. Firsts time this year today, in fact.

When I was doing it every day I was in a routine but for 2 days the whole effort of getting kitted up, faffing around with getting the bike out the garage (moving cars blocking the garage door to do that, necessary because of thieving bds) all becomes a bit too much. I also have to do school drop-off now too, so by the time that is done I am after the rush hour, so just breeze in in the car instead.

Some other considerations:

Are your two days back to back? Is it worth staying up in London one night a week, so you only have to commute once? Although I note from another thread the days of a 50 quid night in a Premier Inn are long gone.

Off peak travel to reduce train costs? In the post-Covid hybrid world many people I know wait until off peak fares start, then travel into London then. Lots of companies whilst insisting on a bit of presenteeism are still flexible about start/end times.

I work at a place where nobody bats an eyelid if you start at 10am or leave at 3pm, as long as you've put an 8hr professional day in and the team is performing well, you can flex around that. It works well for us (IT Devops, in the UK)

Marquezs Stabilisers

1,224 posts

61 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
PurpleTurtle said:
Some other considerations:

Are your two days back to back? Is it worth staying up in London one night a week, so you only have to commute once? Although I note from another thread the days of a 50 quid night in a Premier Inn are long gone.

Off peak travel to reduce train costs? In the post-Covid hybrid world many people I know wait until off peak fares start, then travel into London then. Lots of companies whilst insisting on a bit of presenteeism are still flexible about start/end times.

I work at a place where nobody bats an eyelid if you start at 10am or leave at 3pm, as long as you've put an 8hr professional day in and the team is performing well, you can flex around that. It works well for us (IT Devops, in the UK)
£50 a night is now a room in a flatshare on AirBnB...at least for my trip to Canary Wharf at the end of the month

HairyMaclary

3,668 posts

195 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
I've commuted for 8 years into central London. Post covid it's only 2 days a week so an annual season ticket is a very expensive way to get in.

I ride in via the M20, A20, then to Waterloo via Old Kent Road. I'm not a fan of the A2 as the lanes are narrower. Occasionally I go to our Canary Wharf office and can be home in less than an hour.

Normally garage to garage is 1hr 5mins and on the train it's 2hrs. When the kids were babies it was handy to bike and not be tied to the train timetable.

Just looked up the season ticket.. £608.30 a month or £6336 a year plus £5 a day parking at the station. That is a new bike every other year by my man maths wink obviously you've got running costs to add but you are paying for the train even when you're not using it. It is £17 a day return off peak but I wouldn't get away rocking in at nearly 11am.

Bike wise. You need something reliable and Ulez friendly. I see everything in London but on the M20 you'll mostly see adventure, sport tourers etc. I did follow somebody on a fireblade home today.

I've just picked up a Nc750s to save smashing all my miles onto my Super Adventure. The SA can do the commute but the 20mph zones make it hot as fk. The NC is getting 86mpg! The SA is around 50 and much more expensive to service.

Looking forward to the summer months now which makes up for all the cold and stty dark mornings. Managed to get home today in the light!

3DP

9,917 posts

234 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
mikey_b said:
I commute Tonbridge to City, so a very similar route. Though I come off at the M20/A20 and head up that way, and then join the A2 via Kidbrooke before Blackwall Tunnel and A13 into City. Not wildly different, I just prefer it as frankly there is more actual riding to do. I normally use Minories car park which is free for bikes and only a few minutes walk to Fenchuch Street (depending which end you need, of course - I work in Aldgate). I wish I had an underground car park - have had it in previous roles where you get a service lift upstairs from the basement and bike transport is literally door to desk!

It will definitely need to be ULEZ compliant, and it will need to be reliable and comfortable. Don't get something too small, you'll soon get used to something bigger in traffic, and you'll appreciate the more relaxed nature of a bigger bike on the motorway which will form at least 75% of your mileage. I use a Tiger Sport (1050cc one) and it's ideal for me - which is why I still have it after >10 years and 73k miles. The longer you keep it the cheaper it will get; I have spent well under £1k a year in depreciation, insurance is ~£200 a year, ~£100 a year tax, £80 a month on fuel (I get 45mpg), £350 on tyres every ~3 years (based on 2 days a week), servicing I do myself, and maybe every few years I'll get a new helmet, some new riding gear etc. I spend roughly £2500 a year I reckon, and that's with me being quite generous with maintenance - very much a preventative schedule, rather than break/fix. So about 45% of your projected train cost, though you'd probably need more fuel than my 35 miles each way. In all honesty I think it being a fairly large and relaxed bike helps with reliability - you don't have to thrash it. And it certainly helps with comfort!
I do the same route roughly coming from North West side of Sevenoaks, but using A224, A20, Kidbrooke, A2, Blackwall, A13 into City.

I do it on a Honda Forza 350 - perhaps a bit too much motorway work for coming from Ashford, but it would do it. Lots of weather protection, 80mpg, tiny turning circle and stay dry and out of the wind. Costs £4 a day instead of £14 a day

I only do it around March to October. When it comes to commuting into London, the 3 bad conditions are rain, dark and cold. I'll do 2 out of 3, but 3 out of 3 always feels too dicy and I switch to the train.

I'd recommend the A13 all the way in to Aldgate and Fenchurch street. The bus lanes mean you basically have a private lane and little danger, all the way in, although I'm travelling at 6.30am. Coming home is busier, but it's a way safer route than doing Blackheath, New Cross, or Bermondsey, Tower bridge/London bridge. The traffic is far more mixed with the bikes, less bus lanes, more cyclists and harder to filter, with more side roads for SMIDSYs.

chappj

312 posts

143 months

Thursday 4th April
quotequote all
I commute from horsmonden to Farringdon 5 days/week Which is 50 miles each way. I’d say Ashford is poss but on the limit. Expect 1.5hrs in the morning and 1.2 in the evening.

The high speed from Ashford to Farringdon will be much quicker and less hassle (albeit more expensive).

I wouldn’t consider doing it on anything less than a 900cc with fairing, cruise control, heated grips/seat etc. ideally new.

DirtyHarley

385 posts

73 months

Thursday 4th April
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I go into Westminster from Canterbury 5 days a week all year on a Harley 1200 Sportster. I generally stick to the A2/M2 as the A20/M20 route is less enjoyable largely due to the crap concrete slab road surface on the M20 making my arse go numb. I generally find that route is also prone to unpredictable closures, random restrictions, op Brock limits etc. The A20 roads are generally a bit wider than the A2 but they also tend to be busier for much of the day, the A2 through blackheath can easily become a nightmare for getting snarled up and having little room to filter through in places; but unfortuantely it works out the better route for me on most days whilst avoiding the blackwall tunnel which I find is infinitely worse for random blockages and SMIDSY accidents for bikers.

I leave home at about 0430 and am in the office within 75-90mins most days and that is generally very predictable. I tend to leave the office between 1500-1600 and that takes about and 100-110mins, leaving anything after 1600 though and the time taken can vary significantly. My fuel is about £18 a day depending how heavy my wrist is on the motorway segments, covering between 125-135miles a day (varies due to route through final bits of London / route through canterbury taken etc.) The afternoon escape out from London to the M2 can be very hard work, filtering through busy roads, dealing with L plate numpties, cyclists, suicidal pedestrians, distracted chealsea tractor school mums, roadworks, accidents etc.

On the bike front: there are loads of options that are viable. The one thing I would definitely say get something the right height to avoid wing mirrors: the advantage of the Sportster being a low slung cruiser is that I am able to filter past rows of white van traffic easily at speed whilst taller bikes have to slow right down and jiggle past mirrors. Most I see are on things like versys, CB500s/650s, NC750s, BMW GS, but you do get all sorts when the weather starts getting better. In deep winter I'll often only see one or two other bikers on my entire route (barring the delivery scooters in the afternoons at either end!), starting to pick up a little the last week or so despite the wet weather, but its May onwards when it starts getting really busy and the onstreet parking in westminster starts getting full. I'm fortunately that i also have free underground parking at work, but you generally need to be in before 0800 or else its full and need to take your bets elsewhere.

I enjoy the commute by bike infinitely better than getting the train, its faster, more predictable, works to my time frame, and means I don't spend hours suffering the general public in close quarters. Im a gnats ball-hair the right side of 40, generally fit, and have two small children at home so the time saved by bike is time I am able to spend with the family without having to sacrifice too much sleep. The bike works midly cheaper than the train when all costs are factored in, but I'm not sure I would commute purely for the financial reasons: you've got to enjoy it or else it becomes miserable really quickly.

Mad Maximus

364 posts

3 months

Friday 5th April
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HybridTheory said:
I quite like the train but not if it's rammed
That and expensive! I too love a good choo choo though. The only way I take the train is when I’m stuck for a lift to pick a new car or motorbike up.

Alex Z

1,131 posts

76 months

Friday 5th April
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Option C - use a bike for the 6 months of “good” weather and the train for the rest.

Option D - find a new job once you’ve realised how much of a pain commuting into London is.

Ston

630 posts

269 months

Friday 5th April
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Considered a hybrid approach? I use my bike for part of the journey, so I can get free parking at the station ( not to be sniffed at ) at a main line station which is then straight into London. Then the Tube.

Bike parking is under cover. Waterproofs are either left rolled up on the bike, or in the backpack, along with the helmet locked to the bike. I even leave the chain locked to a metal reservation barrier at the station, so I don’t need to cart that about.

I’m not sure if this is a best of both approach, but it works for me and I don’t need to wear a suit, so biker jeans and a shirt and jacket is sufficient (although I could leave a suit at the office)