Is anyone else finding it harder to drive for fun?
Discussion
A1VDY said:
I'm in very rural Norfolk but if you're looking for any deserted roads, think again. Cyclists and old duffers are on every country road. Driving a car in the UK is crap now, rural France and Spain are so much nicer.
A bike can be fun in the UK but a car, forget it..
Not necessarily A bike can be fun in the UK but a car, forget it..
I enjoy every drive and I love in the SE. Maybe I easily entertained but plenty of roundabouts to have a laugh and enough quick roads if you know where to find them.
Must admit I don't get much pleasure driving on narrow B roads I don't know. Much rather push the car around some well sighted bends/roundabouts.
Must admit I don't get much pleasure driving on narrow B roads I don't know. Much rather push the car around some well sighted bends/roundabouts.
Depends what you find enjoyable in a drive really. I enjoy a gentle pootle round the lanes as much as a thrash.
If you only enjoy 'spirited' driving, then yes, all about time of day. Early on a Saturday or Sunday, or, round here at least, middle of the day on a week day if work allows.
I certainly think it's still perfectly possible to enjoy driving, even in the congested south east. I'm within a few miles of the M25, and I enjoy most drives, whether it's on the bike or in the car, a-a or a-b.
If you only enjoy 'spirited' driving, then yes, all about time of day. Early on a Saturday or Sunday, or, round here at least, middle of the day on a week day if work allows.
I certainly think it's still perfectly possible to enjoy driving, even in the congested south east. I'm within a few miles of the M25, and I enjoy most drives, whether it's on the bike or in the car, a-a or a-b.
Turning Japanese said:
Ive just got back from a 1 hour cross country spirited drive in my GT86. I had no destination in mind, just exploring the buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire countryside around where I live. I used to love drives like this on a Sunday but Im finding more often than not Im getting home afterwards feeling frustrated and wondering wether I really want or need to own a performance car any more.
My main frustration is that the roads around here are in such bad condition it makes driving slightly quickly both difficult and dangerous. Add to that the number of cyclists riding in huge packs and the amount of slow sunday drivers clogging up the back roads means its really hard to get a good uninterrupted flow going.
Im now seriously considering selling my car and buying something 'normal' and then maybe a motorbike for a bit of fun.
Anyone else finding themselves feeling the same?
I also own a GT86, it's the perfect car for enjoying the UK roads and speed limits (mostly), but you picked absolutely the wrong day and time. Sunday afternoon is the pits, lots of really poor drivers out and swarms of cyclists. I'm in East Sussex and the roads here are attrocious too, if you're just out for a drive you have to try and avoid the worst of them, but that can be tough as it eliminates about 80% of roads in East Sussex. My main frustration is that the roads around here are in such bad condition it makes driving slightly quickly both difficult and dangerous. Add to that the number of cyclists riding in huge packs and the amount of slow sunday drivers clogging up the back roads means its really hard to get a good uninterrupted flow going.
Im now seriously considering selling my car and buying something 'normal' and then maybe a motorbike for a bit of fun.
Anyone else finding themselves feeling the same?
If you're just out for a drive go earlier in the day, you still get some of the cyclists but the oldies aren't usually driving that early.
Pica-Pica said:
Nickbrapp said:
No but then I live in wales where population is low and we have the black mountains.
I do agree with the performance element though, no matter what I’ve driven, nothing has been more fun than my fiesta ST. Not so much power you need to be doing 100 to have fun, small and light and feels like you’re going much faster than you are, lots of induction noise and just so fun.
I would have thought a GT86 would be the same, sounds like you’re in too built up an area to me.
I’m in North Wales, the one thing you can say is that they keep the roads repaired. Often you see them doing a road up and think, why?, but much of it is preventative and pro-active. I am often tempted by an adventure type bike, but I’m getting a bit old to go back to bikes (dare I whisper it, I would like to try an electric bike)I do agree with the performance element though, no matter what I’ve driven, nothing has been more fun than my fiesta ST. Not so much power you need to be doing 100 to have fun, small and light and feels like you’re going much faster than you are, lots of induction noise and just so fun.
I would have thought a GT86 would be the same, sounds like you’re in too built up an area to me.
OP storming Aston Hill (the old A40) up to Stokenchurch from Lewknor is always fun if you get a clear run. Dodgy in the autumn with the wet dead leaves on the road though.
ks it up for everybody behind. As already said by others, you need to get out early to avoid the dawdlers. The roads are really congested these days.There seems to be a theme in the answers...
I quite regularly take my Westfield for a quick blast a 7 on a Sunday morning. Get home, quick clean, take the lad to his 9:30 swimming lesson and then have the rest of the day with the family.
You still get a few keen cyclists doing exactly the same, i.e avoiding the traffic, but otherwise it's generally quiet.
I quite regularly take my Westfield for a quick blast a 7 on a Sunday morning. Get home, quick clean, take the lad to his 9:30 swimming lesson and then have the rest of the day with the family.
You still get a few keen cyclists doing exactly the same, i.e avoiding the traffic, but otherwise it's generally quiet.
When I was living in London/Surrey I tried my best to get out for some spontaneous fun drives but they were few and far between. Moved back to north east Scotland a year ago and about once a month I'll go out and seek out a road or route I haven't driven before and will rarely see traffic, and it feels great again.
There are lots of really great driving roads near me, unfortunately they are usually too full of traffic to have much fun. There are ok for a solo drive where negotiating the traffic can be part of the challenge, but for any sort of group it makes keeping together too much of an issue.
For group driving a very early start is required, which in the summer is fine, but damp/dark winter mornings make it less frequent that I’d like.
For group driving a very early start is required, which in the summer is fine, but damp/dark winter mornings make it less frequent that I’d like.
As others have said, just get out there early.
Have a look around online or just on google maps for potential new routes that might have better quality tarmac than your current roads.
Or try track days - you don’t need to be going flat out to have great fun and it can be so liberating driving around a circuit knowing what the precise road conditions are (cos you were there 2 minutes ago
) and that there are no police or oncoming traffic to worry about. Its easy to cover 120 miles of track driving in a day - I’d say it’s hard to replicate that kind of distance of hard driving on the road unless you’re perhaps up in the highlands.
Have a look around online or just on google maps for potential new routes that might have better quality tarmac than your current roads.
Or try track days - you don’t need to be going flat out to have great fun and it can be so liberating driving around a circuit knowing what the precise road conditions are (cos you were there 2 minutes ago
) and that there are no police or oncoming traffic to worry about. Its easy to cover 120 miles of track driving in a day - I’d say it’s hard to replicate that kind of distance of hard driving on the road unless you’re perhaps up in the highlands.This happened to me in early 2000
But with Sports Bikes.
I dropped from a ZX10 down to a ZX6 (good fun, few less numbers)
But still jail on some roads in North Yorkshire, Co. Durham, Northumberland area's etc.
I sold my road bike, bought an ex race bike,
(Rob Barbours old Steel frame CB600), and just used all of the money to do loads of track days.
More fun, much safer and no Police.
Done it for a good few years.
Great set of people as well.
I really miss it but I'm just too old and stiff now.
But with Sports Bikes.
I dropped from a ZX10 down to a ZX6 (good fun, few less numbers)
But still jail on some roads in North Yorkshire, Co. Durham, Northumberland area's etc.
I sold my road bike, bought an ex race bike,
(Rob Barbours old Steel frame CB600), and just used all of the money to do loads of track days.
More fun, much safer and no Police.
Done it for a good few years.
Great set of people as well.
I really miss it but I'm just too old and stiff now.
Another vote for an getting an early start. I take my Caterham out across Oxfordshire and Berkshire on summer Sunday mornings and leave the house at or just 7am (I’ve got kids so I’m conditioned to getting up early ).
I’ve had some absolutely amazing drives at this time of the morning and have a 90 mile favourite circular route that works well. It’s definitely down to your choice of car too, the Caterham feels fun at lower speeds but equally is extremely adept at accelerating past any dawdlers.
).I’ve had some absolutely amazing drives at this time of the morning and have a 90 mile favourite circular route that works well. It’s definitely down to your choice of car too, the Caterham feels fun at lower speeds but equally is extremely adept at accelerating past any dawdlers.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff