And today's commuting highlight is...

[sjtscott]

SteelerSE said:

CAPP0 said:

Reminds from previous threads - don't forget to check whether it's Goretex or Goretex Pro. Difference is, "just" GTX is a separate layer of fabric in the clothing, it will keep you dry but the outer shell will get soaked and you'll feel colder (and probably feel damp even though you're not). GTX Pro is laminated to the outer shell, hence the outer shell never gets soaked and you feel much drier and warmer. Also dries much quicker so you won't be in wet gear on the way home/the following morning.

Rukka Tax notwithstanding, that is essentially why some GTX clothing is a lot more expensive than others. But worth it.

Thanks CAPP0. I plan to get the shell stuff but the various stores aren't good at highlighting what's what on their sites making it all the more frustrating. I guess I'll just have to sit through more Revzilla reviews to find the sort of thing that's going to work as they are at least comprehensive in their coverage.

I hate it when I go into the shop and know more about the product than the sales people. I may just live with it until later this "summer".

Snap on all of that I can't wait however my trousers are f**ked and I don't want another wet crotch/knee again any time soon. Do I buy 'cheap' (relative term refering to GTX) now or do I future proof with Pro trousers now and replace the jacket (which is much newer) later?

[Dakkon]

sjtscott said:

SteelerSE said:

CAPP0 said:

Reminds from previous threads - don't forget to check whether it's Goretex or Goretex Pro. Difference is, "just" GTX is a separate layer of fabric in the clothing, it will keep you dry but the outer shell will get soaked and you'll feel colder (and probably feel damp even though you're not). GTX Pro is laminated to the outer shell, hence the outer shell never gets soaked and you feel much drier and warmer. Also dries much quicker so you won't be in wet gear on the way home/the following morning.

Rukka Tax notwithstanding, that is essentially why some GTX clothing is a lot more expensive than others. But worth it.

Thanks CAPP0. I plan to get the shell stuff but the various stores aren't good at highlighting what's what on their sites making it all the more frustrating. I guess I'll just have to sit through more Revzilla reviews to find the sort of thing that's going to work as they are at least comprehensive in their coverage.

I hate it when I go into the shop and know more about the product than the sales people. I may just live with it until later this "summer".

Snap on all of that I can't wait however my trousers are f**ked and I don't want another wet crotch/knee again any time soon. Do I buy 'cheap' (relative term refering to GTX) now or do I future proof with Pro trousers now and replace the jacket (which is much newer) later?

Surely as budget allows you replace the weakest link in your gear first and then in the next month or so replace the next weakest link and gradually over time you upgrade your entire set of gear without taking a big hit in one go?

This is my plan, new gloves and boots this month, over trousers next month and then a new jacket.

[SteelerSE]

I'm starting a textile thread as there appear to be a few of us in the market. The other option is that plenty of places are offering 0% finance on gear which I might take them up on.

[Pothole]

A highlight and a lowlight:

Big beaming smile from a little lad in his pushchair in response to my wave as Mum crossed in front of me at a light on the way in. Made my day.

Nearly got clouted by a strap from an artic (I presume) with a bloody great buckle/ratchet hooky thing on, kicked up by a van. Stopped to retrieve it from the road so nobody else suffered...just city side of the outer tunnel on the A38 into Brum.

[sjtscott]

Tall_Paul said:

VFR800, so clip ons but not as low as sportsbike, still lower than anaked though which is why the water runs into them. They won't go inside my jacket sleeves either.

They're great gloves but not ideal in a downpour, the leather tends to get sodden and takes a while to dry.

Well thats the route cause of your problem gloves always under jacket sleeves.. go find some that fit! Its a kit configuration/misuse issue

[chrispwill]

Witnessed an accident yesterday around St Pauls. There is a sliproad around there (The kind where you have to stop at the end to see if traffic allows you to join) which joins onto a two-lane road just after a tunnel. I was behind a biker, who was behind a taxi. Taxi starts slowing down to look for traffic, biker does the same, but because the biker is essentially looking 180 degrees behind him at the traffic, doesn’t realise Mr Taxi man has stopped at the give way line, slams straight into the back of him! I saw some fairing pieces come off, and both stop to swap details etc.

That’s two motorcycle accidents I’ve witnessed in about a month now, where the biker is at fault!

[kiethton]

Encountered a nut job in New Cross the other evening in the torrential rain.

Filtered between L1 & L2 to the front of the queue at the junction to turn left into sainsburys. Lights go green and the Merc 4x4 goes to pull off to get a jump to the next lights (change lanes to avoid a bus) but is prevented by my presence directly in front and already in the place where he wants to be...needless to say I get a bout of road rage as I carry on ahead...met only with a shake of the head and a casual wker gesture.

Needless to say he reverted to type and swerved toward me a few times, being wet I just left him to it whilst laughing and carrying on toward Lewisham where he carried on toward Deptford/Woolwich - next lights and the car behind stops next to me and offers to sell me his address for £100! Politely declined that one! - not worth wasting my time with and I'm not going to stay out in the rain longer than I have to!

Slow ride in this morning despite the clear roads - reserve kicked in leaving work last night and there was me thinking I'll get back to Beckenham and fill up on the OKR asda (cheap!) on the way in this morning...needless to say I was reading 0 bars when I arrived home....a very slow limp to the Tesco on Loampit vale for fuel then on as normal. Good to be free of the rain for once!!!

[sjtscott]

My commuting highlight as always the traffic cluster f**k on the highway heading west into town - they really have set the tower bridge traffic lights wrong it backs all the traffic through to Aspen Way before the Limehouse link effectively. On a clearer day you get the traffic queue starting mid limehouse link but still queued solidly onwards. Each and every day now I get to the tower bridge lights and once over the effective crossroads there is almost NO traffic past tower hill down on lower thames street - to me this clearly points to a fake/purpose built queue.
Once you're there it does encourage traffic light GPs with some of the bikers because you've effectively got two very well surfaced empty lanes and just also one speed camera to do a rolling restart from lol.. I'm guessing whatever brightens your commute in

[308mate]

chrispwill said:

Witnessed an accident yesterday around St Pauls. There is a sliproad around there (The kind where you have to stop at the end to see if traffic allows you to join) which joins onto a two-lane road just after a tunnel. I was behind a biker, who was behind a taxi. Taxi starts slowing down to look for traffic, biker does the same, but because the biker is essentially looking 180 degrees behind him at the traffic, doesn’t realise Mr Taxi man has stopped at the give way line, slams straight into the back of him! I saw some fairing pieces come off, and both stop to swap details etc.

That’s two motorcycle accidents I’ve witnessed in about a month now, where the biker is at fault!

Really common spot for an accident there, for that very reason. That and people looking east so quickly and gunning it out into traffic, without judging the speed of the approaching vehicle. Just a crap intersection.

[CAPP0]

sjtscott said:

My commuting highlight as always the traffic cluster f**k on the highway heading west into town - they really have set the tower bridge traffic lights wrong it backs all the traffic through to Aspen Way before the Limehouse link effectively. On a clearer day you get the traffic queue starting mid limehouse link but still queued solidly onwards. Each and every day now I get to the tower bridge lights and once over the effective crossroads there is almost NO traffic past tower hill down on lower thames street - to me this clearly points to a fake/purpose built queue.
Once you're there it does encourage traffic light GPs with some of the bikers because you've effectively got two very well surfaced empty lanes and just also one speed camera to do a rolling restart from lol.. I'm guessing whatever brightens your commute in

Which is why I always use Commercial Rd, despite Aspen Way/Highway being my obvious choice (I work at SKD). Commercial Rd almost always flows well, and there's a little side street you can take by Bathstore which drops you out by Prescot Street (you have to do a cheeky U-turn) so you avoid all the chaos at Whitechapel/Aldgate East.

[sjtscott]

CAPP0 said:

Which is why I always use Commercial Rd, despite Aspen Way/Highway being my obvious choice (I work at SKD). Commercial Rd almost always flows well, and there's a little side street you can take by Bathstore which drops you out by Prescot Street (you have to do a cheeky U-turn) so you avoid all the chaos at Whitechapel/Aldgate East.

But then I'd have to navigate the double cluster f**k that is limehouse/rotherhithe tunnel followed by butchers row junction and then I might as well travel south of the river to work using the tunnel.. I do actually work on the southbank.. thats route number 2 Whilst you have the pain of the tunnel its generally much easier going with less trucks/coaches on the southside generally. Overall the highway is still quicker I found over the years.
However you may have a point for the commercial road post butchers row junction since I've been visiting/staying at the royal london hospital a ton and driving recently for appointments peak time (pre and post family expansion reasons) and that part does flow quite well I'll give it a go

Edit: is the cheeky U turn here? https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.511968,-0.069032...

Edited by sjtscott on Thursday 8th June 12:26

[CAPP0]

sjtscott said:

But then I'd have to navigate the double cluster f**k that is limehouse/rotherhithe tunnel followed by butchers row junction and then I might as well travel south of the river to work using the tunnel.. I do actually work on the southbank.. thats route number 2 Whilst you have the pain of the tunnel its generally much easier going with less trucks/coaches on the southside generally. Overall the highway is still quicker I found over the years.
However you may have a point for the commercial road post butchers row junction since I've been visiting/staying at the royal london hospital a ton and driving recently for appointments peak time (pre and post family expansion reasons) and that part does flow quite well I'll give it a go

Edit: is the cheeky U turn here? https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.511968,-0.069032...

Edited by sjtscott on Thursday 8th June 12:26

That's the badger. You turn round just about right where the front of the concrete truck is, then along Prescot St.

[TT Tim]

kiethton said:

... OKR asda (cheap!) ...

Keep that one quiet, it seems to have only been discovered by a few bikers and black cabbies.

Tim

[sjtscott]

CAPP0 said:

That's the badger. You turn round just about right where the front of the concrete truck is, then along Prescot St.

There would be some riders I see everyday.. generally L plated scooterist that wouldn't bother with the U turn given how they treat raised reservations and other street furniture. .they'd just short cut it.

I need to factor in a way of joining up with tower hill/lower thames street as you can't turn right at tower bridge junction- I think i've worked out a route from prescot street which will only work in the mornings due to one ways. They took out the logical link at towerhill/gateway on shorter street and made it I believe bus only.. will have to check as google street view there only shows late 2015 - I pass it twice daily but haven't used it since the cycle super highway was put in.

[Sea Demon]

Saw a biker down on OKR this morning, police were with him - looked like it was just the bike involved, some kind of Triumph Bonneville style bike, bike was laid down on 1 of the turnings smashed up and the rider was sat on the floor next to it with the police - didn't look to be badly hurt but the bike did.

[kiethton]

Nightmare

Must have been before me as all was clear when I went through there this morning

[Biker 1]

Stuck behind an Openreach transit van for a couple of miles - weaving all over the place & panic braking when he saw two crows in in the road eating some road-kill. I eventually overtook him - seems he was trying to eat breakfast, including sticky buns & flask of coffee Almost as dangerous as texting & driving - wker.

[sjtscott]

Odd Friday seems people having the day off after staying up late per chance for some reason?
Traffic lighter and flowing a bit better and the stuff that was gridlocked yesterday got to work in very good time today.
Cordon still in place south side of southwalk bridge/southwalk street up to borough market but the press/media have all disappeared guess there is something else going on to take their attention.. see my comment initially.

[308mate]

One thing I can say is that given the closure at London Bridge, traffic in the area seems absolutely unaffected

[Pothole]

Picked another big metal ratchet strap clip off the dual carriageway on the way today...only just missed it on the exit of a roundabout (A5 Eastbound Muckley Corner if anyone knows it) I think there must be some money in supplying replacements the number I've seen strewn about lately!

Was anticipating a bit of silliness with a newish 'Blade on the A38 but the rider was being so circumspect I thought he might be an unmarked plod bike...didn't nick me though.