And today's commuting highlight is...
Discussion
sjtscott said:
My 2 wheeled commuting highlight today was a million miles away from my daily commute. 2 up with the mrs on a scooter in Thailand going to the local market in a rural North eastern town to buy breakfast. 
I'm in Thailand for a much needed month break, our first proper holiday in 2.5 years and our first with our son since he was born in March.
Safety gear helmets etc lol non existent
That sounds like heaven I'm in Thailand for a much needed month break, our first proper holiday in 2.5 years and our first with our son since he was born in March.Safety gear helmets etc lol non existent
Then I look out of the office window and see dark, gloomy Manchester to bring me back to earth. Enjoy 
No dramas for me today. In fact, quite a lot of drivers budged over. Indicator has been brown taped back on for now ha ha.
Dakkon said:
Definitely less bikers around now the temperatures have dropped a bit.
I agree and its mad really, the weather is very mild here in London and perfectly dry. If I'd driven today I'd probably still be stuck on the A40. All it needs is a pair of decent winter gloves and maybe a thermal base layer for the morning, I'm still in my leathers.Having only been able to ride my bike since the start of October (passed test in July, bike in and out of garage until then but now sorted!) I'm still building filtering confidence.
Highlight this week was not being affected by a half mile jam on a dual carriageway
Also this morning I was accelerating up a hill and was a bit over-enthusiastic and the back wheel spun up and I had a wobble.
Fun and scary at the same time. Note to self, do not watch MotoGP highlights before leaving the house!
Highlight this week was not being affected by a half mile jam on a dual carriageway
Also this morning I was accelerating up a hill and was a bit over-enthusiastic and the back wheel spun up and I had a wobble.
Fun and scary at the same time. Note to self, do not watch MotoGP highlights before leaving the house!
Matt_Zeus said:
Having only been able to ride my bike since the start of October (passed test in July, bike in and out of garage until then but now sorted!) I'm still building filtering confidence.
Highlight this week was not being affected by a half mile jam on a dual carriageway
Also this morning I was accelerating up a hill and was a bit over-enthusiastic and the back wheel spun up and I had a wobble.
Fun and scary at the same time. Note to self, do not watch MotoGP highlights before leaving the house!
Next time you get a wheel spin, try and repeat the process straight after but with more conscious effort. Take the mystery out of it so that it doesn't put the fear of god in you when it happens only twice a year by accident. Highlight this week was not being affected by a half mile jam on a dual carriageway
Also this morning I was accelerating up a hill and was a bit over-enthusiastic and the back wheel spun up and I had a wobble.
Fun and scary at the same time. Note to self, do not watch MotoGP highlights before leaving the house!
Unless you're really ham-fisted, you can spin the rear with the bike upright with barely any effect on the bike's attitude. Then get used to rolling out of the throttle slowly or letting it regain grip itself, don't chop the throttle.
Don't shrink away from these little moments, make them your friend and expand your ability and confidence.
As the nights has closed in I've noticed a theme at a particular junction on my commute home, picture the scene:
I filter past about 30-40 cars on the approach to this set of lights, and 19/20 times they're red when I get to them. I always slip up the right of the lead car into the red circled area to go straight on.
The opposite 2 lanes have a 2 stage light - a general green, then a filter green for the cars turning right (across my direction of travel), so both lanes are free to go at the same time, with the left lane (looking from my POV) having priority over my direction a good 30 seconds after the main lights have turned green as my lights then turn red.
Now in the summer, you'll often get the lead car in the opposite lane pull away and across the road (the exact location of the black clio), they pretty much get out the way quickly, maybe 1 in 20 dawdle. However, I never gun it off the line because of this. If I wasn't there, there's probably time for 2 cars to pull across. So, no real issue in summer.
However, now it's dark, I think the combination of lots of lights facing them and them not realising I'm a bike, causes the lead car to pull across at 'normal' speed (i.e. f
king slowly) and every single night this week, without fail, I've had to give the lead car a beep as they've either pulled across so slow that I'm barely pulling away faster than the car behind me, or they go to pull across and abort as I'm already on the way and they've taken faaaar too long to start moving.
I think i might just end up sitting behind the lead car and in front of the second car in my queue and let the front car take the brunt of the idots pulling across oncoming traffic, it's not worth the hassle!!!
I filter past about 30-40 cars on the approach to this set of lights, and 19/20 times they're red when I get to them. I always slip up the right of the lead car into the red circled area to go straight on.
The opposite 2 lanes have a 2 stage light - a general green, then a filter green for the cars turning right (across my direction of travel), so both lanes are free to go at the same time, with the left lane (looking from my POV) having priority over my direction a good 30 seconds after the main lights have turned green as my lights then turn red.
Now in the summer, you'll often get the lead car in the opposite lane pull away and across the road (the exact location of the black clio), they pretty much get out the way quickly, maybe 1 in 20 dawdle. However, I never gun it off the line because of this. If I wasn't there, there's probably time for 2 cars to pull across. So, no real issue in summer.
However, now it's dark, I think the combination of lots of lights facing them and them not realising I'm a bike, causes the lead car to pull across at 'normal' speed (i.e. f
king slowly) and every single night this week, without fail, I've had to give the lead car a beep as they've either pulled across so slow that I'm barely pulling away faster than the car behind me, or they go to pull across and abort as I'm already on the way and they've taken faaaar too long to start moving.I think i might just end up sitting behind the lead car and in front of the second car in my queue and let the front car take the brunt of the idots pulling across oncoming traffic, it's not worth the hassle!!!
Months of slimy salty roads to come....Gritters out now. Bike parked 'til March. Not because I'm scared of winter but because last year my bike dissolved over winter and I cant afford that again this year. It cost me the same in repairs as it would have to take the train for 3 months except it was much colder and less convenient.
CAPP0 said:
I know that junction well, it's a properly st layout.
yeah it's not the best of layouts...t layout. Proper cold this morning with no heated grips and just some goretex summer gloves...
Right hand on the exhaust at lights and left hand off the bar behind the screen out the airflow when riding did the trick.Aaaaand next week it's back to double figures in the mornings!
308mate said:
Gritters out now. Bike parked 'til March. Not because I'm scared of winter but because last year my bike dissolved over winter and I cant afford that again this year. It cost me the same in repairs as it would have to take the train for 3 months except it was much colder and less convenient.
What did you have to have done? I'm guessing a brake clean and a few scrubby nuts and bolts?I'll be using mine all year round proving it's not icy so I'm interested if there's a potential protection that can be added to prevent whatever has happened to yours.
Cbull said:
308mate said:
Gritters out now. Bike parked 'til March. Not because I'm scared of winter but because last year my bike dissolved over winter and I cant afford that again this year. It cost me the same in repairs as it would have to take the train for 3 months except it was much colder and less convenient.
What did you have to have done? I'm guessing a brake clean and a few scrubby nuts and bolts?I'll be using mine all year round proving it's not icy so I'm interested if there's a potential protection that can be added to prevent whatever has happened to yours.
yuck, yuck and yuck to the weather
Separately I now have a whacking great bruise on my shin - pedestrian decided to step out on me at Moorgate station = full front wheel lock up in the rain and me kicking the crash bung as I shifted weight to keep it upright. Thankfully, but god knows how, I did so and missed the ped by a foot or so too!
Nothing like that to wake you up on a Monday morning! - was doing no more than 15mph too!
Separately I now have a whacking great bruise on my shin - pedestrian decided to step out on me at Moorgate station = full front wheel lock up in the rain and me kicking the crash bung as I shifted weight to keep it upright. Thankfully, but god knows how, I did so and missed the ped by a foot or so too!
Nothing like that to wake you up on a Monday morning! - was doing no more than 15mph too!
1. Biker wearing branded (well, JTS ) kit finished in a resplendent camouflage colour. WTAF? Presumably trying to create a new category of accident – SMYDSM?
2. Guy in some sort of cheap hatchback. Clearly he wanted those very low profile tyres so beloved of the yoof, but couldn’t run to a set. Solution? Deflate all four tyres so the sidewalls are 1” high. Tool.
3. There’s a bike parked regularly in Minories which has an alarm so sensitive that every other bike with an exhaust louder than a 50cc Vespa sets it off caterwauling for the next 30s. Bloody irritating.
) kit finished in a resplendent camouflage colour. WTAF? Presumably trying to create a new category of accident – SMYDSM?2. Guy in some sort of cheap hatchback. Clearly he wanted those very low profile tyres so beloved of the yoof, but couldn’t run to a set. Solution? Deflate all four tyres so the sidewalls are 1” high. Tool.
3. There’s a bike parked regularly in Minories which has an alarm so sensitive that every other bike with an exhaust louder than a 50cc Vespa sets it off caterwauling for the next 30s. Bloody irritating.
Double the journey time this morning - sigh.
One five car pile up followed by a nine car pile up resulting in the southbound being closed - just after the junction I exit.
Still 40 minutes on the bike was much better than the reported 2 - 2.5 hours being banded around the office for those that made it in so far.
And people in the office still wonder why I commute by motorcycle
One five car pile up followed by a nine car pile up resulting in the southbound being closed - just after the junction I exit.
Still 40 minutes on the bike was much better than the reported 2 - 2.5 hours being banded around the office for those that made it in so far.
And people in the office still wonder why I commute by motorcycle
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