And today's commuting highlight is...
Discussion
Bumblebee7 said:
I was going to say the same thing. I got 'into' biking if you can call it that in October on a manual 125 that I use every day for commuting. Despite being on the horrendous L plates I found other bikers in the winter were very courteous, always say thank you and even the occasional short chat about how cold it was when stopped at lights. I'm neither the fastest or slowest at filtering and always let other bikes through when I see them coming up. In winter I'd get a wave of thanks, thumbs up etc. Now it's warmer the biker brigade seem to think of everyone as an inconvenience on their crusade to get to work. I can't remember the last time I got a thank you for letting someone through. Don't even get me started on the middle age fatties riding the super bikes, sitting an inch from my back wheel revving when there's absolutely nowhere for me to go.
Anyone else experiencing this or is it just me?
There's always somewhere for you to go. Keep practicing until you find it!Anyone else experiencing this or is it just me?
Pothole said:
There's always somewhere for you to go. Keep practicing until you find it!
I'll start jumping through red lights then just to let them through! 
When I say nowhere to go I literally mean nowhere to go. There was such an example the other day on the A40, very narrow gap between lorry and coach - no way I'm going for it. Impatient biker revving the nuts off his bike so I actually push my bike backwards to let him in front (stationary traffic). He goes for the gap and gets stuck halfway (which I knew would happen). All was well until the traffic started moving again and he heard the lorry's air brakes come off and then you could see the panic when he realised his left foot was in front of one of the lorry's wheels and there was no chance the lorry driver had seen him.
I eventually overtook him anyway without the need to ride like a loony bin.
Lee540 said:
No, those 800cc ones.. about 15bhp, all show and no go..
Must wear jeans, tan leather gloves, new jacket which has been made to look old and worn and bubble screened visor
Sportsters have been around since the 50's and come in 883cc and 1202cc - so certainly not all show and no go.Must wear jeans, tan leather gloves, new jacket which has been made to look old and worn and bubble screened visor
As the user tag suggest - I ride a Harley, and a Sportster at that - I wear exactly none of what you describe as I prefer armoured textiles and a proper full face lid. I suspect I don;t fit the typical 'Harley' type though - mid 30's and commute all year approx 30 miles each way a day from Bucks into London and back - and I certainly don;t shy away from filtering, and the bike itself is regularly covered in road grime rather than shiny shiny chrome - oh and I nod to all bikers, even little L plate warriors if they aren't riding like tools
I say live and let live - we are all on two wheels and sharing the same experience - albeit I prefer a fairly nippy armchair on wheels than something my back would go all reverse John Hurt over!
Back on topic - I had to train it in again today - which absolutely sucked nuts! Really need that new battery to arrive and hope there are no more electrical gremlins awaiting me!
Edited by DirtyHarley on Tuesday 17th April 16:40
DirtyHarley said:
Lee540 said:
No, those 800cc ones.. about 15bhp, all show and no go..
Must wear jeans, tan leather gloves, new jacket which has been made to look old and worn and bubble screened visor
Sportsters have been around since the 50's and come in 883cc and 1202cc - so certainly not all show and no go.Must wear jeans, tan leather gloves, new jacket which has been made to look old and worn and bubble screened visor
As the user tag suggest - I ride a Harley, and a Sportster at that - I wear exactly none of what you describe as I prefer armoured textiles and a proper full face lid. I suspect I don;t fit the typical 'Harley' type though - mid 30's and commute all year approx 30 miles each way a day from Bucks into London and back - and I certainly don;t shy away from filtering, and the bike itself is regularly covered in road grime rather than shiny shiny chrome - oh and I nod to all bikers, even little L plate warriors if they aren't riding like tools
I say live and let live - we are all on two wheels and sharing the same experience - albeit I prefer a fairly nippy armchair on wheels than something my back would go all reverse John Hurt over!
Back on topic - I had to train it in again today - which absolutely sucked nuts! Really need that new battery to arrive and hope there are no more electrical gremlins awaiting me!
Edited by DirtyHarley on Tuesday 17th April 16:40
I followed a very slow, very wobbly endure type thing with a back box but no sides.
He was very unsure of the filter - legs down, stopping in gaps bigger than his bike.
That being said, everyone has to learn. I just sat behind safe distance - he didn't see me until Blackwall, but did move over then.
Also - a friendly chap on something I didn't recognise - definitely a Shedbuilt type thing, with double brown saddle bags on L plates making astonishing progress down towards the city.
He seemed better than his L plates - I worried for him on some of the overtakes but he had it under control
He was very unsure of the filter - legs down, stopping in gaps bigger than his bike.
That being said, everyone has to learn. I just sat behind safe distance - he didn't see me until Blackwall, but did move over then.
Also - a friendly chap on something I didn't recognise - definitely a Shedbuilt type thing, with double brown saddle bags on L plates making astonishing progress down towards the city.
He seemed better than his L plates - I worried for him on some of the overtakes but he had it under control
DirtyHarley said:
Lee540 said:
Chill mate.. we're having a dig at the dry weather summer bikers!
It's cool bud, I almost got so HOG then I could feel myself stress-growing a handle-bar 'tash! First off: apologies to all you retro/harley ferguson fans - each to his own, & only having a laugh. Not my cuppa tea, but then neither are crotch-rocket sports bikes & all the ninja-turtle outfits.....
Commute today: mesh jacket as it was already warm enough at 7.30am!!! Seems like we've skipped spring & gone straight to summer.
Commute today: mesh jacket as it was already warm enough at 7.30am!!! Seems like we've skipped spring & gone straight to summer.
Took the Thundercat to work today. Definitely needs work on the idle/low progression as it's rich and fluffy.
I think float heights are a bit high..
It's hilarious with its revs compared to the CB thou, and turbine smooth. Quite a nice old girl (if a bit tubby).
I know what I'll be doing this weekend, and that's getting carbs off again..
After what seemed like months of cold and damp, it's glorious today - bad traffic around Kings Cross/Pentonville Road though, with the cycle lane having been dug up.
I think float heights are a bit high..
It's hilarious with its revs compared to the CB thou, and turbine smooth. Quite a nice old girl (if a bit tubby).
I know what I'll be doing this weekend, and that's getting carbs off again..
After what seemed like months of cold and damp, it's glorious today - bad traffic around Kings Cross/Pentonville Road though, with the cycle lane having been dug up.
Correctly as predicted the weather has brought the shiny bikers/skill challenged out of hibernation this morning.
Cut up by a two up scooter with his/her matching mod RAF roundell helmets in the limehouse link they cut from the canary wharf junction mid tunnel striaght into the bike filtering lane down the middle right in front of me without looking - repaid the favour by passing them closely and agressively as they wouldn't take a huge gap you could fit a tank through.
Got all the way to almost tower bridge with minimal issues standard traffic - only to be mobile chicaned by yep you guessed it a shiny triumph cafe racer with a new shiny brown distressed leather jacket - no f**king clue this bloke - he sat right in the way of the bike commuting lane (i.e. other side of the road which was empty) blocking me until the traffic started moving.
The commonweath leaders meeting in central london has clusterf**ked the road system with various road closures this morning.
Cut up by a two up scooter with his/her matching mod RAF roundell helmets in the limehouse link they cut from the canary wharf junction mid tunnel striaght into the bike filtering lane down the middle right in front of me without looking - repaid the favour by passing them closely and agressively as they wouldn't take a huge gap you could fit a tank through.
Got all the way to almost tower bridge with minimal issues standard traffic - only to be mobile chicaned by yep you guessed it a shiny triumph cafe racer with a new shiny brown distressed leather jacket - no f**king clue this bloke - he sat right in the way of the bike commuting lane (i.e. other side of the road which was empty) blocking me until the traffic started moving.
The commonweath leaders meeting in central london has clusterf**ked the road system with various road closures this morning.
Edited by sjtscott on Wednesday 18th April 09:28
Lee540 said:
Didn't remove my thermal lining yet.. arrived at work a soggy sweaty mess..
Got rid of all excess layers for this morning - have brought my mesh proper summer gloves for the trip home. I even cleaned the dormant sun visor of my GT Air this morning as it was needed 
I may even just ride in normal jeans home ditching the lower gortex - lunch time out of the office will tell me that.
sjtscott said:
Correctly as predicted the weather has brought the shiny bikers/skill challenged out of hibernation this morning.
Cut up by a two up scooter with his/her matching mod RAF roundell helmets in the limehouse link they cut from the canary wharf junction mid tunnel striaght into the bike filtering lane down the middle right in front of me without looking - repaid the favour by passing them closely and agressively as they wouldn't take a huge gap you could fit a tank through.
Got all the way to almost tower bridge with minimal issues standard traffic - only to be mobile chicaned by yep you guessed it a shiny triumph cafe racer with a new shiny brown distressed leather jacket - no f**king clue this bloke - he sat right in the way of the bike commuting lane (i.e. other side of the road which was empty) blocking me until the traffic started moving.
The commonweath leaders meeting in central london has clusterf**ked the road system with various road closures this morning.
was it Commonwealth leaders? I heard accident on embankment through my Radio 2 helmet speakers? They shut it all down.Cut up by a two up scooter with his/her matching mod RAF roundell helmets in the limehouse link they cut from the canary wharf junction mid tunnel striaght into the bike filtering lane down the middle right in front of me without looking - repaid the favour by passing them closely and agressively as they wouldn't take a huge gap you could fit a tank through.
Got all the way to almost tower bridge with minimal issues standard traffic - only to be mobile chicaned by yep you guessed it a shiny triumph cafe racer with a new shiny brown distressed leather jacket - no f**king clue this bloke - he sat right in the way of the bike commuting lane (i.e. other side of the road which was empty) blocking me until the traffic started moving.
The commonweath leaders meeting in central london has clusterf**ked the road system with various road closures this morning.
Edited by sjtscott on Wednesday 18th April 09:28
Interesting trip - a biker, comes through (from standing start a green for him) two cars turning right run a red and literally go across his nose. He was safe enough but fuming quite rightly.
Then the blockage of embankment - which meant navigating through middle rather than my usual route.
Only to follow a bin lorry down a narrow lane.........slowly, as he took out a load of London street furniture. It is no wonder cyclists get wiped out every day. He turned right, his ass swung out left and literally cleaned out bins, (the big ones), and all sorts of kerb and post damage.
adventurous morning...........
The Selfish Gene said:
was it Commonwealth leaders? I heard accident on embankment through my Radio 2 helmet speakers? They shut it all down.
Interesting trip - a biker, comes through (from standing start a green for him) two cars turning right run a red and literally go across his nose. He was safe enough but fuming quite rightly.
Then the blockage of embankment - which meant navigating through middle rather than my usual route.
Only to follow a bin lorry down a narrow lane.........slowly, as he took out a load of London street furniture. It is no wonder cyclists get wiped out every day. He turned right, his ass swung out left and literally cleaned out bins, (the big ones), and all sorts of kerb and post damage.
adventurous morning...........
Maybe a combo.. I hadn't heard until you mentioned it. Certainly due a load of road closures and my office was being buzzed by the police chopper about 30mins agoInteresting trip - a biker, comes through (from standing start a green for him) two cars turning right run a red and literally go across his nose. He was safe enough but fuming quite rightly.
Then the blockage of embankment - which meant navigating through middle rather than my usual route.
Only to follow a bin lorry down a narrow lane.........slowly, as he took out a load of London street furniture. It is no wonder cyclists get wiped out every day. He turned right, his ass swung out left and literally cleaned out bins, (the big ones), and all sorts of kerb and post damage.
adventurous morning...........
Edit you are right my TFL Roads twitter feed tells me this, this explains quite why it was so bad then. I rarely check twitter in the early mornings but I do look at the BBC London news/travel on the the TV which on the one I watched didn't mention it.
Edited by sjtscott on Wednesday 18th April 10:28
sjtscott said:
Maybe a combo.. I hadn't heard until you mentioned it. Certainly due a load of road closures and my office was being buzzed by the police chopper about 30mins ago
Edit you are right my TFL Roads twitter feed tells me this, this explains quite why it was so bad then.
do you know what it was? pushbike I'm guessing down there? There was one not that long ago. Seemed a rather serious amount of police and road closingEdit you are right my TFL Roads twitter feed tells me this, this explains quite why it was so bad then.
Edited by sjtscott on Wednesday 18th April 10:26
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