And today's commuting highlight is...

[sjtscott]

CaptainSlow said:

I find if you blip your throttle a couple of times they soon move over and wave you by.

LOL I like the approach.. probably not the best idea for the London summer only shiny loud piped biker who too frequently seem to bounce of the rev limiter at everything they arn't happy with

I've not had issues with single bike cops ever and generally have a chat with them at the lights when I can. I was complemented on my Speed Triple by one last year. Its the groups of them by their nature travelling in a pack on duty which are not easy to work through/around easily in heavy traffic. When I used to take a predominate London south of the river route into work via Borough High Street I was always running into the Special Protection armed bikers just starting their shifts as I rode it. Groups of 4 of them riding in a pack and required careful legal passing.. tricky when most of the route when I travelled with them are 20s

Edited by sjtscott on Monday 14th May 14:46

[308mate]

Where do I start, today?

• Bloke on a loud KTM supermotard of some sort brappped his way to the front then hoiked a pretty good wheelie all up the road
• Overtook an actual Honda Pacific Coast coming back past Wandsworth
• Saw a bloke on cafe racer of some sort coming west towards me from the Mi5 building do a full pull from the lights, not realising that only one car behind him were two fully blinged Police X5s - lucky boy
• Pulled up next to Idris Elba in Wandsworth driving a VW Sterling kit car.

If it wasn’t this actual car it was an identical one.



Exactly the sort of naff contraption I thought he might have. Not only that but as it was warm and heavy traffic, he had to drive it with the roof up, exactly like in that picture.

Eventful day in the big smoke.

[kiethton]

Came back to a parking ticket :/

Could have sworn the bay wasn't suspended when I parked, as backed up by it already being full at 06:30 when I'm normally one of the first there.

Also I don't think the signs are particularly fair...exist all the time and are just written on poorly by hand, without any other obvious indication that it's happening. Good news is this suggests the signs aren't compliant: http://www.dft.gov.uk/traffic-auths/?search=parkin... so will fire off an email when I get a chance with at that and the rest of the pepipoo advic.

Sod's law really

Commuting continues to be uneventful beyond that which is good I guess

[JulianHJ]

I fitted some LED H4s to my Tiger over the weekend; I fear I’ll have to take them out due to the beam alignment - riding to and from work today I was parting the traffic like Moses whilst filtering. Good fo daytime visibility but I suspect it’ll be an issue after dark.

[Sea Demon]

Does anyone know if Farringdon Road is going to remain as narrow as it is at the moment once the cycle highway work has completed?

I'm guessing it will be, shame really - more delays in getting to work.

[gavgavgav]

308mate said:

Where do I start, today?

• Pulled up next to Idris Elba in Wandsworth driving a VW Sterling kit car.

If it wasn’t this actual car it was an identical one.



Exactly the sort of naff contraption I thought he might have. Not only that but as it was warm and heavy traffic, he had to drive it with the roof up, exactly like in that picture.

Eventful day in the big smoke.

I saw that also going past the Shell garage, I liked it, pops and bangs nicely. It did look hot inside it, I was wondering how fast you can drive it with the roof up.

[GM182]

My GS is in for a service. I asked for a loan bike from Vines in Guildford and they supplied an RnineT with quite a funky paint-job...https://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/en/models/heritage/rninet/accessories.html#/section-bmw-motorrad-spezial

I've ridden one before but it is always refreshing to have a change and it blats through traffic pretty well. Makes a change from the Xmax, good as that is! Sunny and warm but not too hot, it is a good day to ride in town...

[supercommuter]

kiethton said:

Came back to a parking ticket :/

Could have sworn the bay wasn't suspended when I parked, as backed up by it already being full at 06:30 when I'm normally one of the first there.

Also I don't think the signs are particularly fair...exist all the time and are just written on poorly by hand, without any other obvious indication that it's happening. Good news is this suggests the signs aren't compliant: http://www.dft.gov.uk/traffic-auths/?search=parkin... so will fire off an email when I get a chance with at that and the rest of the pepipoo advic.

Sod's law really

Commuting continues to be uneventful beyond that which is good I guess

I f*cking hate how easily they suspend bays for people. I work in the west end and i swear if you asked them to suspend the bay for a day so you can move house they would do it.

Over this last winter it was lucky dip if you would get a bay at all where i work.

[Pothole]

Mr OCD said:

I had a young lady the other day wearing headphones walk across a dual carriageway between cars pushing her baby in a pram... thankfully I saw her just as she stepped into the road whilst I was filtering between two rows of cars ... :/

Probably waved across by one of those car drivers...

[308mate]

Bloke on Kawasaki something or other. So busy filtering faster than me he ran into the back of an i3. Funnily enough his noisy Racefit pipe did not prevent the incident.

[kiethton]

supercommuter said:

I f*cking hate how easily they suspend bays for people. I work in the west end and i swear if you asked them to suspend the bay for a day so you can move house they would do it.

Over this last winter it was lucky dip if you would get a bay at all where i work.

Indeed, what's worst is he sign is there permanently so you don't even notice when they write on it as looks the same.

Thankfully the guys on Pepipoo have told me the sign is non-compliant so an appeal will be going in later this week.

[Cbull]

308mate said:

Bloke on Kawasaki something or other. So busy filtering faster than me he ran into the back of an i3. Funnily enough his noisy Racefit pipe did not prevent the incident.

Bad day for him Hope he's OK.

Let us know if you get away with that kiethton, they're usually arsy sods about letting people off. Hopefully they'll see sense.

[DirtyHarley]

Ran into an absolute Endus of Bell on the way home today - shiny Honda of some sort with hard panniers - filtering at a snails pace, refusing to mover over, when he finally decides he can't fit it between a truck and a skip-truck stopped at red lights he moves over a fraction, then just as I start to go past the lights change to green and rather than look, steers right for spot I'm occupying forcing me slightly into the left lane .... cue car leaning on the horn and Honda Box-of-fornication-nuggets recommencing his 5mph wobble fest infront of me again - only slower and even more unsteady than before!
I'm no riding god, but holy st if a gap is big enough for me to get a harley through with no issues, its big enough for Mr Honda to go through with his legs splayed out like a Thai hooker!

Mornings have been great as I'm in so early, but the rides home this week have been full of terrible filterers who won't let anything past them or fathom that their bikes aren't as wide as a T72

[Cbull]

Bikes with panniers are definitely not my thing but I don't particularly get them (other than if touring/long weekends). Is there anyone on here that can explain why they're always attached? Is it because it's a ball ache getting them on and off, do they actually need them everyday or do they simply think it looks cool?

Personally I've not had any issues when them. Think only 1 guy didn't move over for a while because he didn't know I was there, he moved over when he could after that.


Took an alternative route this morning along some country roads, much more enjoyable than the express ways etc.

[308mate]

Cbull said:

Bikes with panniers are definitely not my thing but I don't particularly get them (other than if touring/long weekends). Is there anyone on here that can explain why they're always attached? Is it because it's a ball ache getting them on and off, do they actually need them everyday or do they simply think it looks cool?

Personally I've not had any issues when them. Think only 1 guy didn't move over for a while because he didn't know I was there, he moved over when he could after that.


Took an alternative route this morning along some country roads, much more enjoyable than the express ways etc.

The only justification I can see for them being on all the time is that when not on your bike, they take up a lot of space. Other than that, they're just a way to show people how adventurous you are. Like a dating profile for Road Captains.

[CAPP0]

Cbull said:

Bikes with panniers are definitely not my thing but I don't particularly get them (other than if touring/long weekends). Is there anyone on here that can explain why they're always attached? Is it because it's a ball ache getting them on and off, do they actually need them everyday or do they simply think it looks cool?

Personally I've not had any issues when them. Think only 1 guy didn't move over for a while because he didn't know I was there, he moved over when he could after that.


Took an alternative route this morning along some country roads, much more enjoyable than the express ways etc.

My bike comes with (large) panniers as standard. I asked for them to be removed for the test ride, then when I collected the bike I rode home 18 miles (no filtering!) with them on, and put them in the loft that day where they have been ever since.

My topbox is big enough for a weekend away and I don't go touring with MrsC, so I don't envisage they'll come back out of the loft until I sell the bike.

[CaptainSlow]

Sat at 60 on a congested dual carriageway and some whipper snapper on a 125 thinks it's a good idea to sit alongside me in the same lane. I think he soon noted my annoyance.

[Cbull]

Sounds like they must think they look cool with them on then

[Dr Jekyll]

Cbull said:

Bikes with panniers are definitely not my thing but I don't particularly get them (other than if touring/long weekends). Is there anyone on here that can explain why they're always attached? Is it because it's a ball ache getting them on and off, do they actually need them everyday or do they simply think it looks cool?

They are useful for putting bike gear in when you park the bike, it isn't always possible to find somewhere at your destination. I would never have a bike without some hard luggage.

[EazyDuz]

308mate said:

The only justification I can see for them being on all the time is that when not on your bike, they take up a lot of space. Other than that, they're just a way to show people how adventurous you are. Like a dating profile for Road Captains.

What an idiotic thing to say. I keep mine on my bike. Why? Because bikes get stolen easily, so they carry my disc lock, thick chain and padlock, emergency items like tape, pliars, puncture repair kit etc, and the other pannier is empty for, you know, carrying things like shopping.
Drip.