And today's commuting highlight is...

[GM182]

Had a commuting lowlight yesterday. Coming southbound on the A3 towards Tolworth junction where I get off to head towards Epsom and the traffic was fairly heavy in all three lanes, doing about 40-45. I was on my new Tiger 1200 (using it for the commute this week to get the miles up to 600 for the running in service tomorrow) in the outside lane and looking ahead as usual but somehow I didn't spot some stupid lane changing up ahead so I was taken very much by surprise when the car in front of swerved into the middle lane and I found a car pretty much stopped in front of me.

I stood on the rear brake, applied the front heavily and swerved between the stopped car and central reservation coming to halt next to the driver's door. It was a nasty shock and I'm not quite sure how I managed to dive into the gap without clipping anything. The traffic moved off again with a woman in an SUV in the middle lane and a van driver on the inside going slowly and shouting at each other but I'm still not entirely sure what caused the car two in front of me to stand on the brakes and stop.

Anyway, no harm done but it was the closest I've come to a nasty accident in quite a while. Luckily the Tiger proved agile enough and my reactions good enough to not stack it. I went on past Tolworth and took the long way home to compose myself.

[ChocolateFrog]

Just got in from my 25 min commute. Raining, below 10 degrees, horrendous glare from laser beam headlights refracting off the rain drops that were sticking to my visor like napalm to skin.

Reminded me why I'm a fair weather commuter and to check the weather forecast more closely. Not a cloud in the sky at 1600 when I set off.

[Mr Scruff]

Was 400 mile commute for me this week - High Wycombe, Bristol, Manchester then back to High Wycombe.

Not done a long motorway slog in ages (thankfully). Bloody hell the standard of driving on the M6 is shockingly poor!

[The test driver]

The winds been fun this week on the M40, especially on a lighter bike the cross gusts feel like its picking you up.

Arms have been sore form death gripping the handle bars to stay in lane haha.

[KTMsm]

ChocolateFrog said:

horrendous glare from laser beam headlights refracting off the rain drops that were sticking to my visor like napalm to skin.

I recently polished my visor to remove a film that had built up - the side effect was how the water beads and runs off beautifully no doubt there are approved products (I seem to recall rainX isn't approved for visors)

[gareth_r]

KTMsm said:

ChocolateFrog said:

horrendous glare from laser beam headlights refracting off the rain drops that were sticking to my visor like napalm to skin.

I recently polished my visor to remove a film that had built up - the side effect was how the water beads and runs off beautifully no doubt there are approved products (I seem to recall rainX isn't approved for visors)

There is a plastic version of Rain-X.

[JulianHJ]

gareth_r said:

There is a plastic version of Rain-X.

Nikwax do a visor spray which I've found to be very good:

[kiethton]

3 months off the commute as I'm now in the garden. Unfortunately the change means I lose my underground parking space...back to having to find an on-street bay in the City!

[GSA_fattie]

Mr Scruff said:

Was 400 mile commute for me this week - High Wycombe, Bristol, Manchester then back to High Wycombe.

Not done a long motorway slog in ages (thankfully). Bloody hell the standard of driving on the M6 is shockingly poor!

yep its sh_it, and just about all smart motorway from 19 to 10 poor lane disapline is even more noticiable

Hay on Wye for me today spolit by rain, reasonbale roads, fu-cking pot holes just appear to get worse, plenty of OTakes, littlered with 35 and 40 mph everyhwere brigade

it did stop raining temperature got down to 2 dgrees at one bit like november not back end of april

[DJP]

The scooterist that shouted at me for pulling away faster than him and then almost killed himself ten times in the next half a mile. Knob.

[NNH]

Made a scooterist's day by giving him a wave, leading to big wave and grin from him before he turned into the local college. Hopefully that'll keep my karma levels high.

[stu67]

Well I hope the biker that T-boned the car on the Archway Road this morning is no one on here and let's hope he's OK, looked a nasty one.

[xof]

Anyone commute from medway M2 J2 to the west end (Earl’s Court area) if so yes how long does it take you??

Don’t wanna start a new thread jus for this question

TIA

[DirtyHarley]

xof said:

Anyone commute from medway M2 J2 to the west end (Earl’s Court area) if so yes how long does it take you??

Don’t wanna start a new thread jus for this question

TIA

I come in from a little further down past Canterbury going into a similiar part of town; takes me about 1hr 15mins in the mornings (leaving around 0500) and then about 1hr 35min in the late afternoon by donig a fair bit of filtering - busiest area in the morning is the 50 zone through Bexleyheath area and in the evening are getting out of London around New Cross Gate and then the Darenth interchange.

Edited to add - going to do my first commute since the accident tomorrow! Bloody glad to not be facing a train but have a feeling the old leg is going to get a bit stiff!

Edited by DirtyHarley on Monday 1st May 21:39

[HairyMaclary]

xof said:

Anyone commute from medway M2 J2 to the west end (Earl’s Court area) if so yes how long does it take you??

Don’t wanna start a new thread jus for this question

TIA

Is junction 2 Strood?

I commute West Malling to Westminster in just over an hour on a good run. Swanley, Lewisham, Old Kent Road, Waterloo bridge, Westminster. I suspect you'll need to add another 15-20 mins to get to Earls Court.

You have options from where you are. Either up the a2/m2. I find that was miserable if I have to go to Canary Wharf as the A2 is narrower than the A20. Filtering isn't as fun.

Todays commuting highlight was the sheer about of suicidal cyclists changing lanes without looking. More than once right across the road. Weather is good now so they are all out. Don't get me started on the fair weather types and L plate warriors who have no manners.

[stu67]

Yes, I noticed there were far more peddlers out this morning, thought it was because I was a bit later. Don't particularly mind them jumping the reds, but it winds me up when they are slaloming down the bus lane holding everyone up

[trickywoo]

Following a scooter rider this morning who managed to nearly highside on a dead pigeon.

Looked like they had gone over something really big at first but was just a pigeon.

Small wheels and scooter I guess.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Dead quiet on the way home. None of the usual bottle necks and I arrived at the Staples Corner traffic lights without stopping (from the Edgware Rd, obvs).

[mikey_b]

It was quiet both ways for me yesterday. Usual 8.30am queue for Blackwall but otherwise a lovely clear run in perfect weather. Had one of those magic runs along the A13 from the tunnel into Aldgate - virtually every light was green, and there must be at least a dozen in that section. Think I only came to a halt a couple of times in the whole 3-4 mile run. The evening leg was just as free-moving too. A most enjoyable commute!

[camb10]

dodgy alarm stopped play this morning! had to use the car