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+--- Thread: Commuting (/showthread.php?tid=69721)
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Commuting - NorthWestern - 24-07-14
Not counting vans,trucks,service vehicles etc over 90% of cars I pass have a single occupant I am very surprised by the lack of bikes on my daily commute. What keeps people in their cars then?
Hot summer days like today I would expect loads on the roads, leaving the car at home, but nothing, I didn't pass a single biker on the motorway today and the opposite side of the M6 only yielded 4 bikes going the other way (and 3 of those I recognize from my all year riding).
It's not exactly a biking black spot here either, if I leave work late I see stacks of them enjoying the evening sun.
Re: Commuting - Frosties - 24-07-14
I've seen similar on the M3/M4. The main thing that surprises me is the number of riders who sit in their lane and will not filter on a motorway.
If you're round the Birmingham area of the M6, know to all for being chocka, then maybe it's the filtering that puts them off. Just my 2p.
Re: Commuting - NorthWestern - 24-07-14
Aye I see the odd non-filtering biker on the motorway, I guess if they are doing that then they may as well be in the car... I am not judging here, just curious to know why people don't take advantage.
A guy at my work always has an excuse for not coming in on his bike, me, I love riding and the reduction in travel time - up to 30 mins quicker each way some days
Re: Commuting - Frosties - 24-07-14
(24-07-14, 11:01 AM)NorthWestern link Wrote: A guy at my work always has an excuse for not coming in on his bike, me, I love riding and the reduction in travel time - up to 30 mins quicker each way some days
Maybe offer to ride in with him one day, could be the "I'm not safe on a motorway" issue.
Re: Commuting - rustyrider - 24-07-14
Maybe they look upon the bike differently? My bike is a toy to be taken out and played with for fun when I want and I consider riding a bike on a motorway to be one of the most boring things there is. No fun in that at all. Especially when the weather is hot, why swelter inside the necessary protective gear when you could be sitting in an air conditioned car?
Some use a bike as much as possible, others use it when they want. A toy rather than a means of transport. I mean, where's the fun in arriving at work dripping wet or sweating buckets depending on the weather?
Re: Commuting - bigralphie - 24-07-14
I used to ride to work all the time. 8)
I just cant be arsed changing in and out of bike gear these days so only take it on "dress down Fridays " if I don't have any meetings
Re: Commuting - Fazer Forever - 24-07-14
When I worked in a factory I rode to work virtually every day as I had to get changed anyway before starting work.
Now I work in an office it's more trouble than it's worth to use the bike. I only live 3 miles from where I work and
although my journey time would be faster on the bike, when you factor in everything else before and after the actual
travelling I'm sure it would take me longer on the bike than in the car. I even have to move the car to get my bike out!
Re: Commuting - woodwizzard - 24-07-14
I have a company vehicle so don't get the chance to commute on the bike. Used to years ago when a bike was my only transport. Sun, rain and snow, rode in it all. I'm one of those strange riders that quite likes motorway riding. No road to read as such, but reading and predicting what everyone else is up to or about to do keeps the mind focused. When the traffic is heavy but moving, I set myself a filtering limit of approx 35mph, anything over and I stay in lane. I see plenty filtering at higher speeds, but that is what I feel safe at.
Re: Commuting - positron - 24-07-14
I switched from public transport to motorbike commute some four years ago - every day, all weather, mostly motorway commute. Plenty of filtering, especially as I get closer to Dublin. My office had no parking, so it was either public transport or expensive multi story car park if you were to drive in. I could park the motorbike right outside on the footpath, so I was really onto a winner there.
However, we moved office location further away, and now my commute is mostly motorway, and there is underground parking, and to step off the car to the lift to my desk would be all in less than 100 steps / 2 minutes, compared to walking in dripping, pealing off layers of wet bike gear, trying to dry whatever water got in, and spending rest of the day with a damp crouch... it's seriously tempting to take the car to work.
I am still sticking with the bike though. Car aggravates my bad back and of course it's less fun.
Re: Commuting - Fazafou - 24-07-14
I commute on the M25 and there's a 50 limit at the roadworks past south mimms. On a bad day the car would take over 2 hours to get home whereas the bike is 45 minutes.
No competition really
Re: Commuting - fireblake - 24-07-14
Driving my truck in solid traffic yesterday I noticed this guy in the outside lane and sitting behind the cars. After a few minutes he decided that his 2 piece leathers were getting unbearable so he started to filter. After another 2 minutes I passed him on his inside, he was filtering between lanes and I was in the middle lane still in heavy traffic.Some people are just not meant to filter I suppose
Mickey
Re: Commuting - Fazafou - 24-07-14
I'd seriously think about giving up biking if I couldn't filter.
Re: Commuting - Arfa - 24-07-14
You lot should pop down to London! It's a whole other ball game. As soon as winter is over and the sun comes out, the streets are teaming two wheel folk, be it bikers, scooters or cyclists. Filtering is par for the course, if you don't, you don't actually get anywhere.
Re: Commuting - woodwizzard - 24-07-14
You lot should pop down to London!
Erm, no thanks, thats why the countryside exists :lol
Re: Commuting - Dead Eye - 24-07-14
I'll be starting this hole commuting malarkey soon
Planning to mostly use the bike to get to the new office, but I think I'll opt for the car in heavy rain
There's a lot of parking, but getting a space for the car is a nightmare if you don't get there super early. I also have the advantage that I don't really need to dress-up for work - so I can get away just wearing a t-shirt and my kevlar jeans 
Re: Commuting - fireblake - 24-07-14
Or pop up.
I was a courier in London for a couple of years so done a bit of filtering in my time
Mickey
Re: Commuting - mr self destruct - 24-07-14
My commute is the whole reason I learnt to ride. They decided to build a press shop on our car park two years ago and bought some land 3/4 mile away to use as our new car park. Walking to and from there more than doubled my journey time so I did my CBT and bought a 125. Then realised my non-motorway route took even longer than walking from the car park, but by then I was hooked and did my full test.
Today, there has to be a bloody good reason for me to take my car.
(24-07-14, 12:43 PM)woodwizzard link Wrote: I set myself a filtering limit of approx 35mph, anything over and I stay in lane. I see plenty filtering at higher speeds, but that is what I feel safe at.
What speeds are folk happy filtering at on motorways then? Personally my limit is 25mph as I have next to no experience and am still fairly unconfident, but I'm regularly passed by a guy on a Daytona 675 who rides the white line at well over 50. That seems insane to me, but it could just be me being a pussy.
Re: Commuting - Ravenscar - 24-07-14
I commute most days, St Albans into Central London. It's been hot recently but I'd rather be a bit warm on the bike than in a train. Despite taking the same route every day, each journey is different. I just enjoy being on my bike. Keep relative speeds low, eyes to the front and assume everyone's an idiot. :-)
Re: Commuting - adeejaysdelight - 25-07-14
I travelled in to work yesterday (Glasgow) at 1pm. After all the warnings about the Commonwealth Games traffic and so on, I though I better leave early. It took me and extra 2.5 minutes. That . is not a typo either. I film everything and my camera has a timer. Two and a half minutes more with 3x the population of the city. And my workmates? They were at least 30 minutes longer. And they say to me "you must be mental riding one of those things". I say to them "not as mental as spending 10% of my life sitting in traffic" :thumbup :finger :nana
Re: Commuting - woodwizzard - 25-07-14
35mph isn't the speed I filter pass stationary/very slow traffic at, I just trickle through nice and slow, waiting for that door to open etc. When all traffic in all lanes is moving 35 and above I tend to stay in lane.