I had a trip into London yesterday, coming in from the M4, cut down into Chelsea, across the bridge and past Battersea and onto Stockwell via Vauxhall. From there, back up across the River and up to White City. All in rush hour.
I have to say, it was a challenge. Enjoyable, but tough going. I certainly wouldn't want to do it every day, it would knacker me out.
..my commute round most of the South Circular is worse - i'd rate Clifton's Roundabout as the UK's worst.
Glad you made it in one piece!
Someone sent me a postcard picture of the earth. On the back it said, "Wish you were here."
Steven Wright
The Fens are so much easier. Apart from dozy drivers not used to filtering bikes. Or bikes at all... :rolleyes
The Deef's apprentice
What does LOFO stand for then?
(05-12-13, 01:43 PM)Jamieg285 link Wrote:I have to say, it was a challenge. Enjoyable, but tough going. I certainly wouldn't want to do it every day, it would knacker me out.
Reckon it takes around 4 - 6 weeks to acclimatise. Was going to say before you are comfortable but on second thoughts you shouldn't allow yourself to get comfortable. Continuous concentration required (which is what makes it knackering)
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
I spent about a year commuting into Waterloo from Gatwick on my Fazer a few years back. I did find that you get used to riding up there fairly quickly but you do get complacent and start taking risks you wouldn't have done before. It got to the point, on a rideout with my brother who rides like a loon, he wasn't keeping up with me when filtering. apparently, I was riding like a feccin courier :pokefun
Another ex-Fazer rider that is a foccer again
(06-12-13, 04:06 PM)BBROWN1664 link Wrote:I spent about a year commuting into Waterloo from Gatwick on my Fazer a few years back. I did find that you get used to riding up there fairly quickly but you do get complacent and start taking risks you wouldn't have done before. It got to the point, on a rideout with my brother who rides like a loon, he wasn't keeping up with me when filtering. apparently, I was riding like a feccin courier :pokefun
Wokingham to Canary Wharf every day and totally agree with you re getting used to it/complacent and the filtering. I get a wake up call every time I
know that I'm going to have to duck under a lorry mirror to make a gap - and still go for it. Feckin stupid when you think about it!
Those are my principles...if you don't like them I have others.
When I first started courier work with Addison Lee I commuted from Fareham, near Portsmouth but after 4 months I managed to get digs in London and then commuted in from Seven Kings. I actually felt that was more dangerous. I think I used to get knocked off about once a month, nothing serious though. My steed do choice was a Honda VT500 that I had from new, I used to get from Trafalgar Square to my village square in an hour and 5 minutes. I'd be impressed with that now?
Mickey
Sent from my villa in the South of France.