Riding in London

[Mister James]

I had my 6 month checkup today, back where I had my operation on my shattered pelvis at St Georges in Tooting. That entailed riding 17 miles from my home in Harrow (NW London) down sarf off da river.

What a crazy fooked up place London is for riding in!

Ardent Mister James followers will know of my daily battles with Nigerian and Pakistani minicab drivers, but they were nothing compared with mad white bike couriers, crazy african bus drivers and doolally foreign students crossing roads!

Because I was using my GPS, I didn't have any tunes hooked up, which was just as well as I needed every ounce of concentration I could get!

Narrow streets, multiple speed/bus/red light cameras and nutjub drivers make a very unpleasant combination indeed! I can't remember the last time I had to be so wary about idiots (both vehicles and pedestrians) darting out between traffic and cutting across junctions! After an early near miss, I was hyper-aware of the risk, so luckily I didn't run into too much trouble, but when I got the hospital after about 40 mins I was physically drained!

It doesn't help that much of the route was through some of the cackest, nastiest and dirtiest places in the capital - reminding me all over again why I hate living here!

Anyone who commutes through central London on a regular basis has my respect and pity - it can't be pleasant!

Once I got there and had my X ray, I got a lecture from the consultant about how I should get a car blah blah blah blah unsafe blah blah blah. I told him what my job was and we agreed that, in the grand scheme of things, maybe riding a bike wasn't so risky after all!

Apart from being told that everything has healed up nicely, the only high point was that my Tom Tom installation on my MDA Pro worked a treat, giving me ample warning of turnings/obstructions/cameras/junctions/sharp corners/etc. It also did a cracking job of re-routing on the fly, even when I deliberately took some insanely out-of-my-way turnings to confuse it. It took me some time to get the GPS/batteries/secondary power that I wanted for it, but I'm glad I got it sorted, it almost paid for itself today!
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>Soultrader Mister James, I bet you are a copper
>Bazza Wow. Eyes like a shithouse rat, you...

[doggone]

Must admit not been through London for some 10 years and it was mad then.
Mind you on Sundays it's a different place - and 'almost' a pleasure to pootle thorugh looking at all the landmarks.
I always felt if nothing else the drivers were generally good at noticing bikes because there's so many of them about.

[Mister James]

Hmmm, perhaps things have changed then - I got the impression that people were noticing me, and then deliberately trying to kill me!
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>Soultrader Mister James, I bet you are a copper
>Bazza Wow. Eyes like a shithouse rat, you...

[Dark]

The last time i rode through London was 12 years ago on a KR1S and it will probably be the only time

The place is completely bonkas!
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My Bikes in order:- Yamaha RXS100 / Suzuki X7 250 / Yamaha RD350LC / Kawasaki
KR1S 250 / Kawasaki ZXR750 H2 / Honda C50 / Kawasaki ZX7R P5 / Kawasaki ZX10R / Suzuki GSXR 400 / Honda CBR1100 Blackbird & Yamaha FZR 600

[sickpup]

I think its fun.

[Marcg868]

Thank fuck i live up North, i mean we have arse holes on the road, but doesnt sound a patch on the standard of dick heads driving down there.
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JACK, MISS YOU LOADS YOU LEGEND.

[Dark]

[G]

The few times I do go in, I probably enjoy it too much.

Which is why I generally try and avoid it .

[LUXY DJ]

[sickpup]

[ram_doom]

I rode my zxr400 back from London in january. Friggin freezing and utterly crazy foreign SOB's trying to kill me from every angle. Living there must be soul crushing Its a constant onslaught of morons every one of them wanting to be in the same place at the same time...
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TL1000s, KDX200

[TheDonUK]

Yes London is crazy, But having been born here and lived here, london is the place that first forged my love of biking and is where i still ride day to day for fun... YOu just have to take that "hyper aware " state you mention and hold it, all the time .

Reading the body/car/bike language of drivers and riders helps my poker game anyway

[Vincey B]

You really do get used to it, I ride from NW London into Central London everyday and yes you do face a ridiculous amount of idiots but it makes you a better rider. Touch wood ive not come off at all after 2 years but ive seen and been past many bikes lying on the road with an ambulance next to it.

Plus its the only way you can get to work in London without using horrible overcrowded buses and tubes, where you might get blown up anyway!

Weirdly I find riding on open country roads more scary than busy congested streets.

Bendy buses really annoy me, as they can turn and take you out without the driver ever even noticing. Also cylcists who just breeze through red lights really annoy me and add to the general bad feeling on the roads.

[Tarmacsurfer]

[Rob]

It's odd, but when you ride through it everyday you don't really notice that it's that bad!!
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Love is 1050cc

[jonboy22]

I do the commute from oxford into central londond (london bridge) every day of the working week, and yes there's some truth in the fact that you get used to it.

You're riding style changes, your attitute changes, you tolerance levels change, generally speaking you turn a funny shade of pink, start growing strange short curly hair and smell of fish, i.e. you turn into a massive c***.

It's not a nice place to ride mid week, and to be honest I would rather be a dispatch rider in Baghdad I think....

[Vincey B]

Lets not forget as well that bikes dont pay the congestion charge, though im sure Ken would love to change that if the technology could manage it.

[headlamp]

I reckon you're just getting rusty in your old age Mister James ....it doesn't matter where you ride in London, it's all the same....car drivers, lorry drivers, bus drivers etc. all not paying attention, driving appallingly and totally 'un-bike' aware.

Oh and like srkid, I would be totally useless on the twisties or country roads. I'd be crapping myself in case a rabbit or a fox ran out in front of me!
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[Dark]

I'm the complete opposite, i grew up riding country rodes and like nothing more than an empty B road spread out infront of me

I'm perfectly capable of riding in urban areas and city centres, but i find myself yearning for the quiet country roads and long sweeping empty corners.
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My Bikes in order:- Yamaha RXS100 / Suzuki X7 250 / Yamaha RD350LC / Kawasaki
KR1S 250 / Kawasaki ZXR750 H2 / Honda C50 / Kawasaki ZX7R P5 / Kawasaki ZX10R / Suzuki GSXR 400 / Honda CBR1100 Blackbird & Yamaha FZR 600

[Gradog]

Living in Surrey, I have a fair mix of both town riding and country.
Both different styles and requirements but both can be really good fun.
The truth is though that experienced London riders tend to develop a more tolerant nature and take more shit without losing their rag, as if they didn't the stress levels would send you insane.
Riding the Micky bends at speed is a sure way of releasing stress and bring a grin to my face though.
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Grey haired bikers don't get that way from pure luck. Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of the car window.

[TheDonUK]

[Louise]

Drove in London once. Was on a provisional car licence and mum TOLD me to drive back to my sisters (Mordon way) then home.
How i crapped myself doing it. Car/biks/people flying everywhere.
Id like to go back to try on a bike now.
Here, if anyone walks in my path I put my foot down - See them move. What pisses me off is theres traffic lights 100 yards up the road.

[Mister James]

[sickpup]

[david916]

Book up for a BikeSafe-London Rider Skills Day to learn how to stay safe on London's roads and get some enjoyment out of it too!

Check out www.bikesafe-london.co.uk or www.scootersafe-london.co.uk

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Currently own/regularly ride :
Suzuki SV1000S K4