|
Author |
Message |
onlyJaz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
onlyJaz Scooby Slapper
Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Karma :
|
Posted: 12:19 - 11 Jan 2017 Post subject: Does it get better? |
|
|
Londoner here. My commute to work via bus, tube and walk is around 65-70mins normally depending on traffic and walking speed etc so sometimes it can be around 80mins but the best time I've ever got is 55mins. (You northerners will be laughing right now, I know)
I've recently started commuting on my bike, and it takes 45-50mins (13miles) riding but giving time to gear up & gear down it's 70mins which is fine for me because while I don't gain a huge time gain, I miss rush on trains and human traffic and it's more consistent not to mention cheaper than the £140 I used to pay monthly for travel..
According to google maps the dual carriageway (50mph) route is 18miles but quicker (15mins quicker apparently) but that's based on me being in a car so as I only have a small 125, I take the shorter route, more standard city roads as I can filter through the queues of traffic. So my thinking is that I have more to gain from filtering through the traffic on slower roads than trying to make progress on a dual carriageway (even when there's traffic people switch lanes without notice sometimes and my acceleration AND braking distance is abysmal on the ybr so if the route to avoid these is available, I'll happily take it for now).
My question/discussion point I guess is to ask, given that my current average speed in my journey is 14mph, will my journey be quicker or more enjoyable on a bigger bike (on the same roads)? I might take the dual carriageway instead when I get a bigger bike and see how that goes too.
I do plan to get a bigger bike don't get me wrong, I just would like to hear some insight.. ____________________ Yamaha YBR 125 |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
kgm |
This post is not being displayed .
|
kgm World Chat Champion
Joined: 04 Jun 2015 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Andy_Pagin |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Andy_Pagin World Chat Champion
Joined: 08 Nov 2010 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
pudder |
This post is not being displayed .
|
pudder Scooby Slapper
Joined: 04 Nov 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Rogerborg |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
|
Posted: 14:21 - 11 Jan 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
You won't be quicker on a bigger bike, but you might enjoy it more. Then again, you might enjoy an MSX more. Or a moped. Or an electrically assisted pedal cycle (legal or "legal"). You might be quicker on the dual carriageway. You might not.
How would we know? ____________________ Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
onlyJaz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
onlyJaz Scooby Slapper
Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
onlyJaz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
onlyJaz Scooby Slapper
Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
onlyJaz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
onlyJaz Scooby Slapper
Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Azoth |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Azoth Brolly Dolly
Joined: 07 Jul 2016 Karma :
|
Posted: 14:44 - 11 Jan 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
Remove number plate, don't stop at red lights, ride on pavement. You'll get there faster and the police will leave you alone, because it's London. ____________________ Safety in numbers |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
pudder |
This post is not being displayed .
|
pudder Scooby Slapper
Joined: 04 Nov 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Teflon-Mike |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Teflon-Mike tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :
|
Posted: 15:05 - 11 Jan 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
"Filtering" is not a word that has any legal meaning.
As far as road law's concerned, what you are doing is "Over-Taking"
Highway code used to contain a disclaimer that opened by saying that "Over taking is a hazardous maneuver performed at risk, by the rider/driver'"
When filtering, you are, largely ring 'at risk' EVERYTHING else, pretty much has right of way; from cars pulling on or out of the queue or switching lanes, or stopping randomly to let other traffic pull across them.
It IS one of THE most dangerous things you can do on a bike, and where you are likely to want to do it, is already likely to be one of the most hazard fraught environments, full of half awake idiots not paying attention and dong daft things, around large numbers of intersections or junctions and pedestrians etc etc etc, all adding to the chaos!
NOW; I used to commute daily into Brum. 22miles each way; last 8miles through city snarl. I NEVER found taking the bike, much if any faster than taking the car, particularly with the togging on and togging off time tagged on ether end.
Journey time, could be a little shorter, BUT we are talking the time it takes a kettle to boil over forty five minutes difference....
And THAT is by taking significant... err... liberties, exploiting 1000cc to get my blood pumping, and blow the sleep out my eyes on the twisty bits at the start; some quite brutal three figure velocities between round-abouts on the by-pass, 'detaching' from the dodderers sorting themselves out as they see clear road ahead, and then, what would still be considered quite 'aggressive' filtering, through the stop start city snarl, and lots of 'risk' every ruddy traffic light trickled to the head of.
Balls to the wall, no prisoners riding.. for at best... five minutes minutes sooner to my desk....
NOW, how desperately do you enjoy your work, or want to impress the boss?
Yeah! it can be done, and you can live to tell the tale, BUT, it takes a hell of a lot of practice to do it, ad do it well enough not to come a croppa, and save any time for the doing.
IF you really have to be at your work-place those few minutes earlier... don't have the extra cuppa before you leave the house! Set the alarm clock ten minutes early, or just don't hit the 'snooze' button! You'll achieve the same end, for little effort or sacrifice and without needig to take ANY of the added risk to life or licence.
On anther commuter run; from one side of Brum to the other; about 50miles each way, It was a trip, on a clear road, I could do in 45minutes or less. During commuter snarl? Could take two hours! Changng my leave time, by just fifteen minutes either way, though could add or remove half an hour from the road..... Not having that coffee for the road, I could get n and have a full breakfast in the canteen instead. OR other end, I could hang back after hours, put n a little over time, or have supper with the nigh-shift, and be back home, just as early, already fed, rather than grubling hungry.
IF you want to cut down journey time; THIS is where you will likely find any large saving, IF they are to be found. NOT in 'Faltering', which if you find any at all, will be small, and at the expense of accepting MUCH bigger risks to get them.
Influence of a big-bike on all of this? Speed limits remain the same, and for the most part a 125 is still capable of exceeding most of them if you are determine enough. It's unlikely to make much odds, it is so much more determined by your attitude.
Effect of a bigger bike, likely a double edged sword; on the one hand, it may make you less inclned to take 'so' many silly little risks to make progress through slower traffic, where its hard work, and a smaller lighter bike is more in ts element, and less hard work, but encouragig you to take those extra rsks because you cant make it up elsewhere, like off the lights, on one go, you may better be able to do o a bigger bike.
Might be more comfy... when you are moving... more to manage when you aint... its a swings and roundabuts job, BUT tendency would likely be it deterred small and frequent risks and encouraged larger less frequent ones.
But either which way; likely savings on time, are likely to be minimal, risks significant; only you could say whether they might be worth it or whether to adjust the alarm clock..
Just remember, its adding risk, in the place there already is MOST.. and in that grey area, where you are most likely to blame for any mishap before the argument even starts. ____________________ My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?' |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
onlyJaz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
onlyJaz Scooby Slapper
Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Karma :
|
Posted: 15:21 - 11 Jan 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
Teflon-Mike wrote: | I used to commute daily into Brum. 22miles each way; last 8miles through city snarl. I NEVER found taking the bike, much if any faster than taking the car, particularly with the togging on and togging off time tagged on ether end. |
Taking a car is out of the question. Traffic means it WILL take 30-40mins longer by car, a daily £11 (maybe £12 now) congestion charge and then you have the problem of no parking in central London unless you want to pay a fortune.
It's Bike/Change vs Bus/Train/Walk
The public transport route costs £1500+ for the year plus hassle of London rush hour. Bike costs are as you guys know, maintenance, insurance and fuel, which is still less than the cost of TFL. I know I'm literally not making many significant time gains btween my two options but one is more consistent and convenient, albeit a LOT more dangerous.
Teflon-Mike wrote: |
Effect of a bigger bike, likely a double edged sword; on the one hand, it may make you less inclned to take 'so' many silly little risks to make progress through slower traffic, where its hard work, and a smaller lighter bike is more in ts element, and less hard work, but encouragig you to take those extra rsks because you cant make it up elsewhere, like off the lights, on one go, you may better be able to do o a bigger bike. |
Interesting, good points.. Cheers ____________________ Yamaha YBR 125 |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
pudder |
This post is not being displayed .
|
pudder Scooby Slapper
Joined: 04 Nov 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
onlyJaz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
onlyJaz Scooby Slapper
Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
DrSnoosnoo |
This post is not being displayed .
|
DrSnoosnoo World Chat Champion
Joined: 28 Mar 2012 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Rogerborg |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
|
Posted: 15:59 - 11 Jan 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
Teflon-Mike wrote: | Highway code |
Now explicitly mentions filtering. Twice, even. Sections 88 and 211. It doesn't define it though.
Teflon-Mike wrote: | "Filtering" is not a word that has any legal meaning. |
It has as much meaning as it's assigned. The latest case to mention it is Jones vs Lawton (2013) where Jones had his leg off, sad times.
He claimed to be 'filtering' but the High Court was having none of it.
They did, however, accept that there is a thing called 'filtering between vehicles', in the sense of declaring that he wasn't doing it.
Just an aside so that we can all update our notes. ____________________ Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
bamt |
This post is not being displayed .
|
bamt World Chat Champion
Joined: 15 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
SophR so good |
This post is not being displayed .
|
SophR so good Trackday Trickster
Joined: 08 Aug 2016 Karma :
|
Posted: 16:23 - 11 Jan 2017 Post subject: |
|
|
Totally unrelated but thanks for that link Rogerborg, it contains some helpful stuff for arguing with insurance companies following my crash ____________________ You win again, gravity! - Zap Brannigan, BCF BBQ 2016 |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
pudder |
This post is not being displayed .
|
pudder Scooby Slapper
Joined: 04 Nov 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Rogerborg |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
onlyJaz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
onlyJaz Scooby Slapper
Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Rogerborg |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
onlyJaz |
This post is not being displayed .
|
onlyJaz Scooby Slapper
Joined: 24 Sep 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
bamt |
This post is not being displayed .
|
bamt World Chat Champion
Joined: 15 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Rogerborg |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 7 years, 99 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
|
|
|