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Cookiemonster... |
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Cookiemonster... Renault 5 Driver
Joined: 28 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Whosthedaddy |
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Whosthedaddy Super Spammer
Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Karma :
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Posted: 21:45 - 16 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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TBH a scooter would be the best option if not commuting into London on big A roads as I found I'd get caught up in tight spots or stuck unable to filter at times when on a big bike.
You'll soon know little rat runs and alternative routes when traffic gets heavy.
Glad I dont have to so it anymore! ____________________ Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy |
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arry |
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arry Super Spammer
Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :
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MarJay |
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MarJay But it's British!
Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :
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hellkat |
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hellkat Super Spammer
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 03:11 - 17 Oct 2020 Post subject: Re: Travelling around London |
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Light traffic?
In London?
You can't even guarantee that at 4am on a Tuesday morning. ____________________ Not nearly as interesting in real life. |
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Pete. |
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Pete. Super Spammer
Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :
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Posted: 06:46 - 17 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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Cockfosters to central London you should do in half an hour but it's smack on the great northern rat runs so your chances of getting mashed as a novice are fair to high. It's a bit easier now that the cars and vans aren't allowed to use the bus lanes but they ARE still allowed to turn left which they will whether you're there or not.
Why you so obsessed with London Dick Whittington? I would not go there ever again if I didn't have a well-paying job that I enjoy. ____________________ a.k.a 'Geri'
132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good |
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arry |
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arry Super Spammer
Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :
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A100man |
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A100man World Chat Champion
Joined: 19 Aug 2013 Karma :
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TbirdX |
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TbirdX Crazy Courier
Joined: 06 Dec 2015 Karma :
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Posted: 09:37 - 17 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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Strange old game.
I drive into Londinium a lot. Pre covid, 2 hours to do 25 miles, which is about average. (12mph across london in a car).
When lockdown hit, it was like christmas everyday, could get anywhere in 40-60 minutes from home.
Then we went through some strange twighlight zone transition, whereby traffic steadily got worse and worse, but the centre of London had no people in it. Where the fuck were all these people going??
Now, post lockdown, it's worse than ever as less people want to to get on a germ tube or incubation bus, and so they are in their cars.
I did go in on my bike a bit during summer, when I didn't have to carry all the usual kit I do and it was bliss. But doing it in the pissing rain at zero degrees I'm not so sure about. ____________________ VFR800X - TTR250 |
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MarJay |
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MarJay But it's British!
Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :
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A100man |
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A100man World Chat Champion
Joined: 19 Aug 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 10:47 - 17 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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MarJay wrote: | Oh yeah... and I commuted from Basingstoke, to White City (which is not *that* central) and on a good day like the Friday before a bank holiday? 50 minutes if I'm lucky, knowing all the back routes and doing M3 A3. On a bad day? Who knows? It's taken me 2 hours before now, and the average is about an hour and 20 minutes. Most of which is the time from the M25 exit to the office.
There are never any clear roads. You have to be on your guard ALL the time, and you can't park anywhere lest your bike get lifted by some balaclava'd scumbags with machetes and angle grinders. Luckily my office has an underground car park.
Going home? 2 hours generally. Sometimes a bit less if I'm lucky, but 2 hours is about the average. |
Jeeez four hours out of your day traveling - that's crap. Out of interest how long would the train or car take? ____________________ Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750
Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600 |
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MarJay |
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MarJay But it's British!
Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :
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Robby |
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Robby Dirty Old Man
Joined: 16 May 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 16:01 - 17 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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It varies depending on what bit on London you live in, what the roads are like, what the public transport is like, and how adept you are at knowing the tradeoffs between the various public transport options.
Also London is a big place, so generalisations don't work that well.
That said, in my experience, which is only going from bits of south London into central, there isn't much in it time-wise between using the bike and using public transport. For me it's 45 minutes into Westminster from north Croydon (technically south London, seeing as I'm just inside the SE postcode). Same on the bike as using train and bus.
Contrary to other posters, I do quite like living in London, but I wouldn't like to live in most of it. I like having a short enough commute and being able to walk to shops. I also like living far enough out of the centre that it's fairly green. I wouldn't want to live in the proper inner city, but I grew up in the countryside so I'm pathologically opposed to the idea of living anywhere where I need to drive to buy milk. |
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Andy_Pagin |
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Andy_Pagin World Chat Champion
Joined: 08 Nov 2010 Karma :
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c_dug |
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c_dug Super Spammer
Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Karma :
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Posted: 18:01 - 17 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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I do Hornchurch to South Kensington in peak traffic every day, 21 miles or thereabouts.
It's about 15-20 minutes to Canary Wharf from home, that's virtually all dual carriageway.
It's about another 15-20 minutes from there to Trafalgar Square, which is bang central London.
It's a further 15 minutes to South Kensington for a total of ~55 minutes or so on an average day.
Probably 15 minutes or so getting changed, and another 5-10 locking and unlocking the bike (combined at both ends).
I can get the district line from home to work with no changes, that's exactly one hour on the train, and call it ~10 minutes total walking time.
Basically there isn't much in it, but the bike is probably a smidge cheaper over the year, is more flexible, more fun, and more reliable.
Fastest ever was leaving at ~5am on a Sunday morning. I did the whole journey in under 30 minutes (more like 25). That was a good few years back now, no speed bumps, no cycle superhighway, no 20 zones, less camera's. I don't think it'd be possible to do that now unless you really didn't give a shite at all about something going wrong along the way.
I actually quite like where I live, but I'd also not choose to live in London if it weren't for the fact my entire life (friends, family, work) are based here. ____________________ I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock. |
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Easy-X |
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Easy-X Super Spammer
Joined: 08 Mar 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 01:25 - 18 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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I don't think many would want to live in London but... mo money
I whizz up the A3 quite regularly and that's fine all the way to Wandsworth. Basically in the car I'd be 1h30 ~ 2hrs but the bike is consistently <1hr as long as you don't mind filtering like a boss. ____________________ Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter |
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SirFallalot |
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SirFallalot Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 23:19 - 18 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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Get a job where you get to work at home been loving my "roll out of bed" commute for 6 months now.
No idea of cockfosters, but anywhere west of London near the A40 should be good, there is traffic but always easy to filter all the way till Euston / King's Cross / Angel, except for the final bit in-between those.
From Feltham, which is quite bleh far, took me around 50 minutes. ____________________
Lexmoto Valiant 125; 94 CB400; 96 CB750F2; 81 CB750 (restoring, lol not gonna happen); 2001 ZX9R(It's about to go :c); 2012 R1200R; 2015 R1200RS |
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yen_powell |
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yen_powell World Chat Champion
Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Karma :
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baritone |
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baritone L Plate Warrior
Joined: 05 May 2019 Karma :
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A100man |
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A100man World Chat Champion
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baritone |
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baritone L Plate Warrior
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A100man |
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A100man World Chat Champion
Joined: 19 Aug 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 11:27 - 19 Oct 2020 Post subject: |
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baritone wrote: | Yes, free gratis and for nothing. Railings to chain bikes to if it's not too busy, and plenty of staff walking around. CCTVs. Probably as safe as it gets. It's ticket entry for cars (bikes bypass the gates.)
Agreed about Barbican - as elegant as brutalism got, softened by hanging gardens. |
Interesting thank you. I also note that the nice Mr Khan will let me ride my highly polluting (yet historic) 1976 GT250 into town without charging me. Am I also right in thinking that thieving scum mostly target scooters? ____________________ Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750
Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600 |
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Pjay |
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Pjay World Chat Champion
Joined: 18 Jan 2016 Karma :
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Andy_Pagin |
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Andy_Pagin World Chat Champion
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Robby |
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Robby Dirty Old Man
Joined: 16 May 2002 Karma :
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 3 years, 227 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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