Your experience of long distance commuting

[czakal]

Hi everyone,
So I'm now thinking of moving out of London into Basildon, commuting on my Ybr250 to Barbican. In heavy traffic it takes over 1 hour, but I work part time 3 days a week so I think I can put up with it. I do find it a little scary on national speed limit roads (the A127) as I had an embarrassing accident in September on a fast road when I didn't stop soon enough for a roundabout as the entrance was hidden behind trees. But I understand that accidents on highways are rarer than in town, even though they tend to be more serious. In any case am I correct to think that during rush hour, the A127 will probably be too congested to reach NSL anyway? All advice appreciated, I've been riding 5 years but almost all in the city.

Seb

[Copycat73]

eat plenty of breakfast and make sure go 2 the toilet b4 u go ..
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[Supermoto_Fan]

It will take you longer than an hour in the rush hour, don't expect to go faster than 50 on that road in rush hour either, that's if there's no traffic, I don't know if I'd want to do that journey on a regular basis
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Yamaha MT-09 - Triple powerrrr

[czakal]

I think for 3 days a week I would put up with over an hour in traffic and slow speeds make it feel safer anyway. I didn't mention that my next choice would be Romford, which saves me from going on the stretch of A127 but costs £40-50 more every month for a room in a shared place (in Basildon under 400 a month).

Seb

[Nash GT]

As above eat properly, wrap up properly,toilet before you set off, healthy dose of MTFU and enjoy.

I commute from camberley to Heathrow everyday all sorts of hours, thought was going to miss the car but not at all.
traffic is a bit annoying but you get used to it.
Also as you start commuting regularly your confidence will increase
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Suzuki GSF600N

[esullivan]

Basildon to Barbican is a fair distance. I wouldn't want to do that five days a week, but three would possibly be tolerable. There's plenty of bike parking around there, even an underground one with hundreds of bike slots with something to chain to (London Wall). There are also literally tens of thousands of motorbike and scooter commuters to that area, so parking starts to get scarce after about eight or nine, even in the winter.

I come from the other direction (the northwest suburbs) to very near that area. I park in Finsbury Circus, just inside the City of London, near Moorgate. I find that if I go in very early (6-6:30), it's a straight run. There's still plenty of traffic, but it's moving. It takes me 35 minutes on the way in, an hour to an hour and a quarter on the way home. There isn't really any "rush hour" in London. It's full on from about 8 to 8.

I might be a bit of a wimp, but it took me a year to get used to the traffic in London. My palms would start to sweat about an hour before it was time to come home... But I did it mostly because I knew that if I mastered biking in London traffic, I will be a much better rider. It was my daily exercise in facing my fears.

Three years in and, while my palms don't sweat, I still can't say I really enjoy it. I enjoy the morning run and, on a glorious day, I even enjoy the slalom through traffic in the evening. But in the dark, rain or cold that is the norm, I tolerate it because it's way better and quicker than the tube or train.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[Beehive Bedlam]

I often work in Grassington or the surrounding area and have been making a 120 mile round trip five days a week on my Varadero for the last three weeks normally takes an hour and half to cover sixty miles with traffic and extream filtering though if I am coming home in the early hours with dead roads around an hour.

My Varadero carries some tools a sleeping bag and tent along with some fire lighters I carry a spare phone and a packed lunch in my back pack just in case we break down going over the moors.

I take a very hot bath before I get into several pairs of long jhons which I wear under my textiles and then set off.

[Wednesday Biker]

I do 25 miles each way when I commute but I am a fair weather rider tbh.Theres not much traffic at the times I travel and any time I save on the bike is eaten up by putting all the gear on and unlocking/moving the bike.
Its doable but you need some proper kit.Gets a bit fresh in the winter.

[czakal]

I currently commute from East Ham to Barbican on bike and the arrangements for parking work well for me. I'm less worried about the route within London than the high speed part outside London. I guess fast open roads and crowded city roads require slightly different skills and attitudes.

Seb

[Wednesday Biker]

I do about 12 miles motorway and 11 miles on nsl roads and about a mile each side of regular every day streets.
That's when you feel the cold, going fast.I guess riding slower due to traffic helps you keep warmer.
I am really relaxed on the fast roads now.When I first started commuting I felt a pang of dread as soon as I hit the motorway.Now I often find myself getting too relaxed.
You will get used to it I'm sure.

[b422063]

I commute 70 miles each way at the moment. I listen to audiobooks to prevent myself from driving into a tree through boredom.

[kawakid]

Are you an American?
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[Vracktal]

I do Guildford to London Bridge (A3 > Battersea > Westminster > Southwark) and it takes me roughly 1 hour - 1 hour 15 with filtering.

Takes a while to get used to the commute, but nothing too extra-strenuous. Don't be fooled into thinking you need a fast bike for London, a 250 will do fine and it's nimbleness is what's important, not outright speed.

Main problem I have is parking. Get some sturdy chains and something sturdier to chain it to, and watch out for scooters treating any gap between your bike when parked as a challenge to squeeze into.
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[SofaBear]

I travel from oxford to ealing/brentford. its about 55 miles and can range from 1h5m to 1h30m depending on the route i take.

Its painful in rush hour, leaving half an hour later or earlier really does make such a noticeable difference in the journey quality and time.

If its raining or very cold i tend to avoid filtering unless there is plenty of room.

Advice, wrap up warm, wrap up dry or take spare undies just incase. Make sure your luggage is water proof. clean your visor regularly. fuel up, don't try and push it until you're used to the route and if you don't want to filter or do not feel confident then don't, however, there will be people behind that want to so shoulder checks and staying out the way should be important.
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Yamaha YBR125(gone) -> '12 Kawasaki ER6F in pearly white mmm

[1198]

[Itchy]

Did 40 miles once in a car, took over 80 minutes found it soul destroying and expensive.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[dydey90]

I'm currently doing 80 miles, Leeds to Nottingham. But I take the car, mostly because of cruise control, but also because I can't heard my audiobook over wind on the bike and it's the most boring ride in the world.

I'm sure you can imagine my distress when I came back from a week away to discover petrol had dropped by 10p.
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Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[Robby]

Basildon to Barbican sounds like an extremely dull ride, mostly just one fairly straight, fairly flat, busy road.

I would be taking the train. It probably takes less time. You can read if you're standing, and snooze if you're sitting. I certainly wouldn't want to do the run on a 125. It may be able to keep up with traffic, but not in a relaxing ride sort of way.

[czakal]

Dull is fine by me...
Unfortunately trains will be expensive especially as I work part time and only go in 3 days a week, so if I buy a season ticket much of it is wasted (cost per trip on pay as you go is not much less). I went from 125cc to 250cc precisely because I thought of moving out further to pay lower rent. From everyone's responses it seems pretty feasible so I will give it a try. Unless I find rooms offered closer in London at good prices anyway.
For those of you who asked, I'm from Taiwan, where most people who learn English would learn American English. 17 years in London and I still talk American...

Seb

[Wednesday Biker]

[Copycat73]

[rideslikean00...]

My work commute is roughly 25-30 miles depending on which route I choose, say 60 for a round trip.

Usually the longest one is the best one as it has far more opportunities for filtering and multiple overtakes (i.e. three cars stuck behind a tractor when the opposite side is clear for a mile). I also have about four choices maybe even five on how to get in so if a particular stretch looks congested or has road works I can switch it up. Very rarely take the motorway because it's not faster, it can be a tad safer if it's heavy wind/rain combined though. Country backroads as much as possible.

Lot of filtering to get out of town but when it's done there's a fair helping of NSL stretches - in half term when there was nearly zero filtering on dry sunny mornings with excellent visibility 35 minutes (average speed of 50mph, this seems right as NSL sections are balanced out by 30/40 zones) has been possible, even at night if I do a late 40 minutes is possible as the traffic both ends has dispersed, in fact I'd class my Friday ride home as one of the most fun rides I've ever done.

Wouldn't want to commute that distance in and out of London though, at least not on a regular basis.

I dress in layers (vest/long sleeved shirt/work shirt/fleece/textile gear with thermals in, two pairs of gloves) and barely feel the cold even when the road borders open fields. I consider myself very lucky to have such a good stretch in and out of work with variety of routes when I need them. Same journey in a car would cost more in everything (tax/insurance/fuel/servicing) and take at least twice as long, so barring severe ice or snow it's always better on a motorbike.
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Previous/Current Bikes
2013 Yamaha YBR-125ED -> 1997 Yamaha YZF-1000R Thunderace -> 2009 Yamaha XJ-6 Diversion -> 2007 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2

[Beehive Bedlam]

[1198]

[Nobby the Bastard]