Commute, Speed & Time

SirFallalot · Trackday Trickster Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :

Hey fellows,

So this earlier week I was thinking, if I were to hypothetically break the speed limit, how much time it could save. Although most of the time I would be hypothetically having too much fun to keep track of time, I calculate that it could hypothetically save 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the situations (traffic lights etc), possibly more if I had a big bike.

So I pose the question:

How much time would you save on your commute if you were speeding, which you good citizens obviously don't.

On the dual carriageways limited to 40/50 mph, I've noted that some people push closer to 70 than what I initially thought to be 60 (i mean all kinds of vehicles).
I wonder why, in a rush? Having fun? Bored? And do we never get tickets apart from cameras?

Just some thoughts I decided to share.

P. · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

The faster you ride, the faster time moves. Fact.

The Shaggy D.A. · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Karma :

My new commute is mostly villages and B roads, half a mile of dual carriageway, and the last couple of miles through town. I already ride close to my comfort limit on my commute, which may theoretically cause the aforementioned speed limits to be exceeded in certain theoretical areas, so I'm not sure there'd be much to gain timewise.
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SirFallalot · Trackday Trickster Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :

bigdom86 · Traffic Copper Joined: 17 Jul 2015 Karma :

hypothetically i would generally do around 35-40 in a 30 and around 30 in a 20 in london where possible, with the amount of traffic lights I doubt it would shave off more than 5mins though, I generally know my limits and what I deem to be dangerous, you see some very scary filtering/overtaking in London Shocked

Qyburn · Renault 5 Driver Joined: 14 Jul 2017 Karma :

On my commute I worked out I save 90 seconds by doing 70 instead of 60 on the dual carriageway parts.
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MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

It doesn't make much difference. If I thrash it or ride slowly it takes pretty much the same amount of time. A bigger issue is traffic and aggression when filtering.
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yen_powell · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Karma :

Years of travelling by bike have pretty much shown me that I average 50 miles in an hour no matter how fast or slow I go anywhere. The longer the distance the more true this seems to be.

If I ride to work it takes an hour (50 miles). If I ride to Devon it takes me 5 hours (250 miles). Doesn't matter that I'm flying down a motorway at illegal speeds most of the time, I'll lose the advantage at wee stops, road works or traffic lights somewhere along the line.
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Pete. · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :

An increase of 10mph at any speed means you do an extra mile every 6 minutes.
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Easy-X · Super Spammer Joined: 08 Mar 2019 Karma :

Hawkeye1250FA · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Karma :

On a bike, speeding is irrelevant other than for fun because you save all the time by filtering and overtaking slow vehicles.

In a car speeding is irrelevant because you are just speeding towards the back of the next queue of other cars or traffic lights.

There was a study done (can't be arsed to find it) that proved that speeding and driving aggressively over a massive distance does save you time but over a 3 hour journey it was 5 minutes saved, and car 1 got there stressed, angry and generally pissed off. Car 2 was chilled out and happy. Caveat: the study was done in cars, no bikes.
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ocatoro · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Sep 2012 Karma :

Hawkeye1250FA · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Karma :

I think you need to have another think about that tbh. Maths doesn't agree with you.

To cut a 5 hour journey down to 3 hours in a car with no filtering etc - you MUST have been doing near double the speed limit on average. Which - taking into account stopping at lights etc and coming up against slower traffic means that for some of it you were going more than double the speed limit.

So 65/70 in a 30 and 140/150 in a 70.

I call bullshit. Sorry.

I've cut a 6 hour journey down to 4 on the bike before but that was because of a 15 mile traffic jam that I filtered through.
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Easy-X · Super Spammer Joined: 08 Mar 2019 Karma :

Skudd · Super Spammer Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Karma :

Commute I use 50 miles per hour
Town travel 25 miles per hour
Motorway got to get somewhere 60 miles per hour
Then there is the beat the sat nav and any speed is ok.
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Sister Sledge · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Aug 2018 Karma :

I'm going to sound like Tef here but..

Once upon a time I would help do multi-drop deliveries taking loads by Transit vans into Scottish cities. We'd leave Newcastle in the North East of England.
We actually worked this one out ourselves (me and the spare driver).

There are two types of driving: Fast and furious where you gun it flat out, fastest acceleration to those destinations or you stay around the limits and try as best to keep momentum going - like bikes do when filtering - no queuing.

Fast and furious has you on high alert, high adrenaline and basically working like an idiot to get to a destination. It wasn't comfortable and the dangers multiplied by a multitude. It also drained you.

Relaxed driving but keeping momentum going meant a relaxed driver and far fewer dangers flagging up. The key is keeping speed constant because slowing and then getting back to speed is where you lose most time.

Go nuts/balls out/fast and you'll save not much time - minutes over long drives.
Keep momentum going and it's surprising how relaxed you remain and get there not much later.

It'll all apply to bikes.
Filter when needed and try to keep speeds going and constant. You'll get there safer and in good time and not radgy at the end.

Story time:
A friend and myself would visit Westgate Road on Saturdays. Our ride home covered 12 miles from city into dual carriageways and then finally some 30 mph roads.
We'd push our bikes to see who could do it the quickest. It was fine on a 50, 100 or 125 but once we got those bigger bikes it became incredibly naughty and dangerous. Sure we sliced a few minutes off but it just wasn't worth it.
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The Shaggy D.A. · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Karma :

I've had two "wake up moments" where I realised it doesn't make that much difference.

The first was in the olden days when I had my XR2i, which I drove like an arsehole. I worked in Acton at the time, and commuted from Northampton, about 70 miles each way of which 60 was the M1. Shitty commute, always snarled up at Dunstable. Each time the road cleared I'd floor it, but by the time I'd reach the North Circular at Brent Cross, I'd be sitting in traffic with the same lorries, coaches and vans I'd passed at Milton Keynes. Was only quicker on the XJ900 as I could filter, they both had about the same top speed.

The second was when I bought my GT550; I'd only just got it and was running it in. I was in MAG, and a bunch of us would visit other MAG groups once a week, and this particular evening it was Bedford MAG, so about 25-30 miles. Normally this would be a balls out ride, but I told my mates to go on ahead, I'll see them there. It was a decent bimble, stuck to speed limits, kept the revs down, and I pulled into the car park as they were locking their bikes up.

blue_painted · Nova Slayer Joined: 04 Aug 2015 Karma :

Years ago (pull up a chair ...) I used to commute into City of London. In those days RD250LC was king, dispatch riders rode CX500 maggots and I was on my CB250RS ... me and the LC would go bat out of hell to outrun the Andy Lee on his CX500 ... passing little ol' granny on her Honda Melody ... filtering at 60 or 70 on Shoreditch ... only to stop at the lights and have the previously mentioned granny dawdle up the kerbside on her Melody just as the lights went green ... off we all go and repeat at the next set of lights
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SirFallalot · Trackday Trickster Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :

Thanks for all of your insightful replies!
I already knew that going balls out crazy ups risk by 10x and barely saves a couple minutes, and I don't wish to try it either...never really sped in my car either. My dad used to be a speedy bastard and always says "If I knew what I know now...", even without accidents.

I have also had a few instances where, when filtering, I got "into the game", it's fun right? But whenever this happens I just remind myself that the game is my LIFE, pull into a lane and just cruise at whatever traffic is flowing for a few minutes.

Hawkeye1250FA · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Karma :

Car safety net. 😁

For those of us that don't use a car - it's down to a fine art.

Overtrousers / jacket and helmet are by the front door. Takes less than a minute to chuck on.

Gloves are on the bike ready, open garage and ride off.

All bets are off when it's raining though - it takes fecking ages to get right.
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ocatoro · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Sep 2012 Karma :

ocatoro · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Sep 2012 Karma :

ocatoro · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Sep 2012 Karma :

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

One thing I have noticed is going long distances in a car...

Set the sat nav and it gives the arrival time. However I drive, like a loon or speed limits it's usually pretty accurate as to when I arrive,

I might shave 5 minutes off it or I might not but the only thing that really seems to alter the arrival time is road works or traffic jams slowing me up.

So I agree with Hawkeyes study, really makes little difference in a car.

A bike, I suspect it's the same. I cruise at a certain speed that I am relaxed and comfortable with so to get somewhere faster, the effort I have to put in for small gain is not worth it.
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