View Full Version : Hello London Commuters
Red ones
02-03-05, 12:12 PM
Looks like I will be joining those who cross London each and every day.
Any tips on the North Circular and Hanger Lane - prospect scares me a little but is far better than the car alternative!
RenamedMonkey
02-03-05, 12:12 PM
Any tips on the North Circular and Hanger Lane - prospect scares me a little but is far better than the car alternative!
Sort out your Will asap.
make a trip on friday night to Frith Street to meet up with all the other people.
RenamedMonkey
02-03-05, 12:16 PM
Would someone like to move this into Biking Issues. I think it's more suited there.
Any tips on the North Circular and Hanger Lane
Just imagine a Mad Max scenario and you'll be very close. They really are out to get you, so take enormous care (and then some).
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Mr Toad
02-03-05, 12:29 PM
Any tips on the North Circular and Hanger Lane - prospect scares me a little but is far better than the car alternative!
I think Dan is more than a little familiar with the tarmac around there :cry:
Take it easy until you get used to it, especially in the wet :D
Lookout for the speed cameras as well
Would someone like to move this into Biking Issues. I think it's more suited there.
Or maybe Soho Massive ?
Idle banter seems to be turning more into a London section every day :roll:
timwilky
02-03-05, 12:46 PM
Looks like I will be joining those who cross London each and every day.
Any tips on the North Circular and Hanger Lane - prospect scares me a little but is far better than the car alternative!
Is that still fun?, I used to drive round there back in the 80s when I had an office in Chiswick
used to do it from Ealing (Hanwell) to Loughton Essex, right round the 406 to the m11 and back again...
Can be pretty ****ty but there is some benefit in practising close control etc.. If I can do it anyone can
RenamedMonkey
02-03-05, 01:04 PM
Would someone like to move this into Biking Issues. I think it's more suited there.
Or maybe Soho Massive ?
Idle banter seems to be turning more into a London section every day :roll:
That even, or both. But not IB.
Sorry for the derail but why not moved to Soho Massive ?
I thought that was the London group section.
Not deemed "London" enough for Soho Massive then ?
As there is an "area-ist" mood today, I shall move it henceforth. :wink:
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RenamedMonkey
02-03-05, 01:15 PM
As there is an "area-ist" mood today, I shall move it henceforth. :wink:
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Your like Superman greg, it's brilliant. :lol: One minute we're talking to Jonboy, "then, when the Forum needs him most, he transforms into Admin2" *Cue music* 8)
:D
wyrdness
02-03-05, 01:15 PM
Looks like I will be joining those who cross London each and every day.
Any tips on the North Circular and Hanger Lane - prospect scares me a little but is far better than the car alternative!
I do this every weekday (except for last week when it was snow). Hangar Lane southbound isn't too bad. Just filter between the traffic, get to the front if you can, and then go straight on. Going Northbound is harder, as you have to go round Hangar Lane. There's no 'easy' or 'right' way to go this. If you get round without having been taken out by a car or a van you're doing OK.
The safest way is usually to get in the second to right lane and stay there. You're pretty much guaranteed to get cars trying to push into your lane, so be prepared to brake or change lane if necessary. I vary my lane, according to traffic conditions. Sometimes you can get up the right hand lane, overtaking most of the traffic and sometimes it's easiest to stay left. Pick whichever one looks safest at the time.
If you get round without having been taken out by a car or a van you're doing OK.
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typically understated london biker :lol:
i think tag onto the back of another biker... NOT a battle scarred courier though. and you'll soon get the hang of it.
i used to keep up with everyone for 5 mins or so and then pull off and go the same speed as the cars for a few mins, catch your breath, get the heart beat down a bit.... and then filter a bit more.
after a couple of weeks you'll be filtering all the way wishing all the slow bikes got out of your way...
also watch out for the speed camera vans.. treat any white van parked up on the side of the road as a speed camera van and you cant go wrong
k
Yep, I had a good kiss of the tarmac on the A40 /sheppards bush roundabout.
Hangerlane can be intresting i dont normally go that far. Although the A40 into town is normally solid so its an okie filter, just watch out for the mobile camera that is normally on on the A40 just before the sheppards bush turn off, just before the 50mph overpass ramp.
Dan
our like Superman greg, it's brilliant. :lol: One minute we're talking to Jonboy, "then, when the Forum needs him most, he transforms into Admin2" *Cue music* 8)
:lol:
.
Yup used to love the commute into London. (Just not the commute to get there). When you wake in the morning, super glue your eye lids open. Get on the bike, take a deep breath and go for it. When you get to the other end, release breath and sigh. :wink: :lol:
Red ones
01-04-05, 11:26 AM
Change of plan. Different new job starts Monday, so I will only be going as far as Barnet - but thanks for all your advice!
Biker Biggles
01-04-05, 11:43 AM
Careful in Barnet,its full of really odd people.I should know Im one of them :shock: Good luck with new job.
Change of plan. Different new job starts Monday, so I will only be going as far as Barnet - but thanks for all your advice!
chicken! :lol:
Spiderman
01-04-05, 04:03 PM
One piece of advice for all Barnet lurkers who dont know this.....
Besdie the cinema... behind the flower-stall. Marked traffic cars like to park there from time to time to catch those who whizz thru the lights (and even those that dont).
I should know as they caught me there years back. :roll: You have been warned ;)
Biker Biggles
01-04-05, 04:28 PM
They used to set up full road blocks there late at night as well,but I dont think they bother these days.Despite record numbers of Police,they all run out of supernicks like Colindale now so we dont see em over here much.And theres the paperwork_______ :arrow:
Red ones
11-04-05, 01:19 PM
Well, today was the first bike commute after last week using the car to ferry everything.
Only knowingly annoyed one driver, when I clipped the mirror on his brand new Jag! (oops)
It knocked about 40 minutes off the journey. But how the hell do the rest of you go so quick between the cars???? I took the advice of following someone else, then dropped off when the fatigue set in, then picked up the next bike etc.
Finally, some people must have wickedly loud stereos in their car if they can't hear me coming!!!!
Jelster
11-04-05, 03:44 PM
Finally, some people must have wickedly loud stereos in their car if they can't hear me coming!!!!
They can, they just don't care... You don't enter into their world of themselves only.... Just like those who look but don't see, they just didn't look properly in the first place.
Take it easy out there...
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Mr Toad
11-04-05, 04:05 PM
If you think cars can't hear you, wait for the pedestrians that shuffle across the road with their walkman on :shock:
Out from between the cars, looking the other way . . . :twisted:
I flattened one last month, despite filtering at a safe speed (<20 mph above traffic speed), headlight on, flourescent jacket, loud can, & hitting the horn :oops:
Spiderman
11-04-05, 04:55 PM
. But how the hell do the rest of you go so quick between the cars???? I took the advice of following someone else, then dropped off when the fatigue set in, then picked up the next bike etc.
Finally, some people must have wickedly loud stereos in their car if they can't hear me coming!!!!
i'm lucky that i grew up on two wheels and no engine so traffic filtering is a piece of pee to me. imagine doing the same thing but having to pedal like crazy too so you can keep in their mirrors etc.
It comes with practice that one. Learing how to dip your shoulder to avoid van mirrors, how to counter steer even tho the bike is upright, just to get tha bars thru without clipping mirrors (for my own sake not theirs)
Some are in a world of their own when in their cage. I filtered past a taxi yesterday and stopped at the red light at the junction. Got off the bike and walked the 40 odd feet of empty road back to the cab. He still hadnt looked up at me so i very quietly said to him "Dont you think you should be setting a better example than be reading a newspaper thru 2 changes of lights?" he calmly folded the paper and put it away and was just about to say something back to me in his defence. I cut him short by screamin "You ignorant f****in :toss: er" and walking away, back on bike..lights turn green. Result.
I come accross a lot of em who read in the morning commute...watch out for them. They drift accross the lane very slowly then yank it back when they realise they are too far over. Be carfull you are not where they wanna yank it back to cos it sometimes looks like they are moving accross the lane to let you thru :shock:
i've beeped at lane drifters before just to watch them do the above, followed by a very quick look in all their mirrors :roll:
Some people are a liability just walking down the pavement....sad thing is these same people have a license to drive a car. If they bump into people on the pavement....they'll do it in their cars too and expect everyone else to be on the ball enough to avaoid em.
Thats how they are near me anyway. i find cagers to be diffrent in diffrent parts of london too, as far as thier attitude to other road users goes i mean.
Be slow...be safe. You still get there before the car ;)
Red ones
11-04-05, 05:08 PM
45 minutes there, 45 minutes back tonight - I make that a saving of 40 minutes against my average commute last week (which was a non-school week)
RESULT: 40 minutes more beer time!
Spiderman
11-04-05, 05:47 PM
45 minutes there, 45 minutes back tonight - I make that a saving of 40 minutes against my average commute last week (which was a non-school week)
RESULT: 40 minutes more beer time!
If you like your beer that much. For me its always x minutes more on the bike on roads near me i like and roundabouts to practice on. :thumbsup:
Either way, its not wasted sitting staring at the brake lights in front of you eh ;)
Jelster
11-04-05, 08:04 PM
One day last week my run into town (J4 M4 to Brick Lane E1) took me just 22 minutes. (yes just 22 minutes)
M4 was clear all the way through to A4, which was also clear. No queue at Hyde Park Corner, down past Parliament Sq and onto the Enbankbent....
The lights were all green and the cage drivers didn't get in the way. Only thing is I was now at work at 7:15, and although I like to get in early, we don't officially start 'till 9:00 :shock:
.
Ooooo im a commuter too. I travel down teh A2, up past blackheath common, down past Deptford up to Rotherhithe tunnel. Tehn up to london bridge, cross that into Bank and up to Holborn.
Bluewater to City in 31 minutes (Record) on my current 200cc scooter!! Usually takes around 40-50 minutes though.
I see so many SV's in town, gonna have to get a little SV650.org sticker made for my reg plate....
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