How do you do it? First Capital Ride.

[Bibio]

Edinburgh and Glasgow are bad enough so i can honestly say that i will never ever ride a motorcycle in London, Manchester, Leeds or any other large city down south. i have been to London twice in my life both of which i was not driving and both times i left with a desire to punch people. having said that i have met a lot of Londoners out on holiday and they are completely different people compared to the ones i have met in London.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Bibio

I have been to London twice in my life both of which i was not driving and both times i left with a desire to punch people.

I had to go the damn place yesterday and got the same feelings very quickly - trouble is it's the f*cking tourists that get to me as I had to walk through the central bit. They get quite irate when you just push them out of the way but as they swear at you in their native tongue I had no idea what they said. Serves them right for assuming that everyone wants to stop and take a picture of the Palace of Westminster Clock Tower NO IT'S NOT CALLED BIG BEN - THAT'S THE NAME OF THE BELL INSIDE IT YOU IDIOTS is what I found myself muttering under my breath, quite loudly...

[Bibio]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

I had to go the damn place yesterday and got the same feelings very quickly - trouble is it's the f*cking tourists that get to me as I had to walk through the central bit. They get quite irate when you just push them out of the way but as they swear at you in their native tongue I had no idea what they said. Serves them right for assuming that everyone wants to stop and take a picture of the Palace of Westminster Clock Tower NO IT'S NOT CALLED BIG BEN - THAT'S THE NAME OF THE BELL INSIDE IT YOU IDIOTS is what I found myself muttering under my breath, quite loudly...

see it was that attitude that got to me.. i grew up in the centre of Edinburgh so tourists don't bother me as i'm used to them, it was the locals that were complete knob heads barging past like they are the only people on the planet with no regards to other people. i must admit it was mainly 'city slickers' that were the worst and shop keepers were just plain rude.

It is a London attitude thing... tube arrives in the station, I'm at the end of the carriage where there's just a single door, door opens... and there's a crowd of people standing there, a solid wall of them, wanting to get on. And I want to get off.

...

Oh well, I got off at the next station, and I imagine they got on the next train

Virtually 99% of all the riding I have ever done has been in London. I learnt to ride in London during uni. Recently moved back home to MK, and I feel like I can ride with one eye closed here...so much more of a doddle than central London.

My slow speed control benefited hugely, and London aint so bad if you're loud and fast...most importantly loud though.

Cycliststs, scooters and tourist pedestrians are the 3 worst things. These new barclays bicycles hasn't helped matters either.

Originally Posted by Viney

Now you know why us london rider are mental and are not phased in the slightest by most stuff. We is 'ard init

You survived, thats the main thing

+1

My first capital ride was Paris fully loaded 2UP, don't think I have ever been more stressed or focused so hard whilst on my bike. After the initial ride in, and once I turned off the satnav (and the distracting chatty mrs behind me , wittering in my ear "ooo look at that building and how pretty it is", whilst I'm trying to dodge the suicidal pedestrians ) it wasn't too bad. Just got to get used to it and know what to expect

[Messie]

Have you ridden with the Soho bunch recently?

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by Jayneflakes

The most busy riding I have ever done before was in Bristol, but London made that feel like popping into the village!

Fun ain't it!

Urban riding is a skill that needs to be honed like any other, some say it's inherently dangerous, I disagree, it's a very specialised skill that I've spent more than thirty years honing.

I love it.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Bibio

see it was that attitude that got to me.. i grew up in the centre of Edinburgh so tourists don't bother me as i'm used to them, it was the locals that were complete knob heads barging past like they are the only people on the planet with no regards to other people. i must admit it was mainly 'city slickers' that were the worst and shop keepers were just plain rude.

I grew up in the sticks where everyone stopped and said hello and looked out for other road users and other pedestrians. It's one of the reasons why I hate big cities where so many people assume nobody else matters. Hoards of tourists though are something quite evil in their own right - walking five abreast on narrow pavements, stopping to get a good photo angle without caring if they're in everyone ele's way, not looking where they're going and stopping dead in front of you for no apparent reason. After two hours of it I'd had enough, the elbows got used too much, and I hated myself for it afterwards. Thankfully I was finished my errands at that point and heading for home.

The roads in London are just as bad for us Home Counties types. I lived in Kinston-u-T for a year and hated the contant queues and hours it took just to get anywhere. Nowadays I don't mind going inside the M25 as far as, say, Sunbury to get to Spannerman but any trips further in to Town and I take the train. Sorry you London dwellers but you're welcome to the place.

Grew up in London and learned to drive there (third day, let's go round the Hammersmith one way system, shall we!). Moved out and then ended up with it on my patch as a rep. I'd need some persuading to ride there though. The combination of suicidal cyclists and despatch riders is bad enough in my motorised cage - I think I'll work my way up to biking slowly! So I don't have to bike slowly!