Practicality vs insanity. Opinions please.

I used to commute into central London everyday. I used to leave my suit (or whatever) hanging in the office so I didn't have to carry too much, and just take a fresh shirt every day. I wouldn't like to try to take a suit jacket on a bike - can't see how you'd avoid getting it full of creases. If you're not sure of your way around London then you may find the experience somewhat stressful - you'll need an A-Z open in your tankbag for at least the last part of the journey. I suggest you keep plenty of time in hand - there's nothing worse than having to hurry in an area that you don't know. Central London is full of one way streets, and it's very easy to get stuck or lost - ask those that have tried making it to the Soho Massive meeting on a Friday, and got stuck on the last stretch
If it were me going for an interview I'd take the train

Originally Posted by Fizzy Fish

I sometimes take that route myself (well from Woking to Victoria anyway) and I'd reckon on your trip taking closer to an hour than 90 mins. That said, if you don't know the route that well it would be good to plan some leeway in case of getting lost, etc!

I'd offer to meet you for the run in, but will probably be coming into town a bit later than you tomorrow

Thats good news. (60 mins).

I'm never even driven in London, so its a bit of a baptism of fire, but I'm game for anything once.

I go in quite regularly to this place, so intend on making a habit of it, if it works out well.

Originally Posted by Mr Toad

I used to commute into central London everyday. I used to leave my suit (or whatever) hanging in the office so I didn't have to carry too much, and just take a fresh shirt every day. I wouldn't like to try to take a suit jacket on a bike - can't see how you'd avoid getting it full of creases. If you're not sure of your way around London then you may find the experience somewhat stressful - you'll need an A-Z open in your tankbag for at least the last part of the journey. I suggest you keep plenty of time in hand - there's nothing worse than having to hurry in an area that you don't know. Central London is full of one way streets, and it's very easy to get stuck or lost - ask those that have tried making it to the Soho Massive meeting on a Friday, and got stuck on the last stretch
If it were me going for an interview I'd take the train

I'm with you on that, but I have ultimate trust in my TomTom. Its not failed me yet...I MUST find time to fit a cigarette lighter socket though. I'm also pretty laid back, so I dont get stressed easily.

I'll take an A-Z too, and might actually just not bother with the jacket. All its used for is a stroll into Fleet Street for some lunch anyway. I'll use the bike jacket

Originally Posted by ooger

I'm with you on that, but I have ultimate trust in my TomTom. Its not failed me yet...I MUST find time to fit a cigarette lighter socket though. I'm also pretty laid back, so I dont get stressed easily.

I'll take an A-Z too, and might actually just not bother with the jacket. All its used for is a stroll into Fleet Street for some lunch anyway. I'll use the bike jacket

Wish I could have had the same faith in my Acer N35 with Destinator sw ... Firstly, Bold Street is in Ealing ... NOT (as I thought) in Central London (the one in Central London is New Bond Street - d'oh!).
Ok so that one was user error
However, the gps system on the Acer couldn't keep up and would frequently be telling me to take the next turn when in fact I'd just driven past the turn I should have taken! It got so bad at one point I ended up taking a detour through China town!
Finally, on the way out of London, it kept telling me that I was driving the WRONG WAY down the Hammersmith bypass (A4 is it?!) ... which should (IMHO) be a wide enough road for GPS to accurately detect me on the LEFT HAND carriageway (I was in the LH Lane FFS so not like I was even CLOSE to the opposing carriageway), and so it kept insisting I needed to do a U-turn!!

Oh and if you have the option of not taking the jacket, then go for it ... and also if you plan on making the journey regularly, then no harm in a reccy mission is there

I just went to wolves from cardiff the other weekend for a funeral. In a ****e old backpack, I placed:

a nice pair of shoes
a three piece suit
toiletries
and various other bits of crap like a map and jump cables and alan key set (with my recent affinity for bike not starting)

When the suit bag was opened in Darlington (after a car ride from wolves) not a crease in place. Thought i would have had to have it pressed there, but it looked crisp!

I'm not sure whether theres any safety issues with a backpack, like hitting the deck, but either way it did the job spoton

Originally Posted by Pedro68

Wish I could have had the same faith in my Acer N35 with Destinator sw ... Firstly, Bold Street is in Ealing ... NOT (as I thought) in Central London (the one in Central London is New Bond Street - d'oh!).
Ok so that one was user error
However, the gps system on the Acer couldn't keep up and would frequently be telling me to take the next turn when in fact I'd just driven past the turn I should have taken! It got so bad at one point I ended up taking a detour through China town!
Finally, on the way out of London, it kept telling me that I was driving the WRONG WAY down the Hammersmith bypass (A4 is it?!) ... which should (IMHO) be a wide enough road for GPS to accurately detect me on the LEFT HAND carriageway (I was in the LH Lane FFS so not like I was even CLOSE to the opposing carriageway), and so it kept insisting I needed to do a U-turn!!

Oh and if you have the option of not taking the jacket, then go for it ... and also if you plan on making the journey regularly, then no harm in a reccy mission is there

1) you need a TomTom.

2) we'll see how the bags pack up tonight re the jacket. Theres a chance I might need a laptop too.

3) I've just checked my insurance policy. I think I'm screwed:

"For use only...travelling to / from a permanent place of work / business"

/Me doesn't work there permanently.

Originally Posted by ooger

1) you need a TomTom.

2) we'll see how the bags pack up tonight re the jacket. Theres a chance I might need a laptop too.

3) I've just checked my insurance policy. I think I'm screwed:

"For use only...travelling to / from a permanent place of work / business"

/Me doesn't work there permanently.

Yeah I would like a TomTom, but then most of my journeys I work out on paper and have a pretty good sense of direction so I probably wouldn't use it that much.

Well your insurance company doesn't have to know its for temporary work
Just tell them you had the day off and fancied a "social bimble" into Central London (if they get arsey, you just tell them that you were considering a job in the city and wanted to see what the commute was like - in your spare time, on your day off, and therefore = social/pleasure).

Or, you could just phone them up and ask them to cover you for tomorrow only on the basis that it MAY become your permanent/single place of work.

Originally Posted by ooger

Thats good news. (60 mins).

I would def allow 90 mins though in case of getting lost, accidents/road closures, having to stop at side of road to recover from scary London driving, etc

I have class 1 business on my bike and car, normally they don't charge for it, or charge an admin to issue a new insurance cetifacte.

I'm the same, all trousers, shoes etc stay at work, I got a locker which helps! I just put a shirt in my back pack....though we do have an iron kicking about which useful if the shirt is too creased!

If its a job interview I would take the train mate, get an eariler one, like 1-2 trains before you need to arrive and sit back and relax, then when you work there it will easier! Good luck! I haven't had to travel in from where you are so I don't know a good route.

You haven't riden it before double the time it will take to get there, to allow for getting lost etc, thats what I would it seems to work Good Luck

I'd like to clear something up here - I'm not going for an interview!

Its a customer we've got that I've been to hundreds of times before.