Rode to work (Fleet Street) for the first time this morning from Hertfordshire. Don’t think I’ll be making too much of a habit of it if I’m honest, not exactly a pleasurable ride. Trying to thread a ZX6R through tiny gaps in between buses and artics, exhaust fumes, dust, traffic lights, pedestrians… I’ve got a lot of respect for all you couriers!
If I had to ride to work I wouldn’t have a problem doing it but I think I’ll save the biking for when I get home to the open countryside and twisty B-Roads.
well done mate youll get used to it and soon we’ll be seeing threads about “this pain in the butt biker on an R1 that thought he was a wide berth and kept holding me up” :w00t::hehe:
incidentally - I come in from Herts - A1 way (rather than M1) - and you are required to attend the Inbreds meet (Herts meet) any first tuesday in the month, if you havent already
I knew I’d get that reaction from someone! All I’m trying to say is, it takes the same time to get in by train, and the journey is (most of the time) a lot more pleasant. Will def ride in to work occasionally but won’t be a regaular thing. Would rather keep the bike intact for pleasure riding!
should be pinned really - Ill ask for it to be… they havent changed the date at the front of it yet, but Im sure that will be done soon enough Next will be 12th Aug.
`` it takes the same time to get in by train, and the journey is (most of the time) a lot more pleasant. Will def ride in to work occasionally but won’t be a regaular thing. Would rather keep the bike intact for pleasure riding!’’
Crikey, which train are you getting? I had to go to work by train one day this week, just two 15 minute trips, Lewisham-London Bridge-Lewisham. It was the absolute pits, up even earlier in the morning, pay more money, back among the heaving masses. Give me traffic queues, roadworks and tight filtering any day.
I really am asking for trouble with this post aren’t I?
Train from Welwyn North in Herts to Kings X, short walk to St.Pancras and two stops to my office. Company pays for my ticket too.
Think the main thing is my bike is pristine and riding to work will almost certainly result in bumps and scrapes occuring. Plus I don’t have to be awake to ride the train!
Having riden through Central London three times in the last week on my TLR I can’t imagine why anyone would commute on a full on sports bike day-in-day-out.
I used to do the bike commute for years but I always had traily bikes (or Supermoto as they call them today) Much more practical and I kept my proper bike for Sunday Best:D
Yeah agreed, if I had another bike, something more comfortable I’d prob do it more often or maybe a Sports bike that magically turned into a scooter once I got into central London so I could zip in and out of traffic!
That’s true - I’ve got a battered old Hornet - it is the perfect bike for London - it’s light, small and fast and I don’t care if It gets a bit scratched now and again because it has already been down the road a couple of times. The physical qualities of the bike + plus my lack of worry riding it makes it BRILLIANT fun riding around London - I actually look forward to jams/obstacles on it as the ride to work turns into a motorcycle assault course! I guess the supermoto guys have a similar experience. The hornet is also totally competent on the mway and will buzz you up at over the ton if you so please. The Hornet is one of the best bikes I’ve ever owned.
I’ve also got an sv thou (fairing and clip-ons) - also old, dirty and scratched - not particularly big or heavy but less fun hustling around London than the hornet. Personally speaking - I prefer riding older, pre-crashed bikes - in my opinion it’s a lot more fun than riding something brand new/mint because you tend to just enjoy the ride rather than worrying about the bike -which is what it’s all about at the end of the day.
I would use the zx10 every day if it didnt have so many miles on it! At least I get a seat every day! And its £26 a day by train and £10 a day by bike for me… and Id only be coming from the Stevenage station… FAR more comfy than the train seats anyway for me… Only reason I use the SV and Mark uses the zx10 at the mo is cause of the mileage I do (have put 7000 miles on it since February) and I really need to take the ZX10 apart.
Anything up to 2 hours on the ZX10 is fine for me. You have to fuel up then anyway on most bikes…
We spent about 3 1/2 hours in the saddle yesterday trolling around London, Kent and Sussex ending up in Brighton. The combination of the heat yesterday and the V Twin made for quite a moist experience:D:D:D
youll get used to it and soon we’ll be seeing threads about “this pain in the butt biker on an R1 that thought he was a wide berth and kept holding me up” :w00t::hehe:
Next will be 12th Aug.