Scooter Commuter

For they know not what they do! 5

2010-09-23T21:31:00.002+01:00

28. After years of seeing bizarre, dangerous and inconsiderate behaviour by car drivers, and since reading email and texting your friends became the norm for the London driver, I thought I was beyond being shocked. I was very wrong!

Coming up behind a small blue hatchback in Battersea this afternoon I noticed through the rear window there was a baby in strange rear facing child seat where you would expect to see the steering wheel. Never mind. The vehicle was obviously left-hand drive. Then things got interesting! A hand holding a spoon came into view from the left and started feeding the child. OK, it must be someone in a back seat. But no! The spoon is being held by the woman in the driver's seat, although whether, given the impressive degree of maternal attention she is bestowing on the child it is questionable if she could be considered in control of her vehicle.

Shortly after I passed, the Stig caught up with me and said, "why did you give that car a double take?"

Piaggio MP3

2010-02-07T21:13:00.003Z

I still have not got round to reporting on the X9 500 Evo I have been riding since last July, but in the meantime ...

For various reasons, including a minor coolant leak affecting the X9, I have had the opportunity to ride three different MP3 models in the last fortnight. Although not doing loads of miles, I have ridden the 125, the 125ie and 250ie enough in London traffic to assess them for commuting.

As all three bikes are very similar apart from the power of the 250, I have written one review but attempted to draw out the different features between the models. The bikes were -

59 MP3 125 200 miles

09 MP3 125ie 300 Km

56 MP3 250ie 14,000 Km

Cosmetics

The bikes looked very well made. Everything seemed to fit well and there was a sense of quality. The 250 had clearly had a harder life than the others, not surprising as it was older and had done many more miles. One previous rider had obviously not understood the suspension system as the panels showed signs of it going over when stationary - aparently this is commonon loan MP3s.

The bike looks low and squat, but is actually very agile in use, but heavy when stationary. Thankfully one button press locks the suspension (and stops the bike crashing to the ground) which is a relief when standing for a long time at junctions. The suspension unlocks as soon as the revs rise so it unlocks as the bike pulls away - an excellent feature! Of the three bikes, the 125ie had a higher screen which looked better and gave more protection at higher speeds, although at normal city speeds I didn't really miss it.

Storage

Loads of storage in an underseat locker and a flip up boot at the rear. However, neither space was the right size for a flip front helmet so a complete waste to me. I image most open face and full face helmets will fit, but don't assume your's will without checking.

Speed

The two 125s were very, very, very slow. The ie seemed even slower than the carbed 125. The 125ie was even worse at pulling away than the Lead 110 and the Zip 50. It was the only bike I have ever ridden that did absolutly nothing when you oppened the throttle. It may have bee na bad example, but was part of the Piaggio press pool so should have been set up properly and looked after and was stil lvery low mileage. I felt very vulnerable on both the 125s in traffic as cars and vans always wanted to pass you as you pulled away from lights.

By comparison, the 250 was very very good. Pulled very quickly to 50mph from a standing start and was always very quick and very responsive. I was very impressed with it.

Handling

You get on, you think this is going to be a different experience, you pull away and within 50 feet you realise the control of this is going to be like any other bike. Steering, counter steering the works is all no different to any other bike. By 100 feet you stop thinking about it and ride completely normally.

At first the small front wheels make it feel twitchy, but the first time you take a corner you realise this is nothing like a normal scooter. The cornering is tight and firm. The extra wheel and shift of weight to the front male the bike corner and brake so well. It generates a lot of confidence quickly and despite riding on a lot of icy and and oily roads recently, the handling and braking were always top notch. The extra wheel also makes hitting bumps and potholes less of a trauma. The bike just glides over them.

Despite it looking wide, it is actually narrower than many maxi scooters, including the X9 so is easy to filter etc.

Economy

Difficult to tell as each bike was only ridden for a few days. However all were much lighter on fuel than the X9 500 I currently have.

Comfort

OK for the hour long rides I did. I imagine that the hard seat and poor bum stop lack of feet forward riding position would cause cramp more than on any typical maxi scooter.

Reliability

Each bike did 100+ miles with no problem, but that doesn't say much. The 125ie already had a faulty brake light when given to me which was due to the physical failure of the light cluster rather than the electrics.

Commuting

The bikes are well designed for commuting, but the 125s are too slow in my opinion. The 250ie on the other hand is very close to being an ideal commuter, reasonable comfort, good storage, excellent performance for round town, and I would expect good economy given what other bikes with this engine achieve.

General Riding

I didn't have the chance to take any of these out of town. The 125s are simply too slow in my opinion to take anywhere beyond 50mph limits. The 250 on the other hand would seem well designed to hit national speed limits. The lack of a decent screen will be a problem doing 70 mph, as it will be noisy and tiring, but it is certainly capable of it.

Fun

These bikes are fantastic fun. The light steering, amazing grip and the sense of security and reliability they bring mean riding even the 125s is fun. Throwing them around with real security brought a big smile to the face. However, the 250 was far more fun than the others!

Value

The big problem is the cost of these bikes. They are significantly more than a comparable bike with only two wheels (Xevo for example). The 250 may be worth the extra money, not sure the 125s are given the significant loss in performance from the extra weight.

What would I change?

The 125s simply don't deliver in terms of power. The extra weight is incompatible with being a decent 125 bike. I would certainly change the storage so wider helmets will fit, and would put a taller screen on the 250ie. The mirrors on all three bikes were the same, small and badly placed. With larger mirrors, and the other changes, I would love an MP3 250ie as a commuting bike.

Overall

I am impressed with the concept. The way the bikes behave, even on very poor surfaces and bad roads is very reassuring. The braking is very secure and allows the rider to be very confident in all they do. Don't write them off as a gimmick, give them a try, but the limitations of the 125s really make them very poor substitutes for the much cheaper commuter 125 alternatives. The 250, however, is a very polished and capable machine well worth considering.

Honda SCV 110 Lead

2009-06-20T17:55:00.005+01:00

2008 Honda SCV 110 Lead Red

Five-and-a-half hours, 30 miles.

Last week I part exchanged my X9 250 for an X9 500 Evolution. More about that bike later, but unfortunately, the Surrey Honda dealer which sold it to me failed to service the bike whilst they had it. A service was just about due according to the original Piaggio service schedule, and I wanted that bloody book stamped! They offered to service it the next Saturday, and offered a courtesy bike. So I set off early on Saturday morning to ride the ten miles to the dealer, queued up to hand in the keys of my pride and joy, and to pick up the courtesy bike, a Honda SCV 110 Lead.

Cosmetics

The bike looked very well made. Everything seemed to fit well and there was a sense of quality. There was also a sense of being very small! I was having terrible flashbacks from my old Zip. It looked like my Zip, and when sitting on it, it felt like my Zip! It also seemed impossibly light compared with the bikes I have been riding for the last four years.

Storage

For a small scooter there seemed loads of space under the seat. Certainly enough for a helmet plus a bag of shopping. There was also a small glovebox, but I didn't try and put anything in that. There was also an integral robust looking rack on the back that looked like it would be ideal for strapping boxes and packages to.

Speed

For a small scooter with a 108cc engine performance was surprisingly good. I didn't have the opportunity to try it out at great speed, but it got to 30mph very quickly, and pulled very strongly up steep hills at 40mph. The engine is very smooth and very responsive.

Handling

It is light, it has small wheels that gives it a very light and twitchy feel when you first get on it. But after a few miles you adjust and the bike seems to have a good hold of the road and stays on line round corners. The rear suspension appears to be made out of a knackered old mattress as it is soft, spongy and bouncy. It may be possible to change the settings, but I didn't get chance to do that.

Economy

I imagine the bike must cost almost nothing to run. I picked up the bike and half way home realised the fuel gauge was actually the temperature gauge and the temperature gauge was actually the fuel gauge showing less then empty. I rode to the nearest petrol station, which these days not unusually was about three miles away. I then had no idea how much fuel to put in. I put in just under four pounds (about 4 litres) and that put the fuel gauge to more than full! Later in the day I rode back to the dealer, and having done over 20 miles since filling up, the gauge still showed the tank as being more than full. I imagine that as a Honda dealer has a fleet of these as courtesy bikes they must be cheap to maintain as they wouldn't make unnecessary expense for themselves.

Comfort

Terrible! After the luxury of an X9, well known as an armchair on two wheels, the Lead felt terribly cramped and exposed. I imagine smaller riders and more frequent riders will get used it it!

Reliability

It got me 30 miles.

Commuting

The bike is small, very light and quite nippy. Given the likely low cost of fuel etc, I would say this was an ideal commuting bike for an urban commuter with a five mile journey, as long as they are not too big.

General Riding

Not being in a hurry on the way back I took some diversions down some winding hilly roads. Cornering was quite good for a small wheeled scooter. The brakes always felt reliable and progressive, although nowhere near as good as on a larger scooter with triple disks. Whilst not ideal for this sort of riding, it is capable of it if required.

Fun

I quite enjoyed riding this once I got used to the small wheels and the less efficient brakes. It brought back memories of smaller scooters I started riding on. Riding it did feel rather exposed. There feels like no protection from the elements or other vehicles, and other vehicles, especially 4X4 treat the bike with contempt as it has no presence whatsoever. Several times I found large vehicles coming the other way on my side of the road who either had not seen me, or did not care that I was there. Having ridden the same roads loads of times on X9s the different treatment was very clear.

Value

Brand new these are £2250 which is a lot for a small 110cc bike with no special features. Obviously they will be less than that secondhand, but the price seems high compared with other similar scooters from other manufacturers. Obviously you are paying for Honda quality.

What would I change?

The engine seems quite capable of pushing this bike along at reasonable commuting speeds and the general styling etc is fine. The handling and the brakes are acceptable for this sort of bike. The biggest problems as for me were the seat,
which is moulded so sitting back on it for long legged riders means you are sitting o
on a ridge, and the rear suspension which was impossibly soft!

Overall

Overall a good fun little scooter and I am glad to have had the opportunity to ride it.

For they know not what they do! 4

2009-06-12T17:43:00.001+01:00

27. The comment about someone watching a DVD reminds me that last year I saw someone who I thought was watching a DVD, until I realised it was the BBC 6 O'clock news!

For they know not what they do! 3

2009-06-11T17:45:00.002+01:00

Driver behaviour just gets worse. New technology, new devices, new hazards for other road users. Adding to the list I drew up in 2006 I now have -

22. Typing on the laptop balance on the drivers knees.

23. Typing on the laptop on the passenger seat.

24. A very popular one this, scrolling through an email on a Blackberry.

A strange think a few months ago. As I was filtering through Wandsworth a couple of months ago and notices small things floating out of the driver's window of a car every few seconds. As I approached I could see the back of the car was full of boxes of what looked like old curtains. The driver had some of this pulled across her lap, and as she was driving though heavy traffic she was ...

25. Unpicking stitches!

Today, something new. I passed a driver moving along, pen in hand ...

26. Completing a form to register with a GP!

2004 Piaggio X9 250 SL - Imperial Blue

2009-01-01T15:08:00.006Z

I have been riding this second X9 for a few months now. A month ago she started behaving very oddly. When slowing down she used to shake from side to side and was uncertain into corners. Even though the front and rear tyres both had plenty of tread other investigations suggested new tyres would solve the problems. I had new Michelin Gold Standards fitted front and rear yesterday and the bike is now going like a dream. No shakes, and very confident in all the conditions I came across today, including the greasy gritted roads. This is just like an X9 should be!

For the record it is, like the yellow one a 2004 model with a topbox which more than doubles the storage and makes the bike a very practical tourer, or at leasts allows you to do a week's shopping for two people! For more information about my experieinces of the X9 250 SL check out this post on the blog.

Piaggio X9 250 SL redux

2008-10-23T18:16:00.003+01:00

After over a year on the X9 250 and 12,000 miles it was getting long in the tooth so regrettably had to go. It has been a please to ride. The replacement is ... er ... almost exactly the same, an X9 250 SL in Imperial Blue. More on my year on an X9 250 soon, and some observations on how different two bikes that are the same can be!

Update 2

2007-12-30T19:49:00.000Z

I have added service info as requested in the comment on the previous post.

Scooter Update

2007-12-22T10:38:00.000Z

I was sorry to see the comment about problems with the Granturismo. Other people I know have this bike have had very few problems with it, and even the forums dedicated to it record few reliability issues. However, battery problems with small bikes are common. As I found the battery on my GT lasted a year with the bike being ridden every day.

If the battery is lasting only a month there is probably something wrong with the preparation of the battery, in that its initial charging wasn't done properly, or there is something wrong with the bike electrics. A new battery should be covered by the manufacturer's warranty if the bike has been tested and is charging properly.

As for the X9 - other than a few bulbs going I have had no problems since my earlier report. It has run better and better and gets more and more fun to ride. It was definitely a very good buy.

Piaggio X9 250 SL

2007-08-09T18:49:00.001+01:00

A review of my current bike, which I have had since mid June.

2004 Piaggio X9 250sl - Lemon Yellow

Two months, 2000 miles.

On the way home from passing my test I dropped into my local dealers to see what they would offer me in part-exchange on my Vespa. I was very impressed with the offer I got and snapped up a three year old X9, a bike I know a lot about, as the Stig has had one since 2003.

Cosmetics

Personally, I have always liked the looks of this maxi-scooter. The lines from the front look very much like any touring motorcycle, and even from the rear it doesn't look too much like a typical scooter. The bike is large enough and plastic enough to get loads of respect from car drivers, other scooter riders, and even sports bike riders who probably don't realise until too late that it is a scooter.

Storage

Having been spoiled by the GT the underseat storage does seem small, but it is easily big enough for a full-face helmet plus armoured trousers, or several bags of shopping, a twelve pack of larger or whatever.

Speed

The Honda 250 in this model of X9 is not a very sporty engine. The bike takes off only a little faster than the GT, but acceleration in the 20-60mph bracket is much better with useful overtaking acceleration when travelling at speeds up to 50. Top speed is not outstanding - it comfortably gets to an indicated 70, and then bogs down a bit. The digital dash keeps track of maximum speed so I know I have done 85 mph on it.

Handling

This bike is incredibly easy to ride unlike the GT which handled fine, as long as you worked at it, the X9 just instantly goes exactly where you want without you having to think about it. Very steady in turns, very quick to stop. The linked braking system means the bike can be braked when banked in turns without any risk of the front locking up and doesn't even upset the turn meaning that even if you make a mistake, the bike is very forgiving. Despite being a heavy bike the centre of gravity is very low meaning the bike is very easy to handle, especially at low speeds where you can keep your feet up when almost stationary.

Economy

Having done a lot of London commuting along with several long weekend runs the economy seems pretty constant regardless of the sort of riding at 70mpg. This means the bike does about 200 miles before the gauge gets into the red zone. The service interval is 6,000km, but additional oil changes are required at 3,000km. With these regular oil changes these Honda engines can last over 40,000 miles. The oil changes and gauze cleaning can be done yourself easily, which can make servicing much cheaper. The belt should last 12,000km, but my girlfriend's X9 did 18,000km on the original belt before it was changed. Unfortunately the belt on the Honda engine in these early X9s are pricey and can double the cost of a service.

Comfort

When I first rode it I was a bit disappointed with the comfort. Other riders had told me how riding an X9 was like riding an armchair. Instead I found the backrest uncomfortable and the leg room cramped. I was used to the bench seat on the GT which meant I could sit as far back as necessary, rather than fitting into the bike as made. However, over time my body has bent into shape and I now find the X9 very comfortable for longer rides. The adjustable screen is a major enhancement and ensures a good view over the screen whilst most of the wind and buffeting goes over your head.

Reliability

Unlike the last two bikes which were bought brand new - this one was three years old with 18,000 miles on the clock. The dealer had serviced, MOT'd, fitted new belt and rollers, new air filter and new rear suspension and provided a six month warranty. Shame this didn't stop me running out of petrol on my first commute because the fuel level sensor didn't work, or being unable to go for a ride on one of the few dry days in July because the battery failed. The Dealer, Ewell Scooter Centre can't be faulted though - they fitted a new fuel sender and replaced the battery after checking the charging circuit, all at no charge to me. The right front brake got a bit noisy after 1,200 miles, turned out to be worn out pads, which were easy to change myself.

Commuting

Despite being bigger than the GT it is actually much easier to filter riding the X9. It is less twitchy so is easier to steer reliably into small spaces at low speed than the Vespa was. Weather protection is much better, as is visibility and road presence. Vehicles of all types see you coming and get out of the way. Fuel economy on commuting runs is also significantly better then the Vespa, whilst other running costs are about the same.

General Riding

The bike is much better suited to out of town riding than the Vespa - more capable of motorway/dual carriageway speeds, more stable on loose services, and generally much less tiring over long distances.

Fun

In some ways it is less fun than the Vespa - the predictability and steadiness make riding the bike a little less of an adventure than I wasused to. But the predictability and steadiness, along with the greater presence and visibility mean I feel much safer riding it. That means I go places and ride in ways I would not do on the Vespa so overall I am getting much more fun out of this - as indicated by the speed at which then ext oil change approaches.

Value

As this bike cost me less than £200 after I part exchanged my Vespa, along with the better economy, and that fact that the Vespa was just about due for another service means the bike hasn't really cost me anything, but is much superior to the GT.

X9s are easy to pick up cheaply, and well maintained ones run on to good mileages. Unfortunately they can be prone to electrical and other faults that can be expensive, and some part, like the digidash and the drive belt are expensive. So the bottom line is that you can get a good deal as long as you make sure you are not buying a lemon. I good service record, or a good inspection is important. I only bought this one because it had new belt and suspension, otherwise a bike of this mileage could get expensive very soon.

What would I change?

The engine could do with a bit more life - the later X9 250s (the Evo model) has a different engine with more go - but mainly I would change the seating position slightly. The seat needs to be able to go back further if there is no pillion passenger. I would also change the mirrors - they look huge and well placed, but give a very poor view of what is directly behind you unless you spend ages moving them around and put up with your body blocking half the view. I also find the speedo to be a bloody long way away! At 5'10" I can see it over the digidash, but I understand some people have trouble seeing it at all.

Overall

These bikes were sold as premium long-legged commuters and that is exactly what they are. They are perfect for the 25 mile round trip I do, and could easily work well for a commute three times that. Well designed for motorways or dual carriageways, and spacious and protective enough to make sure you get to work dry and tidy, and get home with your shopping. They are getting a little long in the tooth now, but they can be snapped up for not a lot of money and are well worth considering for the longer commute with a little spare for the weekend jaunts.

Vespa Granturismo 125

2007-08-09T18:43:00.000+01:00

My next bike was the Vespa - which I have ridden for most of the time I have been writing this blog.

2005 Vespa Granturismo 125 – Smoke Grey

Two years, 18,000km

I decided it was time to move on to a bigger scooter. Booked my CBT and took it on this brand new machine. I considered many alternatives, and have never been especially keen on Vespas, but the size and comfort of the bike, along with its highly visible front and rear lights convinced me to buy one.

Cosmetics

What can you say? Love or hate scooters, you have to admit there is something appealing about the smooth curves of the Vespa styled scooter that Piaggio have been making variants of since 1946. This particular model is larger and heavier than most Vespas, but it also has a modern four-stroke water-cooled engine. The exhaust paint lasted longer – but like the Zip, this needed constant attention. Other than the exhaust the build quality and quality of finish on this bike is excellent. There are loads of opportunities to customise Vespas – whilst most London commuters customise theirs by sliding them down the road, I customised mine with a handmade fabric seat cover from scooterseatcovers.com.

Storage

A large under seat space is great for carrying stuff, but there is not enough space for a full-face helmet. The dealer threw in a top box as part of the deal, so with the huge box, the under seat storage, the glove compartment in the leg shield and a shopping hook there was almost no limit to what this bike could carry.

Speed

A bit of a halt on pulling away whilst the clutch engaged, but after that it pulled well up to over 50mph. Easily fast enough to beat most cars away from the lights, and fast enough to keep up with the traffic on all but 70mph roads. Top speed was just above 60, but fitting a Vespa sports screen not only made dual carriageway riding more comfortable, increased acceleration above 40mph but put more than 5mph on the top speed making 70mph possible.

Handling

The suspension and larger wheels give the bike a much more certain feel than the Zip ever had. Cornering was very precise, but I found that I had to use very deliberate counter steering to get the best out of the machine. I rode the bike outside London many times taking it as far as Brighton down narrow windy country roads. It was very comfortable and very capable of handling some terrible road conditions!

Probably because the bike is quite heavy, and only has 12” wheels, but handling was very dependent on the type and condition of the tyres. It ran very well on Michelins, but the original Savas had it sliding around in the wet. The tyre on it when I sold it were Cheng Shins – never heard of them before – but the only thing I could get when stranded by a rear puncture. They proved very good with very precise handling even in the wet and so I replaced the front with one when the time came.

Economy

Fuel economy was about 58mpg but this varied a lot with the type of riding. Stop start London traffic gave about 55mpg, but a day out in the country cruising at 40-50mph would get better than 65mpg. Servicing was more expensive than the Zip, with oil changes needed every 6,000km. None of the parts that needed replacing, including the belt and rollers at 12,000km, were very expensive. I got £1200 exchange when I sold it so twenty months use only cost me £1400 in depreciation – not bad for a bike with 18,000km on it with the 18k service needing to be done.

Comfort

Very comfortable – a good wide deep seat and plenty of leg room. There is plenty of room to move about and change position to avoid cramp etc on long journeys. The suspension gives a good smooth ride on all but the roughest surfaces. The 125 engine works hard so the bike does tend to be a bit noisy.

Reliability

The battery died after 13 months, and the centre stand pivot needed constant regreasing. Other than that nothing could be faulted.

Commuting

A perfect city commuter. Lots of storage, big and visible, very manoeuvrable, quick to change direction etc. The big widely mounted mirrors give a great view of what is going on behind. The only real thing against the bike is that the servicing costs and fuel economy can be beaten by other similar bikes from Japanese manufacturers, and being a Vespa you get absolutely no respect from other riders.

General Riding

With the sports screen the bike is easily capable of going wherever you want. It will cruise on motorways etc at between 60 and 70, it will safely manage steep windy roads etc. The excellent front and rear disk brakes give great confidence, and the bike always feels very stable.

Fun

This bike is great fun to ride, very easy to manoeuvre and with great comfort. As an all round bike, that has some style, character and history, riding this was always fun.

Value

Nearly two years of ownership, 18,000km and the dealer that serviced it was prepared to offer nearly half its original price as part exchange on another bike. The running costs were higher than some other similar commuting bikes, but overall this bike was excellent value.

What would I change?

Being so heavy for a 125 the bike could do with being more powerful as at times it is a bit sluggish. However, the restriction in power is a legal one so I think the one thing I would change, is taking my test earlier, then I could have ridden the 200cc or 250cc versions of this bike! I did make some modifications – I removed the strap from the seat – it serves no purpose but is bloody uncomfortable if you sit a way back on the seat, and I fitted the sports screen which as mentioned, increased performance, economy and comfort at speed.

Overall

An excellent all round scooter perfect for commuting and going further afield if you have not yet passed your full motorcycle test.

Piaggio Zip 50

2007-08-09T18:34:00.000+01:00

The first bike I commuted on was a Zip 50 so I thought it would be worth writing a review of that machine -

2003 Piaggio Zip 50 – Dragon Red

2 Years, 13,000km

I bought this brand new when I realised the cost of my annual season ticket to central London was going be more than buying a scooter. I had ridden a little before when I was in my late teens, but this was my real introduction to scooter commuting. I kept this bike for nearly two years doing 13,000km, riding it on the full moped license I was granted when I passed my car test in 1990.

Cosmetics

Not much to be said here – small simple and technically uncomplicated bike using a two-stroke catalysed engine. Piaggio have been making and selling loads of these for years. As with all Piaggio painted exhausts, this needs repainting regularly. It goes from black to rust red in the first couple of months and is expensive to replace. I took to rubbing down with a wire brush and painting with exhaust paint every three months or so.

Storage

A helmet sized storage area under the seat – easily good enough for lock and chain, a couple of bags of shopping etc. I once managed to get a laptop in there but can’t work out how I did it! There is a storage hook in front of your feet for larger items, and a small glove compartment in the leg shield which I only discovered when it popped open when I hit the curb!

Speed

This is a restricted 50cc bike so what do you expect? Zipped nicely to about 25 then crawled to its maximum speed of about 33. It got faster with each service and would do nearly 40 by the time I got rid of it. It was still restricted and I have no idea what the dealer did to speed it up. Once had to slow down for a speed camera in a 40 area but that was on a very long steep hill! Don’t even think about overtaking a moving vehicle!

Handling

Very light, very manoeuvrable. It went round corners very nicely but had a tendency to slide when pushed. I also didn’t like the way the handlebars seemed to twist with every bump at higher speeds (like 35!). The brakes were adequate – nothing special, but with the bike being so very small, and so very small, the brakes never had much to do.

Economy

I got about 60mpg with all the riding being on London’s congested streets. Servicing (every 5000km) was dirt cheap but synthetic two-stroke was needed at about a litre every 1000 miles. The belt lasted 10,000km and cost virtually nothing. The tank was good enough for about 100 miles before needing to be topped up.

Comfort

As a large heavy bloke I thought this would be a problem, but the bench type seat meant I just sited further back A bumpy ride with the small wheels etc but I never got cramp.

Reliability

Apart from a loss of power in the rain, and poor starting when wet this bike never had any problems I nearly two years of regular use. Both problems were solved by spraying damp start sealant all over the HT leads and other electrics.

Commuting

For short journeys in urban areas this would have been a great cheap and effective way to get around. However, I couldn’t really recommend this for doing the 25 mile round trip I was doing every day. The bike is too small and too slow and had no presence on the road meaning people pulled out on me all the time and would try and force their way past – even through gaps that were not big enough. From the front of the traffic you can pull away from the white vans and the 4 x4s but they will soon be on your number plate desperate to get past. The performance is not good enough for any road with a speed limit above 30mph.

As it was the depths of winter when I first got this machine I bought a tall screen for it for protection. Whilst the screen was great at keeping me warm, and was especially good at keeping my hands warm, when it rained at night or when the sun was bright but low down it was impossible to see through the screen. I got fed up of looking round the screen at night and took it off .It was easy to replace for those few weeks in winter when the cold really got too much for my hands. The rest of the time I just didn’t use it.

General Riding

I only rarely took this on roads I didn’t know or on roads outside London. The performance is not enough to give any room for manoeuvre and it is too easy to be bullied by faster traffic, which is how I hit the curb.

Fun

As long as you stick within the bike’s limits this machine is great fun – one of the reasons I stuck with it so long. The bike is so small and light it is very easy to ride.

Value

Cheap, cheap cheap – but does not keep its value well – Despite being in almost perfect condition and fully dealer serviced with a year manufacturer’s warranty still to run I got less than 30% of its value part exchange. I would have got no more on Ebay, probably a lot less.

What would I change?

The bike as restricted is just not up to being safe on the roads so I would just change the whole bike! Other than that, the lack of a clock niggled - wearing proper protective gear made it difficult to read a watch, and with bus lane time zones etc it was worth paying £20 on a small waterproof stainless steel clock which I fitted.

Overall

Stick to the short city commutes it is designed for and it will serve you well. But this is a poor excuse for a motorcycle and should only be considered as a last resort for the seriously skint.

Heavens!

2007-07-05T18:11:00.000+01:00

Now I know this summer has been renowned for its terrible and changeable weather (although I am not sure what is "changeable" about rain and more rain) but Tuesday took the biscuit.

As I was riding home approaching Wandsworth at just before 5pm I could see that the sky was getting very dark. From Wandsworth bridge Roundabout I saw two lightening strikes on nearby vehicles, and as I turned by the Town Hall the rain started to fall. By the time I had reached the bottom of West Hill the rain was falling very heavily and visibility was deteriorating fast. Just before the fire station I took the opportunity to pull up onto the pavement as the road had become a river by this point and in the busy rush hour traffic I decided that playing with the traffic should be avoided in the conditions. I thought I would wait out the storm as these summer things don't normally rain that heavily for long. Then came the hail. Tons of it - some of it very large - probably about 8 or 10mm across.

I was wrong about the storm passing fast. The hail came down for many minutes. By this time my normally very dry clothing was completely soaked through. The temperature as shown by my bike was 13C, well below the 25C it had been when I was travelling through Vauxhall about 15 minutes earlier. The torrent of water was beginning to wash along the hail. Unlike some places where it accumulated to look like snow, on West Hill the hail was washed along, floating on the water. The pictures from the BBC website give some idea what it was like!

As the hail began to ease off, the Stig came by on her bike. Always fearless she had just pressed on in the conditions and I thought I had better join her as I didn't want her to think me a wooss!

Rather than ride along the A3 where there was a high probability of spray and flooding in the underpasses, we cut across by Wimbledon Common - this seemed easier than normal so maybe traffic was avoiding the tennis (what tennis - its raining!) It was still raining hard when we stopped for petrol in Raynes Park, but had stopped by the time we had filled up and paid. Two days later my gloves are nearly dry, but I am not sure my boots will ever be the same!

Practically Testing

2007-06-24T17:21:00.000+01:00

After my experiences with the CG125 I decided to take my test on the bike I am most familiar with, my Vespa. I realised this would mean only ever riding automatic bikes, but I can live with that, especially as I have never been a Moto GP wannabee.

I arranged a full day of training with Elite , followed by a test on the second day. When I turned up I discovered I would be riding with an instructor I had not met on my previous visit, called Jim. There were no other students so the two of us rode around Wimbledon, Putney, down the A3 to Esher and Weybridge, then back up to Chiswick for lunch with some other students, and finally a run back through Barnes. We practised all the manoeuvres etc and Jim seemed very impressed with my progress and was very confident by half way through the day that I would pass. I had a thoroughly enjoyable day and as with the other Elite instructors I have met, Jim was impressively professional, knowledgeable and good humoured.

Day two started back at Wimbledon Stadium where I met the other candidate who would be going for a test today. My test was set for 11.41, in a place called Belevedere. Where the Hell is that? I had never heard of the place before – and was not impressed to find it was the other side of London. I also wasn’t impressed to find that Jim was even that clear about how to get there!

As it turned out the Blackwall Tunnel was closed that day which, along with the usual problems in South London, and the other candidate getting lost for 40 minutes meant we only got to Belevedere with less than 50 minutes until he test. We had a quick look at the roads where Jim had been told the U-Turns are usually done, and a quick whizz round the area and it was time for my test.

With the day before being so positive and Jim being very confident that I couldn’t fail, I won’t go into a lot of detail about what went wrong. The examiner had a strong Scottish accent I could barely understand and came over from the outset as having got out of bed the wrong side as he barked his way through the preamble and the tell me show me questions. Several times I had to ask him to repeat himself as I couldn’t understand what he was saying which seemed to irritate him further.

Out on the road I thought everything had gone OK. One or two slip ups, but nothing too serious, but right at the end I was concentrating so much on understanding his instructions I hesitated at a junction. That was fatal – if I had concentrated on the road signs, and not his voice, I would have realised I had nothing to hesitate about. Not only did he fail me for not observing the no left turn sign, which I can’t argue with – I didn’t see it - but he also gave me 9 minors for all sorts of things my instructor never had a problem with which was a major blow!

I wished the other candidate luck and left him to get on with Jim and practice for his test in the afternoon. I set off back round the South Circular, which fortunately passes close to Kay’s place and she had invited me to drop in. I was keen to see her as she had injured herself in another accident – this time it was a rabbit that ran out in front of her without looking! I wasn’t expecting her to provide lunch, but she cooked a very nice and very filling chicken dinner, and it was a great way of winding down after my test. After chatting for a couple of hours I set off home, just in time to experience some dreadful weather.

A few days afterwards I contacted Elite – I had paid for a three day course and took advantage of their free training under the guaranteed pass scheme. I booked another morning of training, and a further test, this time in Croydon an area I know much better, and an area close enough to explore some test routes I found online.

Just over a week ago I met up with three other candidates, and Ray took us over to Croydon. We did a bit of practice, but by the time the paperwork was done, the process was explained, we had done a bit of turning in the road etc, it was nearly time for my test. The experience could not be more different! The tester was a very pleasant man who clearly took the trouble to put me at ease. When he asked me to read a number plate I read all but one character and said – “I know there is nothing wrong with my eyesight, but I can’t say if that character is an ‘M’ or an ‘N’”. He said “I reckon that’s good enough, ‘cos neither can I!”

Unusually he followed me in a car despite the weather being bright and clear. Somehow that is far less intimidating than being pursued by something looking like a Police bike! I also realised that being in a car he is less able to see what you are up to, and it is easier to lose a car so you can waste some of the allocated test time stationary waiting for the examiner to catch up. All this is to the student’s advantage, although I only deliberately lost the examiner once when I pulled out of a side turning after a bus, which immediately signalled left and stopped at a bus top. I could pass easily; the examiner was stuck behind the bus for ages!

A couple of times I knew I made mistakes, I put my foot down pulling away from a hill start (don’t believe any instructor that insists an examiner will never do a hill start if you test on an automatic – mine did!) and I had a slight wobble turning right on a platform junction. However, at the end the examiner was pleased enough with my performance, and I had passed. Credit to Croydon test centre – they have a bin in the car park for you to throw your L plates into!

Now, off to look at some bigger bikes!

London Bikers Brighton Rideout

2007-04-22T17:08:00.000+01:00

Some weeks ago someone in the forums at London Bikers suggested a ride out be organised for less experienced riders, including learners. Jim, as usual, was soon persuaded to lead, and did his usual excellent job of organising. The Stig and I were quickly on board. A ride from Box Hill to Brighton on the back lanes was planned, and large numbers of riders were signed up, including a large contingent of experienced riders of larger bikes who would act as corner markers and tail gunners.

The day dawned bright and clear is the cliché, but this really was bright and the sky was blue and almost cloudless! The Stig and I set out nice and early for the 11am rendezvous at Rykas café at the foot of Box Hill. When we got there at 10.15 others had already started to arrive and we set to having a late breakfast including Rykas’ legendary hot chocolate.

By 11 nearly twenty bikes had turned up and Jim gave a short briefing of how he expected everyone to behave, safe overtaking, looking out for people coming from behind etc, and the duties of corner men etc. It was a shame that a greater number of smaller bikes didn’t turn up. The ride was aimed at 125s and the like but in the end the only small bikes were two Vespas and a CBR 125.

Once we were all mounted up we moved out. Jim had picked an excellent route. Whilst some of the roads were potholed, and some had patches of loose gravel or dried mud in the middle of the road, most of the first section was windy country lanes, with very little other traffic. The corner marking system worked very well, with us using a third man drop off as Huskyteer on her Vespa ET4 was riding as number two to set the pace as her bike was probably the slowest and would be most affected by the poor roads.

The Stig and I rode a little way back but corner markers on faster bikes were regularly able to get back in front of us to keep up the supply of number threes to drop off. After about 40 minutes we pulled up outside a pub for a short break, and to ensure all was working well. I was very impressed, everyone seemed to be working well together, all the corners were well marked, riders of larger bikes were happily accommodating the smaller bikes and taking over corner marking whenever one of us ended up number three. And the big Hog at the back made spotting the tail a breeze!

I was very impressed with my 125, it was coping well with the surfaces, taking the corners easily, and was cruising a 40-50mph with no effort at all. The Stig was also very pleased with the comfort and handling of her X9. Not all were so happy though. One rider who had only passed her test and moved to larger bikes had a minor spill at a nasty hill start on tight junction on a gravel-covered road. Fortunately all that happened was that bike stalled and slipped from under her. Neither she nor the bike were seriously hurt, but the spill meant about a dozen bikes immediately in front and behind her stopped. Not good when the intercom and telephone links we planned immediately broke down.

I and some others went on ahead to try and link up, but things got worse when I saw someone at a corner and thought he was marking it. Instead he just wasn’t sure which way to go. Whilst I discussed the route with him, others turned up until there were four or five bikes. We settled on the most southbound route and tried to catch up with the front of the ride. By now Jim had stopped, and all the corners were marked, but he was in Cowfold, about five miles ahead of where the incident occurred. Fortunately, once the corners were marked, the bike and rider were checked over, and everyone moved off again, we soon gathered in Cowfold, and set off again.

Jim’s route took us across some lovely countryside including the meadows of the Adur Valley, before a 690 foot climb to the car park on Devil’s Dyke for a last break and a 99 (thanks Kay!) before dropping into Brighton.

The traffic in Brighton is never much fun, but we managed to get through it OK and found just enough bike parking for us all on the seafront when we arrived at just before 2pm. Some went off to do their own thing, but most of us headed straight for some shaded tables outside a seafront fish and chip restaurant. I know there is no reason for it, but fish and chips always tastes better at the seaside, and we were not disappointed.

After an hour refreshing ourselves, Kay, who had originally introduced The Stig and I to London Bikers, and Huskyteer decided to make their own way back, as they had people they had planned to meet up with, whilst the remainder of us set out to spend some time chillin’ on the beach. Some played some energetic looking Frisbee, whilst other’s paddled. Most of us just had a good rest!

At the agreed time of 4pm we met up back at the bikes, and Jim offered to lead us back to Godstone, just outside the M25, but further east than where we had started. As Huskyteer had left he needed new pace setter and Jaxster on the CBR125 agreed to do that. I confess I didn’t really want to set the pace, as I quite we enjoyed moving forward and backwards through the group, but as it turned out I spent most of the run in third or fourth place.

After a short refuelling stop, and a tiresome ride through Brighton’s traffic, a couple of chav scooterists who found themselves surrounded b your group, Jim soon had us out on the open road. This time we were mainly on better faster roads than the ride south. I was a shame there was no time to stop at Ditchling Beacon, about a hundred feet higher than Devil’s Dyke, but still the views across the Low Weald were fantastic, as the earlier haze had burned off. The 400 foot drop down the face of the hill was good fun, certainly much more fun than the congestion we found in Ditchling Village. From there it was a mainly straight run north at 40mph until we stopped in Godstone at a little before 6pm. There followed the inevitable long discussion about how to get to the Ace Café. It seems compulsory that any discussion involving London Bikers about how to get from or to anywhere has to involve the Ace Café!

I suggested that as The Stig and I would be riding up the A217 from Reigate to Sutton the others that wanted to go to the Ace could peel off at Burgh Heath and follow the signs to Kingston. The consensus appeared to be that I should lead through Redhill and Reigate. Jaxster and The Stig stayed with me, but somehow I managed to lose sight of all the faster bikes, despite riding strictly to the speed limit. I would have though at least one London Biker would have caught me up! To be honest I wasn’t that bothered as I knew Jim would be familiar with the route. The Stig, Jaxster and myself pulled over just after passing through Reigate, I thought it best to get reorganised before we crossed the M25.

We rode on through Kingswood and to Burgh Heath. Jim and the others split off towards Kingston, and The Stig and I set off for home and got in the door just in time for Dr Who!

I would like to give special thanks to Jim for organising the route and doing his usual excellent lead. Rocketman and Elad for holding the line at the back, Alice and Jaxster for setting the pace, and everyone else for some excellent corner marking deserve special mention. The Stig and I had a really good time, and I hope everyone else did also. I know The Stig and I would we well up for similar rides in the future, I just hope we are so lucky with the weather next time!

More pictures are available in this Gallery.

Chronically Bad Trainee

2007-04-05T17:01:00.000+01:00

The day dawned bright but cold. I rode over and completed the paperwork. The CBT took the same course as before with minor changes – first there was the safety and legal requirements lecture, then it was out in the car park for a guide to the bike and then the riding it round the cones.

That was where it all went horribly wrong! Despite driving a geared car for twenty years, I found it impossibly difficult to properly control the CG125 I was given to ride. Whatever I did I could not find the bite point for the clutch, and despite listening to the engine; I found it very difficult to gauge when to change gear.

I was clearly having far more difficulty than the complete novices. I can only put it down to being used to constantly variable transmission, I was even finding it difficult to control the revs of the bike – possibly because on a CVT bike, the transmission system means the revs don’t change much at all. I am also glad it wasn't wet as I am not convinced that I ever used the rear brake other then when doing hill starts!

By now the sun was high in the sky and it was getting very hot. I was melting in my jacket and was very grateful for a break for lunch. I had never visited it before, but was very impressed with the burger and sandwich joint on the edge of Wimbledon Stadium and would recommend it for good value tasty fresh food.

After lunch we had the on-road safety lecture, and having passed the theory, Ray the instructor for this bit ended up asking me not to offer answers to the questions, as I obviously knew all the answers! None of the other students had taken their theory, despite two of them owning and admitting riding their 500 and 600cc motorcycles for many years!

After this each of the two instructors took two students on the road for two hours. Three others and I were left to our own devices. To be honest, I was a bit surprised they intended taking me on the road as I didn’t feel I had got good enough at controlling the clutch and throttle – but they are the experts! I used the time popping home on my Vespa to get a cooler jacket, and then stood around with the others in the sun getting accidentally sunburned!

Eventually the other instructor, Richard, took me out with one of the other students who we will call Chris. We went up through Wimbledon Village and back down through Raynes Park with Chris and myself taking it in turns to lead. It was much better getting practice controlling the bike on the road, and on familiar roads at that, but I really still did not have the clutch right and was regularly stalling the bike. We rode round parts of Raynes Park and Lower Morden and ended up near New Malden. Richard then realised that one of the CG125’s was hired from a shop in East Hill Wandsworth and needed to be back before they closed. Richard checked were both happy to go down the A3. If I had known how gutless a CG125 was, I might have been less happy! It struggled to do more than an indicated 50mph making it much slower, and certainly much more less willing to accelerate than my Vespa. However, I was able to practice overtaking.

We successfully negotiated the Wandsworth one-way system and dropped the bike off. Richard had obviously decided that I need more practice than Chris so put him on the pillion and I followed him down Trinity Road back to Wimbledon Stadium.

One might think that this extensive ride round South West London means I must have been doing something right, but my throttle and clutch coordination was still terrible, pull aways and gear changes were rarely smooth, and stalling was still a problem and the occasional unintended wheelie was worrying!

When we got back I was given a new CBT certificate as was Chris, and had the chance to talk to Richard about where I was heading. His view was that my riding was OK and that on my automatic he would expect me to need no more than a day-and-a-half training to pass. But if I wanted to pass on a geared bike, then I needed to lock my Vespa away and get a geared bike and do nothing but ride it for a few weeks to improve my clutch and throttle control. Richard has given me a difficult choice as I want to pass my test, and I don’t really have the time to spend riding a geared bike to improve my control.

As for Richard – I must say, this man has the patience of a saint. He was always professional and helpful, and always showed good humour and never fell into the trap of denigrating students who were having problems. Both Richard and Ray are a credit to Elite Motorcycle Training and I would recommend them.

Theoretically Testing

2007-04-03T16:00:00.000+01:00

Last summer I had every intention of passing my full motorcycle test. Current law makes getting a full motorcycle classification on your license almost as complicated as possible. Only almost, because next year they are going to make it even more difficult!

Firstly, before you can ride a motorcycle you need to undergo a day’s compulsory basic training carried out by a licensed company. I went through this in October 2005 when I picked up my Vespa.

Then you need to pass a combined theory and hazard perception test carried out on a computer at a designated test centre.

Finally, you need to pass a practical on-road test within two years of you undertaking the CBT and passing the theory test or you have to start again at the beginning.

I originally intended to take the theory and practical last summer, but after buying various training books and CDs work took over and I didn’t have the time to get them done before the summer was over and things got far to hectic to concentrate.

This spring I finally had the chance to think about it again. I booked my theory, and was disappointed to find this would involve waiting nearly four weeks for the first available slot. I had done some hazard perception practice last summer, but discovered my theory book and CD were now out of date as the questions had been reviewed and updated.

So after spending a further wad of cash I had updated products, and set a few days aside for practice. It all paid off on Tuesday when I went to the Kingston-upon-Thames test centre and passed the test. The staff were very friendly and professional, and the whole thing involved no stressful waiting around. It was all a very positive experience and I am pleased to say I had a creditable score, well above the pass marks.

After the test I popped in to see Jim. I knew he was after a set of practice disks for his son who has a less than perfect record at passing the theory test. He was very grateful for the disks and official question book and showed his usual generosity by offering me tea, and cash!

When I got home that afternoon I rang Elite Motorcycle Training who had been recommended to me to discuss options for the next stage in getting a full license. As I wanted to take my test on a geared bike, and have not ridden one except for a few days over quarter of a century ago, they suggested the best thing was to retake my CBT on a hired geared bike and that at the end of the day my instructor would be able to advise me on what else I needed to do to pass the test in the way of training and practice. The fee for the CBT would be knocked off the final price for the training.

When I rang back to confirm the booking they told me they had a cancellation for Maundy Thursday – all I need do was turn up at Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium at 8.45.

National Bad Driving Day?

2007-03-29T18:12:00.000+01:00

What was up with everyone today?

There was the minor stuff like the stop start car in the stop start traffic in Colliers Wood who thought no-one could see him continually looking down to text on his mobile. There was the usual stuff like the idiot cyclist who came across the lights on Victoria Embankment just as The Stig, a Taxi and myself came out on a green light. There was some dreadful motorcycling, like the two bikes who just had to get past the slow moving car on Albert Embankment by diving into the gap between it and a bus when they had to only wait two seconds to legally and safely overtake on the right. But what took the biscuit was the stupidly dangerous driving I saw today.

On the way home I was nearly killed by a man in a small hatchback who decided to pull out in front of me on the A3 as the Roehampton ASDA. There was plenty of space to pull out behind me, but this driver had to get out and overtake the other hatchback in front of it regardless of the consequences. He therefore dived out of the accelerator lane and tried to overtake the car in front only to find that the car in front was pulling in front of him. The two got in a mess avoiding one another and the result was I in turn had to take evasive action. It could have been much worse, but at least no-one was hurt!

The same can't be sad of what I saw in the morning. The Stig and I were riding up the A3 through Stockwell when we saw a Burger with Italian plate taken out by a silver grey car. The first I saw of this was as I rounded the left of a white van turning right. I checked it was safe to pass, and looked forward to see the Burgman, flying at right angles across the road. The bonnet of the car that hit him was sticking out of the stream of the queue of traffic. It appeared to be trying an unannounced U-Turn and hit the Burger without crossing the centre line. The Burger was only doing 10-15mph at the time and the queue of traffic was stationary.

Fortunately the rider seemed to not be badly hurt as he got straight up and didn't appear to be in particular pain or distress. The Stig and I didn't stop as we didn't have a very clear view of what happened as there was a pack of scooters between us and the incident, and the pack had stopped to assist, as had several car and van drivers, and a wagon full of Police!

Today there was a lot of talk about how dangerous bikes are and how they should be fitted with speed limiters to make them safer. Maybe they should put limiters in cars so they can't do U-Turns without signalling?

Mysterons SC Toy Run

2007-03-26T15:11:00.000+01:00

One of the joys of riding any type of powered two-wheeler is the instant camaraderie of fellow riders. Any shared interest at all and everyone becomes your life-long friend. Another fine aspect is the genuine desire many riders have to mix having fun with helping good causes.

Jim from the X9 Owners had announced that the Mysterons Scooter Club, based in Teddington, would be having a charity run on 25 March from Carnaby Street to the Shooting Star Children's Hospice in Hampton. I know the hospice because my parents live about 100 yards away.

Although the run, aimed at delivering toys and cash had taken place in previous years, this year was the first time this hospice was to benefit. The run is mainly by old school scooterists riding customised Lambrettas and Vespas, but the X9ers had always been welcome. The Stig had a prior engagement, but I agreed to carry both our gifts and arranged to meet up with the X9ers near Cleopatra's Needle early on the day. Too early as it turned out - I can do without them pushing the clocks forward the night before a day like this!

Anyway, the weather started grey and damp, but the roads were clear and I got the meeting point ahead of the others. About ten minutes later I was joined by Mike and John, and the others soon piled into the not quite big enough bike bay we had chosen. Then there was the long wait for Jim!

Once we were all there we rode off to Carnaby Street to meet up with over 100 other scooters. I really can say of all shapes and sizes, what with MP3s and miniscule 60's machines. My modern Vespa looked a little out of place, but was not unique. The custom seat cover allows it to hide amongst the other GTs with Chelsea FC and Beck's Beer custom paint jobs!

After an hour looking at the bikes, chatting and persuading the traffic wardens not to book people setting out on a charity run, we all set off.

I had been warned that all the old scooters would mean we would be riding in a blue haze of burnt two-stroke oil - and that was no exaggeration, but it was good fun riding amongst a group of about 120 scooters. We quickly got out onto Oxford Street, but then tended to get broken up by the lights. By Hyde Park Corner I was on my own. A group had gone up ahead, and everyone else had dropped back. Fortunately, the marshalling worked reasonably well. Although it was not possible to keep the roads clear, the marshals marked all the corners so it was easy to follow the route (which was completely different to the one handed out before the event!)

I caught up with the leading group just before Olympia, and rode with them, and a few X9ers who had caught up, through Hammersmith and over Chiswick Bridge. The weather had started none to impressive, but by now was warm, dry and bright. After passing through Richmond, the lead group turned off just before Teddington Bridge and stopped in the large car park opposite Old Deer Park. Over the next twenty minutes or so the stragglers came in until all the scooters were parked up ready for the final stage.

Now this was the best bit. With everyone riding together, the marshals managed to hold up the traffic on all the roundabouts and junctions so that one large body of bikes progressed together down the road enveloped in its blue haze. In London it is very easy to develop a low opinion of other road users, but whilst there were some exceptions, most of the drivers of help up vehicles were smiling and waving as we rode past. However, we were probably the most exciting thing to happen in Whitton so far this century!

After some humped back roads, we rode past the hospice and parked up outside a local church hall. Light refreshments were available, and a huge number of raffle prizes were disposed of in what seemed like the world's longest raffle! Of course I didn't win anything. I don't know how much was raised, but there was a pile of toys, and plenty of heavy sounding charity collection buckets by the time the day was over.

Overall the event was well organised. A lot of effort had clearly gone into trying to make things run smoothly, and in getting hold of some excellent raffle prizes. The only gripe I have heard from others who attended was that they never got to visit the hospice, or even were aware they had ridden past it. However, this is minor and will not stop them riding again next year. I am looking forward to the next similar event I can go on!

A slideshow has been put up by the South London Revival Scooter Club and a video of ride setting off from Carnaby Street can be seen on YouTube.

Update

2007-03-15T21:30:00.000Z

The idiot on the blue X9 (LF04??? - I have the full number) is at it again. This morning he cut me up from the left leaving me about four inches of space as he passed me at speed from the left in crowded traffic at Clapham South. This person certainly needs some professional help!

On the "They Know Not What They Do" point - I have seen some more interesting driver activity. The most impressive was the car the Stig and I pulled alongside at the level crossing a the junction of West Barnes Lane and Burlington Road just off the A3 at New Malden.

I thought he had one of those stupid CD players where the screen sits over your radio, then I realised, this was no movie, this was 6.10pm in the evening, and this was the BBC news! The cretin was driving a car whilst watching TV!

Why the hurry?

2007-03-14T18:41:00.000Z

The Stig and I were coming up past Tooting Bec station this morning at 8.40. As usual, there was a long queue, mainly of buses, vans, lorries and 4x4s. We know from long experience that plenty of pedestrians choose to run out into the road without looking here, plus there are several side turnings that cars turn into and out of without signalling.

The Stig was in front giving herself plenty of space and time as she filtered past this traffic. As she passed a bus it slowed just as it approached a side turning. She sensibly slowed down. I was a little way back as I had stopped to avoid hitting a pedestrian that stepped out between two vehicles, between us was another blue X9.

He shouted out an aggressive stream of abuse at the Stig because she wasn't moving fast enough for him. It was totally uncalled for. I couldn't see anything the Stig was doing that wasn't common sense. Of course, once he could he shot past the Stig, cut up a car and then swerved his way through the traffic until he was out of view.

Now the Stig is an experienced rider who has had a full licence for nearly a quarter of a century. She has an excellent safety record and has ridden bikes of all sizes from 100 to 1000cc and has trained as an instructor. She is a firm believer that having set out on a journey, it is much preferable to actually arrive!

The behaviour of this other X9 rider was deplorable, and I sincerely hope they read this and feel utterly ashamed of themselves! Maybe if they had seen Kay taken out by a pedestrian as the Stig and I have they might understand defensive riding!

Grease is the word!

2007-01-22T18:59:00.001Z

This morning was not much fun. The weather was cold, the weather was windy and there was an icy drizzle all the way to work. Fortunately the traffic was light, and the heated handlebar grips made things bearable, but a lot of concentration was called for.

On almost arriving at work I turned out of Savoy Lane into Savoy Hill and it felt like I had a rear flat. The back end was snaking uncontrollably. With luck I didn't go over, but mainly because there are a lot of white vans speeding the other way most mornings so I always take that corner with care. I slowed and put my feet down to steady myself, only to discover my feet had no grip either! By this time I was alongside the bike bay in Savoy Hill so I parked up to assess the situation. A short exploration found the road back and forward for some tens of yards was covered with black oil, which on black, wet, tarmac was invisible. The oil also covered the pedestrian pavements. I got the phone out to call 999 to report the dangerous road surface, and whilst I did so, a pedestrian and a cyclist hit the deck! The Police said they would send someone to cover the spill - I did warn them that this was going to need more than a bucket of sand!

My office was only about 300 yards away so I decided to sacrifice secure underground parking, for a spot were I didn't need to ride on oil any longer! I apologise for my less than perfect parking, which took up far too much room in what at the time was an almost empty bay - but I could barely stand on the surface, never mind manoeuvre the bike!

That was at 9am. An hour later at work a colleague said he had almost come off on the same corner. There was sand down, but the surface was still unrideable. I got him to 999 it, whilst I rang Westminster and told them they needed to clean up PDQ before someone was injured.

Just after noon the Stig and I went to lunch nearby and I checked on my bike. There was one of these, and several empty drums of heavy duty degreaser.

A worker was drawing up water from a hydrant and was testing the surface as he went. I thanked him for cleaning up, but he didn't seem to appreciate my gratitude. I would have thought thanks were pretty thin doing that job!

When I left the office just before five the surface was dry, and there was no sign of any oil. If it rains overnight I probably won't be going that way just in case!

Mitcham

2007-01-21T18:19:00.000Z

Mitcham's not my favourite place, and to be honest, I am not sure why I went there today, but hey, it was all a bit surreal.

My ride started with a shopping trip into Sutton. Got what I wanted, and thought that as the weather was pretty good I would pop down to Burgh Heath and surprise the Stig. After we had lunch I set off home, but the A217 doesn't make that easy. From where we met you can't go North, and are forced south for about mile to the next roundabout. As the day was so good I decided to turn of the main road and double back through Kingswood and Banstead as that would be more fun. Instead of turning off I followed the road through Chipstead Bottom.

When I got to Coulsden I decided to head towards Croydon. My new job may require visits to offices there and I thought it would be worth checking out the layout as I rarely visit Croydon these days. Getting to Croydon was no trouble, but once there I found the maze of bus only and tram only roads took me away from where I wanted to be and heading for Streatham. I gave up heading to the office after several changes of course were thwarted by the road layout and instead head off towards home.

As I left Croydon I spotted a couple of fire engines up ahead. No smoke, but there were a load of firemen, a lot of water on the road, and an old building with an ancient faded advert painted on the side. It covered the whole of the side of the kebab shop where there obviously had been a fire, and said "Bryant and May matches - the smokers choice"!

From there I cut through the back streets towards Mitcham to find my way home. As I passed through Mitcham town centre, glad that so far no chav had thrown anything at me like last time I passed through, when an an old green hatchback parked by the side of the road suddenly pulled out without indicating. I took evasive action as he took off like a rocket with his engine screaming. Following at my own pace he soon disappeared from view, but I expected to catch up with him as I got to the next set of lights. When I got there I was surprised to find that he had smacked into the back of a white van!

Already the van driver and the hatchback driver were out of their vehicles. I was about to pull over and tell the van driver that although I didn't see the accident, I could give evidence that the perp had been driving fast and recklessly immediately before the accident. I soon changed my mind when he started beating the shit out of the perp - I really didn't want to break up the fight just to tell him how justified he was! Instead I kept on going, but about half a mile on I turned round. I decided they might have calmed down by now - instead when I got there both vehicles had disappeared, leaving no evidence of the crash. I didn't imagine it - they were there!

The slippery slope!

2007-01-04T22:59:00.000Z

I have come to the conclusion that heated grips are like crack - it has not been that cold since they were fitted, certainly not cold enough to cause discompfort. But warm hands is so addictive the heated grips get switched on for every journey!

Talking of slippery slopes, I was very disapointed to hear that Westminster are going to charge for motorcycle parking. I am lucky to have free secure parking underneath my place of work, and only 200 yards from Trafalgar Square, but even I sometimes like to travel to other parts of the Borough.

Westminster claim it is due to over demand - they want to help us poor bikers with more spaces (although not enough) and more security (which will only serve to make using all the available space more difficult). Anyone whi visits central London can see that car parking spaces are rarely full, but the bike parks are packed. Apparently it costs £10,000 to convert once space to motorcycle use - rubbish! Just allow motorclists to use unoccupied car spaces for free like some other boroughs. That can't cost 50p!

Heated grips may be like crack, but the addiction is not as strong as the addiction London Boroughs have to stealing every penny they can from everyone who uses any sort of vehicle. Westminster is even looking at charging cyclists to leave their bikes on the street! Eventually they will charge pedestrians for walking on the pavement, and charge double if you tread on the cracks!

I am sure there will be protests, but if Westminster actually enforce this, I will simply boycott all Westminster businesses. If they want my money, they can whistle!

Back to Work

2007-01-02T18:25:00.000Z

Today was the first day back after the Christmas and New Year break. Let’s skip over work – that wasn’t any fun, but the riding was great!

Despite some terrible weather over the last few weeks this morning was clear and bright, and even this evening, the little bit of drizzle was too light to affect the conditions. Riding was a joy. Although the traffic has been light and getting lighter since the first week of December, the fog and rain made it difficult to enjoy the clear roads. However, today’s commuting was almost unimpeded by cars, bliss! No doubt the traffic will build up over the week, but I will enjoy it whilst I can!

Another joy today was the present I bought with some Christmas money. Hein Gericke in Stockwell were selling Oxford Hot Grips for only £29.99. With the right gear I have always s been warm and dry on the bike, but two fingers on my right hand have always been prone to getting painfully cold, even when wearing three pairs of gloves.

At that price I had to get the grips once my local dealer, Ewell Scooter Centre, told me he would fit them for £25 if done alongside the 12,000km service booked for Friday. On Thursday I rode up to Stockwell on deserted roads to get the grips, and on Friday Ewell Scooters did a great job, as usual.

Due to illness over the weekend this morning’s start (4 Celsius) was the first test of the heated grips. They definitely work! My hands were very comfortable for the whole journey, even though I was not wearing my thickest gloves and the heated bars were only on a very low setting. I see Oxford have brought out a new version with more elegant controls, but even if they are the older type, snap them up if you can get them at the lower price. If you do any regular riding in cold weather, you won't regret it!

For they know not what they do! 2

2006-11-29T21:43:00.000Z

This morning, after a fairly clear run through Balham and Clapham High Street there was the usual jam outside Clapham North Tube. Cars and vans sat waiting to cross the box junction (someone must be reading this blog!) and join the queue running down to Stockwell on the other side.

As I got there a Porsche moved across the box junction as a space appeared. I could see there was room for me as well, so carefully followed him. I then noticed something strange was going on in that car. The driver was holding a piece of A4 paper in his left hand, and something else was going on.

I have mentioned before how riding gives such a good view of what drivers get up to. In this case, as I followed him I could see he was crossing a busy box junction, about to join the tail of a queue, surrounded by bikes and bicycles, with a printout of a spreadsheet in his left hand, and he was annotating it with a pencil in his right hand!

As he got to the other side of the junction, I pulled up alongside him, looked down at him and shouted “You stupid Wanker!” He looked up, and the look in his eyes! I thought he was going to die! That is one of the great things about wearing a Hein Gericke jacket that looks like this –

Everyone thinks you are Plod!

The Sirens’ Call

2006-11-28T22:36:00.000Z

Does anyone read paragraph 194 of the Highway Code?

Emergency vehicles. You should look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights, headlights or sirens. When one approaches do not panic. Consider the route of the emergency vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass. If necessary, pull to the side of the road and stop, but do not endanger other road users.

I end up applying this bit of the Highway Code nearly every day as a day without emergency vehicle avoidance training is rare. However, I am amazed at how poorly other road users behave when they see the lights or hear the siren - maybe there are just not enough questions in the standard written test? Maybe people in London now see and hear so many emergency vehicles they are inured to them? Or is it just that they are stupid, have no idea what the code says, panic, and don’t give a damn anyway?

Today I came across more than my fair share of blue lights. A Paramedic in a car passed as I was on Clapham Common South Side approaching Clapham Common Station. It was heading towards a Vespa ET who was off at Stockwell. [I didn’t see the rider when I got there as there was also an ambulance in attendance and they were presumably being attended to in the vehicle. The bike didn’t look badly damaged so hopefully this was fairly minor.] The paramedic did the good old “let’s drive down the wrong side of the road and cut in just before the traffic island” trick and I had moved well over in front of the other vehicles at the lights to let this happen. All so good so far.

When I got to the point outside Waterloo Station exactly where “Kay” was taken out by a pedestrian I heard an ambulance coming up behind me. I slowed right down and pulled to the left. I didn’t stop but made sure that by sitting on the edge of the bus lane there was plenty of room for the ambulance to pass. Imagine my surprise when pulling up alongside me was a black Jaguar! The Ambulance I had so carefully left space for was left with nowhere to go. It was forced to cross the road, risking the lives of the pedestrians who run out in to the road along that stretch, and squeeze past on the opposite side! I think it was only when the ambulance passed that the cager realised why I had slowed down!

This sort of ignorant thoughtless behaviour is so common of all road users. I see cars simply stop and block the road, cars that pull over without looking who is behind them or to their left. I see cars that insist on turning right because the traffic lights say they can even if it means forcing an emergency vehicle to stop. I have seen pedestrians simply walk out in front of ambulances with lights flashing and sirens blaring forcing them to stop or take evasive action. I have seen scooters sitting at junctions blocking ambulances, I have seen sports bike riders trying to overtake ambulances and nearly being taken out as the ambulance swerves to negotiate other traffic.

I remember once seeing a fire engine reversing into the fire station on the Albert Embankment at the end of a shout. It blocked all four lanes as it did so and the cars and bikes waited patiently for it to finish its manoeuvre. A cyclist then comes along, can’t get past so goes up on the pavement, he then proceeds to gesture and shout at the driver of the fire engine clearly inconvenienced by his minor detour. I can tell you, he got a bit of shouting an gesticulation from me as he went past!

About a year ago I was approaching Tooting when I saw the lights of an ambulance in my mirror. I was nearly at the junction where I guessed it would want to turn left to St George’s Hospital. I stopped well short of the junction so the ambulance could round me and turn left. The cars did the same. Then, with the ambulance 100 yards behind, a Spandex Wally who had already cut me up at two previous junctions caught up. He decided to do the old, “I am a cyclist, I am immune from the law, the Angel of Death can’t get me, I will just move out across the junction during the pedestrian cycle and wait the for the light to change [which I won’t see as I will be too far forward]!

Regrettably, when the ambulance passed me on my right and turned left to pass across in front of me and right over the point where the cyclist was, it saw him in time and stopped. Lights flashing and siren blaring, he stopped, and he waited. He waited and he waited. The cyclist just hung about, making no attempt to move out of the way of the ambulance so it could get to the hospital 200 yards away.

Eventually, a car queuing from the left made enough room by moving forward on the junction so the ambulance could pass the cyclist and drive down the other side of the road to get round him. Of course, by this time the lights had changed and the cyclist wanted to move on and was not happy that an emergency vehicle was blocking his path! What a Prat! And they wonder why they are so despised!

Anyway, enough of the past crimes of cyclists. On the way home today I was passing through the Tibbet’s Corner underpass on the A3 when police vehicle appeared in my mirror, lights and siren, it was going like the clappers. I was in the right-hand lane about to overtake the Stig and a car. I wasn’t going to get through in time and had few options. Slowing would only make it more difficult for the police not to hit me. I could pull to the right and hope the police passed between me and the Stig, but I tried that once before on the Albert Embankment, and despite being on an emergency call, the police pulled over to give me a ticking off for pulling not going to the left and probably colliding with a taxi!

Accelerating was not going to work, the bike is a 125 after all and I was doing well above the 40mph speed limit here and by this time we were coming out of the dip of the subway. In the end I gambled on the Stig having the sense to leave a space, and on the car in front just continuing and not trying to brake or pull over or anything stupid. It was a gamble, I didn’t feel I had a truly safe option, which I didn’t like, but fortunately the Stig was able to leave me enough space, and the police sped past into the dark.

Watch Out, Watch Out, There’s a Pedestrian About!

2006-11-21T22:09:00.001Z

I have long believed that if I am taken out on London’s roads it won’t be a Chelsea Tractor driven by an idiot chatting on his or her mobile, it won’t be a spandex wally crossing at red, it will be a pedestrian stepping out without looking.

It is something that haunts me and I am always very careful assuming that every bus, every lorry, every people carrier and every Chelsea tractor hides that pedestrian waiting to jump out and try and kill me. Today I saw it happen to someone else.

The Stig and I were riding to work aiming for Waterloo Bridge. We were waiting at the lights outside Waterloo Station when I saw a pedestrian running out from between two buses that had stopped at the bus stop. Coming the other was a motorcyclist carefully passing the buses at about ten miles an hour. We will call the biker “Kay”. She had no chance. The pedestrian took no time to look and just ran straight into her. Kay went straight to the ground with the pedestrian falling on top of her.

The Stig and I immediately stopped and ran over to help. A pedestrian also came over to assist. The perp and the other pedestrian were checking Kay was OK but she was clearly in pain. I asked her what the problem was and she said her ankle hurt. It also looked like she may have hit her head on the ground when she went over. I asked if anyone had a mobile to hand. Mine was switched off under the seat of my bike. So was the Stig’s. Fortunately the bus driver waiting patiently behind our bikes called over to ask if an ambulance was needed. I said that Kay would need one as she had been hurt, and the bus driver radioed for one. London bus drivers get a lot of stick, but in emergencies I have found them to always do the right thing.

To clear the road for the bus and the rest of the traffic the Stig and I moved the three bikes off the road whilst the two pedestrians helped Kay to the pavement, as she couldn’t walk. The Stig gave Kay our names and numbers on a piee of paper in case she needed witnesses. Within a few minutes a paramedic had turned up in a car. He asked me what had happened and then set about examining Kay. As well as the ankle injury there was also some neck pain. Whilst she was being examined I asked Kay for the keys so I could secure her bike. She told me there was a lock in the top box and the Stig and I started looking around for the best place to put the bike where it was not blocking the pavement, and was less likely to get a ticket. After a few minutes of exploring where we could put the bike I looked round and the paramedic had gone, Kay had gone, and so had the perp. The pedestrian who had helped told me that Kay and the perp had been taken to hospital by the paramedic.

Hmm – I now have the keys for a rideable CBF600 with minor damage and no way of contacting the owner and no idea who she is! Fortunately for Kay the bike was fitted with engine protection. This was smashed out of shape but had saved the bike. There was no faring, engine or frame damage visible. There was some scraped mirrors and bar ends, and the most expensive looking damage was some damage to the Givi top box and scratches to the damaged exhaust. Then I noticed that there was a metal tag attached to this huge bunch of keys I had been handed. It had initials, a surname, a date of birth and a mobile number. Great – now all we needed to do was sort out a good place for the bike.

Just as we were running out of options the Police turned up. They were polite and efficient. Took some basic details from the Stig and I about what had happened and made sure they knew how to contact us if they needed to. They asked what had happed to Kay. We guessed she had gone to St Thomas’s as it is just round the corner. They suggested they take the keys after I had put a disc lock on the bike, and they also took a large camera bag that was in the top box that looked like it contained valuable equipment they didn’t want to leave in the box, and said they were going to find out where Kay had ended up. The Police’s view was that the bike should be left where it was, blocking a pavement, and that any ticket would be overturned on appeal! I handed over the keys, and only later realised I had handed over any means I had of contacting Kay to check she was OK.

The Stig and I went on to work, arriving much later than planned, but feeling we had done the right thing. Later in the day I had a meeting in Whitehall, very near Westminster Bridge. It was lunchtime and I thought, maybe I should walk over the bridge to St Thomas’s and check Kay was OK. I was worried she might not have got her keys and camera bag, and was a little concerned that she might not have been able to contact anyone and may need things doing for her.

I have not been to St Thomas’s since an unsuccessful job interview in 1978, so have little memory of the place. However, despite it being a physically unpleasant environment the staff were very good in helping me track down Kay with only her initials and surname that I remembered from the tag attached to the keys.

When I found her she was with her mother and sister. I was so glad she had not been alone. I know from my own experience in hospital following an accident that being there alone is the worst bit. With friends and family it is easy to forget your predicament, but with your own company things tend to tell!

Kay and her Mother were pleased to see me, and I was pleased to find out that she had not broken her ankle, only sprained it, and that whilst she had neck pain, she was going to be sent home soon. I checked the police had given her keys and her bag, made sure Kay knew she could contact the Stig and I should she need to, and went back to work.

I am glad the damage to the bike is not major, but is bound to run to hundreds of pounds to get the bike back as it was before the accident. I am very angry that Kay told me the perp disappeared and will not have to pay the cost of his stupidity.

For the record, (although I don’t really care) I did speak to him about what at happened whilst waiting for the paramedic. He said he had “looked through the bus” and not seen anything and did not remember having time to look round the bus to see if anything is coming. I pointed out that if Kay had been travelling fast he would not have ended up on top of the bike as the bike would have come to rest a hundred yards down the road. The fact that he, Kay and the bike ended up in one heap at the point of impact showed that Kay was moving slowly when he stepped out without looking.

We spoke about his injuries. He had torn his clothing (Kay was wearing full protective gear thankfully) and had a painful buttock and a grazed hand. It was easy not to show too much concern for him. He was lucky, many bikes ride past there at 30mph plus and he could easily have killed and been killed.

When the Stig and I got home we found a message of thanks from Kay on our answering machine. However, the law of karma does not seem to be working today. Having stopped and helped out a biker in distress, the Stig has some hand and wrist pain after trying to lift Kay’s bike single handed, and her electrics were playing up all the way home with no tail lights and no illumination of the instruments but now seem to be OK. That’s an Italian bike for you!

I am sure the Stig will be OK, and Kay is on the mend, but remember where this story started - Watch Out Watch Out – There’s a Pedestrian About!

Box Clever

2006-11-15T18:37:00.000Z

What is it about box junctions? Why do people just not understand them? Certain tabloid newspapers seem to be trying to run a campaign against enforcement of box junctions. Apparently it is unfair that people who stop on them and block the movement of other traffic can be fined for being stupid.

Box junctions are not difficult to understand. You just don’t go there until you know you can get out the other side. The only exception is turning right when you can stop in the box if you are stopped from turning right by vehicles coming the other way, or because other vehicles are waiting to turn right. That is not permission for idiots to stop in the box because they are turning right and other vehicles block the exit from the junction. Yes – you lot outside Oval Tube Station – I am talking to you!

What does annoy me about box junctions is that often the combination of the box and the sequencing of lights can mean that one exit from the box is permanently blocked leading to no vehicles from one road being able to cross the junction at all. The solution is not to park in the box causing gridlock – instead use the form on TfL’s website in the Roads section to point out why the junction does not work. Keep on listing it as a road fault until the junction is redesigned. If they don’t – write to your councillor, MP, Uncle Ken etc. Actually, it is more fun complaining than it is sitting stationary in traffic!

My biggest problem with box junctions is that there are too few. For example, since the demolition work started on the south side of Westminster Bridge traffic regularly backs up past Lambeth North Tube with bendy buses often sitting across the junction blocking all traffic movement. Why is there no box junction there? There should be – it is an ideal place for one, one that should be properly enforced!

For they know not what they do!

2006-10-17T22:59:00.000+01:00

I have been very busy at work recently and get very little time to do things like recording my thoughts. I spend most of my life recording what other people's thoughts should be!

However, the last few days I have been blessed with the sight of some bizarre driver behaviour. One of the joys of riding a bike in traffic is you get to look right into driver’s windows as you pass. In the weeks since I started this blog I have seen all of the following going on in vehicles that are moving – no stationary vehicles here - all activities were being carried out by the driver -

1. Talking on Mobile
2. Dialing on Mobile
3. Texting on Mobile

OK, no surprises there!

4. Lighting a cigarette
5. Eating
6. Drinking

Again – nothing too surprising.

7. Applying lipstick
8. Applying eye shadow
9. Applying mascara

OK – I suppose looking in the mirrors is good. It is probably the only time some of these women use them! But how about -

10. Applying lip balm with both hands at 40 mph! Yes. One hand holding a container, the other applying to the lips – no hands on the wheel at speed!

We don’t want our drivers to get bored, do we? So when crawling forward through traffic why not -

11. Complete a crossword
12. Solve Soduku
13. Read a newspaper
14. Solve a wordsearch
15. Read a trashy celebrity magazine
16. Read a novel
17. Play around with your Ipod

Now I want drivers to know where they are going – map reading is an underestimated skill. You can -

18. Read a map on your lap
19. Read a map on the passenger seat,

or my favourite method -

20. Pin your A to Z to the wheel with the heel of your right hand whilst you turn the pages with your left!

But best of them all was the driver who had a PDA stuck to the windscreen of his car as he drove at 10 MPH in queue approaching Westminster Bridge -

21. Playing a game!

Any others you have seen? Please let me know!

Tragedy!

2006-09-29T22:42:00.000+01:00

This morning was a great ride in. The last two weeks traffic and weather seems to have got worse and wore, but this morning it was bright, but no sun in the eyes, it had been raining, but the roads were dry, the sun had not been up long, but visibility was great! Having whizzed in quicker than most mornings of late, I was looking forward to similar ride home.

Jackie and I left work at 5pm. We planned to get home, and then set out on public transport for an evening of wining and dining.

Before leaving I checked the TFL website for signs of hold ups on our route. Warnings and congestion are well displayed on their new graphic website. It has been in testing for months and have used it almost every day. However, for some reason, today they and the Police let themselves down badly!

On Tuesday in a horrific accident a crane fell near Battersea Dog's Home killing two people, the crane operator, and a man who was cleaning his car.

I arrived on that stretch of the road about 30 minutes after it happened and had a short hold up due to fire engines, ambulances and police vehicles blocking so much of the road the buses could not get past. Every evening since I have passed the wreck of the crane and it has not been pleasant seeing it silhouetted against the skyline.

Today, the crane was lifted. I confesses I was shocked to read that the man who was cleaning his car has been lying under the wreckage for three and a half days!

I knew the wreckage was being lifted today, and was glad for that, but the TFL website made no mention of the resulting traffic chaos they had planned for us.

On leaving the office Jackie and I had a good run from work to Vauxhall Cross, but once under the bridge it was obvious the traffic was at a standstill. The last time I saw anything like this was after the failed bombings in July last year when the Oval area was closed off and traffic crossing Vauxhall Bridge had nowhere to go. There were lots of cars, and they were going nowhere! I had lost Jackie as we turned left past Metropolis Motorcycles and as I was forced to go to the left round the gyratory system to get through I pulled over in the only safe space just before the turn off to Stockwell as I was going to suggest we headed that way instead. Unfortunately, the Stig did not see me, went straight past and back under the rail line towards Battersea. By this time I had a good idea why there was chaos, even if TFL didn't seem to know!

I was worried because if the road was closed at Battersea she probably would not know a suitable alternative route as she has been commuting only a few months and only knows one way to, and one way from work.

I had to proceed down the road to Stockwell a short way before I could turn across the central barrier. Then I had to fight my way through the traffic, including an altercation with a Royal Mail van driver who went through a red light so he could sit on a box junction! Eventually I got heading towards Battersea.

Back on the north side of the rail line there was a sign saying " Follow diversion" but there was no sign of what that diversion was or why. Further on there was also a sign saying "Battersea Bridge Road Closed" - now the road concerned is called Battersea Bridge Road - but it is also called Parry Street, Nine Elms Lane and York Road so unless you know the area, you might not understand that you were heading nowhere! There were loads of traffic wardens all standing on traffic islands at this complex junction, and all doing absolutely nothing to direct traffic! In all the information was rubbish!

I headed towards the area where the crane was because I guessed that the Stig would have done so and would probably find herself stranded with no clear directions as to ow to get home. I headed down the dual carriageway towards New Covent Garden and was soon pleased to see the Stig heading the other way, obviously having turned round when she found she could not get home that way. She saw me and I was able to cross the barrier at a gap and catch up with her before she got back to Vauxhall Cross.

Back at Vauxhall Cross things wre really bad with lots of stationary vehicles. I considered the options and decided to take the line of least resistance and head over Vauxhall Bridge despite long queues to get over, but we filtered our best! We then turned left and had to fight with loads of traffic going west on the north side of the river. Eventually we got to Albert Bridge, turned back across it and found very little traffic going that way. Once back in Battersea there was less traffic than I have ever seen, including on very quiet Sunday afternoons, going towards Wandsworth. Presumably it was still all jammed up back at Vauxhall!

In the end we got home after about 100 minutes, on a journey that normally takes about 45. We were exhausted. It was one of only three trips in three years of commuting that took more than an hour. It ruined our evening. Our plans to go out and eat were abandoned as we found ourselves wanting to just put our feet up, crack open the wine and order a pizza.

The collapsing crane and the deaths is a terrible tragedy, and it is horrific that someone had to lie there for days before their body could be recovered. It is even more horrific that his family knew that outside their home his body was still lying there. But damn you TFL! What excuse is there? This happened days ago so why was it that today there was poor information, no proper signs for the diversion and why was there absolute chaos this evening?

Guinness!

2006-09-28T23:34:00.000+01:00

I started this blog when the weather made riding too hot, and too sweaty. Now the seasons are changing, and my working hours are extending. Tonight I got to ride home in the dark and the rain for the first time this winter. Dark and wet - I don't like it. But I never liked Guinness much either!

Commuter Survey

2006-09-24T23:39:00.000+01:00

The London section of MAG are conducting a survey on commuting. If you commute in or around london you can complete the survey here -

MAG London Commuter Survey

I don't agree with all of MAG's policies but most of them make sense and are worth supporting.

SMIDSY?

2006-09-11T23:04:00.000+01:00

Today The Stig and I were riding home across the front of St Thomas’s Hospital following a BMW C1 – you know, one of those strange bikes that has roof. The C1 was in front of us by about 100 feet, and The Stig was a little way behind me.

There is a small side turning across the road from the hospital, it leads to a car park I think, and cars often try pulling out of there when discretion would be the better part of valour. Today I noticed a grey sports car edging out from the left as we approached. I began to get concerned in good time and was slowing as the car was rolling forward and I could see the driver was looking to his left, preparing to turn right. At no time did he look to his right to see what was approaching along the lane he was about to cross. I soon spotted that his right hand was holding a mobile phone to his right ear, which is always a good sign of poor attention and poor vision to the side where the phone is held.

Just as the C1 got to him the car started to accelerate out of the turning. The driver saw him just in time and stopped, as did the C1. By the time I caught up with the C1 it was stationary across the front of the car and the rider was giving the driver a gob full. I pulled up behind him and also gave the driver a piece of my mind about mobile phone use, its effect on visual fields and the impact upon cognitive skills of attempting a phone conversation when driving! I may have also made one or two observations about the marital status of his parents and his solo sexual activities.

On the TV there are regular public information films about drivers looking but not seeing. This driver never at any point looked to his right. What he was doing was talking without thinking! I would like to see a TV campaign about mobile phone use by drivers. It is amazing how many cagers I see every day chatting away on their phones without a care for other road users. I am also sick of the number of times I have had to avoid pedestrians who think idle chat is more important than the Green Cross Code! Every day at least one steps out in front of me, oblivious to anything other than what their mate is saying on the other end.

In this case the car driver seemed to think that his phone conversation was more important than the road situation, even after the C1 and myself were sitting in front of his bonnet giving hi ma piece of our minds. Once the Stig caught up with us we all moved off, and the driver didn’t stop taking into his phone even once!

Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You? Or was it Sorry Mate, I didn’t Care?

Fair Weather Bikers

2006-09-08T22:22:00.000+01:00

Where was everyone today? Yes, I know it is a Friday, and yes, it was a bit colder then recently. Yes, I wore a neck sock for the first time, but I also wore my summer jacket which is designed to not be wind proof and I didn’t get cold. Other than it only being about 12C during the morning rush instead of the 16C of late, conditions were perfect with clear skies an great visibility.

The number of bikes I saw on the way in was very small. Well less than half of a normal Friday. When I got to work the bike park, which normally is overflowing with more than 20 machines, still only had seven, including mine at 9.45.

So where was everyone?

Birthday Surpise!

2006-09-05T23:02:00.000+01:00

I have never really been into customising vehicles. Sad but true – to me motor vehicles have always been devices for getting me from A to B. I even bought the Vespa because it was the ideal vehicle for what I wanted, and not for any reasons of style. Customising for customising sake has never excited me. I remember when I first met the Stig she used to subscribe to Back Street Heros. A mag full of pictures of custom motorcycles. Some of the articles were amusing, mainly because of the pages of paint jobs and incredibly uncomfortable looking riding positions!

I never made any changes to my previous scooter. I bought it standard, and part exchanged it standard apart from the many coats of paint trying to hold together the rusting the exhaust. But there is something about Vespas that makes one want to individualise them. I don’t know what it is. My car is a Mondeo, and I have no desire to make it look any different to any other green Mondeo, although the current drought order means the patterns of filth I am not allowed to wash off give it a distinctive, if unpleasant character.

I can see the point in improving your machine. Ssoon after I bought the Vespa I unscrewed the clear red panels from the top box, stuck down some reflective disks, and screwed it all back together. In less than five minutes I had improved the visibility of my scoot, especially when parked at night.

I also spent £7.50 on Ebay including postage to buy some vinyl panels to protect my scoot when getting it in and out of my property and in crowded parking bays. This time, fitting took less than three minutes. As mentioned below, I broke all previous expenditure records when I splashed out on a screen, but that was a performance part!

I don’t know what it is. Maybe it is the dozens and dozens of other scooters I see every day. Not only do I see a lot of Vespas, I see a lot of my model, in my colour. Something has been calling me to make my bike more distinctive. For some time I have been toying with getting a custom seat cover from www.scooterseatcovers.com. Crystal seems to have some excellent designs, and it was the choice of fabrics that always delayed my purchase. I just could never make my mind up.

Then one day, looking at the site I saw that one of my favourite motifs, a blue celestial pattern, had just become available. The Stig pointed out my birthday was coming up and she ordered one for me. Despite being hand-made to order, and having a large ocean to cross, it arrived just over a week later. I fitted it straight away. This time it took only a minute. It looks great and seems very well made. At last, a real convert to customising motorcycles, a real back street hero!

The Stig

2006-08-29T17:07:00.000+01:00

Otherwise known as Jackie, she has a great love of her Caberg helmet with its tinted inner visor. A one time GTR1000 rider, she now commutes back and forward to work with me on her X9 250.

The Stig can claim a lot of the credit for me commuting on a scooter. When I met her over 20 years ago she rode a Honda Super Dream and I rode a Puch bicycle! She gave up biking in the early 90’s due largely to the huge cost of maintaining the GTR when we were struggling with Norman Lamont’s 15% interest rates. However, back in 2003 she saw the opportunity to get back on two wheels when she saw a good deal on the X9. It made her commute to Kingston much faster and cheaper than before. I took this as a prompt to give up the bus and tube, save money, and bike to Central London where The Stig now works with me.

I have been very lucky. The Stig taught me a lot about safe riding. I had a little bit of experience of motorcycles from my teens, I even owned one of these –

But in those days there was little training as you could hop right onto a 250 with the only competence you needed was the ability to write a cheque and send it off to DVLA. The Stig’s advice has been invaluable, as has watching and learning as I rode pillion with her a lot in the GTR days.

I know she doesn’t really approve of me riding a Vespa having ridden with back patch wannabees before she met me. She likes the fact that the X9 looks more motorcycle than scooter, especially from the front. But she also likes the automatic transmission in London traffic. However, geared machines have their uses. The heavy clutch on the GTR did more to rehabilitate The Stig’s broken hand in a few months than the NHS Physiotherapy service had managed!

Today we were not working and decided that for the second day running I would venture beyond the M25 in the company of an X9. It must be ten years or more since we visited Reigate, so we set off on the assurance from the Reigate and Banstead Borough Council website that there is free motorcycle parking in their car parks. Now don’t get me wrong, I am always grateful when the needs of motorcyclists are taken seriously, but is this the world’s smallest dedicated Solo Motorcycle Bay? I really would like to see pictures of any smaller ones!

We spent a couple of hours in Reigate, other than the bookshop, we didn’t find much of interest in the main streets, but we enjoyed exploring the Castle Gardens and the Priory Park. We left just before the rain, and having travelled the direct route down the A217 we returned via the A25 and round the back side of Box Hill and back to the Kingswood Roundabout as Jim had taken me yesterday. It started to get damp on the way back but we missed most of the downpour that hit just after we got home.

Box Hill or Bust

2006-08-28T23:46:00.000+01:00

Jim, someone I have known for along while before discovering a shared interest in scooters took me out for ride in the Surrey countryside today. Despite commuting for nearly three years, the furthest out from the city I had ridden on two wheels was Burgheath. We agreed to meet up on Epsom Downs, at the fantastic viewpoint where you can see almost all of London laid out before you. Two problems, the mixed sun and clouds had become persistent heavy showers just before I set out, and when I got to the Downs, there was racing on and the normally free car parks had been turned into £5 a day parking for besuited race goers heading for the Grandstand. Fortunately I was able to slot into a coach park without being stopped, and Jim was along on his X9 before long.

Jim took us through Headley to Rykers Café at the foot of Box Hill and a favourite meeting spot for bikers since time immemorial. The journey there was a bit hairy in places. The rain had been quiet heavy, and the roads were often windy, steep, very wet, and with gravel and branches washed across them. We took it carefully, but it was good fun, if requiring a lot of concentration. Although not previously riding in these conditions, I have driven on these roads many times so knew what to expect, and what to take carefully. In all I was quite impressed with the Vespa. It held the line well even when the road was more river than tarmac. There were a couple of scary moments when the rear Sava slipped ever so slightly on wet manhole covers etc, but this was no worse than I get in London when commuting in the rain.

By the time we got to Rykers the sun was back out. The ground was still wet, and the car park was lacking many of the bikes the sun would not doubt bring out later on this Bank Holiday afternoon. Jim bought me a rather overpriced tea. Rykers must serve the smallest cup of tea I have ever seen. Next time I will be ordering large!

After this short refreshment we set of in improving weather for our lunch location. Jim took us a roundabout along the downs to the north of the A25, then an enjoyable ride down a steep wooded road, through Abinger until we got to Ockley.

We parked up, chatted, and had a drink and a light lunch. I popped outside to see if I could get a phone signal. No joy, but I did see a Vespa PX, two up, and with a mountain of luggage on the font, back and on the footplate. It was travelling at speed on a long straight stretch of road. Both were Italian made - the road was built by the Romans, the PX was weaving all over the place!

After stopping for about an hour we set of back. Jim picked a route cross country towards Reigate, then back along the A25 towards Dorking. The weather had got much better by now with dry roads, excellent visibility, and much faster riding. There were still some hazards though. The horse was simple enough, slow down, try not to scare the poor animal. I was a bit more alarmed, and had to check I was really riding and not just watching an official hazard awareness video when we swept round a corner to see a woman walking up a narrow lane with a dog on a lead, and a wide push chair. Fortunately, nothing was coming the other way so we slowed and passed with no problems.

At Betchworth we headed off to the East of Box Hill towards the Kingswood Roundabout on the A217. At the Burgheath lights we went our separate ways with me getting to Tescos on the Sutton Bypass just before they closed at 4pm.

In all a very enjoyable ride out, and big thanks for Jim for not getting us lost! I was very impressed with how the Vespa coped with the narrow winding back roads in Surrey which really showed how this bike is not just a city commuter and lives up to its Granturismo epithet.

Final Destination 2

2006-08-25T20:56:00.000+01:00

The roads are still pretty quiet in London as many people are still clearly away on holiday. However, the standard of driving has taken a massive leap towards the depths in the last week with me witnessing several very dangerous manoeuvres by all types of road users, including the pedestrian I had to swerve round in Stockwell as they walked down the middle of the A3 at the height of rush hour with their back to the traffic chatting on their mobile phone!

The journey home today was pretty eventful. Leaving work with Jackie she had to take evasive action to avoid a small white van being driven very aggressively along the Embankment under Hungerford Bridge. She then looked with horror as the van tried to race me, first trying to pass me on the right, then when that didn’t work, he tried cutting between me and the coaches parked along the riverside. As we approached Westminster Bridge I moved to the left and waved hi m through. He was screaming some abuse and waving his arms aggressively as he went by. He shot off and then narrowly missed a cyclist and another vehicle before queuing to turn right into Parliament Square.

The joy of couriers that drive like this is they advertise their employers on the back of their vans – so when I got home I Googled (yes Google – it is a verb!) only to discover that the head of the company is chair of the despatch trade body. I have emailed to ask him what he thinks of this sort of behaviour!

That wasn’t the end of it. Having crossed Westminster Bridge, whilst following the south side of the River through Nine Elms a red hatchback alongside me on a dual carriageway decided to change land without signalling or, presumably, looking! I had to brake and take evasive action. I followed the car along to the next junction using my horn in a vain attempt to get some sort of acknowledgement from the driver. As I said the other day, I much prefer it if a road user doing wrong admits their mistake – we all learn that way. It is the idiots who just don’t understand the consequences of their actions that gets my goat!

She stopped at the lights, and I pulled alongside still using my horn. She sat there looking ahead – I thought she might be deliberately ignoring me so as her window was wound down I flipped up my visor and said to her “Did you not see me?”
She turned and said “Whaah?”
I said, “Did you not see me?”
She said “Whaah?”
I asked a third time. She then turned off the very load music she was listening to and said “Whaah?”
I said, “You nearly hit me back then. Did you not see me?” She said “Whaah?”
Starting to feel a bit like Jules in Pulp Fiction I really wanted the next line to be “Say “what” again. SAY “WHAT” AGAIN. I dare you, I double dare you, motherfucker. Say “what” one more goddamn time!”
Instead the lights changed, we both moved off towards Battersea, and I am now on the lookout for badly driven red hatchbacks!

Final Destination

2006-08-22T23:29:00.000+01:00

This morning on the way to work, Jackie and I could tell something wasn’t right as we passed through Clapham. There was a queue of cars right up Clapham High Street, when at 8.15 in mid-August, traffic should be travelling quite smoothly. We were passed by a Police car with flashing lights, and at Clapham North Station the Police were starting to close the road. There had been an accident at the junction of the A3 Clapham Road with Union Road. The police had closed everything off and directed all traffic down Mayflower Road. The back streets were jammed solid and it took several minutes to cut through back streets to get back onto the A3 at Stockwell.

Later at work I was talking to an ex-boss of mine and I asked him what had happened. He lives right where the accident occurred, and I know I would only be getting up at that time in the morning! He said it looked nasty. A cyclist under a lorry. I hope it wasn’t as bad as he said it looked. I have seen accidents at that junction before. Cyclists carry on when the lights change and get hit by vehicles coming out of Union Road. I have seen cyclists hit that way, fortunately each time they picked themselves up and were able to cycle on. This time it was worse, but I hope the cyclist wasn’t at fault.

On the way home I was travelling the opposite way along tha A3 at Roehampton Vale. I had seen a dark blue Fiesta being driven by a madman swapping lanes, tailgating and cutting between the traffic. I left him behind at the Roehampton lights, but after passing ASDA in the right-hand lane, I saw him try and overtake me on the left, he pulled very close to the van in front of him that I was slowly passing, and then, to my amazement, he started pulling into my lane. I braked and he suddenly saw me (bright lights – hi-viz clothing, bright daylight) and pulled back into his lane. I mouthed obscenities at him, but to his credit, he waved to make clear that he knew he had made a mistake. I acknowledged that (I don’t mind playing fair when cagers realise how stupid they have been) and pulled away.

Performance Boost!

2006-08-06T19:08:00.000+01:00

Having spent most of the day indoors at the computer, I looked outside at 5pm and realised what a wonderful afternoon it was! Just right for a short ride out before my other half got home. It was also a chance to see how effective my new flyscreen is. This small screen is only eight inches high - it looks like it does nothing, but Piaggio have designed it well and it fits in with the style and curves of the bike. This screen is meant to make a significant performance improvement, and boy it does!

The Granturismo 125 is not the fastest scooter you will come across! It is big and heavy, and shares the same engine as plenty of other bikes which all tend to be lighter or more streamlined. My GT struggles to exceed 60mph, which is fine in the city, but limiting on the open road. I fitted the screen last week, so today was the chance to find if it really makes a difference.

I pulled onto the A3 at Kingston and acceleration felt very smooth - passed under the Hook Underpass, acceleration still very smooth - for once the needle didn't stop at 60, it didn't stop at 65, it carried on rising until 70! A 15% increase in top speed from a small piece of plastic! Unbelievable but true!

Having very quickly got to the Esher turn off, I left the A3 and took a very pleasant ride through Esher and Thames Ditton - I returned via Hinchley Wood and back onto the A3. The weather was great, the traffic was great, the increased performance was great! 65 quid well spent!

Owzat!

2006-07-30T19:30:00.000+01:00

Friday evening Jackie and I went by scooter to visit a friend and fellow scooter enthusiast. The early evening ride was pleasant enough, but some kids playing cricket alongside the A3 managed to hit my bike with a ball as I rode past. Fortunately, I can see no damage to the bike or me!

At my friends BBQ, it was a hellish job avoiding the firkin of locally brewed bitter he had bought in for what looked to be a long weekend of serious drinking. I make a strict rule never to drink when driving or riding, but it did look so appetising! Fortunately, so did the food. Jim had put on an excellent spread; the minted lamb kebabs were a delight!

Jim, as always was good company, but the best bit of the evening was the ride home. I always enjoy riding in London late at night, especially in summer. The cool clear air, the dry, open roads, and the simple pleasure of riding without the knowledge that up ahead there will be a queue of stationary traffic to negotiate!

La Dolce Vita

2006-07-24T21:43:00.000+01:00

Today is what riding in London is all about! This morning the roads from SW London were clear of congestion, the sky was blue, the temperature was a sensible 18C. Riding in was a joy! 12 miles across London in 45 minutes, as it should be!

Riding home was much the same. Left Westminster at 6.40pm and was home in Surrey by 7.25. It was very much warmer, but very comfortable as I almost never had to stop!

Yes, I know this post is boring! But some days, now and again, it really is just so good there is nothing to write about!

You can't park that there!

2006-07-21T22:48:00.000+01:00

I am no great lover of cyclists in London. They do great good for the planet, they do the right thing and make themselves more, and not less healthy on their way to work. I understand the frustrations of trying to cope in a city designed for people, but usurped by huge inhuman mechanical vehicles.

I spent nearly a quarter of a century as a cyclist – cycling to work, cycling to the shops, and most importantly, cycling to the pub! But what I didn’t do, is make every effort to be a menace to every other road user, whether the bus full of pensioners trying to turn right whilst avoiding the cyclist going through the red light, the ambulance blocked at a junction by the cyclist who seems to be deaf and blind to the flashing blue light, or the school children sent scattering at a lollipop controlled school crossing by cyclists determined to absolve themselves of any responsibility for their actions. Yes, I know not all cyclists are like this, but when the majority, rather than the minority start stopping at red lights, I will start to believe they are not an alien species.

Despite being a cyclist turned to the dark side – there is one battle I am securely on the cyclist’s side. Cyclists, just like motorcyclists, need proper provision. National, local and regional government is meant to support the use of two wheels over four to reduce congestion and minimise pollution. But where are the facilities? Motorcyclists have long seen that central London motorcycle bays are getting more and more full. Gone 9.15 in the morning in the Covent Garden/Strand area and there will be no chance of parking a powered two-wheeler. In Whitehall the bays are long gone well before that.I am lucky; my employer leases a building with a large subterranean garage, which I use. But hang on – the landlord seems reluctant to authorise more and more motorcyclists and cyclists to use this space. New applicants to get their security passes enabled for the garage are turned down. Presumably this is so the bikes don’t get in the way of the 4x4s, Ferraris and Porches that occupy half the places down there. Sensible vehicles occupy some of the rest, but the remainder are left empty. Presumably the landlord gets paid rent for those spaces just in case the owner can be bothered to drive their planet destroying vehicle into the congestion charge zone.

So what do two-wheelers do? Motorcycles look for the local bike bays. Fortunately there are plenty, but as mentioned above, come not long after 9am, and they are gone. The bicycles simply get chained to parking meters and lampposts. Hang on – cycles might be environmentally friendly, but there are two problems. Firstly, in central London chained bicycles are seen as a menace – the IRA packed the frames full of explosives and so many buildings of a sensitive nature or with VIP visitors, just don’t want them there and will forcibly remove them if chained to private property. But surely an out of the way lamppost is OK? Not any more. Westminster Council, famous for selling off dead bodies so they would not have to maintain the cemetery and moving poor residents so that their homes could be sold to up-market types, have started posting notices on bicycles parked on Westminster streets that they will be treated as litter unless removed. Westminster seem to think the 3000 dedicated bicycle bays they provide is sufficient, especially as they plan to increase that by 300 a year. Sorry! But there must be 30,000 cyclists entering Westminster every morning. What do the other 27,000 do?

As I said above, I am no great lover of the London cyclist. I might have been one once, but I have had to brake heavily too many times to avoid collision with people too ignorant or too egotistical to look over their shoulder before changing direction. I have had to avoid cyclists running through red lights too often to learn to love them, but I recognise a bad deal when they get one – and Westminster are behaving in a way that shows how 4x4 centric they really are!

The heat is on

2006-07-20T18:42:00.000+01:00

After nearly eleven years in the tender hands of Southwest Trains and London Underground I finally took the plunge and decided to commute from my Surrey home to my Westminster job on two wheels.

Yes, I seriously thought about cycling. I didn't drive until I was 30 so for the first three decades of my life I cycled most places, but I decided 12 miles, much of it up hill, was just too far for this middle aged office worker!

When the price of the annual season ticket finally passed the price of a brand new small scooter, the decision was made - I bought my first powered two-wheeler. For two years I rode a 50cc Piaggio which was a serious adventure, I no doubt will recount, but last year I splashed out on a Vespa Granturismo 125 even though that meant having to take the CBT before I could legally ride it.

Currently the roads are very clear of traffic. Maybe the warm weather, currently over 30C is keeping people in doors, but even Wandsworth is virtually traffic free at 5pm this week. Even though it is easy to keep moving, the heat is starting to prove a problem. Yesterday the road surface was starting to melt, and today, with the higher humidity, so was I!

I am a firm believer in wearing protection on a bike. I once lost some skin coming off a pillion in my teens. Although it was very hot today, it could have been so much worse. I have invested in a flip up helmet to get some air on my face, a vented mesh jacket to get some air on my body, and some vented mesh gloves to get some air on my hands. I know it looks and feels cooler to ride bare handed in shirt sleeves, but road rash doesn't feel very cool when it happens to you!