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Is there an app or a website that helps you find the best route for commuting, especially in London, on a motorbike?
I know there are several to work out quiet or safe routes for cycling, and a search seems to find several motorbike touring route planners as well as the usual "here's a list of roads to follow to get from A to B" type routes. But is there any way to work out which routes are actually decent for riding a motorbike on in London? Shared bus lanes, wider roads, that sort of thing?
Mrs. Pierre has recently bought a Vespa again, looking forward to filtering past lines of queueing traffic like she used to on her regular commute 15 years ago (from a different house to a different workplace). But the most straightforward route from our place to her current workplace is horrible, with lots of roads bunged up with cars, grotty little junctions, mini roundabouts etc. and it's making her regret buying the thing.
Short of spending hours with maps and Google Street View, I'm wondering whether there's an easier way to find a half-decent route through the sprawl of South London. I'd appreciate any advice you can offer.
None that I'm aware of I'm afraid
Maybe the not so direct route on bigger clogged up roads will give more filtering opportunity. <br />Sneaky round the houses roads with a single line of traffic between two sides of parked cars would be grim... <br /><br />Go a longer way and you'll still be faster and probably calmer and safer on a scooter.<br /><br />
I think it’s a bit trial and error tbh - my quietest route in to Vauxhall on the bike is not the shortest or quickest but I still prefer it. Most apps seem to go for speed or distance. The TfL cycle route planner uses too many no vehicle bits to be much use. You could try asking for a route recommendation on the motorbike thread on lfgss
And every where in London is queuing traffic- that’s the fun of motorbikes 😉
What is your wife’s journey?
City mapper for London I find very useful
Put in walking and see how you get on
Thanks all.
Go a longer way and you’ll still be faster and probably calmer and safer on a scooter.
This was what I was thinking. A longer route with more wider roads and shared bus lanes will be a much more pleasant ride, and potentially quicker than occasional dodgy filtering on narrow clogged roads among aggro / distracted queuing drivers.
@kilo E Croydon to Holborn, more or less. Relatively straightforward on public transport, just a ballache and it can take ages if there's any disruption.
E Croydon to Holborn
Oof, that’s going to be quite a challenging route!
I’d probably be looking at heading towards CS7 asap, as the bus lane is wide and allows motorbikes and then veering off towards Vauxhall at Stockwell l, another wide bus lane, until Vauxhall one way, going along the south side of the river to cross at Lambeth bridge - seems a bit less hectic than the north side.
Take the modern, direct train from E Croydon to Farringdon in 25 minutes, or the express bus X68, and take the scooter only when both of those are seriously disrupted...?
That's a long commute.
Trial & error worked for me in the past, but not sure I'd fancy a little scoot for that journey.
I did Buckinghamshire into Westminster, 900-1150's for me.
not sure I’d fancy a little scoot for that journey
Obviously you and I are awesome and can handle Big Beasts with ease, but that route is going to be lane splitting and bus laneing all the way. I can't offhand think of even a single section of dual carriageway. Surely a light little scooter (or 700 class...) is the right machine?
Waze lets you route for motorcycles, and has an "avoid difficult junctions" option that's worth a go.
No routes are ideal, I'd be inclined to get to the A23 and follow it in - at least a lot of it is wider with bus lanes.
not sure I’d fancy a little scoot for that journey.
I did Buckinghamshire into Westminster, 900-1150’s for me.
A scooter is the perfect bike for that kind of route.
I currently do 32 miles each way Oxfordshire to West London on a 300cc scooter most days and it's perfect. I've done it on big bikes before and the scooter is far easier.
A scooter is the perfect bike for that kind of route.
+1
I commute in to London on either a thirty year old Honda C90 cub (Japanese import, absolutely immaculate) or a big 800cc + bike, the Honda 90 is probably quicker as it is so much more nimble. It’s quite fun watching middle age men on bmw gs desperately trying to keep up with a c90 in traffic.
It’s quite fun watching middle age men on bmw gs desperately trying to keep up with a c90 in traffic.
The greater task was keeping an eye on the mirrors so I could let them past - used a GSA with full size panniers due to stuff I had to carry to the various work sites - was better than a car but a right royal pain at times.
E Croydon to Holborn
*sucks through teeth*
You want to go Upper Norwood, West Norwood High Street, Tulse Hill roundabout, down to Brixton and join the A23. Then Kennington Road, Waterloo Bridge and the Aldwych Underpass. Then you're in Holborn.
You'll never guess who I had in the back yesterday etc.
Upper Norwood, West Norwood High Street, Tulse Hill roundabout, down to Brixton and join the A23. Then Kennington Road, Waterloo Bridge and the Aldwych Underpass
Not a lot of people know this, but when they make ads for sports cars and want to make it look glamorous, this is where they shoot them..
I plotted my cycle commute in the 90s with an a to z, I actually really enjoyed the challenge so had a few alternatives, headwind on the Thames mainly, bit of variety, slight diversion to mates workplaces.
Then I met a black cab driver on a course, showed him my routes, of course he knew a few legal workarounds. Gradually though, all the rat runs were closed down so I assume by now all traffic is funneled down certain routes.
I could always beat the train times, that was Kingston to strand, and I went through all the parks.