lloydiecbr wrote:Found out today I'm going to have to commute on the bike from may-November :-( as my work is moving 40 miles away and it will be too many miles to put on the car (mobility) so kermit is going to get used every day .
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So I've just did the baffleectomy on my standard exhausts for when the grumpy gits around here complain about the noise at 4am .
Can any of you lot that commute on the storm give me any pointers .
used it for the commute since 2008, layered textile jacket so you can adjust easy to temp changes, 4am will be cold as you know but not so bad at 5-6pm
always wear a small rucksack, never know when you're on your way home and think dam i need a loaf or some beer etc you're screwed for storage on the storm, i once forgot my backpack went to tescos got 20 quids worth of food at 3:30am and then realised i wasnt wearing my backpack
lucky i had my jeans with a belt on and not trackies i had to take the belt of my jeans make it as big as it would go and then put it round the outside of my jacket, unzip my jacket load all the food in the front belly area and then zip it up, that was not a comfy ride home
always take a pair of extra socks and boxers in a carrier bag and a pair of waterproof overpants,
when you're on your way to work and get caught in a horrible storm its then horrible to work in wet socks and underpants for hours having a small bag with them in inside your bag will be a godsend.
in the bag also have wd40 for the bike and some basic lightweight tools + spare spark plugs
small bottle of water and some beef jerky or packet of sweets too, if you do brake down it can be awhile before your recovered or fixed the problem and you'll be pissed or if you're thirsty and hank marvin too
and have a deodorant in the bag as you can get sweaty if its a hot day i give a lot of people sh1t for stinking of BO i would hate them to be able to do the same to a fellow stormer
allways allways have 20 quid taped to the bottom of the seat in a plastic food bag or put somewhere else safe, if you need fuel and you have lost your card or it gets declined your not up sh1t creak on the way to or from work
be seen, in the dark flash your headlights when approaching junctions or side roads you can't see approaching traffic from, and stop at blind roundabouts where the view to your left is obstructed by a wall or a hedge etc even if no traffic is your way the cab driver in a rush might assume the road is going to be clear and BOOOM cuts right into you
anticipate sh1t going wrong and your one up on the other road users to kick off with, these people will have not been up long and are not fully alert yet
set off 10 mins early so you don't have to rush from the lights i try to gradually slow down for the red lights in the hope that i don't have to come to a stop so i can avoid working the clutch
its the commute so this is when people will be getting lifts and getting in and out of cars at obscure places in a rush say traffic lights junctions etc so be very wary when filtering as their might just be a guy in a rush to work getting a lift of a mate not expecting you to come past as he opens a door
when filtering i like to be throttle happy blipping it with the clutch in so they know i'm there in the blind spot incase they haven't seen me
i've seen people have doors opened on them but thankfully never happened to me
oh and bright clothing mate, wombles this black stuff off if you have any it might look mean moody and aggressive but you won't thank it when another person doesn't see you
always have the light on too mate, its so much easier to spot a bike / car with a light on even in daylight
keep those tire pressures in check too, you will find it makes a good difference to fuel consumption really notice it on the commute
