Things have been a little busy recently - finding a new job and more. So I've not found time or inspiration to write much on here. While I was walking back from work today I got to thinking about one of the alternative options for making the journey... namely motorbike.
Living in Chelmsford (Essex) and now working in Oxford Circus (Central London) I've opted to introduce 8 miles of walking in to my working day. The biggest walk being the 45 minutes between Liverpool Street Station and Oxford Street. With a train in the middle. And a walk from home to Chelmsford Station to boot. It takes quite a while. How long it will last I do not know.
A simpler alternative would be to get back on a motorbike. A rattle down the A12 and then battling the urban streets.
The problem is that I recently sold my motorbike after coming off last year in London when commuting to one of my client sites. I had done the journey many times and had become somewhat used to it. Someone pulled out in front of me from behind a station vehicle in queueing traffic and I was knocked off at less than 15 miles an hour. Still managed to dislocate my shoulder and fracture my humerus in four places though!
I had been motorcycling for two years by that point so was certainly comfortable with my machine (a Honda TransAlp XL650V for those who are interested).
The problem is that as soon as you take a motorbike in to a busy urban environment full of commuters you raise the level of risk enormously. To fully take advantage of your mode of transport you need to duck, dive, filter, overtake and generally 'zip' about. It is possible to do all of this safely as long as you concentrate on what you're doing and look / plan ahead.
What you cannot plan for is what the other vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians do around you. My accident happened because the van driver I was filtering past had flashed the driver who knocked in to me to tell them to pull out of a junction in front of him. What he had not done is check in his mirrors for motorcycles or other overtaking vehicles. As it transpired the lady who hit me had only recently passed her test (3 months I think she said) and so had assumed all would be clear and had literally spurted out in front of me. I remember grabbing a handful of brake (no ABS), feeling the back wheel lock, the bike swerve and then reaching my arms out in front of me to try and stop the pavement looming. There was no damage to her car or anybody else at all. Just me and my bike.
I get really annoyed now when I see scooter and motorcycle riders with inadequate clothing or footwear. I had the proper gear on and still managed to injure myself pretty badly.
Some might say that you can ride a motorbike without filtering and then you will be perfectly safe. I disagree. In fact I hear quite a lot of stories of motorcyclists who have braked to a stop but had the vehicle following them not stop in time and thus crash in to the back of them. Potentially fatal.
And I've not even looked at the danger of riding a motorbike at speed on a fast A road or motorway. If an engine ceases or a tyre blows at that speed I dread to think of what the consequences can be. I generally feel riding on these fast roads feels safer in terms of dangers from other drivers. It's just the mechanical failures that I dread then.
I loved riding my motorbike when I had it. Alas I'm sorry to say I can't see me getting back on one anytime soon. The risks, in all motoring environments, are just too high. Especially when doing it daily on a commute.
Good luck to all those bikers who do manage to stay with it. Ride safe!
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