London roads

Ade B · Post by **Ade B** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:11 pm

Following on from another thread, I remember Bike magazine running a feature on best urban roads (highly irresponsible of course) but for those London travellers amongt us - starved of proper roads, which are the best bits of the smoke for bike fun..

My nominations would be:

Elephant and Castle roundabouts (lights permitting)
The bit round the bottom of Clapham common just before Wandsworth
Beulah Hill (nr Crystal Palace) - bit obscure but near my flat..
The exit from Shepherds Bush roundabout onto the link road to the Westway
Turning onto the dual carriageway up the hill on the A1 at Archway/Highgate

There are loads of other bits but these spring to mind as spots with good visibility and reasonable surface where you can get the bike over a bit when the traffic is clear...

Or is it just me that finds these fun..

Ade

timbox2 · Post by **timbox2** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:10 am

Though I now live in the deepest darkest valleys of South Wales, I know the roads you talk about well, I used to live on Church Road by the big TV antenna,yeah Id go with Beulah Hill, Charlie Boorman( Long way Round Fame) reckons he used the big roundabout at Wandsworth to hone his kneedown skills.

my other nomination would be the Morden Bends, leave Morden going towards Worcester Park, my mate once towed me in a Hillman Imp through there at 70,

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:35 am

Jaysus! Now you got the old grey matter working!

White Lion Hill EC4: takes you off Queen Victoria St onto the Blackfriars underpass /Embankment. This is one of those 'Monaco GP' moments....come off Queen Vic St at a fair lick.....90 deg left fast flowing followed by a 90 deg faster right. This is a one way street but has lots of metal walls on either side

have impressed a few of my friends on this one!

Hyde Park Corner onto Park Lane W1: think Julian rather likes this one!
3 lane wide and surfaced with shell grip type stuff. Fast and flowing double left off Hyde Park roundabout and then switchback type flick back onto park lane. Big grin factor when there's not much traffic!

Park lane onto Marble Arch: More of the same....traffic lights permitting.

Either of the exit/entry slips onto the A40 elevated at Royal Oak.

Bishops Bridge Road north bound onto the Harrow Road East bound. Great wide roundabout. Good road suraface where you can easily touch things down!

The new roundabout on the A408 Stockley Road. The cambers are all wrong and the road surface changes through the fast flick roundabout. But there is something exciting about feeling your bike unload and get a bit nervous

Stockley Park Roundabout: Used to be great, but the road surafce has now become extremely worn and shiny. Still good but front can let go without warning!

Bailey.

Ade B · Post by **Ade B** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 2:46 pm

Will look out for these, the White Lion Hill looks interesting although I rarely travel that way..

Good stuff.

Ade

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 3:12 pm

All this talk of old bikes and London made me get the MZ out and take it down to Burwin's (plug!) for an MoT this morning. Had a right good laff whizzing through Town.

As an aside...the old ringtinger passed its MoT no problem, and even started first kick this morning; the engine hadn't been run since 17th Jan this year (ie when the last MoT ran out). Made me feel quite proud it did. So much so I cleaned it.

woofboxer · Post by **woofboxer** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:47 pm

Going round in front of Buckingham Palace from the Mews into Birdcage Walk - early morning before the tourists get up!

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:57 pm

woofboxer wrote:Going round in front of Buckingham Palace from the Mews into Birdcage Walk - early morning before the tourists get up!

Taxis permitting!

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:01 pm

Gromit wrote:All this talk of old bikes and London made me get the MZ out and take it down to Burwin's (plug!) for an MoT this morning. Had a right good laff whizzing through Town.

As an aside...the old ringtinger passed its MoT no problem, and even started first kick this morning; the engine hadn't been run since 17th Jan this year (ie when the last MoT ran out). Made me feel quite proud it did. So much so I cleaned it.

Good stuff Grom! There's a bloke that rides in every morning on a black one of yours from St. Albans area. He rides fast and is 'kin impatient. If I can't outpace him I quickly get out the way! He works in Uxbridge somewhere.

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:10 pm

bigblackfalco wrote:Good stuff Grom! There's a bloke that rides in every morning on a black one of yours from St. Albans area. He rides fast and is 'kin impatient. If I can't outpace him I quickly get out the way! He works in Uxbridge somewhere.

Bailey - think I've seen him around here occasionally. There's also a lass from the Buell UKBeg forum who works around Stockley who owns an ETZ251 (or may be a 250). MZ's are like insects - after the balloon goes up, they'll be the only bikes still running. Friggin' indestructable they are.

And you can't beat the smell of 2T fumes.

winger · Post by **winger** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:24 pm

A sense of smell!! not a luxury that i have nower days!!!

Ade B · Post by **Ade B** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:54 pm

And you can't beat the smell of 2T fumes

Just stand behind my Vespa just after start up on a cold morning...

More than fumes, it producing a convincing smog.

Ade