Blackwall Tunnel & Motorway safety

[Steve-555]

 

• Hoping I don’t get booted out on my first posting, what with being a scooter rider..(!)

 

I’ve spent 15 years commuting in London on two wheels (still makes me smile; still makes it easier getting out of bed). 1 year on a YBR125, another 9 years on Vespa 125s and the last 5 years on Vespa GTS 300s

 

We’re moving out of London, and I’ll be swapping ten miles across London each morning and evening (with a bit of the A12 where ‘keeping up with the traffic’ means 60 sometimes, not that I do that, of course), for about 40 miles in from Kent with some M25, some 70 dual carriageway action and then the Blackwall Tunnel. - very different riding...

 

I’m confused over what to do, and have three questions if that’s ok:

 

1. I’ve driven what my new commute will be, and there are next to no bikes on the outside London bit. How come? Should I just be driving? (I’d need a ‘cheap to run’ little car, and it’ll be depressing – the car and the journey)

 

2. I wonder whether one of those MP3 two front wheel things would significantly reduce the risk of losing the front end (I’ve never come off so far, but am not used to sustained motorway speed) – I’ve got an Automatic A2 license.

 

3. Finally - and this is aimed at anyone doing the Blackwall Tunnel regularly – Should I be looking for something relatively thin for filtering there? (I often filter on the A12 tunnel approach, but the lanes aren’t narrow and my Vespa’s fairly thin)

 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice. (I don’t know what to do!)

 

Steve

[Joe85]

37 minutes ago, Steve-555 said:

 

• Hoping I don’t get booted out on my first posting, what with being a scooter rider..(!)

 

I’ve spent 15 years commuting in London on two wheels (still makes me smile; still makes it easier getting out of bed). 1 year on a YBR125, another 9 years on Vespa 125s and the last 5 years on Vespa GTS 300s

 

We’re moving out of London, and I’ll be swapping ten miles across London each morning and evening (with a bit of the A12 where ‘keeping up with the traffic’ means 60 sometimes, not that I do that, of course), for about 40 miles in from Kent with some M25, some 70 dual carriageway action and then the Blackwall Tunnel. - very different riding...

 

I’m confused over what to do, and have three questions if that’s ok:

 

1. I’ve driven what my new commute will be, and there are next to no bikes on the outside London bit. How come? Should I just be driving? (I’d need a ‘cheap to run’ little car, and it’ll be depressing – the car and the journey)

 

2. I wonder whether one of those MP3 two front wheel things would significantly reduce the risk of losing the front end (I’ve never come off so far, but am not used to sustained motorway speed) – I’ve got an Automatic A2 license.

 

3. Finally - and this is aimed at anyone doing the Blackwall Tunnel regularly – Should I be looking for something relatively thin for filtering there? (I often filter on the A12 tunnel approach, but the lanes aren’t narrow and my Vespa’s fairly thin)

 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice. (I don’t know what to do!)

 

Steve

Much to my ire, I often get stuck filtering at the Blackwall behind some turd on a GS fully laden with 5000 litre panniers, so feel I can offer some useful perspective here.

 

Conventional bikes filter just fine, however as the 3 lanes begin to converge down to 2, the lanes get narrower and filtering becomes a bit trickier. Sometimes you can sail through, others you have to wait for either a gap in the cars or for someone to notice you and make an effort to squeeze over for you to pass through.

 

Either way, take your time, and filter at a sensible speed. The mouth of Blackwall (Northbound) is notorious for impatient drivers changing lanes without looking and without any concern for filter motorcyclists.

 

Good luck. 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Joe85

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Bikes are more stable at higher speeds because the wheels act as centrifuges. So if you're worried about losing the front end on a motorway I think you will find that isn't an issue. You are more likely to lose it at low speed in the city.

[TimR]

Check the line markings for tunnel ... if solid you can't legally filter ... plus it aint that wide in there ! 

[Gerontious]

5 hours ago, TimR said:

Check the line markings for tunnel ... if solid you can't legally filter ... plus it aint that wide in there ! 

 

That was my first thought too.. Im not entirely sure its either legal or safe to ever filter inside of a lengthy road tunnel. Ive only used the BW tunnel once mind. a long time ago. But, Ive never come across a road tunnel where this is allowed.

 

Streetview shows a single solid line for the south/north and double solid for the north/south.

[Fish]

Solid lines or not it doesn't stop the impatient from pushing their way through the traffic. This was one of the main reasons the southbound tunnel stopped being used either way due to the amount of bikers not making it to the other end.

[Joe85]

I mean there’s patient, and there’s sitting at the mouth of a tunnel for 45 minutes, twice a day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TimR]

 

 

 

Also look up in the north bore 

 

As a hgv driver you are restricted to the left lane due to height restrictions ..

 

Look up and you will see some large metal poles swinging above the right hand lane and that first left bend is a C*nt as you need to go a bit wide but

A . Other road users tend to cut the corner 

And B. Go to far you bounce the roof of your wagon 

 

But not go wide well the wall shows the scars ..

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by TimR