WeeJohnyB sets new WORLD RECORD

[WeeJohnyB]

My daily commute to work is a bit of a drag, so I get to thinking of different things along the way.....like, I wonder if I can make it all the way to work without putting my foot down?

Let the challenge commence:

The challenge rules are basically that you have to do a regular journey and it must be through a town/city centre during rush hour, eg mine is from St Albans to central London. The challenge is.....how many times do you absolutely have to put your foot down?

The measure is the number of times you put your foot down, divided by the number of traffic lights. Only traffic lights count, so excluded are traffic islands, roundabouts, give ways, T junctions and zebra crossings....only lights where you are bound to stop under the law count. So, count the number of traffic lights on your journey - an amazing 96 in my case, then see how many times you have to touch down. It makes the journey fly by, improves your anticiation, hazard awareness and your slow speed riding. Touching down whilst filtering, at junctions, roundabouts etc all count in your touch downs, but the denominator is always the number of lights.

Tuesday 18/96 - 19.8%
Wednesday 12/96 - 12.5%
TODAY - and the new official world record - 9/96 - 9.4%

So, 9.4% is the standard set.........come and have a go if you think you're hard enough:lol:

This is loads of fun and if you could see me balancing at zero mph at the lights with my front wheel going from side to side, the bike one way and me the other, you'd laugh your nuts off. Other riders must think I'm completely barking.

WeeJohnyB
World Champion Bike Balancer

[Edited on 7-10-2004 by WeeJohnyB]

[Felix]

Well, at least it should help your trial riding to no end!:lol:

[skidlids]

If i were you I would stick with that Avatar WJB it really does suit you.

[kwikbitch]

WJB....? You alright????:puzzled:
I'm feeling a bit peturbed that the injuries you ACTUALLY recieved from your off are now beginning to take affect!
:o:P;)

(:rodent:OMIGOD Lisa you are correcting your own grammar now...sigh!)

[Edited on 7-10-2004 by kwikbitch]

[NBs996]

oh dear, seems like it's time to consider changing my favourite TD instructor for a sane one!

Have to admit tho, I used to do this on my commute from portsmouth to woking... can't remember how many lights there were, prob no more than 20, and I did the whole lot with zero foot-down incidents just once in 3 years. Seems like I can't claim the record tho cos there was one light which errr wasn't quite green :o

[Loz]

I often play this kind of game on my way to work, but never really kept score. It's great fun! I'll see what I come up with tomorrow.

Only slightly related ... I once rode home on my MZ in a howling blizzard - about a 10 mile journey, I think, visibility about 10 yards max - without once touching the brakes (except to stop at the end of the journey). Now that was fun!

[Iconic944ss]

For Ducati's of course - the real test is to last a whole year of motorcycling without breaking down :lol:

Sorry - I just couldnt resist !

Frantic Franko

[yeti]

I'm usually quite happy if I can stop my arse going down the state of the roads round our way!

[dickieducati]

wjb.........................you really do need to get out more.;)

[NBs996]

nah dickie, I don't hink they should let him out quite so often!

[BDG]

Nice one WJB,

Has anyone tried doing a cross country ride without using your brakes (i know it sounds a bit like a California Superbike School drill).

It does wonders for forward planning and observation. My favourite is Ashbourne to Buxton.

[WeeJohnyB]

I lived in Ashbourne for 4 years, know the road well....no traffic lights though:puzzled:

Thanks for the idea though, tomorrow it's no brakes time.....let's see how far I get, (before the gearbox goes:lol:)

No takers on the challenge then?

WeeJohnyB:devil:

[BDG]

WJB

talking of traffic lights when despatching in London one of the old hands at the time bet me i couldn't get from one side of the city to the other without going through less than 6 sets of traffic lights.

Game for a bet i thought i'd give it a go and tried every possible route for the next week and sure enough i couldn't.

Once the bet was agreed he said to follow him and count the lights. Clever git had sussed out an underground car park with entrances on 2 sides of the road that missed out a set of lights. Bikes could just ride round the barriers and i was £20 the poorer:flame:

You're right about the no lights on the Ashbourne Buxton road but its a good one to practice throtle control/no braking as it flows with plenty of bends but no villages.

[Rally]

I admit that I have played the 'lets see if I can do the journey without putting a foot down' game on my commute. In 8 years of travelling between my home in Staines and work in the West End, which includes I guess 25 sets of lights, I hadn't achieved it until this year when I did it twice in one week. Both times were about 2am after a long day at work mind, so creeping up on red lights wasn't a problem.

It's actually a good exercise IMHO...