Our wee village (Kirkliston nr Edinburgh) is becoming a bit of a bad joke for commuting at the moment, 20 minutes queuing through village just to then join all the other queues of traffic crawling into the city. Public transport is terrible, only one bus route run by First which is unreliable, slow and overcrowded.
Obviously I cycle when I can, but when I can't (injured, ill or can't be bothered) I'm wondering if a 125cc scooter would be a cheaper more practical option than a second car? Are they as dangerous as my wife seems to think? Is it as easy to filter through queues as it is on a pedal bike?
My wife uses one to get through the city (Leicester) daily. The car hardly moves these days and she does about 4k miles a year on it. we paid a grand for a Yamaha with 100 miles on the clock, £4.50 to fill it and 100mpg, her commute takes 15 mins on the scooter, or 45 mins in the car. It only goes away when it's too cold or icy.
Just don't get anything too fancy or it'll get nicked.
She has however has 2 incidents since starting out, 1 was rear ended at lights, she was fine but scooter wrecked. 2nd, someone changed lanes whilst she was filtering and she went over the bonnet, broken finger and rash.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">^</span><span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Only gonna get worse by the looks of it! (not sure where these houses are planned, over near Conifox perhaps?)</span>
Can't comment with regards to the scooter (never had one), but entirely understand why you'd consider one.
For myself at work - you're talking about an hour round trip in the van just to go Gyle-Kirky-Gyle if a 9am Special Delivery item happens to arrive. Nightmare.
Never had reason to myself, but a very sensible idea IMO. Just go safely - but with cycling experience you’ll be used to smidsy etc.
Yeah, a field between Conifox and the old Turnhouse Road. Opposite the Cala development on Burnshot Road.
The irony is we'll probably try and buy one! Only way we're likely to be able to buy a bigger house while staying in Cheesetown...
Comments above confirm what I thought about practicality, was hoping that cycling street smarts might count for something also.
Apparently 125cc not great on motorway but I only have about 2 miles of it, and it's usually crawling in the morning anyway...
Do you need hundreds of pounds worth of new gear for scootering in foul weather?
An 'Adult 'foot scooter' would actually be a big win - faster and safer than a mechanical thing if not wanting to cycle - remember a cycle is far better on road than a motorbike in town, we all have no protection, but a cycle is smaller. These Adult scooters are very quick in a city...
Sounds like a no brainer Iain, I'd love one to commute, even though traffic isn't an issue at all, 9 miles takes me 12 minutes along the dual carriageway.
I'd like to get one and commute on the country roads on it, as I hate taking the car and it's a really boring cycle.
How far the commute. Could an ebike work for you ?
I think you’ll need a full license to ride in the mway and if you do that you might as well get a 180cc or bigger scoot, small market means they’re often cheaper to buy than 125s (sh anyway).
good idea though, I’d do the same if I didn’t have to do the school run.
Lambretta GP ftw!
Kirkliston? That’s easy ebike range. And an off road route all the way to city pretty much.
motorscooter is expensive and a faff.
I had a new scooter once and costs equalled a used pug 206.
Don't think a 125 anything is m-way legal, dual carriageway is fine if you're happy at 55mph. Commuted 22 miles each way back in the noughties on a Typhoon 125 - cheap and cheerful, quicker than car and saved tons of time when traffic broke. Enjoyment very weather related...
I had a Piaggio Sfere 80cc that had a load of tuning parts on it, used for getting to Rochdale from Rossendale as traffic made it a nightmare. Was great fun but I binned it twice on ice and then someone rammed into me whilst waiting at traffic lights. The end of scootering.
Safer in the fact you can keep up with traffic - more dangerous in that i ride like a knob all the time as it was so much fun.
Any motorcycle over 50cc can be used on a motorway, so long as you have a full licence.
^^^ that is not correct, surely.
Hi Pondo. I KNOW that it is correct. What makes you THINK that it is not correct?
Hi Simon, I was going by the HIGHWAY CODE but you might KNOW BETTER.
Can't see why a scooter is any more dangerous than the bicycle you are already riding. Has proper lights, you are wearing a better helmet and more protective clothing for those times when you get knocked off (and wouldn't they be the same times, i.e. if a car hits you on your bike wouldn't that same driver hit you on the scooter in same place and time?
Not rule 253 then
Rule 253
Prohibited vehicles. Motorways MUST NOT be used by pedestrians, holders of provisional motorcycle or car licences, riders of motorcycles under 50 cc, cyclists, horse riders, certain slow-moving vehicles and those carrying oversized loads (except by special permission), agricultural vehicles, and powered wheelchairs/powered mobility scooters (see Rules 36 to 46 inclusive).
Rule 253
253
Prohibited vehicles. Motorways MUST NOT be used by pedestrians, holders of provisional motorcycle or car licences, riders of motorcycles under 50 cc, cyclists, horse riders, certain slow-moving vehicles
Crikey. Wouldn’t fancy the motorway on a 50cc moped! Can be scary enough in a car...
**** the motorway on a pedder!
Fair enoughski, I was confusing CBT rules with general m-way rules - soz! 🙂 But as Wrighty said - didn't enjoy dual carriageways on my 125, bit dull!
I'm actually in the process of thinking about getting rid of a 600 and reverting to a 125. (Fuel cost being the main reason.)
My current bike is getting a bit long in the tooth and only does 36mpg. Coupled with the fact that my journey to work is only 10 miles with 3 miles being in a 20 zone and the rest being 30mph and a short section of 40mph.
Buying a brand-new 125 would reduce my fuel costs from £20 a week to £5.
Cant decide if its a good idea or not to go backwards in the cc stakes. Stupid idea? What you think?
Yes.
My girlfriend used to do Linlithgow to Leith through kirkliston on a 125, said it was braw
Braw?
I don't think anything would get through traffic quicker than a 125 scoot - downside is, they're not a lot of fun on anything over a 40 limit.
I was being inexact, it's not motorway but dual carriageway, and mostly in a 40 limit anyway.
E-Bike is an interesting idea but since I typically average 25-27km/h on the ride in anyway I'm not sure it would save me any time, although would be easier on sore knees etc I guess...
Buoyed by this thread I thought I would subtly drip feed scooter related chat into conversation with my wife. After the sixth 'subtle' comment she threatened me with divorce if I didn't shut up about scooters 🙁
Time to deploy Plan B, miss baby bathtime a few nights in a row then blame slow buses, if only I had a quicker way to commute etc etc
Buying a scooter to beat the congestion – silly idea?
Of course not coz that is exactly what people do in the far east. The traffic jams over that is several hours everyday so scooter is the best way to get around that.
Braw = brilliant
I'm considering one too. Do you need to get dressed up like a Power Ranger though or does stout boots and waterproof clothing suffice?
Shorts and flip flops have always been fine for me....
The later. or shorts and flipflops, you decide. My wife bought a new helmet though as she felt weird riding her scooter in a £500 Arai helmet (she also has a bike bike licence)
Yup..... Moving back to a 125 from a 600 would still involve me wearing my Shoei lid and Alpinestars boots and leathers.
At the moment, i get a lot of kudos from students when i ride my "big" bike.
Have a feeling they would just take the piss if I turned up to school on a CB125F still dressed as a PowerRanger!!!!!
Having said that, as a rider, you are at exactly the same risk of injury (doesnt matter if it is a 50, 125 or a 1000)
If someone drives into you, isnt it a good idea to be wearing the best kit available?
** BRAW** I like that word. I'm gonna use that on Monday.
I agree, but, women's logic.
Nope..... It's not "Women's logic." It's that "particular" womans logic. My wife doesnt think like that and she is a woman.
Fine.
I commute into and across Manchester on a 113cc scooter. It is great. Mpg is over 115. I wear my old motorbike gear. I use an agu cycling Cape when it is raining, it does a really good job keeping the rain off me. Far better than using the car for the commute. I've been on the M66 late at night on the scooter but typically avoid it!
I've consider an electric scooter for similar journey BUT to me the days when the public transport, ebike etc alternatives really let you down are when its freezing cold, peeing with rain or snowing. Unfortunately they also coincide with the times of the year where it is either dark for your commute or you are heading into low sun. Those are the days when a scooter is going to be least fun/safe. I think that means that from about now to May you'd need to have a reliable fall back plan.