A ton of questions from a total n00b

I would suggest you might be the sort of person to wear Doc Martins boots?
If so such a boot or one of the "casual" scooter boots will be fine.
At least it would save a bit of cash as they could be worn as a casual boot as well and you may well have them already?
Apologies if I've misread your previous posts but both my daughters still wear similar lol
As most of your commute will be on city roads speed will not be an issue so full armoured boots shouldn't really be required as you would on a faster machine on open roads.
As long as your ankles are covered.

 

Indeed, I have an old, sturdy pair of Doc Martens, as well as some biker boots, steel cap military ones, New Rock boots... Now that I think of it, I don't really have shoes, just boots So I will be using these for now (and also, because I'm planning to park in a secure parking 6-7 mins walk from work, it would be easier to just wear whatever I'm going to wear during the day for my ride).

 

Exactly the easier you can make the transition from scooter to work the better.
That's partly why a lot of people fit the scooter aprons as well.
You don't have to put on heavy trousers and when parked it covers the scooter seat keeping it dry as well as keeping your lower half warm.
See if you can get a deal on a jacket/helmet when buying a scooter and you're near enough sorted.
Get a jacket with armour fitted i.e elbows/shoulders and back. If you can't get it free you might get a discount.
You'll find that you'll get cold around the neck so a scarf or some sort of dedicated bike one will help.

 

I wear walking boots magnum walking boots, super comfey and super super warm and light but made of leather so will protect my feet quite well and go quite high up the leg so as to protect my ankle from getting cheese grated if i were knocked off. Get a decent jacket with an inner liner and youll be fine as for legs the scooter design of motorcycles naturally protects you from the weather so a a pair of motorcycle trousers is down to you i just wear 2 pairs of trousers when on the scooter in this weather.

Thats doable in the summer if you are willing to sacrifice a bit of personal safety but not really possible in the winter because you'll end up freezing. You can always wear normal trousers and have your normal work clothes under a bike jacket then just stick your helmet and gloves in the luggage box and then swap to your work shoes from a rucksack where you can store your boots till the end of the day.

 

Through person experience steel toe cap boots are not so wise, the steel cools down and makes your toes colder(i have some steely DMs) in winter hiking boots are really good for bike boots
(bear in mind its a lot colder here!)
And layer up, more layers means more heat. Wool is good ( says the vegan!) because its thin but warm

 

J&S clothing are not far from you in Eltham so if there is nothing nearer it's worth a visit (open today) just for the sheer variety and you can try on all sorts of helmets/jackets etc to ensure you get a good fit.
They generally have a good selection of womens sizes.
https://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/stores/eltham

 

Thanks everyone!
Going to test the two bikes I'm torn between on Thursday and I might even ride out on one. They're both used, but with low mileage and in good condition, and the shop has plenty of positive reviews and its location is super convenient. I'll probably bring along a friend who rides, just so they can have a good look at the bikes and spot any issues.

Also, found a jacket I like, but not sure if it's any good. Have any of you ever bought anything from this brand?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Newfacelook-Motorcycle-Motorbike-Waterproof-Protective/dp/B01G22OOT2

 

Can't comment on the make of jacket but I would suggest you go somewhere and try them on rather than buying online. The reviews suggest you order a couple of sizes larger than you normally would??
It's at the cheaper end of the market but as a starter jacket it's fine especially as (I presume) most of your riding will be in slow traffic.
As time goes by with experience you'll find out any problems with your clothing and probably buy better quality if needed. Buy what you like/can afford.
Motorcycle clothing varies greatly in sizing and you sometimes have to allow for warm clothing underneath.
If there is a store near you that sells a lot of biker clothing or that J&S Accessories in Eltham I suggested start there.
You may find some bike places don't keep a lot in stock especially in ladies sizes.
After taking my wife to our local J&S I know how long it can take to find something lol

 

Yeah, plus one on trying the jacket out....

 

Easiest thing with the jacket and trousers is to wear your normal working clothes, then put on an extra jumper, then put the jacket and trousers over the top of them.
I do this with a furry lumber jack top on, nice and thick, put the jacket on and you find the right size rather than guessing it.

 

See the post from "newbie" Annie who is having problems with the CBT you may be able to help??

https://www.scootershack.co.uk/threads/newbie.37615/#post-351341

 

Thanks, guys! I'm going to take your advice and try on any clothing, including gloves (I have small hands and wearing gloves that were too large during my CBT didn't feel great at all.)

I'll have a look at Annie's thread, too.

On another note, how do you guys plan your route? Especially those of you who live in London? Do you take smaller roads, or stick to the main ones? Is there a route planning app that you would recommend? Google Maps is all nice and good, but they only give you a choice between car and bicycle.

 

If I'm going to an area I don't know I use my computer and use AA route planner and click car, it has various settings to exclude M roads which you obviously have to avoid on a CBT and once on the road I use a sat nav although iv never actually got around to using it yet. I usually just drive around aimlessly until I get where I'm going or give up and go home for a cup of tea.
Its lucky my job isn't far from my home because I'm terrible at finding things on the road or even on foot and with London's road system a maze of various one way streets and no entry roads I find it amazing anyone does.
Maybe we will bump into one another one day and one of us will actually know where we are. Google maps should have a setting to exclude some roads you can't go on so just click car and go from there, you will be able to tell if its directing you onto a road you shouldn't be on and can just click alternate route which usually takes you the slightly longwr route on A roads.

 

ive always just looked at a map and sort of memorised it, drove all the way to italy that way in fact....
i used to live in london (many moons ago) and rode on L plates at the time, i dont ever remember having to plan any trips so to speak, i just sort of rode and that was that... (i actually had for a while daily blood tests in whitechapel and i commuted from enfield)

 

Plan a route?
Na, just point and go.
I'm like scuba, I look at a map and somehow end up going in the right direction.
But I do pass roads and sometimes take a detour to see where it goes to.

 

I think adv bikes should be where-does-that-go bikes...

 

AA route planner is quite good as you can alter which way you can go/avoid.
It says on your route to use the Blackwall tunnel but beware on a scooter if you get stuck as the fumes are not nice lol
Only you can decide on a route depending on time of day but remember you can probably use some side streets larger vehicles can't.
Possibly a mix of cycle routes might be worth looking at assuming there are no restrictions on motorised vehicles.
How would you go if you were cycling then modify it to take in, rather than avoid, faster roads.
Best bet is to do a trial run at the weekend and work out some alternative routes if the traffic gets snarled up at certain points.
You will be quicker than a car purely because you can filter but just beware of cars deciding to pull out and turn and not seeing you.
I confess I've never been much good at it as I live in a rural area so don't get much practice.
I presume you can use bus lanes as that will help a lot?
http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp#fromNode=0|London SE28, UK||0.102699|51.501823|toNode=0|London EC1A 7BE, UK||-0.100884|51.516966

 

Thanks, guys! I'll probably avoid Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels - I don't feel comfortable in them in a car, let alone on a scooter. If all goes well and I buy one today (and I really hope I do!), I might do a little test ride tomorrow, just to check out my route to work before Monday.
(Any excuse to ride is good, right? )

Also, today is the day! Going to the bike shop in a few hours

Providing I'll sort out the insurance and VED (also mistakenly known as "road tax") and get the necessary gear, will I be able to drive away on my new set of wheels right away?

 

Yes tax / insurance can be sorted out in minutes online also the dealer will get you to sign the v5 and they will send it on to the DVLA.
I assume if it's over 3 yrs old it will have an MOT ?
Otherwise you can ride it away.
If you are local to the dealer they may deliver it if you are feeling a bit nervous which will allow you to get familiar with it at home and then you can potter about locally and away you go.
If there are some quiet roads or a car park next to the dealer just potter about a bit and practice stops/starts before you set off home.
Ask the dealer to put on some L plates and that's it.
If it's got a screen and/or a top box you are ready to commute.
Good luck