Noob help with traffic and routes from City to Papakura

[notonmywatch]

What times are you travelling?

If I leave work before 6pm (and sometimes after) I'll take Dominion Road to SH20. There's a lot less traffic on Dominion than Gillies Ave. etc. and you've got bus lanes as well (even after hours they're mostly empty).

I usually leave home (Tuakau) after 9am and find the reverse of the above is often useful.

Thanks I usually head out between 7:30-8am and leave work around 5:30pm.

I do enjoy the SH20 as an alternative as is pretty stress free after a long day at work and I can just listen to radio in my helmet. Will try out Dominion Road too thanks.

[notonmywatch]

I find Gillies to be a nightmare of traffic lights and dithering drivers changing lanes, so I usually stay on the MWay until Market Road (the inside lane flows pretty well around to there over the viaduct) and then it's a pretty empty cut across to Manukau Rd.

In the long run, you're probably best off getting your lane-splitting skills and confidence up.

Thanks for that will try that too. Lane-splitting skills could def do with improve same with confidence.

[notonmywatch]

I commute from Alfriston (near Manukau) every day to Auckland. I jump on at Manukau then split most of the time then entire way.

Takes me around 40 minutes on average. Beats a 1h 30m train any day.

I'm assuming your scooter can go 100kph? If so, then just take the motorway. In the three years I've been riding this same route I've never had anything that close at all. You just have to be smart and ultra aware of how drivers can potentially react. A buddy of mine had the same experience commuting from Papakura to Mt Wellington but was eventually taken on by someone doing a u-turn on the onramp, not on the motorway itself.

Keep your speed between 30-40kph when splitting through traffic and then merge in with everyone else once things speed up past this. If your scooter is wide and you feel like you make be holding others up just make sure to keep an eye on your mirrors and let other faster riders through.

I've seen people on massive cruisers split past me and disappear out of sight so I don't see why you'd have a problem.

Yeah scooter does 100 fine. I've started to read gaps in traffic as the traffic opens up and closes. There is always a driver who want to snatch an opportunity to switch lanes to catch the best flow.

My scooter is a little wider than your average sports bike but I guess its just a matter of getting used to my distances. I remember after after I learnt to drive a Truck and got my HT license, after going back to a car I was really shocked at how much space there is between you and the car next to you.

I usually split traffic at 60km max, but let through a lot of sports bikers doing a lot faster. Cheers

[Akzle]

I usually split traffic at 60km max, but let through a lot of sports bikers doing a lot faster. Cheers

follow them. not so much on their ass as you're annoying them or couldn't stop,
but not so far that drivers will have forgotten a motorcycle going past their window.

[swbarnett]

My scooter is a little wider than your average sports bike but I guess its just a matter of getting used to my distances.

Yeah, I meant to mention that I have panniers on my bike so not the narrowest in the rear. It is still narrower than my handlebars though. Any gap that I can get through with the handlebars the panniers will fit. Especially as the gap for the handlebars usually includes car mirrors and the panniers are below the mirrors.

[thehovel]

Gidday folks,

I've a new member to the site. Currently on my learners and have been doing a fairly moderate commute from Home (Papakura) to Work (City).

Just wondering if anyone who does a similar trek has any experience on best routes in rush hour traffic. I have no problem filtering through traffic but my bike (Scooter) is fairly wide and I don't usually go faster than 60kph.

At times instead of crawling down the Southern Motorway home on a bad traffic day I take the Gillies Ave offramp and then make my way over to Highway 20. I don't really find this much quicker, it's just much calmer with less traffic and less stress.

Does anyone have any similar experiences/insights.

Thanks again.

I commuted from Beachhaven and MtWellington for 18 or19yrs. Glide time is your best friend. I had to be on the m/way by 6;15am and 3;35pm all overtime was done before normal time. 3;00am starts are a bit daunting but you get off before the m/way turns to shit in the afternoon. The bike I most liked was a BMW k75, skinny bars and light.

[haydes55]

This thread is just highlighting how good Hamilton is...... That sounds so sad.

[swbarnett]

This thread is just highlighting how good Hamilton is...... That sounds so sad.

Just wait. With so many Aucklanders moving down there it's only a matter of time. I wonder if Hamilton will ever be considered a suburb?

[mhm]

i do from north waikato to otahuhu all year round & i'm probably one of the faster sports bikes people mention. def stay with the bike as it is the quickest. your confidence will grow as will your ability to read traffic and judge the gaps

[Akzle]

This thread is just highlighting how good Hamilton is...... That sounds so sad.

no. it really isn't.

Just wait. With so many Aucklanders moving down there it's only a matter of time. I wonder if Hamilton will ever be considered a suburb?

i'd love to say it is, but hamilton is it's own special shit hole.
(bombay's is still the cutoff)

[kiwi-on-wheels]

i'd love to say it is, but hamilton is it's own special shit hole.
(bombay's is still the cutoff)

This... oh sweet jebus this... :-P

[notonmywatch]

This thread is just highlighting how good Hamilton is...... That sounds so sad.

I completely lost it reading this LOL.

[notonmywatch]

follow them. not so much on their ass as you're annoying them or couldn't stop,
but not so far that drivers will have forgotten a motorcycle going past their window.

It seems a little fast for my liking to be honest. Traffic crawling at 20km, bikes sometimes filtering as fast at 80km. I'm not that brave.

[Akzle]

It seems a little fast for my liking to be honest. Traffic crawling at 20km, bikes sometimes filtering as fast at 80km. I'm not that brave.

sounds like you need to blow the sand out of your vagina, put your big girl undies on and get some l33t 5ki117 yo.

[f2dz]

This thread is just highlighting how good Hamilton is...... That sounds so sad.

A little traffic before and after work is heaven compared to Hamilton.

It seems a little fast for my liking to be honest. Traffic crawling at 20km, bikes sometimes filtering as fast at 80km. I'm not that brave.

80km through 20km traffic is stupid - just asking to be cleaned up. As a general rule I try to stick between 40-50kph. Going faster just lessens the time you have to react to the movement of cars.