RAG62

Hello all,


We have a PR visa and are flying out to Brisbane in Jan 2010.
We are planning on living in Mooloolaba. We have read quite a few threads saying that the daily commute to Brisbane from there is not particularly enjoyable due to trafficd volumes and taking approx 2 hrs.

We are therefore planning that Hubby would commute by motorbike thereby avoiding most of the long queues. We are wondering if anyone does this commute by bike and what their experiences are.

Alternatively we could drive to say Narangba and then commute in by train. Anyone else doing this?

Thoughts welcome!

Gill and Richard

bcworld

One thing to consider is the weather - in winter it would probably be great. In summer in the proper gear it could be stifling hot. And, over summer the weather has a habit of turning nasty, sometimes very nasty, right around when it's time to leave work. I've been on the Bruce Highway in rain so heavy you pretty much have to stop (in a car) at that time of day - once it stops you see car after car thats gone off the road and ended up in a ditch! Wouldn't fancy doing that on a bike.

I'll leave it at the weather and not even mention the local drivers!

comet555

How much time are you planning on shaving off by driving a motorbike? The motorbikes I see on the highway make good time be weaving in and out and driving in between stopped cars. Personally I would rather drive safely than get to work earlier, but that's just me.

Hopefully someone can come along and give you more constructive info. My choice would definitely be drive in and take the train, although it would cost more.

RAG62

Thanks for your quck replies.
In reply to comet555 I was thinking that I would save most time at the city end by not having to sit in the queues - ie just drive straight down the middle of the queuing traffic. Perhaps rather naively!
Although I had a scooter when a teenager (many, many moons ago) I have not ridden a bike since but I fancy becoming a regenerated older biker.

bcworld: I had thought about the weather but was more worried about the sun than the rain but I think you're right - torrential downpours have to be considered. Could be a bike stopper.

Anyone doing a car/train combination from Mooloolaba?
Richard

Grayling

Be very very careful about this.

I was nearly wiped out (in a car) the other day, because I was driving down the inner city bypass past a stationary line of traffic, waiting to turn off, when some idiot P plater decided they couldn't be bothered waiting and pulled out into my lane without indicating (or even looking).

This is not an uncommon ocurrence and you will see people switch lane, with no warning, every day in Brisbane.

far safer in a car than on a motorcycle.

This is not a safe place traffic wise.

G

comet555

I've seen it lots myself, enough for me to say you'll never catch me or anyone I love (if I have anything to say about it) driving in between traffic that way.

Besides, the traffic seems to be more moving at a crawl than stationary. It's in that scenario it's really dangerous as people are moving slowly and the bikes go speeding through the centre and don't get noticed until a car cuts in front of them.

Speargun

Although Mooloolaba is nice its very touristy...better to look around the Caloundra area just that bit further south...still excellent beaches and come along way in the last few years - your husband then catch a train from nearby Landsborough or Beerwah into Brissie...its cheap ..will save time and he can always take the bike on very good days...the drivers here drive faster when it rains!

roxyinitalia

hey there, we live in Alex Heads and when my hubby has to commute to the city he takes the bus to Landsborough station (time table linked in with the train schedule) and takes the express train from there into the city. Totally commute time from door to door is 2.5hrs (Alex to Central station). We have a bike too and would never allow him to take the bike on the highway. I prefer the safer, less hasssle way. GL

R.

Mav

Hi
i go from Morayfield to the city center every day rain or shine on my gsxr1000
takes about 40 minutes, or to the port of brisbane over the gateway takes 50 minutes without weavin in and out,did the same thing from kent to london for years too snow or shine,
its not so much the time savings for me,but the free parking and $40.00 a week fuel,i was spending 20 a day parking and 20 a day in fuel till i found a bike i liked
Mav

joeyballantyne

hey guys

i live in caloundra and go to work in brissie on occassions - you could drive from moo'ba landsboro then get train? bike i reckon as other people said would be weavin in and out, and ur up against some of qld's fiercest drivers be careful!

fairwayskid

On a bike are you mad!!!

Wait till you get here and see the driving skills. Its bad enough been in a car i can only imagine what it would be like to be on a bike. They just get in the car and point and dont worry about who else is on the road. I laugh every time i am on the motorway doing 110klms and there are trucks flying by me like i was not there

I have seen about 12 crashes in the last 3 weeks and some have them have been bad. So if your going on a bike forget the leathers get a suit of armour and you will be right.

Paddy

RAG62

Yikes - some are not keen on the idea of biking all the way to Brisbane. Would it therefore be sensible / a reasonable alternative to Bike it from Mooloolaba to Landsborough station, leave the bike there and then train it to the city?

Is it reasonably safe to leave a bike all day at Landsborough? Answering my own Q, I suppose it depends how attractive the bike is to thieves. I wondered if there is reasonably secure parking nearby.

Richard

roxyinitalia

that might work out. My hubby has left his bike at Beerwah station at 2am in the morning when he has car pooled into the city for the night shift. Beerwah I believe is only a few Km's from Landsborough. Leaving your bike at Landsborough shouldn't be a problem.