Is it just me.

I cant believe i'm saying this but i'm just not enjoying riding in the UK any more. Virtually all my trips over the last few years have been blighted by constant traffic and near misses due to useless car drivers.

I've been riding since 16 and never felt so dissatisfied and frustrated. I'm in the south east which doesn't help but roads that I used to race my mate on are now gridlocked most of the time.

It's only the fact that I cant bare to be without a bike that keeps me going. Shocking I know but i'm just being honest with myself.

Is it just me or do I need a talking to?

in the South East? So am I. The traffic is appalling down here. I'm looking for houses in Wales. Much betterer.

Move to an area with open roads and few people. Move to another country. Get a trail bike and go green laning.

Plenty of options...

I'm hearing you. Prior to covid I was visiting SE England annually and never had the slightest desire to ride there. Never even felt jealous when seeing bikes on the road, but sort of had respect for the mad bastards braving that horrendous traffic. No fun.

My brother lives in Seaford. It's a complete zoo in the south of the UK. Basically, if you draw a line from the Bristol Channel to the Wash anywhere below that like is a stinking wen full of angry people hating each other. Something like 70% of the population of the UK live below that line. No wonder they're like rats in a cage!

Once you get north of Birmingham things start improving a lot. Once you're up in Northumbria and the border country it begins to get magnificent. Scotland is superb and Northern Ireland is sublime, as is Eire. If for some reason I had to move back to Europe I think either the Republic of Ireland or Portugal would be my 'Go To' places. The west coast of Ireland has an amazing, gaunt, melancholy that always affects me deeply.

Why there is that big divide between north and south in the UK I can't fathom? It's not like it's a big country but since, well, just about all of my lifetime, there has been this ridiculous thing of if you move to somewhere where there might be a job, (The south.) you can't afford to rent or buy anywhere to live and if you live somewhere affordable, (The north.) there aren't any jobs! It's barmy!

Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of things I really like about the land of my birth but wild horses wouldn't drag me back there to live!

Riding in the South would be pretty awful. Dangerous and slow! The north and Scotland, probably Wales as well? That's another matter.

there are bits of the South which remain good to ride in. the Cotswolds, for one.

Thanks for all the comments guys. I live just down the road from Seaford near Pete's brother so I can relate to the comments. Turns out it's not just me which is a relief, I thought I was starting to lose it a bit.
The only thing that's keeping me here is the youngest of my 4 daughters at college and some quality fishing but TBH I don't think I can do it for too many more years. I think doing the 'off' is very much on the cards.

Have a good weekend all.

I can understand your frustration and your comments make me appreciate what I have all the more.
although the roads in my immediate area are not the most challenging, they are relatively free from traffic and thoroughly enjoyable.
as Tony said, there are still places in the world without gridlock - find them and ride all you can
good luck

I dragged the family North (from Oxford area) in 1996 for exactly same reasons. Up here I can cycle and motorcycle on quiet roads anytime & can still find plenty of roads to enjoy & tune my filtering skills if I want.

Well there are good roads within 5 miles of central Bristol.
But the lack of billiard-table-smooth and emtpy roads is part of why i have given up 600 fours and "super nakeds" - you need mostly perfect and empty roads for those.

Also when i started doing big miles I had a 20 year old 17hp single with 1950s suspension - the roads were clear enough for me.

On the Superduke and Monster 1200s - they weren't!
but i was going 10-50 mph faster at all times.
So i had bought a bike that outperformed the roads

That i why i am trading down - the Guzzi is more flexible in every way (apart from the gearchange) and more enjoyable at the speed of our roads.

I believe the population inside the M25 on a weekday exceeds that of Australia.

just sayin'

anyways, I'm riding into east Sussex today. For fun.

I know a couple of nice pubs down that way.

Live in the South West, Plymouth this side of Cornwall, plenty of decent roads the odd set of countryside average speed cameras wtf.
Otherwise it's all good here, too much plod and death riding in wales, lots killed on motorcycles. Scotland is beautiful even if everywhere is shut after 7pm
Traffic am an ex London motorcycle dispatch rider, traffic is stationary, unless it purposely veered into my path I dont notice it's there
Pass everything ignore double white lines overtake wherever it suits you unless plod is about, filter filter filter, use bus lanes in the city your allowed

I agree, riding in the UK is pretty horrendous these days. Around my way in Wales it's Caravans or tractors. Tractors usually pull over once in a while but the caravanners just keep going, oblivious to the mile long tailback they're causing, though they're generally good roads they get clogged up quick.
Sometimes it makes for some nice overtaking opportunities, other times it's highly annoying in the twisties when my wrists start to ache.
I keep remembering the happy days of the eighties when there was maybe 2 cars max per household, now everyone has one.