So, I know of a job opening in Phoenix. If I put in for it, I don't know whether I'd get it or not, but I think I have a pretty decent shot because of my background. I've lived in the southern AZ desert before, so I'm familiar with the climate. I am curious about riding in traffic there, though. I can ride to work and back where I live now and generally not feel like I'm risking my life, but the traffic here is truly nothing compared to any large city.

So, I'm wondering: Any Phoenicians out there commute to work on their CBR (or any m/c)? How is it? Or is this a plain and simple "don't do it!" scenario? Thanks for any input.

 

Guess nobody in Phx is 'dumb' enough to commute!

 

Not from the valley, I live a few hours north but I've spent a lot of time down there in both cages and bikes.

Rush hours in the morning and afternoon are a pain in the *** if you have to take a highway to commute. Phx's highways were planned 10 years ago and can't accommodate the traffic today. Also, being stuck in stop and go traffic in the 100+ degree heat is killer. Literally. People cook themselves and then crash from the distraction caused by heat exhaustion or dehydration.

If your work schedule would allow you to start/end a few hours earlier/later it's normally not horrible, but expect a lot of idiots in muscle cars/imports/literbikes to bug you for races on a semi-regular basis. I tend to get a challenge about once a week when I'm down there on the bike.

Good luck with the job, my recommendation is to get a cheap cage with good AC for the 5 hot-as-***** summer months and enjoy the really nice weather the other 7 months.

 

Thanks, comodidit. I have discovered that this job would have a somewhat offset schedule, so hopefully that would address some of the traffic. Still kinda sounds like it'd turn the bike into a toy rather than a commuting tool. I lived in Phoenix ~12-15 years ago, and though I won't say the current freeway situation is ideal, it's light years ahead of where it was when I lived there. They haven't decided what to do re: that job yet, so I get to kinda think about it some more.

 

Got an offer on that Phoenix job. Looks like, given the places I'm willing to live in that area, it'd be roughly a 40 mile one-way commute. I'm going to start a thread about high-temp commuting gear.

 

I commute from far East Mesa all the way to 19th ave. and I-10 almost everyday.

 

im in north phoenix, 101 7th ave(roughly) i work abotu 2 miles away, straight shor tup 101 to cavecreek. sometimes i have to go to middle phoenix for my job, i find it pretty easy to negotiate traffic. then again the 51, 17, 101 now have HOV lanes, so its just gonna make it easier.

word to those of you riding out on the weekends, AZ DOT made a public announcement that they will now be patrolling highways/freeways(no mention of interstates)on the weekends until september.

 

ADOT...as in DPS is patrolling?

 

Did ADOT/DPS simply close every weekend previously? I guess i don't understand what was being announced.

 

it was widely known that dps and the Dot in arizona did not run on weekends except on holiday weekends. but now that the state is "broker than broke" (suposedly) they are now having more enforcement on the highways and freeways. jsut the other day from 7th ave to cave cavecreek on the 101 there were 11 cruisers and 4 bikes spaced out tucked away in the future hov lane jsut waiting.

and believe me they are gettign people for what ever they can. buddy of mine got a ticket for his running lights not being on during the day. hes gonna try to fight it. but still.