First time of filtering/fileling
 

Did my first attempt/go at filtering through the traffic this morning,scary stuff! :shock:
Had no choice but to as the A45 (dual carrigeway) was not moving/slow moving and i needed to be at work for 9am as i had to open up.
Rant though: Why is the car drivers try and close up the gap ON you!!! :evil: :evil: , few times i had to stop as a car had moved right across just as i was about to pass, do people want to lose wing mirrors. :roll:

Welcome to the club :)

Take it easy at first and don't try and keep up with faster filterers if you don't feel comfortable. You will over time get better at predicting when car drivers are going to move into your path. Until you develop this sixth sense, go slow. If someone is being a **** and clearly intentionally blocking you, filter round to the other side of the traffic and pass that way, even if it means undertaking (so long as it's not past a turning). It's a lot safer in my experience.

No one else uses a bike down the A45 in winter or id tuck in behind them.
Sv coped so well bless her, considering it was all last speed-was a lil bit chuggy, just annoyed me.
And ive jus t noticed ive posted this in the wrong section...dohh Sorry! :oops:

Are you ready for a trip down Soho now then......! :D
(When its a bit warmer though!)

Re: First time of filtering/fileling
 

Because they don't like you getting ahead of them :wink:

I have a simple rule...

1. I have right of way... act like it and most of the time you'll get it.

I'll video my filtering one day, its fun...

I've shamelessly stolen Pigbunk's thoughts on filtering.

Generally, if there's a space big enough for the SV, that space won't be there long!

Quite demanding keeping watching EVERYTHING that you need to though. Due to recent roadworks I've got a LOT more aggressive at filtering, and when it goes right, it's great, but sooner or later when riding hard, it's not going to work out how you (or I) want :(

Only if A)im following you and B)i can keep up with you. :lol: :oops:

People started following me yesterday :) I passed 2 stuck bikes and one very slow filterer, by the time I came off the bypass there were 4 in a row... Actually bothered me a bit, I filter hard when I'm in the mood, and I'm good at it, but it's not something everyone can do, I was always worrying about the guy behind, so I slowed it down a bit. Don't like filtering in company, my gaps are big enough for me, maybe not for the next guy.

For me, the absolute best feeling in biking is hitting the front of a queue, at lights or a junction, at the exact moment that the lights change or the gap appears, and just slipping into the space. So satisfying... The first few times, it's just luck, then you start slowing your proress and timing your arrival, then one day it just flows. Lovely.

Purely by an accident it happened to me yesterday. Feels good even so my pants are ready for a bin as I am bricking it all the time. Strangely enough it feels great - all the tension and concentration required to go past and between cars disappears when you reach the front row of the cages. I am looking forward to being really good at it one day :lol:

You can follow me!....I won't leave you behind! lol.....might get lost though!

I'm not that good at filtering though - sometimes too confident which isn't always good!....then compared to some of the peeps I have followed to Soho in the past I'm probably a bit slow! doh

Ghostriders good for filtering tips :lol: 8)

Re: First time of filtering/fileling
 

pop down to london, i'll show you filtering :D

if the A45 seems bad I would try london roads - i find them a lot more challenging because the shape & direction of the road changes - keeps you on your toes! :shock:

Just take it easy. Look far ahead and make sure you know where you can pull in incase oncoming vehicles or soemthing forces you to stop. I did a little bit of filtering yesterday (first time on SV) and just took it easy, pulling in a few times when there wasnt (what i deemed unsafe) room.

Matt

Matt has a point. No need taking unnecessary risks.

My basic rule about everything to do with the bike is that if I have to think about it, I don't do it.

Your safety margins will shrink with experience, everyone is overly cautious at first, and those that aren't, die pretty quickly :(

Same here :) , didnt help that the weather was AWFUL! visabilty wasnt at all great so i was extra cautious, and like you-i pulled in when i wasnt sure about some gaps (probley could have made it but itd mean someone losing mirrors....and they wouldnt be mine :lol: )

hey hun-we can get tsm to show us/lead.. :lol: :wink:

Im full of super-saftey tips 8)

Matt

err, is that safe

I'd almost agree with that. If you want to make really good progress in heavy traffic you need to be assessing gaps and risks really faster than you can consciously think about it- if you stop and think "That one's shrinking, will I fit", by the time you decide "Yes" it's gone. Hesitating then moving's one of the most dangerous things you can do when filtering, because you're always catching up with your surroundings. And thinking "Agh, should have been in there, I'll get the next one" is terribly dangerous- getting frustrated's probably worse than getting careless. I suppose it's a bit like overtaking on track, though I can't really relate to that too well as I very rarely get to do it :)

Better comparison would be martial arts/boxing/swordfighting- there's a higher level thought process (He's weak on the left, or he always signals a strike with a shoulder move, whatever- strategic) but the actual immediate responses are literally faster than you can consciously think.

But you can't get to the state where you can do the instant evaluation without a lot of experience, so it's a wee bit of a catch 22. I probably did some very stupid things when I was still figuring it out, the fact that I got away with it doesn't really mean much.

Have been easing into filtering this week myself- now I've got my steering working/confidence on the bike sorted, I'm just gently pushing myself into it- as far as I'm concerned, I'm riding a bike- so my journey shouldn't (generally) take as long as it did in the car.

I also know the route well so there are places I know I can do it and places I'm less sure of, so don't. Though in some of those yesterday, it got to the point of "sod it- I'm not waiting here any longer!"- so went around the traffic anyway (still with care) and sorted it.

I have to say, after my off and all that stress, my confidence is really coming on well considering!

Once you've got used to passing vehicles that are moving slower than you (or stopped) and are aware that the gap between said vehicles really is wide enough to fit a bike though, filtering becomes more of an instinct.

My advice, never try and keep up with somone else filtering if you feel uncomfortable with it. Better to arrive late than not at all.

If in doubt, don't. Chance are you've spent too much time thinking about it that the chance has gone anyway.

I don't have a problem with filtering, I do have a problem with bikes that just stop in a filtering space though when there is plenty of room in static traffic for bike progress to me made. I guess its Auntie Doris on her bike as the Microbe is in for a service.

Oh and its top fun :wink:

I had the same concerns about 2 months ago when I first started riding and posted to the forum too.

Basically the biggest thing I got out of my posting was the advice that, even the most experienced riders don't always filter fast and just do what you feel comfortable with. I thought that there was something wrong with my riding as even scooters seemed to pass me - now I know they are just nutters.....

I have been commuting everyday since and have been growing in confidence and would now consider myself quite good at filtering.

Some days I am happy to go faster and it feels good, but other days it just doesn't feel right so I slow down. Whatever speed I filter at I am going quicker than I would be in my car so I don't need to feel the pressure.

As a few of the others have already said, I hate faster filterers behind me and I hate following people (especially at night). You need to be fully aware of what the cars and lorries etc. are doing so worrying about others bikers just isn't needed. I always pull over then start again.

Good luck and do what feels right.

And give them :thumright: :smt006 - they hate you anyway so you may as well be smug :lol:

Was filtering down the bypass behind 2 others when someone obviously didn't like it, saw me coming and pulled over so far that his wheels were over the centre line :evil: The artic in the next lane saw this and pulled over onto the verge to let me by - he got :thumbsup: and the car driver got :smt097 and :lol:

I ***TRY*** not to rise to ijit's blocking me, and back down. Safer that they're in front of me & I'm in control of the situation, rather than them.

However, I will admit I've had my moments :oops: (like filtering past a 4x4 on the back wheel, or banging on windows as I pass etc etc)

Yes... have had to fully exploit the superior performance of my machine on a number of occasions after using what I thought was appropriate sign language :smt097 :toss: or applying boot to bumper when people are being particulary dangerous/stupid/obstructive and they have decided to terminate my contract with extreme prejudice...

There's a lot of advice saying don't follow others filtering, and I see what you mean. However, I think it can help your filtering skills if you follow others with the knowledge that you are making your own decisions and accept that the risk is yours alone. Following a more confident filterer than you can mean you pick up hints on how to do it faster and safer, and also a car that has had one bike go past it is generally more aware that another bike may come past.

In some (and in ten years of riding, including 4 as a london dispatch rider, I find them VERY rare) cases this will make the car driver close the gap, but most times people will let you through.

As for people following me when I filter, unless I know them and know how they ride I let them follow as fast or slow as they like. It simply isn't up to me to decide what level their abilities are at, and as I find being stuck behind a slow filterer quite annoying, I'm sure others do as well.

As has been stated elsewhere in this thread, tho, my filtering speed changes on a daily basis depending on road conditions, traffic speed, how I'm feeling and a miriad of other factors. Never fall into the trap of thinking "I'm a fast filterer, so I have to filter fast". You'll crash.

My filtering also changes with my mood, so watch that... Calm down, don't filter angry (as the Ground-hog says).

just get a looouuuuddd exhaust! although even with one of those some daft woman in a z3 wouldn't let me past the other day. she had loads of room infront of her, traffic was completely jammed, i was only 5m from my turning but made me wait nearly 10 minutes. i was looking at her in the mirror shaking her head at me whilst i was revving and beeeping like mad. what a d1ck. hehe. if i didn't have a pillion on i would have knocked on her window and asked what the **** she was up to

Most ijit's do it because it's a way to get one up on someone else. They can't move, so why should you.

You gave her the response she wanted. Well done ;)

IMO, no idiot on the road is worth rising to (and no, I'm not perfect either).

Risk is that this tempts you into complacency- "He must have heard me". A lot of people won't- a modern execmobile's pretty much hermetically sealed, and you also have music, engine noise, screaming kids, handsfrees... I used to have a twin system that was ridiculously loud, and it actually caused people to panic when I approached- you'd see them look around for the source of the noise, and sometimes wander all over the road while they're distracted.

Not saying it's a bad idea, but don't count on it. Most of the sound goes backwards, and even when it goes forwards it's just another traffic noise.

As said, ride to what you feel comfortable with. Some people will go faster, some will go slower, everyones different.

My riding will depend on the traffic, the weather, the road surface, others around me etc.. I try not to ride any quicker than I could possibly brake.

After being knocked off twice, I now know its MUCH slower than I originally thought. I ride my my finger (or 2) and foot over the brakes at all times whilst filtering.

Another thing to be carefull when you get into town is pedestrians as they can just appear out of no-where.

In time, you'll start to see how car drivers drive, most of the time being able to see that they are going to change lanes before they even realise they are going to do it themselves, but then again you always get the few that just flick lanes... SO be weary at ALL times...

Also, look at the gaps, if a car is to your right and a gap is on the left hand lane, will that car move over???

I see many cars indicating and the bike tries to squeeze through anyway. Gets on my nerves, the car is doingt he right thing and the bike rides silly just to save another 2-3 seconds wait, its not like the bike is going to beat a car through traffic anyway....... :roll: Why risk your life and make other bikers look bad just to save literally a few seconds.....

As an idea, the A2 i ride on is practially doing 5-10mph every day, i try not to do over 25mph ish as if a car cuts accross, I now KNOW I wont' stop in time, even if sometimes i think i can :lol:

Another hint, is it worth muchos injurie just to save a few minutes... :)

I have kind of a newbie question. I was commuting for the first time the other day and after a while going 5-10 miles per hour in some heavy traffic my engine started to overheat. Was it due to a poor use of clutch/throttle or simply because that's how it goes? If so, what should I do in that case, pull over and wait for it to cool?

define overheat?

Overheat as in fan on & roughly 100C+ ??

That's just how it goes in warm (ish) weather & slow moving.

The little red light on the RPM dial reader comes on.