anyone else not bothered about non stop filtering?

When I was commuting between Bedford and Slough every day filtering was an essential part of riding. Traffic on the M1, M25 and M4 was at a standstill almost from the time I hit the motorway until I got off it, so without filtering I'd have got nowhere. After a while your speed picks up and you start flying between the cars at normal motorway speeds even though they are stopped and there's maybe a 4 foot gap between the doors.

What bugs me about filtering in rush hour is the hordes of "go nowhere adventurous" BMW GS riders in their BMW Dakar style textiles and Schuberth lids going into London - none of them use the huge alloy panniers that are built to traverse Africa, but they're always fitted - as a consequence they can't get through the gaps. That doesn't stop them from blocking every available route through the cars for other bikes though, and they really take offence when four letter expletives are thrown their way as they're told to eff off out of the way to make room for people who can ride a decent bike properly. The BMW GS... the biking equivalent of the Chelsea Tractor Range Rover, complete with clueless pilot.

[muzikill]

Filtering is rare in scotland traffic tbh but I make a point not to filter across the forth road bridge having witnessed many a crash and near miss. I actually find cars give more of a wide berth in the expectation of me making a sudden move in front of them. Better that than them doing something stupid in front of me and filtering during rush hour across that bridge would raise the chances of that more.

[andrewsmith]

I filter most days as its dual carriageway for the 5 miles in.
My speed through stationary is 20-30 mph (dictated by the rider in front) and upto 40 in moving. Above 40 back into the traffic flow.

I have filtered on the m6 around Liverpool and Manc at about 50 when the Liverpool suburbs (North Wales) have went to the football. Somedays, I do go "ah f*** it!!" and sit in the chains of traffic.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

What bugs me about filtering in rush hour is the hordes of "go nowhere adventurous" BMW GS riders in their BMW Dakar style textiles and Schuberth lids going into London - none of them use the huge alloy panniers that are built to traverse Africa, but they're always fitted - as a consequence they can't get through the gaps. That doesn't stop them from blocking every available route through the cars for other bikes though, and they really take offence when four letter expletives are thrown their way as they're told to eff off out of the way to make room for people who can ride a decent bike properly. The BMW GS... the biking equivalent of the Chelsea Tractor Range Rover, complete with clueless pilot.

But I agree with a few on the scooter nutters and make sure I'm well ahead or well behind them, and those BMW Smugmoblies with panniers *sniggers*

[Sir Trev]

Agy, your mate is an idiot. Ride how YOU want to and not to someone else's alleged standard.

I love fitering - when a car cuts me up I sail past him in the queue a short way ahead. Always watch out for lane switchers, bikers coming up behind(and towards you!) and numpty pedestrians dashing across without looking. With these things in mind, filtering is a biking sport and makes town riding almost enjoyable. When I get in front of a car and stop I make sure he knows I'm there and pull slightly across if I can to block him from trying to take me out. If in doubt I hold back and rarely go between 2 high sided vehicles with little room. Filter within your capabilities but one thing's for sure, there more you do, the better you get. Once saw a nice video called 'Counting Cars' . Filtering - one of biking's true pleasures. Those that choose not to - well that's up to them but to my mind if you don't filter, may as well take the car. One end of town to the other for me 1/2 hour in the car - 10 mins on the bike

bit like what Lozzo said about commuting, when im commuting i use the m1 and will happily filter at 50mph or above, ill also move in and out of any traffic doing under 70mph on the mway , but hey i'm impatient

on single lane road's ill filter at say 20mph at most if there's oncoming traffic but if the oncoming is empty then ill get a move on usually up to 50ish

also usually dictate my speed dependent on the size of the road and gap ect

m25 is mad though the speed that bikes filter down there is shocking i have seen bike weaving in and out of cars at well over 90mph

[widepants]

Originally Posted by BanannaMan

Oooo !!!
I love filtering!!!

It's bloody illegal here though.

I thought you didnt have dedicated overtake lanes over there and just stuck in the lane you were in on the freeway.Wouldnt that be a bit like filtering without being accused of undertaking?Simply swop lanes and away you go

Normal roads I won't filter if the traffic is moving at over about 10 mile an hour and very rarely move to the front of the queue UNLESS I am on my commute into London and then will move to the front of queues while in London.

On motorways I tend to play it by ear... Ill quite happily filter in moving traffic up to about 80mph most days but then that is only slightly over what most drivers are doing anyway. I won't filter if I am not 100% about it and will wait for a better gap to present itself. Stationary traffic I wont go over about 20mph, Anything that would mean I would be unable to stop if a car 3 lengths ahead pulled out on me.

I suspect that those speeds are mostly due to over confidence on my part having only passed around 2 weeks a go though and I will calm down with time.

[dizzyblonde]

Practically did 100 miles of filtering last Friday, and if I hadnt have done it, I may have only just got there now to meet my mate!
I do it if and when the mood suits, can take it or leave it. When I first learnt to ride, I wouldn't do it at all. I've now got a bike with cow horns as handlebars, and can squeeze it through the same gap as a 125, . Peg has no problem squeezing the Z through either, and some have tried to follow and failed.

It's all about how one would perceive to be a safe manoeuvre, at a given speed etc. If you don't feel right, don't do it, simple as that really.

I always filter through the traffic, just got to remember to watch out for the idiots in cages that move over to try and stop you