Motorway Madness
 

Hi All.

Sadly I have not ridden my bike all week as I have been on a training course in Southampton. The company I work for have provided a car for the journey. Usually my ride to work involves country lanes and the A27. This week I have had to risk my life because of idiots on the M27. Each morning I have joined the M27 at junction 11 and followed it to junction 3 (M271). Around junctions 7 and then 5 to 4 the traffic gets very heavy and tends to stop and start, sometimes very quickly. This morning as most mornings the traffic got going again and reached about 65. I was in the outside lane with cars, vans and lorrys to the left and a rows of vehicles in front as far as you could see. Why then did I have some prat inches from my bumper, another behind him and another and another. Yes I wanted to go faster too, but I couldn't because of the sheer volume of traffic. Having left a safe gap myself sure enough the traffic came to a halt again very quickly. Luckily the car behind me had noticed and had slowed, the M27 behind him then dissapeared in plumes of tyre smoke as the short sighted ****s struggled to stop in time. Luckily this time no cars hit each other. Once we got going again these short sighted ****s were at it again, inches away from each other and sure enough the traffic stopped again with the same result. When will these ****s learn that when the motorway is that busy there is no way in this world that they are going to get in front and do 90 to 100 mph as there is always another vehicle in front no matter how many drivers you try and bully out the way. I have now made my 4th daily round-trip at rush hour and seen this every day several times. When will people learn to leave a safe distance.

I hate motorways on my bike, how do you regular motorway bike commuters cope with it?

Tim

Re: Motorway Madness
 

I avoid motorays at all costs but when I have to use them I try to be as defensive as possible in my riding. There's always a fanny in a bmw, clio, focus, saxo etc trying to crawl up my ****

If I get that, I'll either try and get some cars between me and them, or I'll drop back a bit... There's always another one though.

I commute on the M40 which I have to say is fast and clear usually, so I can't really comment.

Here's the reverse scenario.

I was driving in my car down to Binley the other day and, whilst the M6 motorway was busy with all three lanes not far off nose to tail :roll: , it was moving along briskly (I was in the centre lane doing about 70mph).

Next thing a guy on a bike goes whizzing by filtering between the second and third lanes.

Now I filter when the opportunity arises but not those sort of speeds. Just crazy and gives us all a bad name if you ask me :evil:

I travel M27 J7 to J5 every day.

If the traffic is doing less than 60 mph (which it often) is I will filter and undertake where I consider it safe to do so. Both CAN be very dangersous manoevures if you get it wrong though.

When filtering in heavy traffic on the motorway, I always switch to main beam, and cover the brakes and clutch - having loud cans does help :twisted:

I usually try and leave a decent gap between me and the car in front, and have an escape route planned - if necessary, up between lanes 2 & 3.

The best advice I can give is to be constantly looking a long way ahead to see if there are lots of brake lights ahead - if so, prepare to slow down sooner rather than later, and use hazard lights if it looks as though it is all coming to a complete stop to ensure that the knob behind knows what is going on.

****s who insist on tailgating me will usually get a couple of seconds of my cans at 10500 rpm to let them know they are ****ing me off - I will also touch the brake lever just enough for the brake lights to come on, without actually slowing down . If that doesn't work, I look for a gap to put some distance between me and them.

Re: Motorway Madness
 

I'm in a car for work again now, but when i'm riding i undertake, overtake and do just about anything to get out the bloody way of idiots like this, in the car it's so frustrating.

especially when you end up trying to defend the safety gap you've left yourself from people trying to push in

Re: Motorway Madness
 

Not a regular m/way commuter but have done my fair share on a bike. I do feel more vulnerable to tailgaiting on the bike...... coz I am.

In the circumstances you describe I either pull in a lane and let 'em go (coz it ain't worth the stress) or, if i can't move over, I'll gently ease off the throttle to increase the gap to the vehicle in front. Then I wind it back on to increase the gap between me and the vehicle behind. Repeat as necessary.

Surprisingly, they get message after a few goes. Try it :thumbsup:

>f so, prepare to slow down sooner rather than later, and use hazard lights

am I beign dense here:

Does the SV have hazard lights?

Mine does, little switch by your right thumb.

Can't comment on the motorway riding thing, as I live in the sticks. The nearest thing I'd call a motorway to me is around 2hours ride away.