filering through traffic

I also filter differently depending in if I am riding solo or with other people...and who those other people are.

If riding solo, I'll filter if the flow of traffic speed drops much below the speed limit of the rode, assuming its safe etc. I have been known to take the p1ss, esp on motorways, with filtering speeds.

Iin central london I'll filter as I usually do but am well aware there is almost another "level" of filtering there. Riders who will take the tightest horizontal gaps to find space and keep moving. I'll follow if others are doing it but I dont generally push that hard if I'm on my own.

I can certainly see why daily city riders must think filtering situations for the average rider is like having a lane all to yourself

I'f I'm filtering slowly (walking pace) for anything longer than about 45 mins I'll nip into a gap and rest...starts to get a tad boring and heavy on the wrists.

By far the most dangerous is when one ends up in a "race" with another biker to see who can filter through the fastest and find the quickest way through traffic...more than once I have had to slow the f*ck down and berate myself for doing something that could end so badly!

[MisterTommyH]

I'm having to do it more and more.

Don't see why cars get p1ssed off with it. I never did before I started to ride. It's one of the points of having a bike.

Expect all the cars ahead to pull out at any moment - so you need to be extra observant.

There is something called the 20+20 rule. Basically you shouldn't filter if the cars are doing more than 20 mph and you shouldn't be doing more than 20 mph more than the speed of the traffic.

Rarely had a need to filter before last year, but since moving closer to work, and having to ride across town daily (albeit only 4 miles) as soon as the traffic stops, then I filter.

Its very rare for me to filter through moving traffic, I think its too dangerous, and on a 4 mile ride hardly worth the extra risk.

On non commuting rideouts, same applies, but then I usually go out in the evenings and there isnt much traffic about anyway.

Old hand or new blood,everybody should be extremely cautious when filtering.
It is just so easy to get away with it for ages without incident then something happens that puts you on your back foot.
I personally had an incident three years ago when a Landrover changed lanes without signalling.Missed him by about an inch but had to do a virtual "stoppie "and dropped the bike and dislocated a shoulder and ripped muscles.It was 3 months before I could ride again with any degree of comfort.Luckily for me I had witnesses and won my claim on a no fault basis.
Prior to this I had been filtering for donkeys years without any mishaps,but even although it was 3 years ago I am still very very wary when filtering and often pull over to let another motorbike past if I feel I am holding him up
The old 20/20 adage is a good rule of thumb but even coming off at 20mph in congested traffic can have dire circumstances.

I don't have much need to filter down here in Cornwall but we are approaching silly season. My advice if the traffic is moving at a reasonable pace your still going to get there, just a little later, as soon as it is walking pace or stopped that's when to filter not point waiting when you don't have to!

Also last week saw the craziest rider on a 125 scrambler thing I have ever seen, going between cars on a roundabout where there is only just enough room for the cars, making them brake, and scaring the crap out of the when he appears out of their blind spots. So followed him for a bit and the watched him preform what can only be described as brainless overtakes. All rounded off with an overtake (if you can call it an overtake when he stationary beside the van) going up hill, with oncoming traffic just to make sure the maneuver was fully up to his standards. Thus making everyone swerve out of the way to avoid flattening him. Thought best to leave him go kill himself. As a first aider I would feel obliged to help if I saw him crash but if he was lying on the side of the road I could convince myself he was already dead and not worth stopping!

So moral of the story if you are going to make progress don't make us all look like idiots.

[kaivalagi]

Originally Posted by rodders

So moral of the story if you are going to make progress don't make us all look like idiots.

Nicely put

I was in my car the other day coming home from work and sitting in traffic. It's a normal sized two way road and my side was doing about 15mph and the other about 40-50. All of a sudden some TW*T bombed it through the tiniest gap between me and the cars at about 60mph... I didn't even know he was there. He carried on going warp speed through the centre of the road between all the cars at the same speed. I wanted to smash his face in for making us all look so bad!
A few days later some kids on 125s were doing some really bad filtering on the same road and dodgy over takes along the next, making everyone have to move over to avoid knocking them off because they were just too slow to get past. I caught up with them in the car at a red light about a mile away and screamed my head of at them. They looked genuinely shocked/scared and started riding sensibly infront of me from then on.
I really lost my temper with them, but it just got to me sooo badly that they were making all of us who do it responsibly look like nobs.

I love filtering and in fact when I was on the way to take my DAS test we were running a bit late so the instrructor had me filtering behind him pretty much all the way to the test centre - made up plenty of time. My only piece of advice would be: be super observant - don't just watch for cars changing lanes but look for the subtle clues: turning tyres, people checking wing mirrors, etc... Also helps if you have a can which alerts the traffic to your presence!

Filtering is the whole point isnt it...? Just keep your eyes peeled and anticipate what people are doing and more importantly what they could do...

I always filter and for the first time in ages waited behind someone at the lights, was nice to stretch my legs.

On a side note, I did three figures in the rain yesterday, it was compulsory however as it meant I could beat a cocky maserati driver

[NTECUK]

Ok ate the peach and scooted up the outside on the way into work.