Mental block on queueing and filtering

[Aaron]

The thing is it's just that people aren't exposed to bikes very often, and have no idea what it's all about. You see so few of them you don't think, and you're exposed to your parents, when you're young, calling them "bloody bikers" etc, so you naturally assume that they're just reckless.

Because it's an alien concept it takes a while to convince people that it's perfectly sensible and decent to let a bike squeeze through and get to the front. Once you explain that they cause less congestion, more environmentally friendly, and can make progress faster, and that if you let them pass they'll soon be long gone and won't cause you any delay, then they slowly start to realise that it makes no sense to block someone from passing, just because you're stuck. It takes them a while to understand that they get that privelage by trading away a nice warm/waterproof cabin. And it takes them a while to realise that the reason they have to queue in traffic is because they've made the choice to drive 4 empty seats around with them.

The problem we face is that unless a car driver has someone to explain this to them, most will always experience anger at bikers "jumping" the queue, and squeezing though traffic.

I think that because the typical driver sees riding as being very dangerous, they then naturally think that the rider is a lunatic, and therefore is more than likely doing something stupid.

Hmm... Long rant.

[JimiB]

I had a half day of school so went up to the matlock area today. Another bike zoomed by me in traffic so i took chase. ( i normaly do filter on carriage ways but this was just a 1 lane each way road). got about 2 miles done before the biker infront was just taking absolutely stupid chances so just slowed down the filtering. As far as other cars go i havent had any complete nutters opening there doors and such. But i have had a fair though pull closer away from the centre of the road to let me through.

[techno]

Was he just overtaking then not really filtering???

[JimiB]

Pretty much but the traffic was pretty much at a stand still?

[Petarded]

My bike is so flickable, such a beaut to filter with. Can get through the smallest of gaps.

[GazzyG]

Aye, I absolutely love filtering. It's great fun, as long as you're sensible doing it. My girlfriend found it very exciting the very first time I took her filtering through traffic on the back of the bike.

The H100 is a beauty for filtering, being so tiny and light. The CX less so.

Hopefully the Ninja will be good for it, being nice and low.

[wannars125]

I can't stand filtering. To me it's a necessary evil. I've just been very sad and calculated the length of road on google maps that I have to cover filtering most, if not all of the way. It equates to 10.1 miles. And this is on the way into work only. I get the same on the way home.

It's mentally exhausting. Not only do I have to contend with cars but the sheer amount of other bikes and scooters trying to get into central London.

I don't mind the occasional bit if I'm on a journey but the filtering I have to do makes up a quarter of my commute and half my journey time, if not more!

[Petarded]

Yeah I expect filtering gets a bit tiresome if you commute in and around central London every day.

[Guest]

OK, thanks for all the tips everyone... while the weather's nice I've just been taking the long way home, as it's much more fun to do that anyway when the road isn't covered in mud & standing water.

Either way eventually brings me to the same roundabout though, and I need to pick the collective's brains again.

The approach to the roundabout is two lanes wide. There are two exits from the roundabout (left and right), and whilst the right lane is for right turns only, the left lane may be used to go in either direction.

The approach road is usually busy, but there's plenty of room to filter between the two lanes of traffic to the front - and my question is: what then?

The roundabout is quite busy, so when a gap opens up, cars in both lanes accelerate briskly. The drivers will have been looking to the right, so it's a fair bet that the one in the right hand lane won't notice that a bike has appeared. More than likely he'll want me dead for jumping the queue and daring to get in his way anyway.

Suggestions please?

[techno]

I would play it by ear normally i find on the bike i can get away faster than cars so dont need as big a gap other than that filter towards the front but find a space in the queue of traffic or make one and just wait from that point in whichevder lane you need to be in.

[PhatDad]

and don't forget, if you're on a big bike it only takes a couple of revs with the clutch in to let everyone know you're there. VROOOM VROOOM!