Filtering, I'm rubbish at it but....

[Magpie84]

So riding in this morning I filtered a few times through traffic. I'm quite nervous with it so I'll often hold back rather than risk it but I've been noticing there seem to be 4 types of driver;

The one that spots you and carries on in a predictable manner.

The one that stops you and then tries to stop you filtering by moving over as much as they can towards the white line.

The one that doesn't see you at all because they at too busy looking at their phone while in traffic.

Finally the one that spots you and tries to give you so much room (normally when it isn't safe to filter) they nearly put themselves in the verge.

There isn't really a point to this post it just amuses me watching the responses I get from other road users.

[trcooke]

I'm a very new rider having only passed my test in December and have had my first bike for less than a month. Filtering is a practiced skill for sure. My filtering top tips from my novice standpoint, which also apply to every aspect of motorcycle riding:

1) Be safe

2) Be comfortable

If you can't tick both of those boxes, then don't do it.

[SometimesSansEngine]

It's better to be a cautious filterer than a pugnacious one. You'll miss the odd opportunity for sure but you'll lose more time if you have to pick yourself up off the floor

[Phill]

I hate people who have their eyes on the phone on the queue of traffic.

They will put away their phones when I'm pointing at my gopro on the helmet and then at their phone. Priceless!

[MikeHorton]

I filter a lot living in the West mids everywhere is gridlocked at rush hour. However I filter slowly usually in 1st gear. My himalayan sits a bit higher making me more visable and being a single they can normally hear me. I always make sure I'm travelling slow enough to stop should someone pull out. You see people filtering quickly and I don't think it's worth it. Watch out for side roads, slip roads and parked cars. Happy filtering!

[Six30]

Try doing it eating a biscuit , it may help .

[MikeHorton]

Try doing it eating a biscuit , it may help .

 

Dunking it in a cup of tea as well?

[mikestrivens]

Be careful filtering, passengers have been know to open doors in your path causing real problems. Slowly and cautiously is the key with your eyes on "full beam".

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

On Monday I filtered down the A38 from Winscombe to Taunton and every driver over the 27 miles pulled to the left to let me pass apart from one who drove so far over the white line to stop me passing that when we got to a roundabout he wanted to go left at he waited til the last minute then veered across all three lanes

[learningtofly]

On Monday I filtered down the A38 from Winscombe to Taunton and every driver over the 27 miles pulled to the left to let me pass apart from one who drove so far over the white line to stop me passing that when we got to a roundabout he wanted to go left at he waited til the last minute then veered across all three lanes

 

What a complete knob - why do they do it?

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

On Monday I filtered down the A38 from Winscombe to Taunton and every driver over the 27 miles pulled to the left to let me pass apart from one who drove so far over the white line to stop me passing that when we got to a roundabout he wanted to go left at he waited til the last minute then veered across all three lanes

 

What a complete knob - why do they do it?

 

It’s hard to comprehend just how tiny their tiny minds must be.

[trcooke]

That driver gained nothing but your contempt.

[Muttly]

I do a lot of making progress through traffic in Birmingham. Lots of really helpful road colleagues and the occasional grump and luckily rarer homicidal person.

Most of my problems relate to be unsure what is legal and groovy,

What is legal to do but knobbish

What is not legal to do.

I often overtake half a mile of traffic on one road with me using the empty on coming lane.

Also driving between two rows of near stationary traffic on the a38. I think they are okay, risen past a couple of polic cars and no one stopped me

[MarkW]

The key to safe filtering is to see and be seen. Riding between cars whilst doing a stand-up wheelie helps enormously, and is I believe actively encouraged by the police as a safety thing.

[SometimesSansEngine]

Most of my problems relate to be unsure what is legal and groovy,

What is legal to do but knobbish

What is not legal to do.

 

I usually don't filter all the way to the front, I'll hang back a few vehicles back. If it's at lights there's usually road furniture/kerb that will get in my way anyway. If it's a junction/roundabout I figure the vehicles at the front will be assessing the road and less aware of my presence so not a place I want to be.

I find I get the most grief when getting back in with traffic to turn left, even though I don't barge in and don't do it in front of a moving vehicle some drivers still seem to take more umbrage to you crossing in front of them vs if you were then turning right.

I filter up the inside as an absolute last resort (eg on my commute there's one section you can only do it on the left as there's a kerb and verge in the middle of the road, I do it at walking pace there)

I try to avoid any oncoming vehicles having to do anything differently because I'm filtering, I don't bully my way through (although some do take their own action even though I could drive a bus through the gap I'm going through)

Filtering on zig zags is decidedly dodgy (don't overtake the vehicle closest to the crossing etc etc)

Filtering over a solid white line a no if any part of your bike crosses it, although when stationery and with a clear view of the road ahead I may interpret the stationary cars as parked...... (I await the arguing over this to commence)

Any other scenarios?

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

When filtering I watch the driver's eyes in the wing mirror and then check the front edge of the front wheel. The majority will either not steer in either direction, a few will steer to give you more room, a few will steer outwards to block you. The 'leading edge' of the front wheel is the first hint you'll get of their instincts.

Interestingly I have found two things to be generally (though of course not always) true:

1. If I'm wearing hi viz I see a few wheels twitch out as the aggressive instinct kicks in - then twitch back again as they realise they'll look bloody stupid saying I didn't see him. Hi viz certainly makes a difference when filtering.

2. The drivers of more expensive cars tend to be more likely to try to block you. So I tend to be more wary when approaching them.

[Muttly]

Thanks for the answer. Other scenarios

There is a chevronned (white diagonal line between two broken lines) but between two opposing carriageways. Intermittently there is a turn one way box then later a turn the other way box. Can I zoom up it if empty? No solid white lines anywhere

[JRH]

If there are no SOLID white lines boardering the chevrons then you are allowed to be on them. However if anything happens while you are in the chevron area you could be deemed at fault. I will travel in the chevrons but I stay out of the turn boxes, unless I’m turning.

Also be choosy on the chevron areas you use as this can be where all the road crud ends up.

[SometimesSansEngine]

Personally I'd happily filter there WITH THE CAVEAT I'd be going VERY slowly because at any point someone is liable to move out of the queue to head into the turn box

If the turn box is actually for oncoming drivers I'd avoid it

[Muttly]

Thank you both very much super helpful

[Six30]

On Monday I filtered down the A38 from Winscombe to Taunton and every driver over the 27 miles pulled to the left to let me pass apart from one who drove so far over the white line to stop me passing that when we got to a roundabout he wanted to go left at he waited til the last minute then veered across all three lanes

 

What a complete knob - why do they do it?

 

You mean Hob Knob ?

[SometimesSansEngine]

No, they're a good type of knob

[Six30]

No, they're a good type of knob

 

With tea.

[Bender]

I have seen video on YouTube of old bill filtering down the middle of the double white line how would that go down with plod when they the ones not doing it?

[SometimesSansEngine]

I'd hope most would be sensible but I'm sure you'll always meet he jobsworth even if you're safe. A few stretches on my cycle commute I do 16-20mph next to solid white lines when the speed limit is anywhere between 40 and NSL, do I expect cars to hang behind me as per the law? Of course not. But technically they could all get pulled over.

Similarly if you're clearly doing it safely and with nothing oncoming you'd HOPE they would be rational about it....

Needless to say though I usually do a good check in my mirror and ahead before I do so.