how fast do you filter?
Discussion
General question really, but recently on my rides to work (Leeds) on the M62 I've witnessed other riders passing down the middle lane at stupid speeds, in both slow moving traffic and traffic about 50/60.
I'm happy to pootle at 30mph tops it slow traffic (never know which idiot will pull out) but find it crazy others risking white line riding at 60+!
Peoples thoughts.....
I'm happy to pootle at 30mph tops it slow traffic (never know which idiot will pull out) but find it crazy others risking white line riding at 60+!
Peoples thoughts.....
Yeah, I can never get my head round the flat-out filterers - easy enough to do, but you don't stand a chance if it goes pear-shaped.
Tend to keep mine to a max of about +20mph over the traffic, but that's not hard & fast - depends on the road, traffic, conditions, etc etc etc.
That said, I don't ride in traffic much these days as I don't commute into town any more, so I'm probably a bit rusty.
Tend to keep mine to a max of about +20mph over the traffic, but that's not hard & fast - depends on the road, traffic, conditions, etc etc etc.
That said, I don't ride in traffic much these days as I don't commute into town any more, so I'm probably a bit rusty.
Depends on the traffic really. At a standstill, I'll venture through max 25 ish. traffic doing 50 on a dual carraigeway gets the 70mph treatment...and a 71mph outside lane hogger gets the red line treatment (and a head shake!)....in all gears just in case he attempts to write down the reg.
It all depends on the space available, the traffic, the conditions, the type of road and where the road is. I used to travel down the A1 to London and would happily filter when the traffic was doing 50 to 60 and I would be doing up to 80 but, on that road at that time, there were loads of other bikes doing the same and it happening day in, day out so the traffic expected it. Likewise, on the M25 I have filtered a pretty high speeds with lots of other bikes but again, the traffic is expecting it.
On the A11 up to Norwich (the run I do now) I won’t break the 20:20 rule as the car drivers here are just not used to seeing motorcycles filter.
Where I’m using the other side of the road to filter (rather than splitting the lanes) then I definitely won’t break the 20:20.
All of the above assumes good weather conditions etc.
On the A11 up to Norwich (the run I do now) I won’t break the 20:20 rule as the car drivers here are just not used to seeing motorcycles filter.
Where I’m using the other side of the road to filter (rather than splitting the lanes) then I definitely won’t break the 20:20.
All of the above assumes good weather conditions etc.
dern said:
The T Boy said:
It depends on the space available, relative number of additional hazards such as junctions etc and the number of escape options if it starts to go pear shaped.
Anywhere between 5mph and 85mph really.
Self-imposed limits demonstrate impeccable self-control Anywhere between 5mph and 85mph really.
There is a slight possibility that the upper limit may be higher but you won't catch me admitting that on a public forum.
I have to filter round the M25 and then the end of the M11 most days and as with all the others it varies. If the traffic is at a comnplete standstill and not going to move then I may go a bit quyicker than normal but if it is moving, albeit slowly, I tend to slow down to the point that if anyone did anything without looking then I would have a chance of reacting. No hard or fast rules...
I also do the bottom part of the M11 then the A12 and tend to filter pretty fast compared to other bikes, but rarely look at the speedo except when I get near the cameras. I still have to move over occasionally for a couple of really quick guys.
I filter at speeds I "feel" safe at and that's good enough for me. I do get sideswiped occasionally by cars/vans that leap into a gap with no warning, but generally don't put myself into a position where that can happen. Never been knocked off though. I thing the amount of miles I've covered over many years, as well as London couriering, has taught me to be pretty good at predicting what car/van drivers are going to do. Hardly fool-proof though and I'm sure my time will come when I taste tarmac again.
In my younger days before the kids arrived, I used to be a fatalistic filterer. I'd filter at loony speeds knowing I couldn't stop if it went tits-up, but would always survive if it wasn't my day to die, and always did. Now I have too much to lose I've slowed down massively, but still have the odd "moment", then remember myself and slow back down again.
I filter at speeds I "feel" safe at and that's good enough for me. I do get sideswiped occasionally by cars/vans that leap into a gap with no warning, but generally don't put myself into a position where that can happen. Never been knocked off though. I thing the amount of miles I've covered over many years, as well as London couriering, has taught me to be pretty good at predicting what car/van drivers are going to do. Hardly fool-proof though and I'm sure my time will come when I taste tarmac again.
In my younger days before the kids arrived, I used to be a fatalistic filterer. I'd filter at loony speeds knowing I couldn't stop if it went tits-up, but would always survive if it wasn't my day to die, and always did. Now I have too much to lose I've slowed down massively, but still have the odd "moment", then remember myself and slow back down again.
Don't do much filtering inbetween lanes as I don't use motorways to commute. One stretch I do filter on is a bypass about a mile long with most of it being straight. There as there is only one lane if there's nothing coming the other way I will filter at any speed. When there are cars coming the other way I just take it easy.
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