How do you go round speed bumps?

[m1spw]

I was told on my CBT to go down the left side of speed bumps, but most other bikers seem to use the middle of the road, between them (assuming there is one on each side of the road).

How do you go round them? I really don't like using the gutter, especially at this time of year when its full of crap and wet leaves etc, but down the middle of the road seems very exposed if you know what I mean. Oh, and actually going over them isn't really much fun

[MrsMiggins]

Depends on what other traffic is doing. Right if it's clear, left if it ain't and over it if I'm being tailgaited, which doesn't happen often.

[hugoagogo]

wheelie over them

[Mad Dave]

I go whichever side gives me the furthest view of the road ahead.

[veetwin]

One wheel through the middle.

[catso]

They made excellent launch ramps for off-road bikes.....

But I generally go between them if there's room, always shift down a couple gears first with a 'good' throttle Blip for good measure.

>> Edited by catso on Wednesday 7th December 11:27

[Davel]

If clear to do so, I almost always use the middle gap.

I avoid taking my bike too close to the kerbside whenever possible.

[Pigeon]

MrsMiggins said:

Depends on what other traffic is doing. Right if it's clear, left if it ain't and over it if I'm being tailgaited, which doesn't happen often.

Zakly what I do

[bennyboysvuk]

catso said:

They made excellent launch ramps for off-road bikes.....

They make excellent launch ramps for supersports bikes too.

Otherwise, I'll go round a hump whichever way gives me the most space.

[sjtscott]

Assuming they are split I'd generally avoid the left kerb gap to get passed them, go for the middle gap every time.

[gansstraat]

Ah, I'v been wondering about this given that it was (one of) the reason I failed my bike test.

Never having tackled speed bumps on either my CBT or later training, I was a bit, ahem, surprised when the tester took me to a road with about 15 of the b*ggers, all separated by about 20m each.

Not knowing what to do, I went straight over the first one (well, I figured that to skirt round the side might be considered to be dangerous) but having done it, it just felt wrong. So for the next one, I went through the gap in the middle of the road, now figuring that the maxim "make progress wherever possible" was probably applicable in this situation.

However, that felt wrong too and I thought the instructor might think I was being reckless. So straight over the third one again. Nope, still doesn't feel right, so time to go round the fourth one in the gutter.

To be honest, I'm not surprised the tester failed me - he must have thought I'd downed a bottle of whisky 10 mins before we started...

[MrsMiggins]

We're told by the Driving Standards Agency's local tester that either way round is ok, but a lifesaver must be done before moving from centre lane position to either side and another must be done again before moving back to centre.

Obviously if you move to the right and collide with an oncoming vehicle that's a fail!