Popped my filtering cherry
Discussion
In your face car drivers! 
I had my first experience of filtering today - out for a ride with a mate on his Gixxer 1000. I was leading and joined the end of a queue of traffic, with my mate perplexed by my (allbeit safe) actions. He said to follow him and we filtered down the side of the traffic to the front of the queue, where we both dropped the hammer. It was hugely fulfilling to have done it, although I'd like some proper training in it - I'm sure there's some danger involved due to inattentive/jealous drivers, whom object to you going past.
How did you all learn to filter? Did you take extra tuition or just "do it"?
I had my first experience of filtering today - out for a ride with a mate on his Gixxer 1000. I was leading and joined the end of a queue of traffic, with my mate perplexed by my (allbeit safe) actions. He said to follow him and we filtered down the side of the traffic to the front of the queue, where we both dropped the hammer. It was hugely fulfilling to have done it, although I'd like some proper training in it - I'm sure there's some danger involved due to inattentive/jealous drivers, whom object to you going past.
How did you all learn to filter? Did you take extra tuition or just "do it"?
Popped mine this week as well. It's one of those things you can only learn by doing. Wasn't too hard, though I wimped-out when I came alongside a huge artic' and didn't think the gap was wide enough. Moved behind the car in the other lane (dual-carriageway), but I guess not far enough over as shortly after I heard a revving bike engine behind me. Moved over and off he went - bigger balls than me, clearly.
It's not the easiest thing in the world, but you'd feel more of a knob sitting in a queue of traffic with the other cars - sort of defeats the object
It's not the easiest thing in the world, but you'd feel more of a knob sitting in a queue of traffic with the other cars - sort of defeats the object
Sossige said:
How did you all learn to filter? Did you take extra tuition or just "do it"?
The school I used to teach out of used to offer lessons on skills like filtering, so I suppose you could get lessons.Occasionally we used to end up teaching it on lessons just because the roads were busy!
I remember one occasion where I had a couple of guys out on their CBT road ride. We were on the way back to base and became entangled in the vehicular outpourings of a local (very large) football stadium after a game.
I got the guys to pull over, we had a chat about filtering and then I took the lead, explaining as we went what I was looking for and what the risks were, car by car, as we filtered.
They were both like cheshire cats when we got back to base. When you issue the DL196 they're usually pretty happy, but I remember that day particularly because not only did they get their first taste of 2 wheels but they really felt the liberation from the queues of traffic they were used to when driving their cars. All they could talk about was how amazing it was to filter through the stationary vehicles.
ETA: this is where the slow control skills from CBT and the Uturn start to make sense. I've been stuck behind slow filterers and they usually always show very poor slow control.
Edited by MrsMiggins on Sunday 29th June 01:04
It's unusual, but we got taught to filter on the DAS training, and the instructor said that you could fail the test if you didn't filter when safe as you wouldn't be 'making progress' (but he hadn't heard of this happening...).
He said to aim at no more than 10mph faster than the queue you are going past, aim at gaps, never get stranded with no where to go, and follow rules of the road - e.g double white lines, never overtake at a junction, etc. He also said use first gear, cover front and back brake, and look for indications that a car may move - gap in front of them, starting to drift right, etc.
He said to aim at no more than 10mph faster than the queue you are going past, aim at gaps, never get stranded with no where to go, and follow rules of the road - e.g double white lines, never overtake at a junction, etc. He also said use first gear, cover front and back brake, and look for indications that a car may move - gap in front of them, starting to drift right, etc.
Thanks all, some good advice there
I will be taking some further training, but my instructor has told me to get used to my new bike/build up my confidence before he starts teaching me new stuff. Excited though, really want training in filtering and countersteering - neither of which I was taught on my DAS.
I will be taking some further training, but my instructor has told me to get used to my new bike/build up my confidence before he starts teaching me new stuff. Excited though, really want training in filtering and countersteering - neither of which I was taught on my DAS.
i was uber nervous when i first started riding. i thought i'd get some extra lessons especially with regard to filtering. but then i got fed up of waiting in traffic with cars and felt a real tit.
in the end, i just went for it. great feeling. slow speed control is improving, filtering on the m1 when everyone else is parked up is fab.
in the end, i just went for it. great feeling. slow speed control is improving, filtering on the m1 when everyone else is parked up is fab.
I dont feel I can do it yet to the point where im riding places I know I wont need to. Keep trying to look at how people do it when I see them in my car.
Annoyingly someone filtered infront of me last night at a traffic light rather than wait directly behind me then held me up a couple of miles till they turned off. Im still pretty slow on the bike so im wary of this happening too.
Annoyingly someone filtered infront of me last night at a traffic light rather than wait directly behind me then held me up a couple of miles till they turned off. Im still pretty slow on the bike so im wary of this happening too.
And im done. At last. Massively more traffic comeing into the office half hour later so faced with a big queue rather than just a car or two I couldnt just sit there. It does feel very good, and once youre there doesnt seem as narrow as it looks from sitting in a car.
2nd time not so well when going to move into a gap somehow selected nuetral. That was a little embarrasing and not very safe feeling and isnt something I want to repeat again.
I dont think ill be going back to waiting now ive done it though!
2nd time not so well when going to move into a gap somehow selected nuetral. That was a little embarrasing and not very safe feeling and isnt something I want to repeat again.
I dont think ill be going back to waiting now ive done it though!
Sossige said:
... although I'd like some proper training in it ...
www.survivalskills.co.uk/london_commuter.htmlRun by Kevin Williams, who has the unusual combination of being an ex-courier with a good reputation (which can't be said for some couriers ... ).
Edited by SVS on Wednesday 16th July 08:19
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