There is a lot on the site about the antics of car, taxi and bus drivers but since returning to biking I have found the biggest hazzard I face is other bikers. I am not a timorous rider and I use the full latitude around speed limits. Although I am a newbie to biking, I have 35 years experience of driving in London and was a fairly typical BMW driver. Yet pretty much every day when filtering I get a shock or a near miss from bikers that spin past me, only inches away at speeds 20-30mph faster than me.
For example, this morning on the elevated section of the A40 (3 lanes, 50mph limit) I was in the outside land as the road bent to the left I took the left hand side of my lane. I was then astonished to be overtaken only inches away by another bike actually in my lane. To avoid incriminating myself I will not say what my speed was but to have overhauled me that quickly he must have been doing 80mph. I keep a god lookout and check mirrors constantly but was not aware of him until he was alongside me. If I had moved back towards the middle of my lane he would not have been able to avoid me and we would both have been seriously injured, probably killed.
This kind of risk is his own affair when dicing with cars - but I would expect a fellow bikers to be aware of how limited the rear vision of a bike is and make allowances.
Nope, I’d say that’s pretty much the size of it.
I’ve had similar experiences.
Other loons to look out for are pizza bikers, cyclists and ALL couriers.
HOWEVER, I grew up in Germany where motorways are often only 2 lane and and there are no speed limits.
This means I learnt at a very early age that it isn’t just the front 180 degrees that are important.
Maybe I’m not as ballsy, but I’d far rather be a living chicken than a dead hero. Dead heroes rot and smell bad and don’t get to party and shag and stuff like that.
You’re always going to get it I’m afraid, just make sure you use your mirrors much more than you think necessary.
You need to be aware of what’s behind and around you just as much as what’s in front.
Have a chat with the police chaps up the Ace and get yourself on one of the saferbiking courses. You’ll be surprised at what you can learn, even after donkeys years of riding.
Yep, unfortunately there are other riders out there who take not only their own lives in their hands but other road users as well.
The rule, as I was taught, was to only filter if the traffic is moving at less than 10mph. Of course this isn’t always possible and the more experienced you become as a rider, the more aware you become of events unfolding up ahead.
I hate riders who bully me when I’m filtering, as I won’t filter more than 20-25mph, if I do get a lid coming up behind me, he/she lets me know they’re there so I tend to find a space and move out of there way, if I can’t, then they’re just gonna have to find a way around me.
It pays IMO to be a little cautious but not hesitent. Ignore those idiots, they’re only interested in beating the traffic and not safety. Racing around like that belongs on the track not on public roads.
sorry but if you’re not a loony bike rider then stay in the slow lane, dont filter in the first place, filtering at any speed is considered dangerous. if i was behind you i’d rev like ive never done before and tell you to "get the **** out of my way!.. i own the streets!
Generally I filter no more than 5-10 mph faster than the traffic I’m passing and make sure I’m in a nice responsive gear so that I can wind it on if necessary. In London really expect the unexpected… there will always be those who want to go faster than you, just let them get on with it.
I filter at moderate rates. 10 - 15mph above speed of traffic around me. There are two main things that other bikers do that can annoy me. Firstly filtering at stupid speeds: well it’s your life I suppose but do give me a second or two to get out of your way will you…? Secondly not using your mirrors. It’s seriously amazing how many people can’t do this whilst filtering. maybe they’re just too tense or focused on what’s happening up ahead but the occaisional check isn’t too much to ask is it?
Yesterday was my first commute for a couple of months and it was all going swimmingly until I was nearly home when I came up behind a moped. Who proceeded to filter at 1mph faster than the nearly stopped traffic without looking behind him once for best part of 5 miles. In the end I had to nip beside him in a larger than normal space to let him know I was there. My smile was enough to persuade them to drop back and let me in… or was it my manic eyes??
I always work on the assumption hat there are always going to be someone nuttier than you out there so…
Filtering with some hot dog on your back wheel - Feck him/her they canb wait till I pull over - I’m not going to A&E just because some arse wants to go faster than me.
Tanking it along a motorway etc - always leave enough room to your right so Mr gottagofaster can get through / show off / whatever
A joyous occupation…
