Confronting Tailgaters

[tailgate]

Eh?

[pitternator]

there are no rules on filtering . I think its the craziest thing we ever do, But I have done it myself many times on motorway when it stops. Its so hard to not do it as its so tempting. But every time there is some sort of near miss. Last year on mway down to dover the queues were incredible, and we filtered for miles, but I was tense every second, cos cars are so unpredictable.When you think just how many cars are stuck in say  a 10 mile jam, only need a small percentage of red misters and its a lot of cars !..and a lot of potentail carshes.I really only like doing it in stationary traffic , and am always wary of any gap in front of a car as someone might charge across into it .

[purplebear7]

Just another angle on this topic and as always .. all only in my opinion. 

As a general rule .. these days I try not to ride with guys on solo bikes .. although I'm on a high performance sidecar outfit and keeping up is not too difficult on 'empty' roads.

However .. in traffic it is of course a very different ball game .. I can't filter anywhere near as much as a solo rider .. so I have to join the tin can queue and bear it  :\ .

The strange thing is .. over the years I have noted that I almost always arrive at the 'point of destination' in less than a minute or maybe two after the solo's.

Makes me wonder just how much a solo rider actually gains in time or distance by risking any 'rolling filtering' in traffic that is moving comparatively slowly?   

You might also notice that the Big Long Haul Truckers always pass you within minutes after you pull in and stop .. maybe for fuel or whatever .. and then go on to arrive at their 'point' on time    The trick is 'consistency'

Old saying .. 'More haste less speed'  :\

Stay Safe    Trev

[stevierst]

Your pretty much spot on there Purplebear. I used to do a bit of HGV work a few years ago, and it made me laugh when you saw inpatient car/van drivers jockeying for lanes, bullying themselves into the quickest flowing traffic only to find them stationary shortly after and stressed out. The wagon in lane 1 just rolls past cool as ice.

On short journeys (>25 miles) even bike filtering like you say is only saving you a minute or two, but its very satisfying

My old long distance commute (250 miles) on average filtering saved me 45-60 minutes compared to in the car. This was due to the dreaded m5/m6 junction before the toll road opened.

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[Grahamm]

Makes me wonder just how much a solo rider actually gains in time or distance by risking any 'rolling filtering' in traffic that is moving comparatively slowly? 

Riding up the A34 to Birmingham a while back, traffic was nose to tail and only making about 10mph. I filtered past a load of it, then stopped for lunch at a service station.

I had a nice meal, took time to relax, then got back on the bike and filtered past all the traffic which I'd gone past previously which was all still chugging along at 10mph

[spoonlamp]

Makes me wonder just how much a solo rider actually gains in time or distance by risking any 'rolling filtering' in traffic that is moving comparatively slowly? 

I'm going to have to say it depends entirely on the road; length, number of lights, number of junctions, roundabouts etc. I have about an 8 mile journey to work through loads of lights and roundabouts and crossing points. If I'm in the car or not filtering, during rush hour, it will take me about 30 - 40 minutes to get to work. When filtering this is consistently reduced to less than 20.

[alexanderfitu]

Thats a big difference! I have a journey similair to your description, in the car, exactly 50 minutes, in the bike normally 35-40 minutse.

[Streetbudgie]

If you live in a town and use your bike to commute then filtering isn't optional, if you don't filter you might as well be in a cage.

Why sit on a bike getting soaking wet waiting in traffice queues, filtering can be done safely, be alert, learn to read the road and you get a sixth sense for cagers that are about to pull out.

Also I find that lights on full beam only when the car traffic is stationary helps reduce the amount of doors, fags and gob that hits you.

Over the years I have had fags, gob, various fruit, banana skins, spew, all sorts of rubbish, people and animals come flying out of car doors and windows either just missing me or testing my brakes and the odd strike - lit fags are my pet hate, had 'em bounce of the visor and off my body several times - that always ends in a confrontation as it's bloody ignorant.