Yeah I filter. Took a few weeks from passing my test before I was confident, but it's actually pretty good fun and very useful during rush hour.
I do it slowly, with a great amount of caution and deliberately intense observation both forward and rear.
I try and stick to a "20 delta 15" rule I heard somewhere, which is maximum 20 miles an hour, and at most 15 miles an hour difference in speed to other traffic. That's fast enough for me.
There's a couple of junctions round my way that get proper jammed up every day at rush hour, I see others who presumably do them every day on way home from work filtering past stationery traffic at 50pmh upwards, a bit fast I think.
Important to watch the mirrors because when filtering you'll be changing position within the lane a lot, and you could easily fail to notice one of these guys had positioned themselves to the side of you.
Also watch out for gaps, as people will change lanes in to gaps without looking carefully for bikers filtering.
I tend not to filter past the police at the moment, I guess it should be fine but am never entirely sure.
Finally I try to filter considerately, I'm happy to make progress when I can but try not to take the piss and so don't tend to position myself at the head of queues at junctions, but rather slip in somewhere a little back.
And I take care to thank them when they make room.
Andy
PS) Just to add that my main issue had been picking up punctures from the central reservation areas, the city centre roads round me are in a state, literally piles of screws and other metal junk.
I do it slowly, with a great amount of caution and deliberately intense observation both forward and rear.
I try and stick to a "20 delta 15" rule I heard somewhere, which is maximum 20 miles an hour, and at most 15 miles an hour difference in speed to other traffic. That's fast enough for me.
There's a couple of junctions round my way that get proper jammed up every day at rush hour, I see others who presumably do them every day on way home from work filtering past stationery traffic at 50pmh upwards, a bit fast I think.
Important to watch the mirrors because when filtering you'll be changing position within the lane a lot, and you could easily fail to notice one of these guys had positioned themselves to the side of you.
Also watch out for gaps, as people will change lanes in to gaps without looking carefully for bikers filtering.
I tend not to filter past the police at the moment, I guess it should be fine but am never entirely sure.
Finally I try to filter considerately, I'm happy to make progress when I can but try not to take the piss and so don't tend to position myself at the head of queues at junctions, but rather slip in somewhere a little back.
And I take care to thank them when they make room.
Andy
PS) Just to add that my main issue had been picking up punctures from the central reservation areas, the city centre roads round me are in a state, literally piles of screws and other metal junk.