Filtering and bike bow waves

[IdunBrokdItAgin]

Hi, just thought I'd post in here on an effect I noticed this morning - the bike bow wave.

This occurs when lane filtering. Think of "polite" car drivers as the sea. When a bike filters up to a car a polite car driver will attempt to make room so the biker can filter past easily, they move to the side of their lane away from the biker. In effect it creates a bow wave like a boat does.

All good and well when this is 1 biker filtering between two lanes.

But, where there are three lanes, or more, going in the same direction, a biker splitting in between the first two lanes will create a bow wave for any other riders filtering between the second and third lane.

In a scenario where the first biker is slightly ahead filtering between lanes 1 and 2 and the second biker is filtering between lanes 2 and 3. The effect of the first biker will reduce the filtering gap of the second rider due to polite cars moving out of the way of the first rider.

I don't often think about this but had to this morning when suddenly my filtering space was effectively closed down, due to the bow wave.

How to handle it? Simple, just create a distance between yourself and the other filtering rider (even though he is filtering between other lanes).
This will allow cars to have time to be aware of your presence (they are focusing on the first rider and usually miss the second filtering rider, who is filtering past on their other side).

And more importantly - never filter past a car at the same time as another rider on the other side of the car. This is just plain rude to the car driver, and may spook them into reacting to one rider and hitting the other.

Hopefully this all makes noob sense. Just posting as it nearly caught me out this morning.

Cheers

[BMWST?]

Hi, just thought I'd post in here on an effect I noticed this morning - the bike bow wave.

This occurs when lane filtering. Think of "polite" car drivers as the sea. When a bike filters up to a car a polite car driver will attempt to make room so the biker can filter past easily, they move to the side of their lane away from the biker. In effect it creates a bow wave like a boat does.

All good and well when this is 1 biker filtering between two lanes.

But, where there are three lanes, or more, going in the same direction, a biker splitting in between the first two lanes will create a bow wave for any other riders filtering between the second and third lane.

In a scenario where the first biker is slightly ahead filtering between lanes 1 and 2 and the second biker is filtering between lanes 2 and 3. The effect of the first biker will reduce the filtering gap of the second rider due to polite cars moving out of the way of the first rider.

I don't often think about this but had to this morning when suddenly my filtering space was effectively closed down, due to the bow wave.

How to handle it? Simple, just create a distance between yourself and the other filtering rider (even though he is filtering between other lanes).
This will allow cars to have time to be aware of your presence (they are focusing on the first rider and usually miss the second filtering rider, who is filtering past on their other side).

And more importantly - never filter past a car at the same time as another rider on the other side of the car. This is just plain rude to the car driver, and may spook them into reacting to one rider and hitting the other.

Hopefully this all makes noob sense. Just posting as it nearly caught me out this morning.

Cheers


Follow the other guy....

[R6_kid]

Follow the other guy....

+1, it's not a race. If you leave for your destination relying on making good time by lane splitting then you are just setting yourself up for trouble. The first thing you should do is make sure that you are not rushed or pushed for time - if you choose to lane split then your mind should be wholly on the task.

[IdunBrokdItAgin]

Follow the other guy....

You can't always get across lanes to filter behind other riders.

But as a general rule - if you can follow the other guy then do so.

The scenario from this morning was someone following me while filtering and then they decided they wanted to filter faster - he crossed to the other lanes to filter and pulled ahead. This created the bow wave which closed down my filtering space.

[SPP]

I never quite get why you'd want to filter in between 1-2. There's so much happening over there (cars merging on and off, retards cutting across because they left their exit too late).

I was filtering with a bloke on Friday, he was in 1-2 and caught the arse end of a car as he tried to move across behind.

He was going nice and steady, not being a dick but got caught out when the the cars suddenly stopped because of a back up on the off ramp ahead.

I still think the best place is in between 2-3 and be smooth.

[Gremlin]

The scenario from this morning was someone following me while filtering and then they decided they wanted to filter faster - he crossed to the other lanes to filter and pulled ahead. This created the bow wave which closed down my filtering space.
Did you look to pull into a lane to let him past? By all means, you don't have to do it immediately (and he could have been impatient) but as a slightly faster rider... riders that ignore whats behind them does irritate me (and I do my best to notice faster ones behind me), and definitely more dangerous to try and chop across to 1-2, instead of a couple of secs letting the faster rider through.

[James Deuce]

Good manners aren't an intrinsically understood concept for an increasing number of people.

I still see people insist that it's up to the following rider/driver to make a clean pass. It's not a friggin racetrack and your testicles won't shrink if you make it easier for the person overtaking.

[IdunBrokdItAgin]

Good manners aren't an intrinsically understood concept for an increasing number of people.

I still see people insist that it's up to the following rider/driver to make a clean pass. It's not a friggin racetrack and your testicles won't shrink if you make it easier for the person overtaking.

Calm down people, I was just highlighting that the effect could and does happen when you have two riders filtering between different lanes. That was the point of the thread.

I pondered whether I should have posted it in the 250s forum, it is mainly for new riders to be aware of. But, I had never encountered it before so I decided to put it in survival skills.

In the scenario which happened to me, no there wasn't somewhere to pull in and let him go past. I usually do this if I can as I don't like someone sitting on my tail while filtering. I was filtering at a sensible speed (about 20 to 30 ks faster than trafiic).

I am a very polite rider and don't race people through traffic (anyone who does is a right tard).

Cheers

[sinfull]

I call mine a wake !

[Taz]

Sometimes I see 10 cars on the way to work. That's a busy day.

[PrincessBandit]

Was very glad to have the bike this morning on the motorway - clogged from Otahuhu. Did wonder about following another bike which passed me earlier which was filtering, but decided to do my own.

Happy to stick with my own decisions about where and when to do it regardless of who else passes me!

[Squid69]

I don't often think about this but had to this morning when suddenly my filtering space was effectively closed down, due to the bow wave.

How to handle it? Simple, just create a distance between yourself and the other filtering rider (even though he is filtering between other lanes).
This will allow cars to have time to be aware of your presence (they are focusing on the first rider and usually miss the second filtering rider, who is filtering past on their other side).

And more importantly - never filter past a car at the same time as another rider on the other side of the car. This is just plain rude to the car driver, and may spook them into reacting to one rider and hitting the other.

Hopefully this all makes noob sense. Just posting as it nearly caught me out this morning.

Cheers

Did you not think to simply get in the same filtering lane as the other bike, and surf his wake?

[MIXONE]

+1, it's not a race. If you leave for your destination relying on making good time by lane splitting then you are just setting yourself up for trouble. The first thing you should do is make sure that you are not rushed or pushed for time - if you choose to lane split then your mind should be wholly on the task.

You obviously haven't had to ride to work in Wellington then.If you don't lane split you will be late for work or you might as well take the car.
I have to lane split for at least 15 km every day.

[Futura]

Have noticed on the odd occassion when caught out in Auckland traffic that 99% of bikes will only filter in lanes 2 + 3. Seems like common sense and definatley safer. Cars will keep a look out as they know this is common place.

[Danae]

You obviously haven't had to ride to work in Wellington then.If you don't lane split you will be late for work or you might as well take the car.
I have to lane split for at least 15 km every day.

Try commuting in Auckland...every journey is an exciting adventure full of perils, damsels in distress, dragons and idiot cagers; doesn't matter if you are going 15km or 2.

[Gremlin]

Now throw in the Christmas rush.... its getting pretty crazy out there already... noticed the increase in craziness today.