What's a safe distance between bikers for filtering?

[outlawtorn]

Well this is a part rant and part confirmation.

When I filter through morning traffic on the motorway from Browns Bay into Auckland town I normally filter at roughly 30-40 kph, if I come across another biker in front of me I keep between 1-2 cars distance between us for safety reasons, until it is safe for me to pass, if I need to pass. Right? If another biker comes up behind me he/she does the same, it seem to be more common sense than a written rule/code.

Then I must ask with tears in my eyes why the rider of a Red GN250 with the number plate 38Wxx rode right up my arse today, but rode so close to me that I could only see his upper part of his body in my rear view, I couldn't even see his light, that's how close the dumb fuck was to me. Before doing this to me he did it to another biker behind me.

Filtering is dangerous enough, we don't need inexperienced arseholes out there trying to either impress other bikers or acting like a prick. If you endanger my wellbeing I will vent my frustration at you either verbally or otherwise. Please for future reference when you see another biker in front of you, take the other filtering lane and leave the bikers who care about their safety alone.

And by the way, I was about 6 cars behind you when you exited of at the Fanshawe offramp, so riding like a prick doesn't get you far then does it?

That's it rant over.

[placidfemme]

It sucks when that happens... You tell them!

[Beemer]

You're not the only one who gets annoyed with people doing this, I used to get it in Wellington and I wanted to kill them! There you are, quietly filtering away, minding your own business and keeping an eye out for others doing the same, when someone's up your date! When I was learning to ride I'd keep an even greater distance between me and the rider in front because I knew if I had to stop, I may not be as quick. You'd think someone on a GN250, who is quite possibly an inexperienced rider, would do the same.

Find 'em and teach 'em a lesson!

[bugjuice]

how fukin fast? SLOW DOWN!!!!
I filter around 20kph. Any faster than that, and cars ain't gonna see you until it's too late. Work out how many metres a second you're covering at 40kph.. And then work out how many times in a minute that drivers check their mirrors while qued...

If someone comes up behind me, then fuk 'em. I'm not speeding up, doesn't matter how close. That's their death wish, not mine. When I see a gap in the traffic, I move over and let them pass. I then filter again if it's safe, at the same speed...

please don't be stupid and spoil it for the rest of the community

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=153758&postcount=11

[NC]

Errr I used to filter at about 50 - 60kms when I was in Auckland. I realise now, that was really dumb :(

[bgd]

My filtering is based on the speed of the traffic and what's happening ahead. Typically that's 10 - 20 mph faster than surrounding traffic. So sometimes it's pretty slow but sometimes it will be 60mph, anything over that and I join the traffic flow. That's on my commute where the traffic is generally bike aware (there are a lot of us) and I'm by no means quick compared to those bikes I let past. Other times and other roads and it may be a lot less.

As for distance, I leave enough space to allow me to stop, and I expect to have to reasonably frequently. If anyone wants to get past then when I'm able to move over I will. As for tailgating it seems to be pretty rare with bikes but common with scooters.

[Clockwork]

Wouldn't tailgate when filtering myself. I like to see the road ahead through my eyes, not someone else's. However, if it happened to me I wouldn't get "wound-up" (geddit?), I'd just assume they wanted to go faster and I'd accomodate them by pulling over. (I'm always happy to let someone else remind the drivers ahead to keep an eye open for filtering bikes :whistle: )

[Fart]

My filtered coffee is very nice. No milk, just sugar. :D

[Biff]

If I'm ever tailgated while driving my car I 'dab' my brakes slightly so that my brake lights flick on, but I don't slow down. If that doesn't work I simply begin driving slower and slower until the fuckwit gets the idea and backs off. I've even come to a complete halt before now and opened my car door and walked back to the woman behind me. I smiled so that she didn't think I was some psycho. She locked her car door in a panic so I simply said, though the small gap in her window, "Back off lady, I have herpes." It worked.

While on a bike, and filtering, I'll slow right down (ok - it's only ever happened to me once) and pulled in between the cars in order to let the prick past, then waved at him as he went passed. I don't like the thought of dabbing my brakes while on a bike, anywhere near white in case the prick slams his own brakes on in response then loses the front end. Thankfully I have a very long fuse and very rarely get angry or wound up any more. So I just smile, tut, and maybe, just maybe, curse a little.

Life's too short.

[Lou Girardin]

If someone's right up your date, why not pull over and let them past?
Filtering speed should really be relative to cage speeds, say, 20 -30 k's faster than them.
20 k's on the bridge = road kill.

[Bonez]

If someone's right up your date, why not pull over and let them past?Exactly. Mind you NO ONE likes being passed by a GN250 :clap:

[Mr Skid]

If I'm ever tailgated while driving my car I 'dab' my brakes slightly so that my brake lights flick on, but I don't slow down.
I prefer to use the handbrake. Your car slows down, but the brake lights don't come on.

Usually peeps wake up a meter or two behind you and go on the brakes hard. Particularly effective if the car tailgating is a late model BMW or similar. Gives 'em a good fright.

[Coldkiwi]

If someone's right up your date, why not pull over and let them past?


thank you sir! go to the head of the class for remembering the basics of the Road Code! How easy is it to pull back into a spot and let the GN past you? come on!

the other question that needs to be asked is unfortunately... WHY is a GN250 rider of all things up your date!? chop chop matey!

so, err.. 60kmhr is where we should stop lane splitting is it? :whocares:
find me the bit in the road code where it recommends that! :yes:

[outlawtorn]

If someone's right up your date, why not pull over and let them past?

In this instance there was no safe place or gap for me to pull into without jabbing my brakes hard, and because the moron was so close to me I was shitting myself that I might get hit by him, which in essence would really fuck up my day. But eventually when it was safe for myself to pull over I did so and let said moron ride past.

[sAsLEX]

what i hate is cagers sitting in your blind spots, back and to the side of you, so close that their bonnets sometime come into your peripheal vision. Some guy did it the other day so i spun around and looked straight at him, angrily!, and he backed off a hundred odd meters, rather effective the anrgy look.

[Lou Girardin]

Someone should offer 'withering stare' lessons for newbies.