Am I riding like a cock?

[Quasievil]

Every morning on my ride to work I lane split down Gt North Rd.

This morning, as soon as I got to Gt North Rd, there was another biker in front of me, who started lane splitting also. As he looked to be on a full sized bike and didn't have an L plate attached, I figured he'd cruise smoothly down the middle.

Not the case.

He didn't seem very confident at lane splitting, as he passed each car he'd brake before he got to the next one...wait right behind and then pass it..kept doing this one car at a time the whole way.

I was extremely frustrated by the whole thing, as it's normally a fairly smooth run, and instead I was forced to constantly brake and wait.

So I sat directly on his arse the whole way...hoping that as the traffic speed picked up a bit, he'd enter a lane properly and allow me to get past...but he didn't do that either...and I know he knew I was there, as I could see him continually checking me in his mirrors.

So my question is....am I being a bit of a cock by getting too impatient?
Or should he have moved out of the way when it was safe to do so?

I am often taking a 22 wheel 30-40 tonne mack truck up the Auckland motorways in peak hours of traffic and personally I fucken hate it when bikes shoot the gap and lane split, the reason is I often cannot see them therefore I cannot make allowances for them or take a extra precaution on their behalf. I had one incident when I was quite safely making a lane change when a biker came fyin up my inside in a weaving pattern between me and another truck, the idiot would not have known it was a second or so and he would have been turned into paste under my truck.
From a truckers point of view I ask all to take extra precaution when passing trucks, they are slow and very unsteady, they require many steering inputs and they do not stop in a hurry.
And Cars well dont even start, I get cut off usually once a day by a car, I dont pull over anymore unless there is a passing lane, for some reason if I do pull over the car drivers brains stop working and they put all the trust in me forgeting their own safety completely and do the most outrageous things, like crossing centre line, passing me when I have my indicator on to pull back into traffic etc etc etc.

Slow down take your time and live, its better fun than being dead

[FROSTY:Me]

ohh no quazi--don't ask the hard done by biker to accept personal responsibility. Ask him to back off or think thatthe trucky may not see him.Or that the truck may have sand in it that could blow in his eyes.
Doncha know--ITS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSES FAULT

[Rosie]

man the whole purpose of having a bike is having fun and enjoying the ride.

Even if your going to work just relax and enjoy the ride.

Dont rush, if u rush u create an oppurtunity for accidents.

What would happen if you were behind him and he looked at you rather than some cage in front and he got taken out?

Just relax and go earlier next time

Good attitude! May it serve you well in your motorcyling career

[Pancakes]

That was the tone of my first post and I'm generally pretty relaxed, I don't get up peoples ass or anything like that but don't say you've NEVER been frustrated by a rider infront of you. My second post was a bit of a vent/rant.

If people are stop/start splitting they are forming bad habits. I recon holding a steady speed is safer, your speed being constant puts you into a position to better judge others movements relative to your own.

I'm human, I get annoyed. I make nice Pancakes.

[delusionz]

I think people on 2 wheels have a right to not get stuck in traffic. But some people think it's ok to ride between 2 moving cars. I just use spaces like a car normally would and bus lanes when available to get ahead that seems to work for me

[slickaz]

Im sorry..but what is Lane Splitting?? driving between 2 cars ie 2 lanes? or actually switching from lane to lane to get thru traffic in any random manner?

[HungusMaximist]

I have to admit, I rode like a cock last Friday on the central motorway towards Greenlane. It was around quarter to five and I was riding between the New Market stretch and was lane spiltting.

During one of my spiltting antics I couldn't really could be bothered waiting for a bigger gap to clear between 2 cars and decide I'll take my chance and rode straight through. I nudged/smacked my right hand mirror into one the mirrors of a car on my right. Yep, it was pretty shocking and probably fucked off the driver big time.

Yea, yea I should've waved to say sorry but I didn't, I was too busy concentrating how to split the next stretch and how not to get totalled by peak hour traffic.

But yes, I have learnt to judge gaps more carefully next time. Probably a little more patience doesn't hurt either.

[jeremysprite]

I ride between two moving cars all the time - i find it's safer than randomly gapsing into car-sized spaces. I will slide across to these gaps, but will generally ride on the lhs of the lh lane, indicator flashing right.
And then once or twice a month I will ride in a manner i consider stupid - doing 30-40k's faster than the traffic, in the 'middle lane'. That's what I would consider 'riding like a cock'.

[hospitalfood]

don't bug the rider in front, let him ride his ride and find another way past.

[discotex]

Im sorry..but what is Lane Splitting?? driving between 2 cars ie 2 lanes? or actually switching from lane to lane to get thru traffic in any random manner?

Yep, splitting (or filtering) is riding between the lanes of cars. Particularly on the motorway.

[bomma]

I ride between two moving cars all the time - i find it's safer than randomly gapsing into car-sized spaces. I will slide across to these gaps, but will generally ride on the lhs of the lh lane, indicator flashing right.
And then once or twice a month I will ride in a manner i consider stupid - doing 30-40k's faster than the traffic, in the 'middle lane'. That's what I would consider 'riding like a cock'.

such wisdom

just coz you're riding like a cock doesnt mean you have to ride like a dum cock!! nobody will stop you from riding your ride but make sure that you dnt push other bikers into spots where they are not comfortable......braking often could be the least of your worries...take a deep breath and save that emotion and take it out in the weekend on a stretch of windies away from all civilisation