First commute experience and "confidence to filter/split on the highway??"

[bull]

I had all of 2 months riding experience when i did my first lane splitting commute to Wellington, felt rather strange being out in nowhere land between the cars, made me fall back in line with the cars to feel right.

Then i had an opportunity to follow Riffer into work for 3 days so pretty much just went in behind him the whole way - was definitely the best way to get the confidence up and now im happy as larry to split as much as possible when on the way to work. Saves a heap of time and i feel safer being able to see clearly ahead between the traffic than trying to see over or through the cars. As noted earlier - make sure you keep an eye in your mirrors so as not to hold up the quicker splitters out there.

[Pancakes]

Hard out, just do what your happy doing and you'll be around tomorrow to learn even more. Do be sure to have a good look before pulling into the "bike lane". Would be a shame to give the cars the joy of seeing a bike pile-up! I nearly put a little clock on my bike cos I got given a waterproof one but decided not to. Don't feel pushed to get anywhere on your bike outside of your own timeframe. On the odd occaision I'm late and if my boss asks I'm happy to say "it wasn't the day/conditions for a quick one" and he knows thats it, I'm not risking my life for a few of someone else's dollars!

[Katman]

Check ya mirrors often, and use prephial vision for indicators.

Why on earth would you bother to check your mirrors? When you're lane-splitting the only things that are likely to affect you will happen beside or in front of you.

[Kittyhawk]

Why on earth would you bother to check your mirrors? When you're lane-splitting the only things that are likely to affect you will happen beside or in front of you.

You have to be observant all around.

[Katman]

Sorry, but when you're lane splitting the only need for your mirrors is the very occasional glance to make sure you're not holding up other motorcyclists. Any further use of the mirrors is diverting your attention away from where the hazards are.

[janno]

Sorry, but when you're lane splitting the only need for your mirrors is the very occasional glance to make sure you're not holding up other motorcyclists. Any further use of the mirrors is diverting your attention away from where the hazards are.

Disagree. Needs to be more than occasional. You should have plenty of brainspace to be aware 360 degrees, as you usually are on the road. I can't comment on NZ, but in Brisbane you frequently get lane splitting bikes going at radically different speeds, and it's hard to hear a bike coming up directly behind you in heavy traffic. I've often had a lane splitting mcyclist come up behind me going like stink, and I'll let him past. And that's not me crawling along, just that about 85% of lane splitters here seem to follow the 20 - 30k faster than traffic rule, and the rest wanna play fighter pilot.

Including the guy going prolly 70km when a few of us other bikes were going 20 - 30k lane splitting. We then all trundled past said biker on the side of the road having a wee chat with Mr Plod . . . karma!

[Katman]

Well I disagree also. Any motorcyclist coming up behind you has the option of moving to another lane to continue their splitting or to wait behind you until you notice them and can safely move out of their way. I did four years couriering in London where we spend more time lane splitting then we did in a lane. Using you mirrors any more than very occasionally is diverting your attention away from where it needs to be.

[ambler]

Well I've been splitting from the first day I ever rode, it's the only way to ride a bike here. I've never been particularly concerned about any faster bikes coming up behind me - if I happen to notice them I will move out of the way, but I don't bother to keep on the lookout.
It's the guy coming from behind who has to worry about getting past, not the slower rider. Sometimes I am the fast one but I've never had any problem, since there are n+1 bike-lanes for every n cage-lanes, you're unlikely to ever get held up.

[MrMeow]

why is it that whenever i split up to an intersection/lights, the middleaged commodore driver next to me at the lights thinks we are in a drag race...?

[90s]

Well I disagree also ... I did four years couriering in London where we spend more time lane splitting then we did in a lane.

Sure me too, but can't agree with you there.
London traffic and bike riders are much more regular that here.
Lanesplit every day on the SH16 and the traffic starts / slows more like the M25. Bikes lanesplit in and out of the traffic; some like me prefer to do cars+20kph , others like to do 100kph whatever the speed of the cages.
And some of those 100kph guys find that L-plate 250s moving out to split as the taffic slows are all on them.

So basically everyone needs to do mirror checks splitting, except the 100kph guys. And they should be aware of the 140kph guys who hang out on here sometimes too ...

[Griff]

Well done on the lane splitting front!

[Swoop]

Disagree. Needs to be more than occasional. You should have plenty of brainspace to be aware 360 degrees,

The danger is in front of you.
An occasional mirror check to make sure you are not holding back other bikes.

[Griff]

why is it that whenever i split up to an intersection/lights, the middleaged commodore driver next to me at the lights thinks we are in a drag race...?

I used to think that all the cages were trying to race me off the line at lights. Then I just figured out:
A. They are not driving a manual car where you have to judge where the accelerator bites into the clutch. They just stamp on the accelerator and let the car do the gear changing.
B. I got sick of wearing out my rear tyre with fast starts.
C. I get MUCH more fun by zipping past them later on.
D. I get STACKS of fun, when they snarl up in a jam and I bimble past them waving.