Not taking advantage of my position

Phekdra

I'd just finished the countryside section of my commute home and was coming in to town. I breezed past an oldish guy on a heavily laden tourer and came up to some lights at a right turn only junction. As I was waiting there, getting my breath back, a few cars back from the lights, said oldish guy creaked and clanked his way past me on the left to the front of the queue, just as the lights were changing to green and got through with the two or three cars before the lights changed again, leaving me feeling like a total idiot!

It just never occurs to me to take advantage of the limited width of my vehicle, and I know I would feel uncomfortable filtering like that, even with acres of space and a right turn only ahead. I get enough abuse as it is without riling motorists with such manoeuvres - I hear so much about filtering that I must be the only one not prepared to do it. Perhaps I will try tomorrow but I'm sure it'll be uncomfortable taking so many annoyed stares in my lycra-clad backside!

Phekdra

janm399

Don't worry about that at all -- I don't like filtering either. It also allows me to take primary and ride defensively without feeling like a hypocrite: if I want to be treated like a car, I should ride as if I'm driving a car. This somehow makes the majority of the drivers I meet when I ride give me a lot of room and respect.
I will only filter if I can see that I will be able to reach the ASL before the lights go green.

So, don't worry, when you get to a point where you can maintain 25 - 30 mph, you'll be able to fly past the filterers anyway. Alternatively, look at red lights as excellent interval training

Jan

Alibran

We got stuck at some temporary lights earlier today because my partner, who was in front, asked me what to do, and I said wait behind the last car. If I'd been on my own, I probably would have filtered down the outside even though it was a bit tight - there certainly wasn't room on the left - but she isn't as confident as me, so we waited in the queue and had a nice rest and a chat. If you don't feel comfortable filtering, then don't. There's no point putting yourself at risk.

dennisn

I don't bike commute but when I do ride in an area of traffic and traffic lights I tend
to move past stopped cars and work my way to the front if I can. I know it's not
the accepted and possibly not the legal way to do it but I feel like I'm more of an
actual impedence and danger to traffic and myself if I'm out there in that line of cars
waiting to move. When it is time to move I can't get going as fast as a car and it would seem that I'm only in the way, clogging things up, and p*ssing people off. If I'm out in front
when the light changes I can get moving at my own pace, off to the side a bit, everyone can see me, and I can merge back into the lane and feel a bit safer about the whole
thing. And to top it off traffic even seems to move better without me trying to clip in
and the like. I guesss I sort of make my own little lane for a bit. I rarely, if ever get flipped
off or cursed at.

Dennis Noward

Phekdra

janm399 wrote:

So, don't worry, when you get to a point where you can maintain 25 - 30 mph, you'll be able to fly past the filterers anyway. Alternatively, look at red lights as excellent interval training

Well I can just manage 25mph, but flat, straight roads around here are something of a novelty. My 12 mile commute somehow manages to be entirely uphill in both directions, although the scenery makes it well worth it. In my defence, a heavy rucksack and d-lock do act like an anchor, and hills are fun. I never thought I'd find myself saying that before I got my road bike!

I do tend to look upon red lights as an opportunity to get my breath back.

Phekdra

Mike Healey

dennisn wrote:

I don't bike commute but when I do ride in an area of traffic and traffic lights I tend
to move past stopped cars and work my way to the front if I can. I know it's not
the accepted and possibly not the legal way to do it but I feel like I'm more of an
actual impedence and danger to traffic and myself if I'm out there in that line of cars
waiting to move. Dennis Noward

It is perfectly acceptable, witness the advice of the Highway code on the subject. It is also legal.

dennisn

Mike Healey wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I don't bike commute but when I do ride in an area of traffic and traffic lights I tend
to move past stopped cars and work my way to the front if I can. I know it's not
the accepted and possibly not the legal way to do it but I feel like I'm more of an
actual impedence and danger to traffic and myself if I'm out there in that line of cars
waiting to move. Dennis Noward

It is perfectly acceptable, witness the advice of the Highway code on the subject. It is also legal.

I'm from the U.S. so things might be a bit different. I've never looked into it. Just did it.
Seems like the right thing. Get out of the cars way.
Dennis noward

BentMikey

In some circumstances getting out of the cars way is going to put your life at risk. The best way across a junction is behind the first or second car in the middle of the lane. You can then drop back to secondary position once you're safely through the junction.

To some of the previous posters on here, I can't imagine not filtering here in London. Would I really want to take up to 2.5 hours for an hour's commute by waiting in line with the cars?

Crapaud

BentMikey wrote:

In some circumstances getting out of the cars way is going to put your life at risk. The best way across a junction is behind the first or second car in the middle of the lane. You can then drop back to secondary position once you're safely through the junction.

To some of the previous posters on here, I can't imagine not filtering here in London. Would I really want to take up to 2.5 hours for an hour's commute by waiting in line with the cars?

That's pretty much how I do it - filter up towards the front, indicate to pull into primary and try to catch the driver behind's eye to make sure he / she knows what I'm doing.

The only exceptions are when there's no room to filter or a large vehicle, then I'll wait patiently behind. I always assume that large vehicles'll be turning left or right irrespective of whether they're indicating.

If, for any reason, I think it's not safe to filter I'll wait at the back of the queue - I'd rather arrive at my destination late rather than at a different place all mangled, or be put in a fridge.

Eat My Dust

janm399 wrote:

if I want to be treated like a car, I should ride as if I'm driving a car.

lol, chatting on your mobile while applying lippy!!!!!!

janm399

Eat My Dust wrote:

lol, chatting on your mobile while applying lippy!!!!!!

Oi! Respectable ladies will not leave the house without lippy already on