Lane Splltting

[Deans BMW]

I would love to go riding with Andy someday, I think it would have the potential of being a great learning experience. I picture Andy going on one of his many hour rides with ice hanging from his handlebars and melted snow streaming from his riding clothes, happily singing and smiling the entire way.

[socalrob]

Andy,

I am impressed.

What I was thinking about making sure I check the mirror before starting the lane share, if I'm sitting in stopped traffic, I know where the 4 cages around me are. I have to remember the lane stripe may be a bikers lane. To me, anyway, its just not as intuitive to remeber that as it is to look at "real" lanes.

Meant no offense as to the squid comment.

[new2BMW]

In town you get through whatever gap you can, ideally without removing anyone's wing mirrors.

It is the only way to get through Tokyo traffic. 20 to 25 mph faster than the traffic is very safe here, but mostly due to more attentive drivers.

[yjleesvrr]

Those of you who haven't had the privilege of riding or driving in Southwest VA have yet to truly experience "slow" and "bad" driving. Every local thinks he's driving a semi when making a turn even if he's in a Ford Escort (remember those?). They'll swing out into the lane next to them only to turn in the opposite direction into the parking lot they want to enter. Oh, and people around here drive as if their cars will blow up if they drive near the speed limit. You'd think they live to the age of 120 given how much time they seem to take up going from one place to another.

[new2BMW]

Yong,
My limited experience in Virginia was different.
On Highway 60 between Richmond and Virginia Beach people tended to be on my a$$ at 70 mph even if the other lane was clear. To an onlooker, it would appear as if I was towing the other cars.

[AndyfromPoland]

Dean



If only it weren't so true ....

(doubt I could teach you anything though)

[Guest]

I split lanes/filter every day. If I didn't, it would take me forever to make the 85+ mile round trip to work and back. I am cautious about splitting lanes and I do my best to be polite to the cage drivers. I sometimes wave "thank you" when they move over for me so as to reinforce their positive behavior. I don't usually filter more than about 10-20 mph faster than the cars. I also limit my top filtering speed. I don't zone out while splitting lanes. I don't filter if one lane is moving fast and the other is almost stopped, because that is a high-risk situation for one of the stopped cars to try to zoom into the other lane in exasperation. Also, I did not split lanes much for the first year I commuted on the freeway. It was a gradual process of skills development, without the "luxury" of being able to make a major mistake during the learning process. Eventually you learn to estimate the relative speeds of the lanes, monitor the space available ahead (which changes second-to-second of course), be able to tread water at 2-3 mph or stop smoothly if the space closes off suddenly, keep an eye out for road hazards - and do all those things all at once, consistently every time.

I really enjoy splitting lanes, actually. It may sound strange but I find it peaceful! It requires such intense concentration that I find it takes my mind off everything else in life. And it's so cool! It's like being a shark, slicing through the water, always moving....

[JohnR]

Hey Guest,

Thanks for the post. I don't live where there are any lanes to split, but I ride some curves, near me, with the same attitude.

Guest wrote:

"It may sound strange but I find it peaceful! It requires such intense concentration that I find it takes my mind off everything else in life."

Assuming you wrote that "off the cuff"...nice.

-John-

[Leno]

Sorry to drop in on this at the end but what is 'lane sharing'?.

I filter as all good UK riders do and as Andy says you can read the body language of cars. For example most cars that want to swop lanes will be drawn subconcusly to that lane. You can almost see them twitch. Also tight trafic is good because it takes a very good driver to close the gap to the car beside them, which means there is always a bike sized gap. Of course vans with big mirrors are a pain because they are the same hight as my bike mirrors. Dorks with over sized 4X4's are a pain as they never seem to be able to keep in line.

[rdsmith3]

Why I hesitate to split lanes:

- I commute in NJ, where I think the term road rage must have been born. Most motorists feel that they, and they alone, own the roadway. They feel as if they are entitled to do whatever they want, whenever they want, at whatever speed they want.

- Drivers are extremely inattentive, and being stuck in rush hour traffic makes them even more likely to be doing something other than paying attention to driving. A young woman talking on a cell phone recently almost ran me off the road in a spot where it went from two lanes to one. She was literally driving on the shoulder and cut me off. She did not realize it because she was so engrossed in her conversation.

- Without warning, drivers will change lanes, because of some perceived millimeter/hour difference in the relative speed of the lanes. It is irrelevant if another vehicle is occupying space in the other lane. They will still attempt to do it.

- Some roads have had lanes added to them in a futile attempt to relieve traffic congestion. They will narrow the width of the lanes and the shoulders. There is not enough space between the rows of vehicles.

- Highways that have been re-paved often have a seam or crack in the asphalt between lanes. Remember, the contractor who paid off the most people won the re-paving bid.

All of the factors make lane splitting very tricky in NJ. I do it sometimes, but I do not usually enjoy it. I am always wary of the guy who is grouchy on a Monday morning because his football team lost and he is hung over and he resents that someone on a motorcycle is able to ease by him.

[AndyfromPoland]

Bob

You present a fine case for wearing off-road boots for commuting

Only kidding, of course

[Boxer]

Man, you guys in California must have super wide lanes. Here in Atlanta if the traffic gets worse they don't build new lanes, they just make the lines closer together to get new lanes! Like Kramer on Seinfeld! I can't imagine lane splitting around here on I-85 or I-285. I HAVE been known to go down the shoulder...which is a risk of getting a ticket...and I always..ALWAYS...get honked at by some car driver that's pissed that I'm getting ahead...but the space between the cars is minimal. Or maybe it's just my imagination.

[rdsmith3]

Boxer,

Yes, that's what they have done in NJ, too. They made the lanes narrower. Try fitting between two buses or two 18-wheel tractor trailers. It can be done, but it makes you pucker.

[Alannc]

Have to comment on the VA drivers. I live in NC but ride a lot in the South Western VA mountains. When a group of us get up in mountains riding the twisties it is not at all uncommon for drivers to pull over and let us pass, or wave us around over a double yellow line.

NC and VA drivers are polite to a fault. Have been fooled several times by the STOP sign they see at the end of the freeway entrance ramp.


Alan

[R4R&R]

I've been doing it more often since I changed my schedule to come in later = more traffic. Only in certain situations I'll split up to a red light, when traffic is stopped. Maybe I need more experience but for now, it will save me up to 15 minutes on the way in to work.

[socalrob]

Leno,

Lane SHARING in California is legal, lane splitting is not. It is legal for 2 (or more?) vehicles to share a lane. For instance, on a mountain road with a double yellow it is legal for a bike to go around a car as long as the double yellow is not crossed (the car moves over 18" or so). Same thing applies to freeways, its not really legal to ride down the line between lanes, your supposed to be on one side or the other, & be "sharing" the lane.

I like the sound of "sharing" as it implies that the car driver is a partner in it with you. Kind of the opposite of road rage. It is amazing how many cars/trucks/suv's in Cali will edge over to make lane sharing easier. I think its because most people know its legal here.

What I', curious about is if anyone in Cali has gotten a ticket for violating the carpool double yellows. I cross them all the time at will when lane sharing between the fast & carpool lanes. I think the violation is $371 per time. Could really mount up if I were followed. I have heard about LEO's in planes tracking sport bikes up mountains & recording every double yellow violation, then hitting them with huge tickets at the end of the ride.

[Guest]

When I posted before it appeared as "Guest" - something happened to my username. I feel we are fortunate in California because the police tolerate filtering here. They don't go so far as to call it "legal", but it is considered a legal grey zone. If we split lanes judiciously (no pun intended), we don't generally get pulled over for it. But just so you won't get too jealous of your Los Angeles riding friends, we have lots of smog and traffic to make up for the blessing of being able to whiteline!

I can certainly understand riders not wanting to filter in U.S. states (or other countries?) where it is illegal. Who wants a moving violation, after all? Maybe the laws will change in some of the other locales, over time. Unfortunately what we riders think does not seem to be a high priority for most anyone else.

Ebet

[beekstersocal]

i live here in san diego and have gone between the cars at stop l;ights an passed cops and chp sitting at an intersections and have never once been pulled over i even passed a chp on the freeway lane sharing and never have been pulled over.. after talking to a few motor officers they tell me its all how you do it. if your safe and smart about it ,no problem

[BMWkidd]

To split or not to split?

Split, it is. South bound. Hwy 101, Santa Barbara, CA.

[Leno]

In the UK you would get two bikes between the trucks, but I think we would be shy of messing with the funny looking cows.