If you were in traffic on a motorway, would you notice…?

Surprised you’ve not seen people do it – fairly common up here in the Midlands, often pull in slightly to let motorbikes pass in traffic.

Unless they are on the A6 on a weekend and I’m worried that they will get to 800BC before I get there!

Yep, a foot out or sideways nod gets noticed…and yeah it is appreciated.

, they assume that my moving has suggested it is safe,

No. Never assume anything. I just know you’ve seen me, as I already said, which is nice 🙂
Do you ride a bike?

Surprised you’ve not seen people do it – fairly common up here in the Midlands, often pull in slightly to let motorbikes pass in traffic.

Not nodding at drivers, no. Nobody’s ever done it to me whilst IU’m in a car, but then, I don’t use the car much anyway. I came up with the idea off my own bat.
Lifting a hand isn’t an option as I have bar muffs on….. A full on wave is tricky because I need to get my hand back inside the muff and I prefer too keep my fingers covering brake/clutch.

It’s good to see motorists making space when filtering. I always give a little wave or thumbs up. Out if interest I was told during a BikeSafe that there’s no issue with using full beam if u need to make other road users aware. The police rider taking the course said you’d be amazed how many road users don’t observe their mirrors even with blues & twos on.
I can’t imagine motorists making space for cyclists when they’re filtering….

I’m gonna let the question of lights run a bit I think…. Some interesting answers already shall we say? 🙂

Actually, another question too… This one is a tricky one as well, could fire up an argument….. 🙂

At what point does ‘filtering’ start taking the pee? I’ve seen many motorcycles ridden (Guessing by the bike and the style of rider) by those who commute regularly in heavy motorway traffic, ‘filtering’ when the traffic is doing 70mph or more, meaning the rider is clearly doing 80+

This is obviously taking the piss.

General filtering, the traffic is moving, so you have to be going faster than it. When MY OWN speed reaches 40-50ish it seems prudent to fall into line and chill, whaddya reckon to that? 🙂

I’m generally one of the slower filterers I see on my commute, at that speed….I get passed by other bikes maybe twice as often as I pass another

At what point does ‘filtering’ start taking the pee?

Speed differential, and how comfortable you are with doing it. (And, not Or.)

I wouldn’t filter in traffic when it’s doing 30mph or more and ride no faster than 15-20mph than the moving traffic… Just my own two pence….

I always lift a hand to say thanks if I can, otherwise a nod. Might try the foot thing though I’m not sure how noticeable (or safe) that would be in heavy traffic.

Filtering at 80+, that would be ever so naughty wouldn’t it? 8)

Tend to stop filtering on mways when traffic gets to 40ish, i.e you are doing 50-55 – any faster and it starts becoming a lottery. Drivers expect bikes to be filtering when the traffic is stationary or crawling but not when it speeds up a bit

Btw, if the post on intersesting light answers was aimed at me I’d love to know your thoughts – I’ve given the matter a great deal of thought my self (same with hi viz)

I assume that bikers are cool, so acknowledgement from them makes me feel cool too.. the foot down thing is even cooler.
Spread the cool.

As noted above a wave of the leg is a common and yes, we do notice. I make a point of always moving over and I’d say about 30% offer some kind of signal, mostly either a leg or lifted fingers. Always appreciated. However personally I think you’re all cheating and as such if you did any thing silly like use a high beam I’d close the gap…

I don’t filter above 30 but then I don’t ride on motorways much. Stationary traffic I try and stick to around 20. Once its moving above 30 it would become an overtake IMO.

those who commute regularly in heavy motorway traffic, ‘filtering’ when the traffic is doing 70mph or more, meaning the rider is clearly doing 80+

many, many people are **** mental!

At what point does ‘filtering’ start taking the pee? I’ve seen many motorcycles ridden (Guessing by the bike and the style of rider) by those who commute regularly in heavy motorway traffic, ‘filtering’ when the traffic is doing 70mph or more, meaning the rider is clearly doing 80+

This is obviously taking the piss

Not really, only a 10mph difference – its far more dangerous on a ‘normal’ road when your doing 60 and the car coming the opposite way is doing 60.

Only issue when filtering fast is hitting cats-eyes at speed when leaned over for the ‘bend’ 🙂

Quick left right indicator or hazards if their handy. No hands removed from bars and pretty obvious. Might even get you noticed by someone further up the road.

Always move over. Usually get thanks. Appreciated.

Like the slow foot extension best. Most cool.

i rermember my uncle telling me a story of some guy that saw the bikes coming so moverd over into the lane to block their path. as the traffic moved and the driver straightened up all four or five bikes gave him the boot…. a boot into the door or front wing and then sped off.

If it’s slow moving and I see a lane swerver, serving between successive cars braking distances, then I’d cut them off and make them earn a pass.

Mate, if they’re being that careless they’ll hit a lamppost on their own. They don’t need any help from awesome Road Vigilantes like you.

I commute each way over 40km’s of jammed Belgian highway every day by motorbike.(75km each way in total)
Hazards on / main beam (& noisy pipe) and then hanging left foot for those kind enough to acknowledge my presence & give me a little room….

Been hit twice over the past 10yrs and had some horribly close misses.

I’m very grateful to any driver who makes my journey a little less scary.

My commute was the hell hole of the Manchester motorways, sometimes some bikers did something that was about it. Some got grumpy if you didn’t move over – which was normally a shame as it’s hard to do that when the traffic is stationary and that motorway had some narrow lanes in places. Some of the time those of us in a lane were moving to avoid debris or just someone doing a slow lane move or drifting themselves.

As for what speed is safe? If you think you can put the bike in a small gap at 70mph and react in time to somebody else doing something then good luck to you. Most drivers struggle with what is in front of them and a bit of the side, expecting them to be aware of you coming from behind is a big ask. They should be just don’t rely on them.

Been hit twice over the past 10yrs and had some horribly close misses.

I’m very grateful to any driver who makes my journey a little less scary.
There is one person who can help you there, they are sat on your motorbike.

Most French bikers (“motards”) drop the right foot. I guess because the right hand’s on the throttle?

looks a bit daft when someone on a scooter does it though.

I used to move over but when they (motorcyclists) all seemed to stop bothering any recognition for my considerate action, I stopped.

Same applied to lorries and buses.

Nowadays, I pretend I’m in an Audi.

When I see a motorbike in my mirror I always let it pass( if safe to do so,obvs.). When I was an apprentice I used to get a pillion lift with my foreman (which scared the shit out of me).
He pointed out to me the drivers that let bikes pass & would always say ” they’ve ridden a bike before”.
Any kind of acknowledgement is appreciated imo.

I am a biker so I move over bit as PP said I do it to let them know I have seen them rather than to give them room as normally there is enough room anyway. Most thank you but if they don’t I am not that bothered as if they are new to filtering I would rather they concentrated than wave or nod at me.

Controversial I know but loud cans help filtering if I hear you I will look for you.

As for speed I find if I am filtering for a long time through lots of traffic my speed can creep up if the traffic starts moving. Sometimes I do look down at speedo and thing hmm maybe I should go with the traffic now. But as someone said its the speed differential thats the big thing.

I love it in Europe when a mass of cars part for you, makes you feel like royalty 🙂

As I am a fair weather biker (Apart from Touring) I hope this rain goes away soon 🙂 Going to Portimao for a track day(s) end of May it would at least be nice to do some riding before that 🙂

Most French bikers (“motards”) drop the right foot. I guess because the right hand’s on the throttle?

I’d hazard that’s correct. Don’t really want to be wiggling your right hand about.

Most French bikers (“motards”) drop the right foot. I guess because the right hand’s on the throttle?

Ah – I get it. Yes, you’re probably right.
It helped that the first time someone did it, he was on a cafe racer with pisspot and goggles. The boot he lowered was very stylish. Just had that air of continental cool 🙂

At what point does ‘filtering’ start taking the pee?

I filter only when there’s a queue of traffic that is moving very slowly (bicycle speed) or not at all.

Filtering at high speeds is called ‘weaving’ and the people who do it are called ‘bell ends’

When I’m on the bike I am trying to make eye contact with other road users often in their mirror. No I eye contact and I treat them as threat. When I see someone moving over and I have eye contact with them I give them a nod of the head as I pass them I will raise fingers as further acknowledgement to them.

At what point does ‘filtering’ start taking the pee?

Anything more than 20mph in my opinion isn’t filtering it’s undertaking. If you can ride in traffic without stop starting then you have no need to filter. I don’t tend to go more than 10-15mph faster than the traffic I’m filtering through as it doesn’t allow others to time enough to react to you coming through.
I actively look out for motorbikes and make the effort to give them room to pass but I have been passed on the inside whilst overtaking other road users and never even seen the bike coming behind they had approached so quickly. I have seen too many of these idiots further down the road laid out in the road with the bike wedged in a car.

what do we think to me having high beam and/or hazards on as I filter?

Always ride with dipped beam on. Filtering with high beam is pointless and annoying to other road users. I don’t have hazards on the current bike but I did use them on the previous bike.

Lights. I can’t turn my headlight off, as bikes are all hard wired on these days, but what do we think to me having high beam and/or hazards on as I filter?

I remember being told about the technique of loosening the mounting hardware on the light, makeing it bounce up and down a little as you ride, so it appears to “flash”
No idea if it works, or what it would do to the life of the light.

I always move over if I can, and a simple finger-lift wave is appreciated, but if your hands are covered in full winter muffs, I’d probably notice and assume you’d waved. 🙂

As a biker, my first preference is that other drivers stick to the rules and don’t make any sudden lane movements. Being let through is great but I’d prefer to wait than have drivers jerking around on instinct.

Haven’t read what every one else has said, but both of my brothers are motorcyclists ( and I’m a cyclist, so like to think I’m more observant than most ( well, I am!)), so yes I do move over and I do notice if I’m thanked for it.

When filtering takes the piss, is , like a few weeks ago when the traffic starts moving (at traffic lights) and the motorcyclist expects me to change my pull away speed so he can sneak thru a gap between me and a big van.. This with only one other car in front and the next set of lights red. I didn’t stop for him and the dick pulls up next to me when we stop. I open my window and point and laugh at him.

Anyway, apart from that, if bikes can make better progress than the rest of the traffic, I see no problem with (safe) filtering.

If you were in traffic on a motorway, would you notice…?

Yes I would and I always move slighly to the right if its a slow moving jam. I notice everything. I can also tell you what people 360degrees in the cars around me are doing, what the cars ahead are going to do before they do it.

Its called being a normal and competent driver.

I notice everything. I can also tell you what people 360degrees in the cars around me are doing, what the cars ahead are going to do before they do it.

Its called being a normal and competent driver.
Thing is you don’t and generally can’t. Thinking you can is probably the most dangerous thing around.
It’s called being over confident

I always shoulder check too before changing lanes (either way)- I never rely on just the mirrors.

The ‘good’ thing about the motorway is everyone is going in the same direction in just 3 or 4 wide lanes so you have a measure of control.

Its very different to driving on normal roads- then my thoughts ^ go totally out of the window.

I always move out for bikers and appreciate someone thanking me for it so feel free to carry on 🙂

Don’t wave, don’t waggle your leg at me, don’t nod suggestively and don’t do that lefty righty lefty righty indicator thing. We’re over, through, it was a one time thing, I will NOT be calling you in the morning. You’ve passed me, you’ve got all the stuff ahead of you to worry about now, work on that, not someone who may have made space for you on your ego chariot or might just have swerved accidentally while checking Twitter.

My Fav is the little kick out of the rider’s boot in my direction, as I give them room.

But a nod is good… as would be a flick or two of the elbow.

It’s nice to be nice peeps 😀

Some people probably think they are queue jumping or avoiding their stint in the jam. The trade-off is bikers are mental for riding completely unprotected on a very fast road. If someone does bregrudge then all they have to do is also buy a bike. Its not an exclusive club.

If I was commuting say in the South East and it was always mental jams = bike IMO.

I notice everything.

Omnipresent.. omnipotent… omniscient. It’s Hora.

As a biker, my first preference is that other drivers stick to the rules and don’t make any sudden lane movements. Being let through is great but I’d prefer to wait than have drivers jerking around on instinct.

Glad to see there is a biker that shares a similar view to mine.