Cutting in on queuing traffic?

[ttaskmaster]

It happens.
Learn from it, plan for it and carry on going the same way. No biggie. All part of biking it, really...

 

[Scort]

I've not been riding as long as you - only 11 years here, but I *always* try to think before I commit to such a move: will I **** this car driver off, and I can I do it without creating a situation.

There have been countless times were I was just about to commit to an overtake, filter, or similar move to you - but when I considered my mantra above; opted against it.

Fact is, you never know if the driver you 'cut in on' or pass, is a nut job or not. And as my instructor always told me - it doesn't matter if you're right or wrong - you are the one that is eating hospital food.

 

[Griffo]

I'll second ttaskmaster and suggest carrying on using the same route, at least for now. I feel like - at least for my mental brain - it's a slippery slope if you start changing your route when you encounter a challenging/not-easily-cheated road junction.

On my daily commute there's a similar sounding junction to yours. It varies from 5 car queue to 20 car queue where i have twisty road stationary traffic to... decide to pass! I've never had any trouble, probably because at commute time every fool is asleep in their car for the most part. I'm also pretty defensive when I decide where I'm getting back in. Though my road is also generally a bit wider so I know if I do get stuck I can find a car to get alongside where I won't get murdered by oncoming traffic.

Whether I skip to the front or to the last couple of cars changes every day. If the road we (90% of us) are turning left on to is also pretty stationary then I'll bumble to the front and work my way onto that road and get filtering again.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Can’t see a problem apart from the driver that closed the gap on you being the end of a bell.

Unlike with cyclists that do this, a motorcyclist will be long gone by the time I’ve let the clutch up, so they’re not delaying or hindering my progress in anyway.

 

[scottomus0]

Im the total opposite when im driving. I will always make room for a passing bike. By the time you've huffed about them making a manoeuvre they're already off ....

 

[Nomisf]

In central London, yeah I would do exactly what you did and there would be no problem.

Outside of London - probably not, not because its wrong - but because the number of times I encounter someone who takes issue and does something stupid to block me has skyrocketed recently. My recent favorite being blocking me from getting back into normal traffic from one of Reading's many bike-allowed bus lanes.

Most road users are Butt holes...

 

[Tefal]

What's your guys opinions on this?

Going to work this morning up to a t junction, single lane (well one each way but you know what I mean).

I am aiming to turn left at the end, majority of people make a left there.

Traffic on left was stationary about 15 cars or so queuing up to the junction, it's a bit of a ****** junction to get out of, so generally is a bit queue there. I have seen it a lot worse. Anyway, opposite lane was empty so went past all of the cars bar the front 2, there was a gap between third and the first two, so went to cut in in front of number 3.

As I went for the gap, he saw me coming and intentionally went for the gap and cut me out.

I was left basically in the middle of the road, alongside the right of his bonnet, no real room to get forward. I turned around and gave him a bit of a look and a gensture, I didn't make any proper hand signals mind you, if you know what I mean. The cars in front edged forward a bit and did eventually manage to get it front of him when the front 2 had moved up a bit.

I've been riding like 16 years or so, and very occasionally get some dick like this, but do you guys all generally filter and cut in like this, do you think I should have let that one go and get behind him instead?

Fortunately the road bends off to the left a and widens quite a bit before the junction, so there is well enough room for traffic coming the opposite way.

Skip around the other 2 cars and go or deliberately just keep moving in on this guy then take an age to go at the junction

 

[Deleted member 651465]

You will always get the numskulls that get the huff when they see a bike/someone making progress when they're sat in traffic.

Personally, I try not to skip a queue if I know the lights are quick changing and I don't think I'll make it to the front of the queue before the lights will change. In the OP's scenario, I probably would have done the same or even pulled alongside the guy at the front with my right hand indicator on. I wouldn't do it if I was going left though, cutting across someone at a junction like that is just a dick move.

In the past year, my favourite moments have included:

• Van drivers watching the side mirrors on stationary motorways, deliberately drifting toward the adjacent lane (to stop filtering)
• One young lass in an Audi A1 who thought she was playing F1 2018 that attempted to dive down the inside at a roundabout (very late braking + lane change) causing me (filtering) and a few cars to emergency stop
• Lots of people using a mobile phone whilst driving who then fail to check mirrors and who are oblivious to you riding next to their driver's window
• At least 3 people that have changed lanes without checking mirrors, when I've been filtering

 

[Tefal]

Im the total opposite when im driving. I will always make room for a passing bike. By the time you've huffed about them making a manoeuvre they're already off ....

What's interesting is since I've been hanging out with the other petrol heads at work (all cars mind) they all now have a very differnt approach to bikers as they understand more about what we do and why.

Like most didn t realise that bikes can't take corners anything like cars or that our braking distance is a lot more. They say they leave more room between them and a bike now as we may brake earlier or they keep a better watch on thier mirrors and hang to the left of the road in traffic jams etc.


It's surprising how many drivers think rev matching when stopping at lights etc is just a biker being a dick reving his engine

 

[Ant480]

It seems just to have been bad luck on the OP's part to meet that driver at that time.

As a biker I tend to hang back in the queue in such situations - I filter where I can, but avoid doing something that will bring me across from one side to the other like this simply because you're very much at the mercy of the drivers around you.

For this reason I've never been keen on filtering to the front at roundabouts between two lanes of cars. The reason being the cars all have to turn and take positions entering the roundabout - they don;t need the added challenge of also having to avoid a motorcycle between them and the car in the adjacent lane.

I really like this post - the OP is actually seeking feedback on what was right/wrong. What put me off motorcycling for years was the poor coverage in the motorcycling press in which car drivers were lambasted for any incident involving a motorcyclist. That press coverage together with the reckless speed of many motorcyclists on the country roads near me made me want to not be associated with that particular "tribe" of road users. Fortunately my love for riding prevailed and I realised the majority of motorcyclists are, like those on this thread, thoughtful and give a lot of thought to how they ride.

 

[Kreeeee]

It's surprising how many drivers think rev matching when stopping at lights etc is just a biker being a dick reving his engine

To be fair if you have a slipper clutch then you're just doing it for the noise.