Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Anyone cut straight through the lanes? Aren't you scared you might get doored, or hit someone's car? It is faster and feels good to do it but what's better: footpath or cutting through?

From watching my mum in the kitchem, if you cook them well enough not only will you cut through them easily, but they will spread easily on toast and you'll have no problem eating them for breakfast.



Personally I prefer not to tangle with traffic. With our narcissistic national morality, where "it's all about me", drivers don't give a cr*p about anyone else let alone your safety, and sooner or later it will end in tears.

I now take back roads. Sure, it's not as quick from A to B, but the training effect is very much better.

A lot of the roads in my area have bike lanes on the side of the road, and that makes my life considerably easier!

Not all of them obviously, but I plan my route around the ones that do, and it generally keeps me out of trouble!

I too am lucky that there are bike lanes on all but 700m of my usual commute. I have been abused only once in five years by a car driver on the road for being quicker as he was sitting in the traffic - I felt like saying something but didn't bother.

As far as when I ride on the road with heavy traffic around traffic lights that I could legally travel to the front of the que - I don't - I simply claim a lane ride my speed and if a car does pass me between the reds I don't make them do it again. Most the time drivers then are OK and you don't get honked at, yelled at, or run off the road. (including late at night) Car drivers seem to get very aggresive when they have to overtake you for the third time in three blocks - even though you have not done anything wrong.

Still if there is an alternative to the road that is safe I will take it - the shortest way to work is 5kms and my usual commute is 10km.

kingoftheroad wrote:but what's better: footpath or cutting through?

You missed an option: waiting in line. But it depends heavily on the density. Your version of 'traffic in a jam' might not match mine.

There's three distinct places on my commute where I prefer to wait in line. Plenty of riders cut through, either taking the footpath or splitting between cars, often ignoring the red light and diving into the (often highly used) bus lane. Gets them about 25m ahead of the ones who wait (Spit Bridge heading south, I'm looking at you guys, trailgumby would have seen this happen with some regularity).

Filtering when traffic is stop/start is a bit of a mugs game IMHO. Why yoyo around the same 12-15 cars over and over again, working yourself into the gutters or exposing yourself to doors and annoying drivers? Total jammed peak hour is a bit different. If nobody is going anywhere fast, filtering is relatively safe, mostly due to fact nobody is going to be merging at speed and not seeing you. Plus inhaling idling engine fumes sucks.

Jim

To cut through traffic safely, one really should either be patient and take one's turn, or be very familiar with driver psychology and movement. Then you'll know when it's safe to filter through and at what speed. Vigilance and be reserved will save your life. Seen too many cyclists do stupid things in traffic and put themselves and others in harm's way.

I won't filter through if it's pointless (ie. a few cars waiting at the light) but any sort of serious jam, buggered if I'm going to sit in it for no reason. Will filter/footpath, depending on what's easier/safer. I don't ride a bike so I can sit in traffic.

I filtered through traffic today because it was backed up a few hundred meters and not moving, but I did it very slowly and if the cars start moving I merge back in until they stop. As has been said if there's only a few cars at the lights or the traffic is moving slowly I'll stay behind the cars but if they're all stopped and not moving any time soon I'll filter down the left carefully.

Every time's a judgement call. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The only firm rule of traffic riding is listed in my sig

I refuse to filter through traffic. I believe filtering through just creates an "US & THEM" senerio with motorists. While it may be legal I just think it is bad form.
The only time I will do it is when there is a bike lane which is not really filtering as I am in my own lane.

Donald

yes but filtering with 500CC of assiatance is techically illegal?

Donald

I am like a hot knife to the traffic butter.
But like any knife - you need to weild it with care.

Got to cut traffic in a jam, that's one of cycling's great joys.

Oxford wrote:

beauyboy wrote:yes but filtering with 500CC of assiatance is techically illegal?

Donald

umm, no its not, but I'll leave that discussion for another thread where it has already been covered off.

however I do see moto riding in the same vein as cycling. either way the rider has made a choice where they have more flexibility with their transportation option and I see no reason why they should be disadvantaged because so many others make what could be considered to be poor transportation choices.

This is quite correct. There is precious little distinction between cyclist, motorcyclist or motorists in the road rules - they are all drivers. Any vehicle may overtake another, as long as it is safe. There is no rule prohibiting filtering, it's not even mentioned in the road rules. There is a requirement to travel completely in one lane and not drive across the lane lines. Motorcyclists may pass other vehicles where there is room, just like cyclists. Passing between lines of traffic at high speed, and/or through moving traffic would be construed as dangerous by police and motorcyclists are not able to overtake to the left of traffic whilst cyclists can.

Back OT, I will sit behind in the lane where there is a queue of up to about 3-4 cars. More than this and I will pass safely to the front, often on the right side of the left lane of traffic. I never take to the footpath to get by.

I won't filter if the cars are going to go straight past as soon as the lights go green, but I'll filter if I am going faster than the car traffic, so that cars I pass will not have to re-pass me. Like others, I think that annoys drivers and makes them anti-cyclist. On the other hand I will filter because as LB says, it's not my fault that people choose to use a form of transport that is inefficient at certain times and places.

Like TG says, a lot of the time you can find a back road anyway.

Hopping onto the footpath is not a way to filter, it's illegal. Riders wouldn't like it if cars used bike paths , would they? That sort of "I'll follow the rules when it suits me and ignore them when it suits me" stuff is a significant reason why drivers and peds often dislike cyclists IMHO.

Chris249 wrote:I won't filter if the cars are going to go straight past as soon as the lights go green, but I'll filter if I am going faster than the car traffic, so that cars I pass will not have to re-pass me. Like others, I think that annoys drivers and makes them anti-cyclist.

I'd love it if the car drivers would not pass me when they are only going to stop at the next traffic jam and I'll have to slow up and re-pass them. That annoys me. I reckon they should all just stay behind, but they don't. So I don't.

Oxford wrote:

Chris249 wrote:...

Hopping onto the footpath is not a way to filter, it's illegal...

depends on the state. in Qld its legal and I did it all the time particularly when you get haters knowingly trying to jam you into the gutter.

Go around them on the right hand side

I more often prefer to pass queued traffic on the right hand side anyway, to avoid the left-turners and because there is usually more room between the rows of cars.

Of course you cut the traffic... your main obstacles are doors, so you have to keep it under 25kmh. Merging drivers are a worry, but it's fairly uncommon. I do a sprint eastward on Victoria Road near Blackmans in Parramatta, and will usually filter up to the 3rd car. Timing of the lights means I'm moving at 10kmh when I get there. This allows the front runners to get a bit of speed, without me being in the way. I could get to the front with effort, but it sends a message that I'm not hogging the lane (I am!), plus I'm in the right lane as well. Normally sprint to 53-55kmh to establish that I'm not slowing anyone down. Good exercise too

Just do what you're brave enough to do. You'll learn what makes drivers angry. If you don't know what it feels like to share the road with a rider, you don't drive enough. If you don't know what it's like to share the road with a driver, you don't ride enough. Just remember, fear is punished harder than arrogance.

Xplora wrote:You'll learn what makes drivers angry.

Ummm that'd be "existence" right?

Mulger bill wrote:

Xplora wrote:You'll learn what makes drivers angry.

Ummm that'd be "existence" right?

Well, there is no accounting for retardation and disfunction in the gene pool... but I can't help feeling that this is unkind to the retarded and disfunctional, who are probably more well adjusted than dopey drivers.

Oxford wrote:

Chris249 wrote:...

Hopping onto the footpath is not a way to filter, it's illegal...

depends on the state. in Qld its legal and I did it all the time particularly when you get haters knowingly trying to jam you into the gutter.

Sorry, didn't know your rules.

I'm lucky with haters trying to jam you in; last one was years ago, but it was not fun.

Chris249 wrote:I'm lucky with haters trying to jam you in; last one was years ago, but it was not fun.

This hater's jam looks fun though