There is no intention to offend any section of our biking community, just an observation on the way things are in commuting world. Yesterday officially heralded the start of summer in London and its surrounds. The evidence was plain to see, the return of the summer commuter resplendent in 1 piece leathers, virgin sliders and gleaming BSB spec Superbike. Now I love seeing people living the dream in what is a fairly stressful and short life, but please, please get out of my way, you have just added 5 minutes onto my commute. I am all for riders riding in their comfort zone and staying as safe as possible, but the 2 non spec BSB items attached to your bike, are there for a purpose, ie the silver reflective things that alert you to a freight train of weary winter hacks queuing behind you. If you ain't comfortable with the pace move over and let the throng flow through, no shame in that, its a different skill honed over time. Now my 3 beefs that returned to frustrate me yesterday, whilst filtering in heavy traffic, I was confronted by the smell of frying clutch plate, they pain of LED lasered eyes, from nervous dabbing of both levers, and ears that are still ringing, bought on by the belief that if your pull in the clutch and blip your engine to 8 to 10K, and let the straight through pipe wail, the tintop brigade will suddenly part like Moses and the Red Sea, they don't and it just pi**es them off along with the riders queuing behind. Rant over, enjoy the weekend folks.
Couldn't agree more mate, I've hung my road boots up now and don't miss it. Squires is a prime example, all these mega money superbikes mounted by power ranger clad leather suits normally with "the doctor" written on their arse. It's normally the noisiest ones that are the slowest as well. As much as it always makes me chuckle I let them get on with it. That's the great thing about bikes, you can either ride them hard and get out there tearing up as many new roads as your tyres and wallet will allow or you can polish it for 4 hours and then take a 10 mile ride down to the local coffee shop and stand next to it looking fly. Either way if that's your bag then fair enough it's your money. I've even seen someone drive a van to sherburn and get a bike out to ride down to squires to stand next to it, no joke!! I suppose there's a poser in all of us. But you're damn right it is feckin annoying when you have one of the typical aforementioned types sat holding you up. All the gear and no idea springs to mind...
makes me laugh ,i go out on a tuned monkey bike to squires and usually pass a couple of bikes , usually harley types that are tootling along at 40 mph w.t.f !! they might as well be riding mopeds if they are going that slow.
It's kinda like 'Tit' Tuesday, as I know it. The first sunny tuesday the ladies dress more appropriately for the weather ie get their baps out, could equally apply to bikers. I've got the same gripe as you, if you're not comfy with the filtering pace move over, and if you can't filter sit appropriately in lane with the other cagers! Other gripes! Truck/buses that sit in the middle lane for no apparent reason blocking filtering on both sides Pedestrians who have forgotten the use of the senses of sight and hearing Yam R125 Rossi wannabes at the lights (and everywhere else) - bitch please! All Addison Lee drivers That dude that thinks because it's a traffic jam its ok to get out the car and stretch his legs in the 'fast' lane of the M4 and the worst, Boris bike riders in a suit and broques ,no helmet and apple earphone in - a suit fire way of identifying a total dip shite perfect example
I just love it when examples are provided. at least that guy was reasonably apologetic. Most times they (cyclists) take the moral high ground and blame the fossil burning masses for everything. I really hate the gaggle of 20 or so Lycra clad muppets taking up a full lane like their in the peloton!
Loving it Slick. Have to agree Bap time is upon us, that's a bonus, all those City slappers out doing each other, that's a summer bonus that's always welcome. Fecking Addison Lee retards, how many have licenses? Had a very heated altercation with one earlier this week,which was interesting in 2 different languages, that come across 3 lanes and straight in front of me whilst on his mobile, causing me do do a near stoppie, never easy on a ABS, ended up with the Citys finest being called by a pedestrian, 'honest officer I was just helping him out of his vehicle', did not cut much ice, and we both got a stripping down.
Well as a cyclist I don't take offence . I would say try being in their position for a week, Top Gear showed a few decent angles in last week's show, especially the bus drivers. Oops that's the bus drivers offended At no risk of feeling bad about offending anyone I HATE CYCLISTS WHO JUMP RED LIGHTS!* * and have had a few good rows with cyclists who have done so when I have been on my treader.
I think some of them came out a bit earlier in the week up north. I had three bikes in succession who were unwilling to filter faster than walking pace thru static traffic on the M62 last Tuesday. They seem unable to look in the mirrors because they are 100% focused on wibbling through the cages. But it's what loud pipes are for
I get your gripes guys but doesn't everybody have to start somewhere? Honestly everybody has been there I know when I started on my 125 I learned to filter by following other bikers through. Liked the virgin sliders comment however my commuting leathers have no sliders because there is no where to get my knee down on a commute my sliders come in handy for track time on my track leathers. Cyclists are just a ball ache and always in the way. Bear in mind though spirited filtering comes at a price I know I've been there when some anus didn't look and pulled out whilst I was alongside him sent me barrelling down the road and didn't stop that was two years ago. In slow moving traffic that's at near stand still I filter at 30-40 I deem that fast enough if some space cadet wants to filter through at 70mph that's their funeral. My point is as we are all bikers shouldn't we be trying to help those who are perhaps new to the fold rather than ripping them a new one? Just a thought....
Fair comment Nick, and as I stated, I do not want a guy/girl outside their comfort zone, but there must be a level of responsibility to ride in a manner that is fair to others. Once I have clocked 2 miles behind a 10 mph foot dabber, that is wearing off more boot rubber than tyre rubber, then I think it is reasonable that they take the first opportunity to pull in and let the throng through. To be fair matey, if someone wants to blat through stationary traffic at 70, I will take my lid off to him, after moving over of course!
You are absolutely right Nick! We all start somewhere, however, I also remember being a learner( a Yam 125 XT loved that bike!) and was always aware what was behind me and moved over. Learners aren't really the problem, they're generally are quite observant and pull over, it's the fair weather riders with no road craft that get right up my cheese! I've never bullied someone over but if you have noticed me in your mirrors and blatantly holding me up, I do expect you to give way at the earliest opportunity, and those that do pull over get a leg out ... it's all about etiquette.
A bit of fun filtering on the A4 during the Olympics. Apologies in advance for the bargain basement camera! It was on my CB1000r so significantly fatter than the Blade
Respect there matey, I have run in that way a few times and its a freaking pain in the butt. Kentside into town commuting is a joy compared to what you Western boys have with the M4/A4.
F'in lol at that last comment. I totally get your point about ettiquette though guys I too move over for those who want to blast off through probably into space generally when filtering try to check my mirrors as much as is safely poss to make sure I'm not holding anybody up. I do also share your pain in the 10 mph foot dabbers although in my experience they have often been fat idiots on scooters that buy scooters far too small for their colossal frame and then simply bounce and wobble all over the road. I try to give them a wide birth if I see them as I know if I had to swerve to avoid them I'd probably run out of petrol... Respect to the video Slick that's pretty hardcore. I was working at the Olympic Village for most of 2012 and commuted into stratford on my old R1 fortunately like Kentblade says it's a cushy commute from Kent into London. Although since moving to Essex I have to say the A13 route is on a par with it too seen a few nasty smashes but generally most drivers are fairly bike aware down that road and are pretty good at moving over. At the end of the day my point was not to fall out with fellow bikers even though I know that Harley riders refuse to acknowledge anybody else as Riders unless they ride a Harley but figured that whatever you ride more bikers on the road hopefully means more aware cagers, or just lest cagers on the road in general lol.
I live in a place where the incumbent MP is the self appointed shadow minister for cyclists, so you could die of arterial blood loss here before a bicycle would give way to let the ambulance through, so I have my own, borderline psychotic views on serious, cadence driven treaders. Although we dress like our heroes of the track when we're riding, there is some logic to it, insofar as it's armour. The Wiggin'd up investment bankers on the Exeter bypass have the combined protection of Andrex when confronted with road rash. Plus, when speaking (with some heat) to an advocate of the pusher of the pedal, This thing about crossing to the other side of the road to overtake them. In my view, unnecessary and another cause of traffic snarl ups. His actual argument was to say that it was because cyclists are, by definition, unpredictable, and may swing out at any given moment... My response was somewhat appoplectic...
Have to say there must be an inordinate amount of people out there with webbed feet given the amount of duck style riding I see on a daily basis....
You want to filter like this lunatic at 5min 20 odd...... Black Devil - Moscow Ride on R1 - Original 720 HD!!! - YouTube
