Filtering through stationary traffic acceptable

[Apollonius]

Use filtering to get yourself into a safe position, which for preference (and often is) off down the road and away from the hold-up. You often find that cars will attempt to filter when a bike is at a junction first. I had exactly this on my ride yesterday. I was on a single-track road and wanting to cross a trunk road, going straight on. I positioned myself in the centre of my lane and waited for a gap. A giant silver thing pulled up alongside me, which put him mostly in the "wrong side of the road" lane. Bikes easily out-accelerate giant silver things, so I got across the trunk road and left him looking stupid on the wrong side of the road, and blocking traffic turning that way.

 

[cosmicbike]

I filter all the time on my commute. It makes the ride more interesting, and is rather the point of cycling too. As others have already pointed out, there are occasions when it's easier to just move with the traffic, rather than have the same cars pass you over and over again.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

^^^^ this

Nowt wrong with sensible filtering

 

[Goggs]

I give them the thums up & my best toothless smile. It's difficult to lose then.

 

[slowmotion]

I filter all the time in London and I've never had any aggression from the drivers that I've passed while doing so. I think that the locals are pretty used to being amongst lots of cyclists. In towns where they are rarer, the drivers might be a bit less civil. That's just a guess BTW.

 

[DaveReading]

If there's a queue at traffic lights, I'll normally only filter if it's so long thst otherwise I'd have to wait through more than one green cycle. If it's obvious that I'll get through on the first green I'll just take my place in the queue.

 

[keithmac]

I have to filter every morning or I might as well go in the car (basically stationary traffic for most of my journey).

Funnily enough the closest I've been to crashing due to a vehicle was a Range Rover as well.

I was at the front of traffic lights in cycle box to turn right, he came down my rhs at speed and tried to force me onto the path.

There were two unsavoury characters in it so thought better of carching them up and starting a "debate". Hopefully I chose best option..

 

[keithmac]

If a lorry has past me, and in front of me at the lights I always wait behind.

Two reasons, a) he'll just have to overtake me again which is bad for both of us and b) I wouldn't gain enough time to make it even remotely worth while.

 

[Wolf616]

Anyone else get a mild (and very pathetic, obviously) kick from filtering past any idiot who is waiting in the ASL box and pulling in just in front of them?

 

[Tim Hall]

Anyone else get a mild (and very pathetic, obviously) kick from filtering past any idiot who is waiting in the ASL box and pulling in just in front of them?

No,no,no,no,no. No.

OK

Yes.

 

[fossyant]

Perfectly legal and on the right is safer as you can see approaching traffic and they 'should' see you. Avoid weaving in and out though.

I say 'should' because if they don't bother to look properly and turn right into your side then there is not much you can do. Speaking from personal experience.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Anyone else get a mild (and very pathetic, obviously) kick from filtering past any idiot who is waiting in the ASL box and pulling in just in front of them?

Sometimes, but only if I've seen them enter it illegally.

GC

 

[Globalti]

Three things:

Cars with a solitary driver are less of a menace than when the driver has company, male or female. Either way, the driver's pride is at stake. The most dangerous cars are the ones containing four males.

Body language goes a long way to deterring chancers. This works in many ways, even when you are driving your car and that minicab driver comes up fast to a side junction hoping to intimidate you into allowing him out. Keep up the speed, don't change course, but cover the brakes.

Ignoring or blandly thanking aggrieved drivers defuses most incidents.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Last time I was in the back of a contemporary RR, in 2015, I had to ask for the car to be stopped. Got out, and called a cab. To say the guy was aggressive to more vulnerable road users would be a huge understatement. Complete Jeckyll and Hyde scenario, mild-mannered retired private school headteacher turns into chippy shouty foul-mouthed red-faced nobber around cyclists when in his tank. Nobbers the lot of 'em.

 

[summerdays]

Mostly it's perfectly acceptable but It can depend. The other night I got overtaken by about six cars and a van going through a narrow small town, they all did it safely and patiently and gave me room, and then I caught up with them at a temporary traffic signal at roadworks. I filtered to the front, and set off ahead of them through the roadworks, before realising that I'd simply made all of them have to overtake me again, and that it had gained me precisely nothing in time nor in safety. Nobody tooted or shouted, but I wouldn't have been surprised or offended... it was a thoughtless act.

In a busy city on a commute, I'd do it just about all the time because it usually makes you more easily seen and sitting in the gutter isn't safe in heavy city traffic. The really key thing is to just quickly assess it... is it gaining you some better road space? Is it making you more visible? Less vulnerable? Or on this occasion is it better to hang back and let the cars go ahead?
It can be good to have a quick think and to plan your way through the junction or hazard.

I prefer to be at the front in roadworks even if it does mean the cars have to overtake again. If the section is long and you arrive at the back, it's easy to not get to the other end before the lightschange to the opposite direction, whereas if you are at the front and the same problem happens then you at least have an obvious set of cars behind you meaning that the ones who now have a green light have to wait. If it is possible to move into the coned off area to cycle safely I might to let them pass.