lane splitting
#11
04-29-2008, 11:20 AM
RE: lane splitting
I split only at red lights or if traffic is STOPPED. i live in CA and commute to work and when i go up at a red light i usually see which car at the front is further back leaving me more room in front of them. I'll get to the front and slightly angle my bike into their lane and put my leg out on that side. I either look in my mirror or turn and look at the driver and give a nod of aknowledgment to the driver im in front of.
#12
04-29-2008, 11:31 AM
Senior Member
RE: lane splitting
ORIGINAL: WoodyRR
Bike's fan came on twice?! I've sat in crawling traffic for over an hour on several occassions. Fan has come on dozens of times. Tired hands? Suck it up! What a lazy excuse for increasing your chances of a wreck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GH8D2EqDZs
ORIGINAL: woo545
...The traffic was basically at a stand still and my bike's fan came on twice. It got frigg'n hot! Plus my hands were tired from clutching and breaking.
...The traffic was basically at a stand still and my bike's fan came on twice. It got frigg'n hot! Plus my hands were tired from clutching and breaking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GH8D2EqDZs
#13
04-29-2008, 11:38 AM
RE: lane splitting
I honestly have no idea if it's legal here in Ohio but I do know that cars aren't allowed to travel on the berm of the highway, so when I see a car or a bike trying to pass on either shoulder I move the F over to at least make them go on the grass. trucks here love to pull over far enough to completely block everything. To me it's not worth the potential risk. It's enough trouble avaoiding them while I have my own lane. Don't need to risk my life doing something illegal.
#14
04-29-2008, 11:53 AM
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RE: lane splitting
ORIGINAL: MikeInCtown
I honestly have no idea if it's legal here in Ohio but I do know that cars aren't allowed to travel on the berm of the highway, so when I see a car or a bike trying to pass on either shoulder I move the F over to at least make them go on the grass. trucks here love to pull over far enough to completely block everything. To me it's not worth the potential risk. It's enough trouble avaoiding them while I have my own lane. Don't need to risk my life doing something illegal.
I honestly have no idea if it's legal here in Ohio but I do know that cars aren't allowed to travel on the berm of the highway, so when I see a car or a bike trying to pass on either shoulder I move the F over to at least make them go on the grass. trucks here love to pull over far enough to completely block everything. To me it's not worth the potential risk. It's enough trouble avaoiding them while I have my own lane. Don't need to risk my life doing something illegal.
#15
04-29-2008, 11:53 AM
RE: lane splitting
A study (link) commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation claims that lane splitting is actually safer that sitting in traffic where you have a higher likelihood of being sandwiched and injurer/death of the rider is greater. Granted, if you are lane splitting at 50 mph, you have a higher risk than someone that is splitting at 10-15 mph.
As for the video you posted, it is still the responsibility of the driver changing lanes to ensure that it is clear before changing lanes. At 10-15 mph, you have a better chance in avoiding a crash. I think CA would benefit of an awareness campaign to mitigate some of the risk.
I don't lane split. I'll sit in traffic, because it is the law in my state.
EDIT: Furthermore, the van in that vid was doing an illegal maneuver by crossing the double yellow.
As for the video you posted, it is still the responsibility of the driver changing lanes to ensure that it is clear before changing lanes. At 10-15 mph, you have a better chance in avoiding a crash. I think CA would benefit of an awareness campaign to mitigate some of the risk.
I don't lane split. I'll sit in traffic, because it is the law in my state.
EDIT: Furthermore, the van in that vid was doing an illegal maneuver by crossing the double yellow.
#17
04-29-2008, 01:19 PM
RE: lane splitting
ORIGINAL: MikeInCtown
I honestly have no idea if it's legal here in Ohio but I do know that cars aren't allowed to travel on the berm of the highway, so when I see a car or a bike trying to pass on either shoulder I move the F over to at least make them go on the grass. trucks here love to pull over far enough to completely block everything. To me it's not worth the potential risk. It's enough trouble avaoiding them while I have my own lane. Don't need to risk my life doing something illegal.
I honestly have no idea if it's legal here in Ohio but I do know that cars aren't allowed to travel on the berm of the highway, so when I see a car or a bike trying to pass on either shoulder I move the F over to at least make them go on the grass. trucks here love to pull over far enough to completely block everything. To me it's not worth the potential risk. It's enough trouble avaoiding them while I have my own lane. Don't need to risk my life doing something illegal.
There's an ongoing construction site around here where there is a freeway split in the middle of a construction zone. We always ride up the shoulder then through theconstruction cones and into the split to the next exit. We cause absolutely no delay for any cars as we do not re-enter the traffic that is backed up. Every once in a while some jackass will decide that it is his responsibility to keep all the bikes going at the same pace as the cars. I am shocked at how far over these people will go to try and stop a bike. I am not sure that they realize how close they are coming to murdering the rider. It's all fun and games until you pull out to block someone and kill them. I don't even see the point. Does it really matter to you if a bike goes up the side? Or splits lanes? Are you going to magically be slowed down by the bike so much that you feel it necessary to attempt to kill the rider? What would you do if you actually hit him or caused him to go on the grass and crash? Would you stop? Or would you just leave him there because you are in a hurry and need to pay attention to your job of keeping people from passing you? I don't get it. Just mind your own business. The bikes aren't going to slow you down. You should know that if you ride one.
#19
04-29-2008, 01:32 PM
RE: lane splitting
ORIGINAL: Ty
What's the point of trying to block a bike riding up the side? Best case, you lose a mirror. Worst case, you kill a fellow rider just to prevent him from riding the shoulder to the next exit.
There's an ongoing construction site around here where there is a freeway split in the middle of a construction zone. We always ride up the shoulder then through theconstruction cones and into the split to the next exit. We cause absolutely no delay for any cars as we do not re-enter the traffic that is backed up. Every once in a while some jackass will decide that it is his responsibility to keep all the bikes going at the same pace as the cars. I am shocked at how far over these people will go to try and stop a bike. I am not sure that they realize how close they are coming to murdering the rider. It's all fun and games until you pull out to block someone and kill them. I don't even see the point. Does it really matter to you if a bike goes up the side? Or splits lanes? Are you going to magically be slowed down by the bike so much that you feel it necessary to attempt to kill the rider? What would you do if you actually hit him or caused him to go on the grass and crash? Would you stop? Or would you just leave him there because you are in a hurry and need to pay attention to your job of keeping people from passing you? I don't get it. Just mind your own business. The bikes aren't going to slow you down. You should know that if you ride one.
ORIGINAL: MikeInCtown
I honestly have no idea if it's legal here in Ohio but I do know that cars aren't allowed to travel on the berm of the highway, so when I see a car or a bike trying to pass on either shoulder I move the F over to at least make them go on the grass. trucks here love to pull over far enough to completely block everything. To me it's not worth the potential risk. It's enough trouble avaoiding them while I have my own lane. Don't need to risk my life doing something illegal.
I honestly have no idea if it's legal here in Ohio but I do know that cars aren't allowed to travel on the berm of the highway, so when I see a car or a bike trying to pass on either shoulder I move the F over to at least make them go on the grass. trucks here love to pull over far enough to completely block everything. To me it's not worth the potential risk. It's enough trouble avaoiding them while I have my own lane. Don't need to risk my life doing something illegal.
There's an ongoing construction site around here where there is a freeway split in the middle of a construction zone. We always ride up the shoulder then through theconstruction cones and into the split to the next exit. We cause absolutely no delay for any cars as we do not re-enter the traffic that is backed up. Every once in a while some jackass will decide that it is his responsibility to keep all the bikes going at the same pace as the cars. I am shocked at how far over these people will go to try and stop a bike. I am not sure that they realize how close they are coming to murdering the rider. It's all fun and games until you pull out to block someone and kill them. I don't even see the point. Does it really matter to you if a bike goes up the side? Or splits lanes? Are you going to magically be slowed down by the bike so much that you feel it necessary to attempt to kill the rider? What would you do if you actually hit him or caused him to go on the grass and crash? Would you stop? Or would you just leave him there because you are in a hurry and need to pay attention to your job of keeping people from passing you? I don't get it. Just mind your own business. The bikes aren't going to slow you down. You should know that if you ride one.
#20
04-29-2008, 01:40 PM
RE: lane splitting
This thread reminds me of when I used to ride my 929 to work in DC...
On NY Avenue bikes would usually just meet up at the lights and kind of ride out together, small groups of 2-4 usually. I have had the cars stopped that see me putting up the middle of the lane without the clutch out and try to block me, I would just go around them and continue.On one spring day around5pm on the way out of NY Avenue I met up withone guy. I was riding behind this guy at a slow pace, as we approach the intersection a guy in the #1 lane pulls his F250 pickup into our path, the guy in front of me stops at the guys passenger window and starts yelling at him like crazy, gives him the middle finger and as he rides off kind of stands up and punches his passenger side mirror off. I was shocked and quickly decided that it was best to not follow this rider, I switched to between the #2 and 3 lanes and continued up to the light.
Another time I was splitting stopped traffic by the police station on Bladensburg Road (I think) and coming down the hill. I see something being thrown back and fourth between two cars ahead so I stop2 cars back. Just then the guys get out of their cars and start fighting in between the lane. I'm on the 929 and at 5'9" I don't have the traction to backup or room to cut over to another lane at that point so I just watched the fight. They both beat on each other until the traffic started to flow and then got back in their cars just as boxer would stop when the bell rings, it was funny.
The cops in DC would blue light you and tell you to get in the lane but that's it, most drivers moved over to let me by and many said things like "man, I wish that were me" or "good commuter huh". [/align]
On NY Avenue bikes would usually just meet up at the lights and kind of ride out together, small groups of 2-4 usually. I have had the cars stopped that see me putting up the middle of the lane without the clutch out and try to block me, I would just go around them and continue.On one spring day around5pm on the way out of NY Avenue I met up withone guy. I was riding behind this guy at a slow pace, as we approach the intersection a guy in the #1 lane pulls his F250 pickup into our path, the guy in front of me stops at the guys passenger window and starts yelling at him like crazy, gives him the middle finger and as he rides off kind of stands up and punches his passenger side mirror off. I was shocked and quickly decided that it was best to not follow this rider, I switched to between the #2 and 3 lanes and continued up to the light.
Another time I was splitting stopped traffic by the police station on Bladensburg Road (I think) and coming down the hill. I see something being thrown back and fourth between two cars ahead so I stop2 cars back. Just then the guys get out of their cars and start fighting in between the lane. I'm on the 929 and at 5'9" I don't have the traction to backup or room to cut over to another lane at that point so I just watched the fight. They both beat on each other until the traffic started to flow and then got back in their cars just as boxer would stop when the bell rings, it was funny.
The cops in DC would blue light you and tell you to get in the lane but that's it, most drivers moved over to let me by and many said things like "man, I wish that were me" or "good commuter huh". [/align]