Filtering towards a roundabout

[locked]

Right, picture the scene. Duel carriageway with slow moving traffic,
you filter through as you normally do but as you get nearer to the round about, what are you suppose to do to filter safely?

Most of the time i hang back a few cars as i find that the first 3 cars nearest to the roundabout don't look out for bikers as they are too busy looking for a gap to go.

i've only ever shot straight to the top a few times but each time has been a little hairy.

So i am just curious what you other BCF people do, is there a right/correct way?

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on the look out for my next bike....
CBT Passed - 13/09/09 Theroy Passed - 19/12/09 Mod 1 Passed 04/05/10 Mod 2 Passed 14/05/10 - Free to ride ANYTHING!
Motorcycles are perfectly safe as long as you remember they're dangerous.

[scubie]

Depends i suppose on how big your nuts are, but i do what you do filter past then pull in 2 or 3 cars back
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The rumour about the welsh chasing sheep is not true. Ok its partially true but i was only ever helping it over the fence.

[Bishbash]

Yeah generally rule of thumb is 2 - 3 cars back, I have seen people go straight up to the front and I have done the same, but it just puts you in a little more danger and pisses the car drivers off. So, I tend to steer clear of that now.
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My current bikes are - YZF-R1 & GS 500 E

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[MarJay]

Depends on how heavy the traffic is. If it is light I pull over to the left (or right if I'm turning right) a few cars before the end. If the traffic is heavy and almost stationary I pull up to the front. I know I can get away before any car that might be there and so get out of danger.
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Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Mr Hammers]

Generally, I'll always filter right to the front just past the leading cars, so the drivers either side can clearly see me, and then pull away pretty sharpish and out of danger asap.

Hanging back in amongst them all is more dangerous I think, and while it might annoy some drivers, I think most are happy that I'm in and out of their way pretty quickly, and they don't have to worry about where I am either (as they can see I'm already 200 yards up the road...).
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[chris-red]

I go straight through
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[Alexio]

If I had a bigger bike I can imagine filtering all the way to the front and then having a race to take off faster than the cars next to me at the next available gap.

I hang back though
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[scubie]

This little ditty springs to mind

"There are old bikers and bold bikers but no old bold bikers"

I suppose it depends on the time of day traffic levels how confident you are, however if you forget to change down and stall the bike then its an oops moment
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The rumour about the welsh chasing sheep is not true. Ok its partially true but i was only ever helping it over the fence.

[locked]

so really there is no "correct" way it just depends on how the situation unfolds at the time
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on the look out for my next bike....
CBT Passed - 13/09/09 Theroy Passed - 19/12/09 Mod 1 Passed 04/05/10 Mod 2 Passed 14/05/10 - Free to ride ANYTHING!
Motorcycles are perfectly safe as long as you remember they're dangerous.

[Luke_Retrofly]

Sythe through the middle and filter while on the roundabout if needs be,
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[Feasty]

For me it depends on how tight the roundabout is. I do the same roundabouts every day on my bike to work and back, and I hang back on some and jump to the front on others.

If it's a smallish tight circular roundabout then cars joining it will be steering left then right quite sharply to go round it. So if you were alongside those cars you'd have to be very careful not to get knocked off! And you couldn't take off too fast to get in front of them or you wouldn't get round the roundabout!

If it's a bigger roundabout that is longer i.e. the one I cross goes over a dual carriageway, then filtering to the front and zipping off before the cars alongside you set off won't be a problem. Especially when it's more of a straight line onto the roundabout. It also helps if the visibilty of cars already on the roundabout is good, that way you can plan ahead.
This morning I was a bit naughty and took the empty left hand lane to the front of the roundabout although I was going right, since the middle and right hand lanes were chokablock without any room to filter between them! I can see clearly the traffic on the roundabout and so time my 'escape' to fit in, that way I nipped onto the roundabout and immediately into the right hand lane without cutting anyone up or being a danger...
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Kal]

Depends on the roundabout, but generally I'll treat like any other junction and filter all the way to the front unless I have safety concerns.

Oh and I second what was said a couple of posts up, the key to filtering to the front without pissing people off is s sharpish getaway, if you find that you prevent other roadusers from making progress you should ask yourself if you should be filtering at that point.

CG125 is an excellent filtering tool.
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Kal...
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[neil.]

I tend to tuck in a few cars away from the roundabout.
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CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[Mark65]

[Rob W]

I'll always get to the front if it's possible.

I take it from your post that your not that confident filtering?
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[Darth]

I usually stop a car or two back from the front but sometimes go right to the front, depends on roundabout and trafic situation. Problem i have found by going striaght to the front is that often drivers can get pissed off and not let you into lane as you pull off.

To the people that say just get to the front and get a quick launchaway. As much as i know i can get away quicker than most cars from the lights, it is not always the case when trying to charge into a gap on a tight/wet/frosty roundabout on cold tyres of a morning. Maybe I just need to get better...
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[locked]

[yen_powell]

[Feasty]

[arry]

[Ditto]

Depends how fast you can get away.
I used to go to the front and try and whizz off before one time when i didnt get away fast enough and some twat in a van followed round the inside of me about 2 inches from my rear wheel nearly knocking me off.

Wait about 2 cars back now.
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[chris-red]

[G]

[Crumbso]

I always pull in a couple of cars behind these days.

I had a little off about a year and a half ago because a woman in the left hand lane turned right without indicating and straight into me. I got away ok but the bike had £1800 worth of damage and only now has the insurance company managed to get me my huge excess and 3 years no claims bonus.

[arry]