The age old Filtering topic......

[Highwayman]

Hey Guys,

Bit of a straw pole with this one….. 4PM onwards Oxford City Centre rush hour, all made about 10x worse than usual due to the south exit/arterial route being out of action as a sizable length of it is underwater
My first real experience of lots and lots proper O/S filtering beside stationary or v slow moving vehicles, but mainly stationary.
Not really a good idea to try the N/S as a lot of the time you would be straddling a Cycle lane white line and be generally “muddled” in with a load of not particularly roadcraft savvied or attentive Students/Academic types cycling with headphones on, texting or chatting on their phones - I kid you not.
Biggest issue is what do You Do when encountering the central carriageway pedestrian crossing islands marked with the Blue Keep-Left arrow. Obviously I don't mean Zebra or any other properly marked/light controlled access.
Do you patiently wait for the obstructing vehicles to move to allow you in or do you take a deep breath and if traffic flow from the opposite direction makes it a possibility, ride around the wrong side of the divide in what I think would be at best, a contravention of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and if it all started to go horribly wrong, well goodness knows where you might possibly end-up.
I’m sure some of ‘ya out there will have some answers.

[J.M.]

Like this? https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!q=edgbaston&data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d-1.962076!3d52.460278!2m2!1f196.5!2f51.83!4f75!2m9!1e1!2m4!1sTkHtdxDTkrYXtChDp-WzvQ!2e0!9m1!6sA4040!5m2!1sTkHtdxDTkrYXtChDp-WzvQ!2e0!4m15!2m14!1m13!1s0x4870bc6a89bc625d%3A0xc45a8fc2b3b77d9d!3m8!1m3!1d39177712!2d-20.442693!3d42.2678401!3m2!1i2235!2i1244!4f13.1!4m2!3d52.455813!4d-1.904742&fid=5

If there are no pedestrians on it, I'd ride round it. I can't be bothered to wait. However if there's enough room for me to filter without going around it, I'll probably do that instead.
____________________
2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Pete.]

It's a 30 quid fine for riding around, not a life sentence. I followed another bike around a keep left island on Blackheath Hill on evening as the traffic was solid stationary and the island was at a 'get over' so there was no filter gap. We both got pulled and read the riot act. the copper issued the other guy a ticket then moved on to me but found he had ran out so i got away with a slapped wrist.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Nobby the Bastard]

The twat on a pedal bike riding round the wrong side of the traffic island going through Saltford this morning almost got a faceful of FZ750 doing 40 mph...



If you want to risk putting yourself in that sort of situation, go ahead.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[-Matt-]

If its totally snarled up with traffic i tend to go around them cautiously.

[nathan k]

I had a policeman telling me he was going to do me for reckless driving for riding around one and take away my license. Obviously just trying to scare me but it did teach me you're meant to stay inside them...unless trying to filter

[marlc0]

If you ever watch BaronVonGrumble or The RoyalJordanian on youtube, they both make a big thing about staying on the correct side of traffic islands, especially the baron. Personally, due to not living in a heavy trafic area, and not needing to comute, it's not something i've ever come up against, but I imagine i'd have a quick look, and nip round. Then, knowing my luck, get pulled by the copper that was sat there that I didn't see....
____________________
2010 Kawasaki ER6-f - Given to the Mrs.
2016 Triumph Tiger 800

[weasley]

To answer the question 'what do I do?' (rather then what should I do), I wait until it is clear enough to go the correct side of it. I can't remember the last time that a vehicle stopped close enough to one of these to prevent me squeezing through. Obviously if it looks like the vehicle will move as I am trying to get through, I'll wait.
____________________
Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[DrSnoosnoo]

The A62 from Leeds to Huddersfield direction is standstill at peak times with lots of those islands. I always stay to the left and just push my way through, often just walking the bike between the gap if I'm unsure. Filtering is legal and (some) people accept it, I'd hate for people to start hating us for actually breaking a rule that us bikers so love to slate drivers for
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[maximerto]

[Whosthedaddy]

I have done it on occasions but don't like doing it, would rather wait a few seconds to re evaluate and pedal it through if can
____________________
Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[sgtcalle]

Jump the curb, plow over the bollard and any pedestrians and emerge victorious on the other side
____________________
CBR600F '02
Manchester

[Baffler186]

It's easy to spot you doing it, therefore runs a big risk of being caught. I guess it's more dangerous because if you are parallel with the island you can't pull back into your own lane. I don't do it, didn't even do it when I was a cycle commuter

[Rogerborg]

The ones up here are placed at bus stops, presumably to protect kittens who have decided to cross the road in front of the bus.

Which is total fail, because what's more dangerous? Someone riding up the RHS of the road giving themselves loads of space and time to see said kittens, or a bike squeezing between the corner of the bus and the island, putting everyone involved at risk?

They're a piss poor way of trying to enforce "no overtaking", is what they are, and on the few occasions when it's been an issue, I've done a good look round and ridden up the RHS of the road with care, attention and consideration.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[barrkel]

In London, if you're in a little "filtering race", going around the outside of those things is cheating, straight up

I've gone around a few, but usually only when it's seriously blocked, like a long leadup to a temporary traffic light.
____________________
Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ

[Nobby the Bastard]

[MC]

You've gotta be careful there isn't a camera, a mate got caught out doing that Personally I try to avoid it but do sometimes, once I had a kid ran out in front of me when doing so, I braked in time but did think about how f**ked I would of been had I hit him.
____________________
Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[Nobby the Bastard]

Camera is turned off, and points from the wrong direction anyway.

Quite often, the traffic up the hill in question is going a lot slower than 30 mph. That's why I ride a bike fom Bath to Filton....

BTW, the 40mph bit is much further up Saltford....
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[InquisitionCh...]

I recently started encountering this, especially filtering around central bollards. Still being relatively inexperienced, I used to sit in traffic and watch what other bikers did. I didn't know if it was legal or not.

I regularly see a couple of other bikers on my route and they did indeed filter around the right of the islands when our carriageway was at a stand still. I usually just push my way into the que on the left and because my bike is ridiculously thin i can go through gaps of about 12 inches XD

So win win!

.....

BMW and Merc and Audi drivers really hate me.... sometimes so much so they shout at me. A simple gesture to the camera on my helmet shuts them up.
____________________
Currently Riding: CBR125-R7 (and having too much fun doing it) + Kawasaki Z750 (She's called Clementine for a reason!)

[yen_powell]

I've seen two recent CCTV films of motorcylists trying to ride over centre islands by hitting them head on, despite the Trieff kerbing which brings their bikes to a dead stop but alas not the rider. Both times they were looking at something else rather than in front of themselves.

I have learnt that the flexi bollards springs back nicely but the motorcyclists don't.
____________________
Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[iooi]

[TallPaul_S]

I always go the correct (left) side of the islands, not worth the risk.

[yen_powell]

[Val]

it depends on the opposite traffic, and where is the bottleneck, if there is no opposite traffic and I see there is no chance the queue to move soon and there is no any space left means less then 5 inches between the car and the island, I will overtake the island on the right side.

If there is any space I will try to squeeze between the car and the traffic island. Most car drivers will see that I am doing it and usually will move inch or two just to save their precious car from scratches which very likely will hapen when my old dirty bike passes by

This is why you avouid having new bike if you scratch it who cares?
____________________
Adrian Monk: Unless I'm wrong, which, you know, I'm not...
Yamaha Fazer FZS 600, MT09, XSR 900