Filtering etiquette between bikers

[GeneralXcepti...]

Filtering is dangerous enough already with the things going on in front of me without having to worry about other bikers behind me. Case in point - today I was in some slow moving traffic on a single carriageway making good progress and picking my moments to pass the cars. I was positioned just to the left of the broken white line and was waiting for the next opportunity to overtake.

Opportunity arrives, I mirror check and see a Repsol CBR right behind me. I'd only just seen this guy 2 minutes ago going around an island a number of times presumably trying to get his knee down or something.

Anyway, aware of his presence I shoulder check to give him the "heads up" that I'm moving out to overtake and he comes flying past giving me no room at all. Luckily I saw him coming and pulled back in. WTF is that about? I was making good progress but we could have both been taken out very easily.

Surely in his mind it must have occurred to him that from my positioning, my shoulder check and the way the road was opening up I was about to pull out? Whenever I'm behind a bike filtering I always give them room unless they wave me past. If somebody wants to sit in traffic then that's up to them and I'll go past them but if the rider is filtering then the last thing they need to worry about is ME. So I always give them space. Does anybody else do this??

Anyway, rant over and cheers for listening.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

If you were positioned to the left of the white line you weren't really filtering. Perhaps the rider thought you were letting him past?

Personally if I see a bike come up behind me I let them through, I'd expect if I can up behind someone whilst filtering for them to do the same.
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[Clanger]

Check your mirrors more often, look for bikes!!!

Seriously if there is some dude going at it faster than you, then general etiquette is move over and let them go through. I actually, personally find it better to follow another through, as they make the space through the traffic for you!!!

Drivers will be watching for other bikes once one has passed by.
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[Red Mick]

Given the situation you describe, I think I'd have used an indicator, rather than assume he had read my body language.

[Chinaboy]

I hope that wasn't me.......
Sometimes other bikers just don't get it, if they see a bike coming and it looks like it is filtering or moving faster, let them go, it's simple.
I must admit, I filter fast sometimes, but not at the expence of other road users, you have to be sensible. But I have been out and been behind what I would call dithering bikers, who wouldn't know the right place or way to overtake if it came up and smacked them in the face. I get past these ones as soon as possible, if it seems rude of me to force by, then so be it, riding behind ditherers is too dangerous for me.

Steve

[thewildblue]

Yep if someone comes up behind move over and let them thru....

If you fancy a break follow someone else as the cars will be on the look out as stated above.

[Pete.]

If you're filtering and another bike is right behind you, he must have caught you up meaning he wants to make better progress than you. Move over and let him pass then you don't have the problem to worry about.
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[Scouse]

It's quite an annoying thing when you've got a biker in front of you hovering, wobbling in and out and not taking decent opportunities when your trying to make progress.

If a bike appears behind me when filtering I'll generally let it through (as said he has probably caught you up) and then follow to pick up on moments/moves I may normally miss.

[GeneralXcepti...]

I genuinely don't think I was holding him up, I was making good progress and I had only just moved back into lane as had he. He'd been behind me for only a few seconds up to this point but I'd been keeping an eye on him in my mirrors. My positioning was as aggressive as I could do given the oncoming traffic and it looked like I was ready to move out and I felt my body language was enough to say "you've seen me pass a few cars just a few seconds ago so I'm going to do the same again". I was wrong to assume that.

Don't get me wrong if I felt I was holding him up I'd move over pretty quick because that's my nature. I'm always keeping an eye in my mirrors and I would have moved over like I have done in the past but he wasn't that much faster.

Oh well nobody got hurt so I live and learn.

[Chinaboy]

[iooi]

[keggyhander]

I'll add my tuppence-worth:

It's all about Lane positioning and common sense.

If I'm filtering I'll be positioned at cars' rear quarter, ready to nip round and back in. If I'm still at rear quarter, then I'm deeming it unsafe to overtake at that particular moment and anybody behind is taking a massive risk in going around both me and the car(s) infront. Their risk and not mine.

If it is simply not worth my effort then I just move left into a slightly left of centre lane position and gesture for the bike behind to make his move.

It's not brain surgery but some power rangers really just don't get it. They're the ones who end being multiple organ donors.

[Pie-Roe]

I regularly get rinsed on my commute to college by a guy on a 125 scooter. He has no fear, and no consideration for causing everyone danger. I just pull in and let him past, better that than he causes a smash by filtering too agressively past me when there is no room.

And I filter like a demon anyway!

Pyro
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[Pete.]

[Villers]

I think sometimes we don't realise the attitude of the other person. I like to think of myself as a clever rider, I like to have good road positioning and be aware of whats around me at all times. I like to filter to work (what is filtering is more like overtaking really as a lot of the time the traffic is at 20-30mph) but I like to do it at my own pace. There are circa 7k people working on my site so we get a good few bikers in the mornings and this issue crops up all the time.

I havent got an ego to bruise, I am happy at my pace and will let anyone through no matter what they are riding, I also expect someone else to notice the fact that I may be making a little more progress and should let me through too.

There are a couple of things that affect this though. A common example on the way to work (more common now I have the Hayabusa, seems we have some boy racers on bikes too!) that when Im at my own pace I approach another bike who see's me then tries to hare away and doing stupid thigs to stay ahead, meanwhile Im behind them at my normal medium pace being held up and getting annoyed. Last one that did this was an SP2 that culminated in the red mist coming down and me taking him at full throttle well into 3 figures. My bad. The second common example is the chaser, they see you a mile back and do everything in their power to catch you up, you let the pass and they suddenly run out of talent and bravado. This culminates in me having to overtake them at the trickier sections only for them to come racing past when it opens up. Very annoying.

The worst case scenario is the knobhead who has never had so much as a back wheel brake traction and therefore has no fear. They think that its good to shoot past you on roundabouts when your already beside a car
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[TheDonUK]

You were holding him up if he is behind you, as someone said that means he was going quicker and has now found you in the way,

Its simple really if you are not in the mood or willing to filter quickly just move over let the faster bikes past and then carry on your merry way,

Or if you are in the mood just loose them, dont sit there obstinantly (not implying the OP did)

I find the majority of bikers move over when they see you coming up in their mirrors, a nice thanks is usually given where possible and that is that.

I never understand people who filter what i consider slowly, get a stack of bikes lining up behind them in the filtering lane and then refuse to move over, but end up constantly checking their mirrors, so they are looking behind them 40% of the time, seems so dangerous for them and stressfull too, move over let them past and keep on bimbling...
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[keyser soze]

when im filtering and someone comes up behind me I've always let them pass. but its funny the looks I get from drivers when im just bimbling along.

[chrisw]

[Ichy]

Might of been mentioned, haven't read all the posts.

Its getting warm and its the weekend, people who don't normally ride have taken their bikes out of hibernation. Many are just a bit slow and enjoying themselves but a few feel the need to 'impress' and therefore have little consideration for anyone or safety. I find it very good practice for observation and a constant source of cheap spares. Just leave them to it.
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[Ben.]

99% of bikers are so fucking arrogant when they get in the seat.

guess what if someones in your mirrors it means theyve caught up with you... that means theyre going faster than you, so move the fuck over. I couldnt give a toss weather you think im dangerous, aggresive, stupid, if im a power ranger or what, just move the fuck out of my way and let me get on with what im doing.

so many of them in london, courriers are by far the worst, granted you may filter faster than 99% of other people, but your not god and there are people who you can hold up, so move out my way otherwise i will ram my way past you.
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[Paulington]

The faster vehicle tends to have priority in my book. Unless the situation means that the other vehicle does.
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[1016]

Haven't read whole thread, but, for what it's worth, I totally agree with you GX. If I come up behind a bike who is filtering at a slower speed/not taking as many 'opportunities' then I absolutely make sure they have seen me, and give them an opportunity to pull out (in case they are thinking about it), always before I decide to pass them. When the situation is reversed, (but without aforementioned consideration taken by other rider) I jump out of my skin sometimes...

[Visitor Q]

Grumble grumble.

Pet hate of mine when on earlies is slow filtering bikers, especially ones that slam on at every gap. Theres no need.

I actually switch to the left/middle, go along for a bit then blat back in to the middle/right. Not exactly ideal, but it doesn't require second guessing idiots.

Also hate it when a bike comes hacking up behind you, and if the roads not ideal for running down the middle I let them go past. Quite regularly, they then stay there, timidly staring at every subsequent gap and weaving about in their lane so you never really know what they're up to.

Oh and people with massive panniers that block gaps rather fully.
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[natv4]

[G]

Most bikers are happy to filter pretty close to cars and generally moan if a car doesn't see them.
So it always amuses me that so often they aren't keeping that great an eye on their mirrors and get concerned when other road users pull similar moves on them.

I do give other bikers a fair bit more room for this reason.

It sounds to me like the other biker had already commited to the overtake as he presumed the OP wasn't going to do anything. Which seems reasonable in this situation, though I don't know know the exact 'tolerances', obviously.