An Argument for Riding Faster Than The Rest Of Traffic

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I've been using the bubble theory for years. I am always scanning ahead and when I am feeling that I am getting boxed into traffic and look for the bubble and go to it. I don't hammer my throttle I simply accelerate to a speed where I can safely negotiate my way to the bubble and stay there until the bubble closes, then off to the next one. Do this on my bike and in the cage.

Clint McBain from Motorcycle Experience has a similar theory he calls "Speed up to Slow Down". Tip #3 on the link. Although I don't think he illustrates the point very well, I understand what he means.

http://motorcycleexperience.ca/shiftinggears.html#topofshift
 
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Crashtest said:
Sometimes, that something runs into *you*. At least when you're faster you'll see it coming.
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Do you really believe that? Going faster means you have to observe and process more road and traffic information in less time. Going faster reduces your options at avoiding or at least minimizing the effects of a crash. The faster you go, the harder it is to make drastic changes to your line to avoid a crash. The faster you go, the more severe the crash will be if you can't avoid the crash.
 
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I agree with the OP....someone also mentioned the idea of speeding up when passing....this is something I always do.

To pass a car on the highway going slightly faster makes the time spent in it's blind spot and next to the car longer....I believe it's best to accelerate and minimize the amount of time you spend next to a car.

While doing this I always pay attention to the driver in his mirror and look for any front wheel movement that may indicate his intention to turn into my lane. I also look at my escape route on my left if the driver decided to come into my lane and more importantly....I accelerate to keep the time spent next to a car as short as possible.

I also accelerate to escape areas with groups of cars and find my own little bubble where I feel comfortable at which point I maintain a comfortable cruising speed...the moment that safety bubble is compromised...accelerate and find a new safety bubble.

As a result...this type of proactive driving requires a lot of accelerating and constant re-positioning yourself.

Driving at a constant speed with the flow of traffic and not budging from where you are and keeping a steady and single position type riding is dangerous...in my opinion. Cars pass you at a speed that is nearly identical to yours meaning you find yourself next to cars for prolonged periods of times over and over again. You are also constantly in a situation where cars are in front, back and side of you...since you don't accelerate to escape this type of congested grouping of cars.

Just my $0.02

To each is own....just ride safe!
 
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TorontoBoy said:
+1 Use your bike's speed to get out of blind spots and increase visibility. If this means going a little faster than traffic then so be it. Still, when traffic is backed up in one lane you need to slow down and be on your guard. There is no one set rule for all situations. Increased forward speed means increased damaging forces when you hit immobile objects.
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that is a great part of safe riding strategy.

I read somewhere that one factor that motorists/riders must be aware of is that danger/risk/severity of collision is proportional to the
DIFFERENCE in speed of the fastest vehicle and the slowest vehicle in a segment of traffic.

eg.
Situation A:
Riding across 401 towards Kingston outside GTA on a Friday afternoon, heavy traffic @ speedlimit.
Fastest vehicle (maybe you?) = 140km/h,
Slowest vehicle = 110km/h,
delta = 30 km/h

Situation B:
Riding down Eglinton Ave during bumper-to-bumper traffic. You get to ride in the diamond-lane (hooray!).
Fastest vehicle (maybe you?) = 60km/h (it's 'legal'),
Slowest vehicle = 0km/h,
delta = 60km/h

Situation "B" would be considered riskier despite that fact that you're traveling a much slower speed than in Situation "A". Imagine an impatient driver deciding to jump into the diamond lane to get to the lights to make a right turn that's hundreds of metres ahead ... he's STOPPED then jumps into the diamond lane, your lane, without a shoulder check .... if you're in the classic 'blocking' position (ie. left-tire track) in that diamond lane you're not going to have a lot of time to get out of harm's way.

just another factor to consider. the "delta" is a gage of how fast danger can come at you (or how fast you ride into the danger ... at crunch time, it means the same thing)

ride safe.
 
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As unpopular as this is going to be, I would have to say going slightly slower then the flow of traffic is going to be safer.

Take your beach ball example, if your going up a side street at 10km/h and a ball comes out from behind a parked car you can go around it with relative ease, and if your sanding still (going with the flow) it will hit you. But if your moving backwards (1-2km/h under the flow) the ball is now moving away from you. No reaction required on your part.

A cager is more likely to notice you with their forward vision being the keen hunters that they are by nature. Proper lighting and high viz clothing will help with that. By going slightly below the flow, your cushion of space in front of you is always increasing. Proper mirror checks will keep tabs on anything coming up behind you. Tailgaters will be less likely to be content sitting behind you and will pass rather then camping behind you. It's safer to have a car come up behind you, figure out that your to slow and then pass you then it is for you to pass a car that is moving at the flow. Why? because you know the car behind you saw you. They had to have, because they decided to pass you. The car your coming up on may or may not have noticed you coming up since their focus and senses are naturally pointed forward.

It's not the fastest way, or the most fun but it is the safest.
 
invictus43 said:
There's a time to go fast, a time to blend in and a time to go slow. The situation can change so fast that I don't think you can adhere to one method and expect to be safe. I see people putting themselves in bad positions all the time..doing 140kmh in the HOV lane when traffic is stopped in the next lane. People doing 100kmh beside a transport truck for 2 mins.. Think people!!!!
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+100 Very nicely said!
 
invictus43 said:
There's a time to go fast, a time to blend in and a time to go slow. The situation can change so fast that I don't think you can adhere to one method and expect to be safe. I see people putting themselves in bad positions all the time..doing 140kmh in the HOV lane when traffic is stopped in the next lane. People doing 100kmh beside a transport truck for 2 mins.. Think people!!!!
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I tuning this post said it best. While I do understand about keeping a quicker pace then traffic ( not to much mind you) there is a time for it and it requires good judgement. I think the biggest problem I see on the road is riders right in the void spot of cagers. Speed up and get into their view or slow down a bit and get behind and away. If I ever catch myself in the blind spot I bump up the throttle a bit and get next to the driver or ahead of the vehicle into plain view. Sometimes you see a real look of surprise on a cagers face because they had no idea you were there. As for speeding in a hov lane, car or bike that scares the crap outta me when traffic next to you is at a crawl. I don't know he many times I've seen cars just swerve into thy lane because they had enough of traffic.

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
 
alaywa said:
Partial agreement and let me rephrase...more control...not absolute. But there is definately a measure of control...it is not entirely just perception.
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I agree that there are some elements we can control, most of the time. We can choose to be 2 seconds behind the vehicle in front of us in a traffic flow, we can choose which lane we are in, and which part of that lane etc.

Part of my overall situational awareness is to always have an exit strategy - left shoulder, right shoulder, a large enough space in the next lane (better than nothing). This requires constant evaluation, but should the need arise to move you already where you're going. If you find yourself in a position where there is no exit, then you are probably in the wrong place. A change of speed (up or down) can be useful then...

Alan
 
I used to drive that way, but it sometimes put me into situations, and the extra velocity didn't help.

Now I drive slower in the right hand lane. I no longer get that rush of adrenaline that I used to, but there are many more bubbles that I can stay in longer. I found that there was always someone faster than me, and tailgating in the passing lane is stressful. I would think splitting at speed would be even more stressful, but some people are addicted to the adrenaline rush. The weird thing is that short trips take around the same time now.
 
Torren said:
As unpopular as this is going to be, I would have to say going slightly slower then the flow of traffic is going to be safer.

Take your beach ball example, if your going up a side street at 10km/h and a ball comes out from behind a parked car you can go around it with relative ease, and if your sanding still (going with the flow) it will hit you. But if your moving backwards (1-2km/h under the flow) the ball is now moving away from you. No reaction required on your part.

A cager is more likely to notice you with their forward vision being the keen hunters that they are by nature. Proper lighting and high viz clothing will help with that. By going slightly below the flow, your cushion of space in front of you is always increasing. Proper mirror checks will keep tabs on anything coming up behind you. Tailgaters will be less likely to be content sitting behind you and will pass rather then camping behind you. It's safer to have a car come up behind you, figure out that your to slow and then pass you then it is for you to pass a car that is moving at the flow. Why? because you know the car behind you saw you. They had to have, because they decided to pass you. The car your coming up on may or may not have noticed you coming up since their focus and senses are naturally pointed forward.

It's not the fastest way, or the most fun but it is the safest.
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This post was a joke right?
 
i agree with riding faster than the traffic, when i first started riding i was told 3 things:

1 - when in trouble grab clutch
2 - don't bother with whats behind you look ahead
3 - always ride faster than traffic (10-15+)

cat and the mouse was the explanation ;)
 
s6xspeed said:
i agree with riding faster than the traffic, when i first started riding i was told 3 things:

1 - when in trouble grab clutch
2 - don't bother with whats behind you look ahead
3 - always ride faster than traffic (10-15+)

cat and the mouse was the explanation ;)
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What you were told was incomplete. Motorcycles are the rabbits of the traffic jungle. Hummers are the lions. You can run, but sooner or later a cheetah is going to get you.
No matter how fast you are there is always someone faster.

I'm not sure why you would grab the clutch if you were in trouble from entering a turn too fast. Can you explain that?

Like someone said earlier, humans are hunters with their eyes in the front of their heads. If you're at the front at a light accelerate faster than traffic, and then gradually let them catch up. The faster ones will pass you and can then act as radar decoys. The slower and same speed will stay behind.
If you're at the back wait for a good, safe opportunity to pass through rather than pushing it. It always comes but requires a little bit of patience.

Your second point is wrong. Did it come from the gumball rally movie? You need to know what is behind you, since you don't want a collision when you pull out to pass.
 
mmmnaked said:
This post was a joke right?
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I have to agree with Torren - going slower is safer. A slower speed gives more time to react to a changing environment. Riding on the 401, or a country road somewhere, the environment is always changing.

Personally I ride with the flow of traffic - sometimes I'm faster and passing those that are slower, sometimes I'm slower and being passed by those that are faster. I stay out of blind spots (slowing or accelerating) and have a strong sense of what is happening around me.

The OP's idea of faster doesn't work. At times, it may work for you, till the environment changes quickly and you have to react (think a truck has a blowout in front of you or there's an accident).

If everyone rode faster, you'd have to ride even faster to keep your faster pace. It's the same idea with loud pipes - if everyone had loud pipes everybody would be deaf.

Next time you get a speeding ticket, tell the officer that you were being safer riding faster than everyone else - I'm sure he'd enjoy a good laugh as he writes you a ticket.
 
Torren said:
To advanced for you?
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No it's not too advanced... it's too non-sensical. By your twisted logic we should ride in reverse, then we'll be super safe if we carry beach balls or something.

I'd rather be gaining on traffic than having traffic behind me gaining speed on me. Any time, any day, no question about it. We're not talking about blowing by traffic at 180, we're talking about maintaining a slightly higher speed so that they aren't catching up to you from behind and from your blind spots.
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