lane splitting and cagers honking

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awyala said:
Man the 172 crowd is out again.

If you're gonna split, try to keep it to no more than a jogger's pace. Even a fender bender at that speed wont send anyone flying. That's about 1st gear idle speed, so you can hover with 2 fingers over the brakes also. A lot of people will argue it's illegal or that 172 will be thrown at you and that's possible, especially if it is deemed unsafe. The perception of safety is a key point here not only for cops, but for as you can see some conservative rider types who are eager to blame you for all biking's ills.

Also suprising cars provokes the most honks. If you come by slow and reserved you will find, like me, the honks are once a fortnight at most. Most people are also resigned to gridlock in Toronto so don't mind that you budded and jetted off the line, they know it made no difference to their situation. But the burbs are just now experiencing rage inducing gridlock and the thought of moving to the burbs to get home to their 2500 sq ft house in over an hour when it used to take 30 minutes not more that 10 years ago is a little too much for them to handle. They don't stop to consider the trade off you made for agility and speed, they only see that you're getting home before them! Cops are harder on filtering in the burbs too, Peel is a hub of cops who think their tougher attitude keeps crime low compared to Toronto. Kind of like the philosphy "if I encircle the house with salt no elephants will get in". For this reason they crack down hard on just minor things as filtering or 2 day expired licence stickers. It keeps the drug gangs out.
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Just as smart and logical as epx1...U guys should be riding buddies...fail
 
when I was riding in calgary on business, I was lane splitting/filtering to the point where I definitely made myself look like I was not from around there.
 
Actually Mexico has some really nice riding roads.
If I was going there I would rent a nice bike and go on a
tour.
I just wouldn,t be stupid and lane filter.
 
The mentality of drivers in Ontario is a reflection of bad driving in general here simply because of ignorance and a lack of being courtious. For example how many people think it is their right to sit in the passing lane at 100KMPH because in their eyes they are abiding by the law and doing the maximum speed allowed, they don't care they are impeeding other traffic because in their eyes no one should be going faster. Instead of moving out of the way, if someone else wants to speed let them and pay the consequences if they are caught. Same goes for responsible lane splitting, yes it's illegal but lets get serious here if we can't take advantage of a bike's narrow width from time to time then what's the point... lets get off our high horse here. As long as we ride with respect to others then I say do as you please.
 
ep1x said:
No I guess I'm one of the few who don't really care because I do, or should I say have done that at times to other drivers.

I like think I use good judgement whenever I change lanes/lane split; consider myself experienced in filtering/changing lanes (bike or car)
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Ahh, the old "I'm a great driver and everyone else is a bad driver" mentality.
 
during the summer i was on summer break from university .. I was helping a new restaurant with some marketing ideas, and i ended up being in the right place at the right time to where I got my foot in a media company.. over the summer to present, my foot through the door has turned into my leg is through the door and has had a snowball effect to the point where the company opened a Toronto office downtown. I am being transferred to work out of the office in January, while at the same time, transferring my credits to a Toronto university for the fall 2012 semester. I was 18 when I got my M2, and switched it over to Quebec. Bought my first 600cc with the Out Of Province funds OSAP supplied me, and as I met and rode with many guys around my age, my riding style developed accordingly to the laid-back riding/driving laws since quebec police aren't spotted too often. (I have only seen AT BEST 3-4 times where cops set up shop for the radar gun, during my 3.5 years of riding on quebecs roads) which has developed my riding style to something of what is seen in Europe.

Riding in Quebec is like paradise..Riding in Tremblaunt, Riding to Quebec City (I have seen all the good spots of quebec while riding highway speeds of 150+, without having to think am I going to get pulled over for it) I have only one time rode my bike over the Ontario border with a friend (we did 200+km from montreal-Ottawa) and when I was riding in Ontario, I had this paranoia from reading the HTA-172 threads on GTAM... I never got to enjoy my riding when I was in riding through ontario, and its only when my friend and I went over the Quebec border, where I felt safe to go and ride how I please.. Cagers show respect to riders on Quebecs high ways , so I never have to worry about some dick driver blocking me while ride past him for being too slow -- and its little things like that which make riding in Quebec hell of a lot different than Ontario... I don't like riding in Ontario because of the HTA laws, and I hope I don't ride less in Ontario because of it.
 
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I lane split and or filter when the opportunity presents itself or when there is a need (just like doing 120 on the 401 or rolling stop through Costco parking lot). I try my very best not to impede others, so I hate (more like annoyed) at anyone who impedes others.
 
Dude's trolling. Shut this thread down.
 
topendz said:
The mentality of drivers in Ontario is a reflection of bad driving in general here simply because of ignorance and a lack of being courtious. For example how many people think it is their right to sit in the passing lane at 100KMPH because in their eyes they are abiding by the law and doing the maximum speed allowed, they don't care they are impeeding other traffic because in their eyes no one should be going faster. Instead of moving out of the way, if someone else wants to speed let them and pay the consequences if they are caught. Same goes for responsible lane splitting, yes it's illegal but lets get serious here if we can't take advantage of a bike's narrow width from time to time then what's the point... lets get off our high horse here. As long as we ride with respect to others then I say do as you please.
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Some laws have apparently fallen by the wayside. Police no longer seem to ticket for blocking the fast lane, failing to signal, etc.. The failing to signal thing is a very good reason not to split, by the way.

There are ways, other than lane splitting, to take advantage of a bike's narrow width. There are downtown lanes that are too narrow for a car to use, as where vehicles are parked along the roadside for example, where a bike can legally advance through traffic if the rider is cautious. Smaller size and greater acceleration allow riders to take advantage of openings in traffic, that a car driver never could.

See my video, above. There have been something like 5 separate incidents for me over the last 3 years, on that ramp, in which I've nearly been clipped by splitting bikes. I'm not on my high horse about it. Far from it. What I am, is about damned ready to swing a wrecking bar at the next rider who puts my safety at risk.
 
I'll lane split when traffic is at stand still, only in 1st gear at <10kph, and sometimes in a bicyclists lane. It's rare I do it anyway.
 
Rob MacLennan said:
What I am, is about damned ready to swing a wrecking bar at the next rider who puts my safety at risk.
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But, do you agree that lane splitting can be done safely without putting anyone else in harm? So every time a lane splitting happens; all the involved parties don't feel like they just escaped with life and limb?
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