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Lots of Americans in this thread. This sort of riding is legal and encouraged in the UK and can be done quite safely. Cycling groups put out videos showing these techniques: https://youtu.be/VNr762i9oQU
Obviously it’s a fairly seasoned cyclist thing, and more and more cycle infrastructure is being rolled out so people don’t have to do this, but I do object to people from North America in this thread applying their laws and cultural norms to another country where this is quite normal
It’s wild how often biking is just plain more efficient than driving
What’s funny is that it’s only that way because of all the people driving rather than cycling. If the people who could get to where they’re going without a car (bike/bus/train/whatever) used those alternative forms of transportation, then it would make the roads much clearer for the few people who actually need to drive (trades/emergency vehicles, etc.).
Both the total throughput and average speed of these roads would increase if more people were on bikes and buses. Unfortunately if it were to ever happen I fear people would just see the clearer roads and think, “Hey, the roads are clear now, I should drive again!” and we’d be right back to square one.
So what I’m hearing is we need to make the alternatives like bikes and trains and busses more appealing to use for people with better safer cleaner infrastructure
Man these covid times were absolutely great. I have to drive a lot for work and there was hardly any traffic during the day and in the evening or at night i would ride my skateboard or bike on the otherwise way to busy streets to go places.
I really hoped that if nothing else, maybe the lockdowns would at least have taught us how much better it is in so many ways to not have as many cars on the road, but that seems not to be the case. It’s certainly not helped by the fact that here in the UK bus services are being slashed left right and centre. And then we have the PM vocally supporting the pro-car movement…
Is there no cycling infrastructure in this city? I mean I support people to cycle in whatever way they can but this seems like a dangerous way to ride.
This was filmed in London, which actually has some of the best cycling infrastructure in the UK (though that’s a low bar to pass). It seems, however, that he’s taking a route that happens to not have much of that infrastructure on it.
Though as you say, people should be able to cycle however they please, and it is enshrined in UK law that cyclists are not required to use cycling infrastructure. In this case I’d say he’s going fast enough that he’d be a danger to the slower cyclists and pedestrians on the cycle paths and multi-use pathways, so riding on the road makes more sense anyway.
There’s definitely some bits of that with a shared pedestrian/cycle path on the left.
While it’s perfectly legal to ignore that, I’ve seen how people drive in this country. I’d fucking use it. I don’t really want “But I had right of way” on my headstone, while some van driver gets a £60 fine and a two month ban.
Shared paths require cyclists to stop at every side road, which is bullshit. They have right of way on the road itself so they will obviously use it instead.
Also, pedestrians don’t read road signs so they often think you’re not allowed to be on the shared path. I’ve seen cyclists get assaulted for using them and had plenty of people shouting at me for doing what I’m allowed (but not legally required) to do.
They’re just a cheap and lazy way to pretend there is cycling infrastructure when there isn’t, really.
Shared paths are more dangerous to use if you’re going at any speed. Motorists aren’t looking for cyclists when driving over them into side roads and driveways, and cyclists lose priority at every side road.
Quite so. My city in Australia has excellent shared paths, but the one paralleling one main road is the only one where I have had a close call with a car
On that route I ride on the road so I’m seen and cars can avoid me
They’re probably not looking for you whizzing up the middle of them either.
At the end of the day you’re a squishy meat sack and they’re in a two ton metal box, albeit in central London, one travelling at about 5 mph. If you feel safer doing that then you do you. I’m just saying I wouldn’t.
Feel what you want to feel, but we have data that it’s safer on the road than the “pavement” (sidewalks in the UK) and I’d rather go by data than feelings. Feeling safe is not the same as being safe.
It’s how you’re supposed to ride. You get ahead of the traffic at every possible opportunity because it’s safer that way.
We don’t have legally required bicycle tests but that motorcyclist is doing what they’re supposed to as well. While you probably wouldn’t want to be changing lanes quite as frequently on your test, you would fail the test if you sat in traffic rather than overtaking it where possible. If the traffic was speeding instead of stationary, you’d fail your test if you stuck to the speed limit regardless. If you leave the examiner behind, it’s their job to catch up to you.
They’re not cars and they’re not supposed to pretend that they are. The road rules are different and they’re intended to make bikes of all types less vulnerable to all the cars which might kill them by getting away from them as soon as possible.
doing this with a motorcycle makes you an asshole, but with a bike it’s fine?
In the UK filtering between lanes is both legal, encouraged, and widely accepted on both motor bikes and bicycles
Legally speaking filtering is fine for both bicycles and motorcycles in the UK. I imagine if someone is the type to get mad at a motorcyclist doing this then they’d probably get mad at a cyclist too.
I will say that there’s a massive size disparity between the two, with motorbikes capable of weighing 400kg while the average road bike is closer to 10kg. I know which one I would be more nervous about when I see it weaving by me.
If you were on a motorbike test, you’d fail it if you didn’t filter. Much more dangerous to sit in traffic.
So many people inventing laws on this thread.
Not necessarily inventing laws, some may be applying their local laws to a video of a bike ride in a different jurisdiction.
Which is … inventing laws. Even USians know their laws don’t apply globally, right?
thats way to close to the cars. lets say the handlebar has a length around 70cm. the clearance between the bus and the bike can’t be much more than 5cm. i have no problem with lane splitting itself, but what this guy is doing is just stupid.
You can see that the traffic is not moving, right?
even though it’s not moving, it’s still stupid to go tis close between the cars.
It’s far more dangerous to sit in traffic.
This is made by the kind of people that have no issues with endangering themselves, and whine the loudest when they get run over because of their stunts.
This is exactly the way to give bike riders a bad name.
All bikes in the video are following UK law and best practice.
And still, every iota of my post is true.
You’re working from your gut feeling. The official advisories that cyclists should filter forward comes from data. Don’t be a putz.
This is made by the kind of people that have no issues with endangering themselves, and whine the loudest when they get run over because of their stunts.
This is exactly the way to give bike riders a bad name.
This person is an idiot. I get fuck cars and all, but yeah fuck your life too I guess… 1 blind merge and crunch there go your legs. If you want to cycle on the road, that’s fine, just follow the rules of the road. They are written in blood. Honestly I’d have zero sympathy for this person if I heard they got run over and killed…
Outside the US, attitudes to bike riding are different. While some of the maneuovers this rider carries out are very risky, they seem like they are keeping things in check i.e. looking out for themselves.
At sections where the traffic is moving slowly, there looks to be a very reasonable effort taken to not inconvenience other drivers by cutting them off and the such… and in sections where traffic is moving fast, they appear to be riding the max speed indicated on the road (mostly 20)
The bike rider obeyed the traffic signals and executed maneuovers identical to the other motorbike riders, it feels like a stretch to imply they weren’t following the rules of the road in this scenario when others are riding the same, engine and no engine.
Do consider that with a bike-mounted dashcam you can’t see things like eye contact between the rider and drivers, and subtle movements indicating that the driver is aware of the bike rider’s presence. The type of lens used on these dashcams also distorts things greatly, making things appear closer or further than they actually are
Jesus, that’s a bit rough. I mean, the death stuff - why say that? I understand you’re being hyperbolic but - again - why put that out there? Noone deserves to die for riding through traffic, what a thing to say…
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True. No one deserves death for riding through traffic. But if you choose to ignore basic safety rules, then you don’t get to claim innocence when your safety is compromised.
People literally died to get these rules in place.
The rider didn’t break a single UK traffic law
Maybe if three or four more people say it, it will sink in.
The cemetery is full of people who had right of way, just saying.
You’re working from your gut feeling. The official advisories that cyclists should filter forward comes from data. Don’t be a putz; lurk moar.
The cyclist (and motorcyclist) is following the rules. Rules designed to put them in less danger than sitting in traffic.
Here’s rule 88 of the Highway code, which simply assumes you’re going to filter because it is safer to filter (and your motorcycle instructor will have told you to filter, and your test examiner will fail you if you do not filter).
Rule 88
Manoeuvring. You should be aware of what is behind and to the sides before manoeuvring. Look behind you; use mirrors if they are fitted. When in traffic queues look out for pedestrians crossing between vehicles and vehicles emerging from junctions or changing lanes. Position yourself so that drivers in front can see you in their mirrors. Additionally, when filtering in slow-moving traffic, take care and keep your speed low.
Filtering is legal and encouraged in the UK. There are cycling UK videos showing this technique as best practice. Please don’t bring your US centric views to a UK video if you don’t understand our laws
Those are the rules of the road. Cyclists (pedal or motor) are not supposed to sit in traffic, they’re supposed to get ahead of it as quickly as possible.
So you think cars create a dangerous and inhospitable environment unsuitable for humans? I think we can agree on that point.
It’s actually safer and other drivers knowing this kind of behavior is encouraged and legal are more aware of it. Filtering is legal and encouraged simply because all the squishy traffic participants pile up in front of everyone where they are clearly visible. No possibility of being rear ended by someone looking at their phone and not seeing big enough target with corner of their eye.
