When we first moved to the Bay Area, I was in heavy traffic driving my cage. Traffic was backed up for miles on the 880 between Oakland and San Jose. We were at a virtual standstill. Out of nowhere a rice rocket flew by my 5 mph car doing at least 50-60 mph. Idiot! Being new to the area and not having lived in California for long it scared the crud out of me. I had a smaller bike at the time, but still would not have considered that kind of riding. Nor do I now.
Fast forward to present day. I’ve been riding large touring bikes for around 10 years and all sorts of bikes for over 40. I commute about 26 miles from my workplace at Stanford to home in South San Jose. It’s 90% freeway and some of the heaviest traffic in the Bay Area during rush hour. A 35 minute commute becomes an hour or more, easily during the peak rush hour periods.
I Lane split very judiciously. If the space is not there, I hold back. I have other bikers passing me and entering gaps I consider way too narrow for safety’s sake. But, some have much smaller bikes and those who don’t, said death wish…IMHO. It could be they are far more capable than I, so be it. I know my limits.
There are some cagers and truckers who see you coming and deliberately close the gap. If caught doing that by LEO, they’ll get cited. I’ve had very aggressive drivers close the gap as I was gently trying to pass through. Not speeding, just trying to pass. Take my word for it…I’ve had Cops lead the way a few times and EVERYONE moves their ass over. A little courtesy is all that is asked.
Most of the time, if traffic is moving well and I want to pass, I wait until there is room in the next lane to safely do so. Heck, a week or two ago, I had some idiot in a truck get pissed because I managed to get by him -- some kind of power trip. He would not let me pass, but finally there was enough room in the next lane to get around him. Jerks like that should not be driving a commercial vehicle. Perhaps he was from out of State and didn't know it is legal.
When it is over 95 degrees and traffic is at a standstill, lane splitting is the only viable option to try to keep the bike (and rider) from overheating. Unfortunately lane splitting gets abused, but those who do so will eventually find themselves in a pickle when they misjudge. Hope I never see it.
As has been said by others, listen to Mark. He is an expert instructor and will be of great help providing you the experience you need to keep from hurting yourself and your bike.
For those who just don’t get it, try riding in some of the most populous areas in the world. It will make more sense once you do.
For the guy who kicked the car -- not a good deal. We all lose when that bad juju gets flowing. He just might take it out on some innocent biker who had nothing to do with it. It could be me or one of your buddies. The act of violence only creates more. It’s best to create distance and move on. The but…ole will forget it a minute later. Now, he’ll be looking to get even with someone who had nothing to do with your actions. Can you live with that?
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Topic: Hitting cars when lane sharing (Read 19721 times)