The left lane

[louemc]

This topic comes up every now and again on the forums. It amazes me how many people do not follow the very simple rules about the left lane both from posts and real life experience. It is a real pet peeve of mine.

Traffic would be so much better if people did this consistently on any multi-lane highway. It is dangerous and selfish to make people pass you on the right. Quit it.

• If you are in the left lane and a faster car is coming up behind you, move to the right if there is room. It doesn't matter how fast you are going. Just do it.
• Look for cars, bikes trucks or whatever who may be approaching from behind.
• The best rule is just use the left lane for passing and don't hang out there.

Here are some visual aids for further clarification.

(God I wish they did this in CA)
[youtube]tIA2pueFMh4[/youtube]

OK /rant.

No one approaches me from behind...

 

[revnort]

rev, riding is not about bi-polar. Not about rage or raging around traffic. Just simply flowing smoothly, with fore thought, with reason, around traffic.

I do NOT want cagers jumping out of my way. I want them to RELAX and let me work around them in harmony. If a tricky area, I'll tuck in until all is clear. In city area is maintain same speed so the cagers can see where I am and do their lane changing to set up for a turn into a business.

I have no understanding of why you would be upset with someone in 'your' fast lane when on a bike! Makes no sense for seasoned riders to be upset about this or about anything.

That's what riding is all about.

Edit: Man I'm grumpy today.

You have somehow misunderstood and misinterpeted what I am saying. First I claim no ownership of the left lane. What I am talking about creates a traffic issue for everyone on the road. Which creates a traffic issue for me.

A rolling roadblock causes everyone to start doing stupid shit and raging. I'm on a moto it is going slow me down much less but it can create a dangerous situation.

 

[Marcoose]

FFS drop it now? Re: the rascism bullshit.

As soon as the xenophobes, racists and bigots find another sandbox to play.

 

[scout]

Dude TOS prevents me from telling you what I really think.

When you pull your head out of the grass you'll understand what I am saying. First I claim no ownership of the left lane. What I am talking about creates a traffic issue for everyone on the road. Which creates a traffic issue for me.

A rolling roadblock causes everyone to start doing stupid shit and raging. I'm on a moto it is going slow me down much less but it can create a dangerous situation.

Dude, YOU don't get what riding is all about. Even commenting you get upset. THERE ARE NO ROLLING ROAD BLOCKS ON A BIKE! Learn to ride the bike. It takes time.

How do I know that you can't ride?

Because of what you say.

 

[planegray]

As soon as the xenophobes, racists and bigots find another sandbox to play.

He DID ask nicely, to stay on topic.... is that a problem ?

 

[revnort]

Dude, YOU don't get what riding is all about. Even commenting you get upset. THEY ARE NO ROLLING ROAD BLOCKS ON A BIKE! Learn to ride the bike. It takes time.

How do I know that you can't ride?

Because of what you say.

OK, now you are just funny.

You continue to totally miss the point I am making.

 

[kiltwearinfool]

I had a dream that I was on the freeway and all the cars were made out of Nerf material. Rush hour became so much fun.

 

[kiltwearinfool]

No. For me it's best for cagers to stay where they are when I'm coming up on the bike. The pure beauty of the bike is it's flexibility to flow around traffic and slab cagers KNOW this and luv bikes that have seasoned riders BECAUSE of this.

I rue the day that you come up behind a car and they move to the right just as you are passing them. It's happened to me multiple times. You are basically invisible to a car from the moment you leave their rear view mirror to the time you get about 15 feet in front of them.

A bike's flexibility of movement is trumped by the intellect of the driver you're trying to pass.

I have three basic observations about life:
1) Most people are idiots.
2) Most car drivers hate riders.
3) Just because your penis fits somewhere doesn't mean it should go there.

 

[Marcoose]

He DID ask nicely, to stay on topic.... is that a problem ?

Dan is a very nice guy and so are you. But "FFS" and "bullshit" is hardly nice language. I don't say that in front of my grandmother. I doubt either of you do. But OK, let's go back to topic. These you-know-what come around daily. I'll catch up with them in the next thread.

 

[planegray]

Dan is a very nice guy and so are you. But "FFS" and "bullshit" is hardly nice language. I don't say that in front of my grandmother. I doubt either of you do. But OK, let's go back to topic. These you-know-what come around daily. I'll catch up with them in the next thread in the sink.

fixed

 

[Marcoose]

^^^ I never go down to the sink. Too filthy.

 

[planegray]

^^^ I never go down to the sink. Too filthy.

keep to the right, let the faster traffic drama by on your left, life will be fine

 

[kelsodeez]

one thing i must say, when i am in the left lane on my bike, i get MUCH more respect than when i am in my car. people are constantly moving over for me and i give them a wave of thanks every time they do.

when i am in my car and i want to pass, its a completely different story. no one wants to let a little black honda hatchback pass them. i think that is where the ego plays into it. on the motorcycle, they inherently know that you are a shit ton faster than them so they get out of the way. its the same when you drive a ferrari in the fast lane. people respect your speed and get out of your way.

 

[Karbon]

I'll say this, after putt-putting around in 5 states, irrespective of the supposed level of enforcement, people are still horrible drivers. Rolling roads blocks are not indicative of CA alone. There is no discernible magic border which deliniates where the good or bad drivers are.

 

[scout]

I rue the day that you come up behind a car and they move to the right just as you are passing them. It's happened to me multiple times. You are basically invisible to a car from the moment you leave their rear view mirror to the time you get about 15 feet in front of them.

A bike's flexibility of movement is trumped by the intellect of the driver you're trying to pass.

I have three basic observations about life:
1) Most people are idiots.
2) Most car drivers hate riders.
3) Just because your penis fits somewhere doesn't mean it should go there.

Great. I ride the same area as you, yet two totally different polarized perceptions. AGAIN, I ride a 160 miles loop, Monday through Friday, weather permitting, with 20 miles or so of slab, coming and going, on 101 to 237, mines/ham, then dumped from Quimby to Capitol then back on home with 101.

112,000 miles of mostly the above loop on this bike alone since end of 2007.

I start from belmont. I guess you know where that is.

I routinely have slab cagers move over on me and IT'S NO FOOKING BIG DEAL!!!!! Depending upon the situation, I either split traffic with the cager coming over, roll on, or chop and then split, or just pass front traffic on left if in No. 1 and dodging No. 2 lane traffic coming over.

There is simply no sweat doing this whatsoever. Why? Because I ride some technical stuff all the time and IT TEACHES ME HOW TO RIDE.

Riding, correctly, is the most difficult subject I have ever learned, and I never stop learning.

Don't believe what I just wrote. I simply could care less what you believe, and I say that calmly. Just a fact. Could care less. I'm just reporting what I do and I do it without a thought. If ya know how to ride than the bike and rider think together at the speed of light. Every real rider knows exactly what I'm saying.

Ya have to know how to ride and have to have the correct attitude. Cagers that come over on the slab are not trying to kill me because they hate me, just don't see me. If they see me they're excellent. Yes, sometimes one or two will play, but even these guys don't try to kill ya.

One more thing, that I see noobs, and old noobs, constantly mess up. Best to just outline the thought flow chart.

1. Riding is dangerous. Riding can KILL a rider.

2. Riding is DANGEROUS in the best of weather conditions.

3. Riding is MORE dangerous at night. Why ride at night?

4. Riding is 100 times MORE dangerous in wet weather. Why ride in wet weather?

5. Riding in cold weather is also dangerous. Why ride?

What I see noobs do is geek ride the good weather, then talk shit about how great riding in wet, cold and at night!!!!! But these guys always fear 'the accident?!!'

No sense.

And, crap, none of the above is trying to make look expert, or whatever. I view myself as just understanding the basics of riding. Like I said, riding is hard to learn. Hardest thing I've had to learn and I've done a lot.

Again, cagers here, in bay area, are most excellent. I ROUTINELY come across many, many, many cagers that show complete harmony with bikes. I so hate it when some try to be deceptive about the truth concerning cagers.

fyi, although I'm not old, I'm not 21, but have the heart of a young 21. Also, had some financial luck that allows me to do what I wanna do.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I've been conquering the things you've listed "as needed". Before when I did not ride to commute, I wouldn't ride in the rain / at night / dangerous weather.

Now it's a choice of riding, or getting to work late because I need to catch the shuttle. So I started riding. When it started getting dark early, I learned to ride at night. When the rains came, I learned to ride in the rain. When it got windy, I learned to ride in the wind.

There is some degree of pushing oneself to overcome fears required to improve at anything.

 

[Climber]

I'll say this, after putt-putting around in 5 states, irrespective of the supposed level of enforcement, people are still horrible drivers. Rolling roads blocks are not indicative of CA alone. There is no discernible magic border which deliniates where the good or bad drivers are.

That's from all of the people who formerly lived in California moving to other states.

 

[MikeyRocks]

i think people just dont accelerate getting on the freeway because they are trying to save gas by gingerly pressing the gas pedal at all times.

people not getting over for quicker traffic is usually just stubbornness. i need to make a sign like this

Can't believe I've never thought of this... Much more effective than just giving the finger...

 

[scout]

I've been conquering the things you've listed "as needed". Before when I did not ride to commute, I wouldn't ride in the rain / at night / dangerous weather.

Now it's a choice of riding, or getting to work late because I need to catch the shuttle. So I started riding. When it started getting dark early, I learned to ride at night. When the rains came, I learned to ride in the rain. When it got windy, I learned to ride in the wind.

There is some degree of pushing oneself to overcome fears required to improve at anything.

I know your point. Problem is not so much learning to ride in bad conditions, but that the bike performs less, and other dangers are become apparent once the bike can not respond hard input.

Night. Can't see fast moving objects approaching from side, like deer, dogs, whatever. Hard to see objects like mattress on road, etc. Wet. Hard to avoid problems as traction is far less. Cold. Body doesn't react and tires are off.

More than a question of be ABLE to ride asphalt in poor conditions, just that the probability of avoiding accidents in poor weather is very high.

dirt. I ride dirt in all weather except snow or night. Night in dirt is crazy. Can't see ruts, bumps, whatever.

 

[flying_hun]

If laziness or incompetence can explain a given behavior, you don't need to look for anything more complex.

Sig material right there.

They do it just the same in Seattle. I'm still banking on laziness. (Not helped by the lack of any kind of reasonable licensing standards in the US.)

Yep, lived in and around Seattle for many years. If anything, it's worse there, and has been at least since I got my license in the early 70's.

I actually use both..... Type1 requires full concentration, and sometimes I'm a little distracted

PG rides much faster on the freeway than I do, making me a type 2 I suppose.

This topic is always guaranteed to get emotional and my favorite part is when people are soooo convinced they are "right" (myself included ! )

The key difference between us is that I am right.

I'll say this, after putt-putting around in 5 states, irrespective of the supposed level of enforcement, people are still horrible drivers. Rolling roads blocks are not indicative of CA alone. There is no discernible magic border which delineates where the good or bad drivers are.

There it is. Wherever it's easy to get a license and easy to keep a license, there are many, many unskilled road users.