How many cars....

[magnatom]

Ah, now this is what I was interested in. I'm curious as to why people would skip one or two cars to get to the ASL. I don't. I don't gain anything, and it only serves to hold up the car that I have filtered past.

Yes traffic conditions might change my threshold for filtering, but I never see the point of filtering past one or two cars. If the road ahead is clear then they will just pass me anyway, so no point in filtering past them. If the road ahead is busy, then I will pass them when they join the longer queue.

I also feel that filtering past these one or two cars might increase the risk of conflict, and for what, 1 or two seconds of gained time (for the cyclist).

I'm not wanting an argument, just curious, and it was something that I thought of when I sat behind a few cars this morning.

 

[4F]

Ah, now this is what I was interested in. I'm curious as to why people would skip one or two cars to get to the ASL. I don't. I don't gain anything, and it only serves to hold up the car that I have filtered past.

But what is the dirfference in filftering past 6 only rather than 1 if you think you are going to hold someone up ?

I don't hold anyone up, I am traffic.

 

[jonny jeez]

For me its not the number of cars its about getting across the lights in the next change.

If I am 6 cars back i may end up being held up and miss the green, if I am 2 back I most definitely wont. So for me, two or less and I will sit happily behind them.

On a motorcycle I will sit 4 or 5 back for the same reason. I guess your point about holding up traffic for a second or so delay is a good one, although I can’t say this is a factor in my choice, but i do like to ride as considerately as I can so maybe on a subconscious level.

.

 

[magnatom]

But what is the dirfference in filftering past 6 only rather than 1 if you think you are going to hold someone up ?

I don't hold anyone up, I am traffic.

I did say more than 6! If you are on the road, be you car, bus, cyclist etc, at some time we all hold someone up. Sometimes as a car driver, just your very presence holds others up (traffic jams). Part of road life. However, as a polite road user (I'm sure we all are!!), whilst being part of the traffic, I also don't want to hold anyone else up unnecessarily.

So for example if by filtering I gain nothing significant, but I hold some cars up as a result, (I gain a couple of seconds and I hold a few cars up for a couple of seconds) I see that filtering as pointless. If however, by filtering I gain a reasonable amount relative to the inconvenience to other road users (i.e. I gain a minute or so, but hold up a few cars a few seconds or so) then it is worthwhile filtering.

I'm just trying to get down in words what I think I do on the roads without actually thinking about it!

 

[magnatom]

For me its not the number of cars its about getting across the lights in the next change.

If I am 6 cars back i may end up being held up and miss the green, if I am 2 back I most definitely wont. So for me, two or less and I will sit happily behind them.

On a motorcycle I will sit 4 or 5 back for the same reason. I guess your point about holding up traffic for a second or so delay is a good one, although I can’t say this is a factor in my choice, but i do like to ride as considerately as I can so maybe on a subconscious level.

.

Aye, that is reasonable and I certainly do that, i.e. try to get through on the first phase. But that fits with what I posted earlier, i.e. I would gain a lot and the inconvenience to others would be minimal.

 

[4F]

[QUOTE 1134367"]
A ha! But ultimately cars will still have to overtake you so if youn know this looking forward after the lights change to green then why bother to filter?

Not saying that I disagree with what you see merely getting the old cogs a whirr and getting some debate going.

<Off to do some work>

good thread Mag.
[/quote]

It's a fair question but if we were all worried about holding car drivers up why bother cycling on the road ?

 

[magnatom]

It's a fair question but if we were all worried about holding car drivers up why bother cycling on the road ?

In general they hold us up (in the rush hour anyway), but my point is, 'unnecessarily holding up', when the gain as a cyclist is minimal.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Depends on the junction and the drivers. I have one ASL which is just at the start of a little slope which leads to traffic lights. I generally get to the front regardless of the number of cars here as I can (sometimes) get up enough speed to crest the hill and make the next lights before they change... and they are slooooooow lights if I miss them. Also, if the driver is in the ASL then I always get in front of them and make a point of looking down at the little cycle painted on the road in the box they are in, then at their car and letting them make the connection.

Usually though I'd have to say that more than 4 cars and I will filter to the front.

 

[4F]

In general they hold us up (in the rush hour anyway), but my point is, 'unnecessarily holding up', when the gain as a cyclist is minimal.

I think that depends on whether you are a dawdler or not when the lights change. If you set off on your toes then I don't believe anyone is being held up and to be honest whether they felt they were being held up for 0.1 of a nanosecond is in my opinion of little relevance.

I would add that 1/2 of my commute is on small country lanes and I will often pull to one side to let someone pass.

 

[magnatom]

I think that depends on whether you are a dawdler or not when the lights change. If you set off on your toes then I don't believe anyone is being held up and to be honest whether they felt they were being held up for 0.1 of a nanosecond is in my opinion of little relevance.

I would add that 1/2 of my commute is on small country lanes and I will often pull to one side to let someone pass.

Yes the thresholds will be different for different cyclists, agreed. However, I'm certainly not a slow cyclist and I do pull away fairly quickly at lights. However, I still won't filter past a couple of cars in general as the gain for me is small and the generally catch up 50m further down and any gain I have is transferred to hold up for them.

I suppose it really boils down to a gain to inconvenience balance. the weightings on gain an inconvenience will differ from situation to situation, but the principle remains the same, for me anyway.

 

[4F]

Yes the thresholds will be different for different cyclists, agreed. However, I'm certainly not a slow cyclist and I do pull away fairly quickly at lights. However, I still won't filter past a couple of cars in general as the gain for me is small and the generally catch up 50m further down and any gain I have is transferred to hold up for them.

I suppose it really boils down to a gain to inconvenience balance. the weightings on gain an inconvenience will differ from situation to situation, but the principle remains the same, for me anyway.

Another factor to take into account is the type of car that may feel they are inconvenienced. If it was some gary boy with a souped up astra etc then it may be better to hold back to avoid any unpleasantries but saying that 99 times out of 100 I would still take the ASL and to be honest I cannot remember any time where this has caused an issue / confrontation.

 

[PBancroft]

I dunno, I just don't like filtering. Don't feel confident doing it (perhaps due to eyesight problems giving me poor depth perception), and feel it's a bit rude for some reason, pushing in front.

Do feel a bit of a plum when i'm sat in a traffic queue and another cyclist zips past me.

I agree with this. I feel confident enough to do it, and have and do on occasion. The vast majority of the time I will just sit in the middle of the lane pretending to be a car. I don't find ASLs add much benefit most of the time TBH.

I do also feel a plum when someone rides past.

 

[BSRU]

I do not filter any more, I join the back of the queue in primary,
Luckily in Swindon there is not enough traffic to bother with the hassle/danger of filtering near traffic lights, always get through on the first change to green.

 

[HLaB]

Depends on the lights if I know they are going to have a long green, I'm happy to wait behind more cars; it'll usually vary between 3-6 cars. I don't why, when I get a pointless poor overtake, close to the lights I end up filtering past to the ASL sometimes. Hopefully leaving them sitting in the queue, makes them realise how pointless it was but that muppet is behind me again

 

[Bird Brain]

Depends on scenario.