How to Ride in Traffic | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

How to Ride in Traffic

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LePhillou said:
I commute everyday too, lakeshore to qew onto gardiner back to lakeshore until yonge.

I find that this week is very erratic in terms of traffic patterns but there are a few patterns that are pretty consistent every day.

Say taking the collector on gardiner (for kipling, islington, etc) and merging back on the expressway is always faster than staying on the expressway or taking park lawn. Or like after parkside, USUALLY the left (not the merge) lane goes faster up to the traffic light in front of Legion (the big red poppy up the hill). Then after that most times, its the right lane that moves the fastest. Until dufferin. Then it's a mix (whether i find an opening and can WOT or i get stuck in traffic at the speeds you mentioned). Then after strachan, usually overall the right lane is fastest, especially after bathurst and then at spadina, left lane becomes the fastest....

It's a waltz really and it's about reading traffic ahead of the lane that will slow you down and make you stop which i find i can do better in blocking position because then i can see red brake lights ahead while calculating my space to be able to change lanes with the next lane swiftly to keep rolling while NOT cutting off...or splitting.
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Yeah that is about it, average it out, the right Lane moves fastest until you are at Reese Street ramp to gardiner, I usually bud in there like everyone else does. What time do you do this each morning?

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Track days with lots of other motorcyclists on the track is the only real way to prepare and improve upon your skillz dealing with traffic.
 
Face said:
Riding the same speed or a little slower doesn't put you in control of your situation. Riding a little faster, as described in the article, does. That has nothing to do about complacency. Complacency puts you at risk at any speed.

If I didn't agree with this phylosophy, I wouldn't have this signature. It's kept me safe on more than 1 occasion.
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With all due respect, I don't think "When in doubt... accelerate! ;)" applies well to the topic 'How to Ride in Traffic'.
 
CalamariGSX-R said:
Yeah that is about it, average it out, the right Lane moves fastest until you are at Reese Street ramp to gardiner, I usually bud in there like everyone else does. What time do you do this each morning?

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815-830 from sauga, usually get to said onramp just before it opens at 9 (about 845-850)
 
LePhillou said:
815-830 from sauga, usually get to said onramp just before it opens at 9 (about 845-850)
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Oh yeah, I used to go from sauga, now I am a bit closer at lakeshore and royal York. I hit the road around 9 am...i am sure we have seen each other ...lol

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Bagman said:
It actually does. Or at least for those to whom the overall notion of the statement makes sense.
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Not sure about traffic, but it totally applies off road!

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Emefef said:
Several posters have already "slightly" or "somewhat" disagreed, while recognizing Nick's points. I'm in the same camp. Instead of "aggressive", I describe it as "assertive". When I talk about interactions with other road users, it's about communicating clearly. The only way we have to clearly communicate our intentions is to demonstrate them. When you make a decision, make it quickly (not "snap" decisions based on a fervent desire to pass everyone on the road) and execute the move deliberately. Claim the space that is yours with your lane position. Pass or fall back if you're not in a good spot...do both if you need to (pull up far enough to ensure a driver in the adjacent lane sees you - then back off from the car ahead if you need to). It's not necessarily about being faster or slower, it's about YOU adjusting your speed and lane position constantly so that you are managing the risks, and not just cruising obliviously. You can "go with the flow" of traffic, as long as you are riding the bike, not just sitting on it.
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This is right.

The article seems to suggest that you should go faster all the time but then acknowledges that you are actually looking for the ' bubble'. So find it, and claim another when you lose it. You can also do this by decelerating. The concept of constantly moving through blinds spots "slightly faster" than traffic is of course foolish.

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I ride in traffic swattin all the pedal pushers outta my way along dundas bloor college. Its even easier filtering downtown nowadays with all the respect and space cyclists garner nowadays. Ride like a pansie in TO hanging out in blind spots of vehicles around or be an " EXCUSE ME COMING THROUGH" I would rather control my risks myself being aggressive its been 30yrs now and my spidey sense is still going strong.
 
Bagman said:
Track days with lots of other motorcyclists on the track is the only real way to prepare and improve upon your skillz dealing with traffic.
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Baloney, not one thing from doing track days with help you with traffic, unless lane spiltz is your game.
 
Jayv said:
Baloney, not one thing from doing track days with help you with traffic, unless lane spiltz is your game.
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Sarcasm meter broken?

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Iceman said:
Sarcasm meter broken?

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It IS hard to tell these days sometimes...I fear for society in another 10-20 years.
 
Doctor T said:
With all due respect, I don't think "When in doubt... accelerate! ;)" applies well to the topic 'How to Ride in Traffic'.
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It definitely applies in traffic to get out of tight situations. It also helps to be riding something with good acceleration, ��

Bagman said:
It actually does. Or at least for those to whom the overall notion of the statement makes sense.
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But as Bagman says, if it doesn't make sense to you, then the concept of that article won't either. But clearly from the responses to this thread, there are enough of us who understand & ride this way because it works for us.
 
Face said:
It definitely applies in traffic to get out of tight situations. It also helps to be riding something with good acceleration, ��



But as Bagman says, if it doesn't make sense to you, then the concept of that article won't either. But clearly from the responses to this thread, there are enough of us who understand & ride this way because it works for us.
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Oh I understand the concept, I just think it's poorly communicated and easily open to misinterpretation.

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Is this why there's an upswing in bikes rear ending other vehicles?
 
Megamaniac said:
I ride in traffic swattin all the pedal pushers outta my way along dundas bloor college. Its even easier filtering downtown nowadays with all the respect and space cyclists garner nowadays. Ride like a pansie in TO hanging out in blind spots of vehicles around or be an " EXCUSE ME COMING THROUGH" I would rather control my risks myself being aggressive its been 30yrs now and my spidey sense is still going strong.
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I had to ride from Newmarket to Downtown today.................... that was a test of my patience. Have a video of me skipping out of some crazy traffic jam saving me at least 20 min within one KM or so... not sure if its legal or not so i will not post lol..............
 
Traffic has been $hitty and erratic at best this week. 30m to 1h taking the same route every day. Oh and the daytime Jays game yesterday!? Fak that
 
Used to be 12 minutes, driveway to sitting at my desk on a good day, over an hour on a bad day.

Some routes have changed for the worse since then.

Tearing down the Gardiner doubled the time it took to get to my parent's house. It's even more now.
 
Baggsy said:
Is this why there's an upswing in bikes rear ending other vehicles?
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I thought the general GTAM consensus is the bike never hits anything...other things always get in the way or hit them instead.
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