Fred H.
Well-known member
I have been fine tuning my Metropolitan riding techniques for several years now, and I think I have a loose set of rules that works fairly good for me. This applies mainly to riding in larger cities on multi-lane interstates (3 or more lanes) in heavier traffic.
The first trick I learned several years ago, is to move around in my lane a fair amount. This increases my visibility and makes drivers pay a bit more attention to me. I also find that if a driver is tailgating me, if I appear to be a bit unsteady on the bike and move around some in my lane, that it usually makes the driver back off.
In the past, I have pretty much tried to stay in the fast lane and ride 5mph or so above the flow of traffic in an effort to stay ahead of it. However, this strategy seems to invite those drivers who want to prove that they can go faster than you, so many times you end up with a tailgater on you at 80mph, which is not a good scenario. One easy solution is to simply move over one lane and let the tailgater go by when this happens and then get back into the left lane when it is clear. Another thing you can do is try to strategically position yourself in the left lane, so that the lane to the right of you is clear. This allows Mr. Tailgater to switch to the right lane and pass you on the right, and also gives you an escape path if you need it. Try not to put yourself in a position where you are in the left lane and the lane next to you is blocked and you have cars stacked up behind you. If this happens, I generally will pull to the right one lane and let the pack get in front of me when I have a good opportunity to do so. There are also times in really heavy traffic that you are best off staying in whatever lane you are in, as just changing lanes posses a significant threat and you need to recognize those times and wait for a gap to present itself to you.
Which brings me to topic of this thread, traffic surfin. I have found that on even the busiest of multi-lane roads, there are always large gaps in the traffic nearby. By riding at 5mph over the flow of traffic in the left lane, you may never be aware of a large gap in the traffic that is just a few seconds behind you. Sometimes it is actually better to pull into one of the slower lanes and let the pack get ahead of you until you find a gap, and then try to stay in that free space until it collapses. Many times by letting the faster traffic get in front of you, it will allow you to actually "surf" the gap you found and stay out of the heavier traffic flow. You then simply adjust your speed based on the gap you are in and try to keep as much free space around you as possible and ride the gap as long as you can.
Obviously, the left lane provides you some protection from traffic merging on and off the highway, and for this reason it is desirable to be in the far left, but when you find yourself surrounded by cars and trucks, it can sometimes be wiser to get out of the left lane for a bit and slow down and put the pack in front of you. Other times you may spot a gap in the traffic in front of you that you can accelerate into, and this also works. The main point is that as a motorcycle on a road filled with cars and trucks, you need to find the spots in the traffic flow that present the least amount of danger, and that is generally the spots where the fewest vehicles are. Look for those gaps and stay in them and don't ride with the pack. Also be aware that riding in the left lane seems to invite competition from other drivers who will want to challenge you for that position. You are always best off yielding the left lane to them. A motorcycle provides you with power and acceleration that will allow you to squirt out in front of traffic and this can be used to your advantage, however, you can avoid just as many, if not more, problems by easing off the throttle and putting the threat in front of you instead. Be on the look out for vehicles weaving in and out of traffic behind you in an attempt to get a spot at the front of the pack, cause these are generally the ones who will cause you problems. Do whatever you can to get and stay out of their way, as these drivers generally show little or no regard for anyone else and pose a real threat to you. Don't get caught up in their madness. Scanning and watching your mirrors in heavy traffic is a must and you will constantly have to modify your speed and position if you want to stay in the safest spot and avoid getting caught up in the pack. Don't attempt to ride one speed all the way through traffic, as you need to adjust your speed to avoid problems. If the pack is in front of you and you are catching them, slow down enough that you can stay behind them, and if you see a pack catching you from behind you may need to speed up and reposition yourself.
If you catch a good gap you can sometimes surf along in it for many miles, and I have traveled through entire large metropolitan cities in one gap if I time it just right.
The first trick I learned several years ago, is to move around in my lane a fair amount. This increases my visibility and makes drivers pay a bit more attention to me. I also find that if a driver is tailgating me, if I appear to be a bit unsteady on the bike and move around some in my lane, that it usually makes the driver back off.
In the past, I have pretty much tried to stay in the fast lane and ride 5mph or so above the flow of traffic in an effort to stay ahead of it. However, this strategy seems to invite those drivers who want to prove that they can go faster than you, so many times you end up with a tailgater on you at 80mph, which is not a good scenario. One easy solution is to simply move over one lane and let the tailgater go by when this happens and then get back into the left lane when it is clear. Another thing you can do is try to strategically position yourself in the left lane, so that the lane to the right of you is clear. This allows Mr. Tailgater to switch to the right lane and pass you on the right, and also gives you an escape path if you need it. Try not to put yourself in a position where you are in the left lane and the lane next to you is blocked and you have cars stacked up behind you. If this happens, I generally will pull to the right one lane and let the pack get in front of me when I have a good opportunity to do so. There are also times in really heavy traffic that you are best off staying in whatever lane you are in, as just changing lanes posses a significant threat and you need to recognize those times and wait for a gap to present itself to you.
Which brings me to topic of this thread, traffic surfin. I have found that on even the busiest of multi-lane roads, there are always large gaps in the traffic nearby. By riding at 5mph over the flow of traffic in the left lane, you may never be aware of a large gap in the traffic that is just a few seconds behind you. Sometimes it is actually better to pull into one of the slower lanes and let the pack get ahead of you until you find a gap, and then try to stay in that free space until it collapses. Many times by letting the faster traffic get in front of you, it will allow you to actually "surf" the gap you found and stay out of the heavier traffic flow. You then simply adjust your speed based on the gap you are in and try to keep as much free space around you as possible and ride the gap as long as you can.
Obviously, the left lane provides you some protection from traffic merging on and off the highway, and for this reason it is desirable to be in the far left, but when you find yourself surrounded by cars and trucks, it can sometimes be wiser to get out of the left lane for a bit and slow down and put the pack in front of you. Other times you may spot a gap in the traffic in front of you that you can accelerate into, and this also works. The main point is that as a motorcycle on a road filled with cars and trucks, you need to find the spots in the traffic flow that present the least amount of danger, and that is generally the spots where the fewest vehicles are. Look for those gaps and stay in them and don't ride with the pack. Also be aware that riding in the left lane seems to invite competition from other drivers who will want to challenge you for that position. You are always best off yielding the left lane to them. A motorcycle provides you with power and acceleration that will allow you to squirt out in front of traffic and this can be used to your advantage, however, you can avoid just as many, if not more, problems by easing off the throttle and putting the threat in front of you instead. Be on the look out for vehicles weaving in and out of traffic behind you in an attempt to get a spot at the front of the pack, cause these are generally the ones who will cause you problems. Do whatever you can to get and stay out of their way, as these drivers generally show little or no regard for anyone else and pose a real threat to you. Don't get caught up in their madness. Scanning and watching your mirrors in heavy traffic is a must and you will constantly have to modify your speed and position if you want to stay in the safest spot and avoid getting caught up in the pack. Don't attempt to ride one speed all the way through traffic, as you need to adjust your speed to avoid problems. If the pack is in front of you and you are catching them, slow down enough that you can stay behind them, and if you see a pack catching you from behind you may need to speed up and reposition yourself.
If you catch a good gap you can sometimes surf along in it for many miles, and I have traveled through entire large metropolitan cities in one gap if I time it just right.
