Freeway riding (update)

 

Whoa!

That's all I can say.. :)

So, I rode to work for the first time today. My main thought on it: it
rocks!

My commute (for those who know the area) is from Riverside (CA) along
the 91 freeway through the Santa Ana Canyon into Orange County, south
on the 55, then west on the 22. Ask anyone in California and they'll
tell you - the 91 through the canyon is one of the worst stretches of
freeway around.

Of course, today, the freeway was backed up all the way through Corona
into Riverside proper, before our "fasttrack" toll lane picks up. Just
getting into the carpool lane made that stretch disappear quickly.

I hadn't planned on trying any lane-splitting this soon, but after a
couple quick stops in the regular lanes, I decided to go for it. I
quickly discovered that it isn't all that hard - I actually felt it was
easier than a lot of what I did on the MSF course.

I also think that in traffic like that, it's a little safer. With the
cars on both sides bumper-to-bumper, there's no room for them to make
REALLY quick bonehead moves. So keep an eye out for the pockets of
space where someone could jump across lanes & it's pretty clear the
rest of the time.

I was surprised at the number of drivers who were considerate enough to
move over to give me room while passing. I had expected a bit more of
the other sort. No really rude drivers, but there were a few totally
oblivious ones who didn't even know I was there. But that's normal for
motorcycle riding anyways, I guess.

Final word: I think for the first time ever, I'm actually going to
enjoy commuting!

 


Tony wrote:

Get a rain suit if you don't already have a waterproof riding suit.

And watch your rear end if traffic is moving fast. The Ricers will be
racing each other on the freeway, doing 100 mph, zigzagging in and out
of traffic at 100 mph, trying to pass a few cars going the speed limit
in the left lane.

Be prepared to get speeding tickets and spend your time in traffic
school.

Most of the time, SoCal weather is warm and beautiful for riding. You
never know what's going to happen 50 miles from home, though.

For seven years, I was a committed biker. I had no choice about
commuting by car or motorbike, all I had was the motorbike. I had to
ride to work, night or day, rain or shine. I remember getting to work
soaking wet because I didn't know it was raining on the other side of
the hill.

I remember wondering if the rain was ever going to stop so my seat
would dry out. Even when it wasn't raining, the water would squeeze out
of the foam rubber for a week or so. People looked at the wet seat of
my Levis and wondered if I needed a diaper.

The best part about the commute wasn't the ability to split lanes in
the freeway parking lot at rush hour.

The best part was being able to take the long way home. If I couldn't
take the long way home through a canyon, I might as well sit in traffic
as it crawled along. I felt a lot safer.

I had to commute from the San Fernando valley to Long Beach for about
five months. That was all I could stand of all-freeway commuting.

It was totally freeway and I was splitting lanes for 2.5 to 3 hours a
day
even though the drive was only 45 miles each way. Cagers would see me
alone in the left hand lane, doing the speed limit. They thought it was
OK
to pass me in the left lane because they'd seen motorbike splitting
lanes!

OK, so I decided to try the right hand lanes. Idiots were coming up on
me at 90 or 100 mph in the right hand lanes. I was actually safer when
traffic was so heavy that I had to split lanes. Getting hit by a door
opening or running into the side of a cage whose driver suddenly
decided to change lanes was safer than getting rear ended at 90 mph.

At that time, the national speed limit was still 55 mph, so if I rode
at 90 mph to defend myself from crazy tailgaters, guess who was going
to get a ticket? I was averaging about four speeding tickets a year.

I finally quit that job because the time on the freeway every day was
too long even though I was splitting lanes. I got a job in Culver City,
it was only half as far to work and back and traffic was always heavy.

Another time I had to commute 65 miles each way from Hollywood to
Palmdale. That was a nice commute because of the many routes I could
take to work. There was the freeway and about five canyons that I could
play Ricky Racer in on the way to or from work. Traffic never got heavy
even on the freeway. But when winter made the commute too cold, I was
back in my pickup truck.

 

wrote:


I don't ride in the rain if I can help it.  It's just not fun for me.
But I've considered getting a cheap rainsuit just in case it starts
raining while I'm at work (that's happened a few times).


I don't think I've ever gotten a speeding ticket on my bike.  Plenty
in cars, though. There's no reason you have to go faster on a bike
than you would in a car.


Yeah. 8^)  Don't you hate that?


This (above) is why I'm posting here.

I was in a terrible rear-ender about five or six years ago.  I was in
my car, an Acura Integra that I really loved.  It was commute traffic
coming home up 880 in Milpitas (Northern CA).  I got rear-ended by a
kid in his dad's van.  He hit me so hard the back of my seat went down
and wouldn't come up again.  The car was totalled.  

I thought I was okay.  My neck was a little sore the next day but
better the day after that. But a friend of mine said you can't rule
out 'whiplash' for two weeks.  And he turned out to be right.  Four or
five days later I could hardly get out of bed.  My neck was sore as
hell for several weeks.

All this time I was thinking: "Wow, imagine if I'd been on the bike!"
But in fact the accident wouldn't have happened at all if I'd been on
the bike!  Because when traffic completely stopped, I would have
slipped between the lanes.

Since that time I am more nervous about driving in stop-and-go traffic
and much more likely to lane-split, or at least pull way to one side
when I have to stop on the freeway because of traffic.  Especially
considering that bikes are harder to see in front of you.

 




I tend to disagree with that. I think sitting in traffic makes you a target.


--
"Of course, you'll have the good taste not to mention that I posted this."

Thumper

"I don't want a pickle..."
 http://www.thumpers-brithouse.com

 2004 H-D Road King Classic
 2002 BMW R1150RT "Misty"
 1978 Triumph Bonneville
 1975 Triumph Trident
 1974 Norton Interstate
 1969 BSA Red Rocket III
 1962 Triumph Tiger Cub
 1958 BSA Super Bantam COCK
 1954 Velocette MAC
 

 

Tony wrote:

Way better than commuting in a car but watch out for exits and
interchanges when traffic's moving. You see lots of bonehead
moves where people decide they've got to get to a ramp and suddenly
jam on their brakes and/or cut across several lanes of traffic.