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In Reply to: GREAT fun! ... but discipline required! posted by D///Mill on April 23, 2001 at 08:02:24:
it requires 110% attention, and can be quite hazardous. besides having to look at the road and the people you're passing, you also must watch the conditions ahead of them and see what they will be reacting to even before they see it (sitting fairly tall is an advantage here). i can't do it for very long at a stretch, a mile or two of solid traffic jam and i'm ready to take a break. in addition to the usual dangers, there are some unique ones:
- people opening doors (to dump ashtray or coffee out, or just to mess with you)
- debris between lanes
- lane divider dots
- cars moving within and between lanes
i've also had cigarette butts flung at me and been spit on while lane splitting. i just love people :(
that said, one of the greatest benefits of a bike in california is immunity to traffic jams. it is quite satisfying to be just cruising by the mercedes, porsches, etc. stuck in a 6-lane parking lot of a 'freeway'. "how's the 415 hp treating you at 0 mph, mr. turbo? - don't get that gold chain all in a bunch, now" ;) just have to use your head, be honest with yourself (am i up to it right now?), and err on the side of caution. in the 8 years i've been riding in CA and splitting lanes, i've had 2 close calls, but avoided any incidents because i was ready for it.
like with anything high-risk, when in doubt, don't do it.
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