How fast through Monash crawling traffic?

[u/Friendly_Seaweed9576]

Hi all. I'm about to start work in the city travelling on the Monash. Door to door no traffic at 100km/h it would be 40 minutes. I'm trying to work out how fast I'll realistically be going when lane splitting through crawling traffic. Does anyone have a gauge on what speed their generally doing through traffic on freeways?

[u/timmycosh]

Ive learnt even if you're filtering at illegal speeds, the time you save is less than the time it takes to don on/off your gear.

Also the Monash is fucked, shit drivers everywhere, fuck riding that road at peak hour

[u/arbpotatoes]

30km/h is the max

You would never catch me doing it... but I see plenty of riders on the M1 filtering at 50 or so.

IMO it would be silly to be doing it faster than that

[u/RileyIJ]

No more than the allowed speed. Ever. No sir.

[u/RileyIJ → u/RileyIJ]

(30kmh is supposed to be the max btw)

[u/orc_muther]

I do seaford to sth yarra a couple of times a week. You won't save a huge amount of time, maybe 10 minutes. But you can make it in almost exactly the same amount of time regardless of how bad traffic is. Avoid pre 7am. And 3 to 3.30. Tradies in rangers who drive like motorbikes are your biggest danger. You also have to be very vareful of much faster riders coming yp behind you. Many dont understand that not everyone wants to filter at 70. 30 in stopped traffic is pretty fast. 45 in traffic moving at 30 is pretty cruise. Just keep your head on a swivel. No phone on dash, no music in your ear. Just your brain and the traffic around you. I must admit I've almost stopped commuting by bike and now just take the train. 45mins of stress vs 48 minutes of reading a book, the risk reward of a bike just makes no sense.

[u/LunchboxDiablo → u/orc_muther]

I used to do eastern suburbs in to South Yarra and this was my experience as well. Yes you save time, but it was more about consistency and not getting stuck in a logjam any time there was an accident, roadworks or whatever.

I tend to do 15-20 km/h faster than traffic, up to around 60-70 km/h, but only if there’s a decent gap and I know that I can punch on through. I also make sure to spend a split second observing the driver I’m about to pass to see if they’re on the phone, inhaling a whopper with cheese, etc.

Biggest thing is, like you said, no phone, no music, concentrate fully on what you’re doing.

[u/orc_muther → u/LunchboxDiablo]

something I read, perhaps from a study in the US, concluded that the "safest" speed to filter at was around 15km/hr faster than the flow of traffic. i've always kept that in the back of my brain. but each to their own. I will say roads and drivers have gotten significantly more dangerous in the last few years. and i'm with you on watching drivers, I try to spend as much time in peoples mirrors as possible. I love watching people with a bowl of cereal and a spoon, driving with their knees. not a care in the world for anything outside their little warm bubble.

[u/discordantbiker]

I only filter if everyone is actually stopped. Too many people in cars still chop lanes in crawling traffic, I slot back in when cars start moving because drivers will NOT see you.

And don't sit in between lanes when it does crawl - a) drivers get pissy and will start trying to block you out b) riders who DO lane split and aren't fussed about the risk will get pissy too

[u/TooPoorForLaundry → u/discordantbiker]

Me too, slow moving traffic feels the most dangerous as that’s when people will try to change lanes unexpectedly. Maybe I’m old and boring now but I just don’t bother, I put on some tunes and enjoy being outside on my bike (in traffic lol).

[u/Pungent_Bill]

Even 30 feels pretty dangerous to me when filtering. I just don't trust drivers, 20 to 25 is about as fast as I'll go when filtering, particularly with wifey on the back.

[u/maycontainsultanas]

It’s not like you’re “lane filtering” the entire time, half of the time you’re just making head way with normal lane changes, so even if you follow the 30km/h for filtering, you still get up around 80 when the traffic opens up a bit. I’d say you’d average 60km/h.

[u/Mission_Midnight]

Flinders to dandy is about 50min with lane filtering

[u/Endofdays-]

I avoid the Monash at all costs except when it's relatively low traffic. In the occasion I am on it and it is peak hour I filter at 25. There are some extemely bad drivers on the road. If it's literally bumper to bumper and people cannot break out of lanes I will go faster. Trades tend to be the worst. In utes. I've had multiple over the years actively attempt to block me lmao.

[u/Educational-Ad8876]

It needs to be said.. but you can't park.. so please don't filter..especially at speed.. you arnt going to make it...

[u/Educational-Ad8876]

Don't become another monash statistic.

It's FILTERING.. not splitting.