Red Light Poll

16. I'm a cop and don't have to stop if I don't want to.

All kidding aside I will stop at most when there is high traffic or low visibility. But often I ride at night. The route I go is mostly retirement communities, and quite frankly at 11pm none of those people are still awake.

having heard of many riders who have been struck after riding through a red light (and a few of them killed), I just think it's not worth it to run reds where I live. because of that, except on group rides when the group runs the light, I'll stop at every light. I will make exceptions and turn right on red, even when it is posted not to do so, as long as there are no cars coming (within eye or ear shot).

regarding the excuse of not being able to get in/out of the pedals - I learned how to get in and out of my pedals by putting my foot down at every single stop sign and light for about two days (after reading advice recommending just that). I probably clipped and unclipped 40 or 50 times. It's no excuse to say you aren't good at getting in and out of the pedals.

resetting a non-cyclist sensitive traffic light - I still have a steel chain. I simply put one foot down and tilt the bike till it's almost on the ground on the chain side. light will turn. And if ultimately it doesn't (if it goes through a whole cycle) then I just turn right and turn around as necessary.

track-stands - although I can do a track stand, I find there are virtually zero riders who can do them (or are willing to do them at a light in front of other people). I've done group rides with up to 200+ riders, ridden in the East Coast, CA, MI, and misc states between and I think I've seen 1 or 2 riders do a proper trackstand. when I say trackstand, I mean a real trackstand where the rider can roll backwards. inching forward very slowly is not a trackstand.

If you want to do a track stand, this is how:
1. find a slight uphill (equal to the slope up to the crown of the road, or up to say 1-3%).
2. use a lower gear, say 39x19, 39x21
3. out of the saddle, hold the hoods and put your stronger leg at the 3 o'clock position (forward)
4. turn your wheel away from that foot
5. pedal forward just a bit while riding the brakes
6. maintaining pressure on the pedal (i.e. don't allow cassette to freewheel), allow the bike to roll backwards. This will rotate your cranks backwards. This is the hardest part of learning how to do a trackstand. it might help to lean the toptube against your inner thigh.
7. when you've rolled back a smidgen and feel like you're losing your balance, pedal forward. this may be a violent effort to stay upright.
8. Initially, you'll roll to a stop, roll backwards an inch, then essentially do a hard jump to 2-4 mph. As you get more subtle in your movements, you'll be able to roll away at sub 2mph. And as you master this technique, you'll be able to roll forward and backwards 5 or 6 inches for a long time.
9. When you can do a trackstand pointing downhill (and you jerk the bike backwards on your own) then you're as good as you need to be.
10. If you can do a trackstand with either leg pointing forward and with the wheel turned either way, you've mastered it.

good luck and ride safe
cdr

I usually stop for the light, but there are three circumstances where I will run a light:

If there is no traffic and no pedestrian button, the light will not change until a car comes along. In that case, I will cross against the light.

When riding in a group, if the first riders gets through on the green, then the whole group will cross, even if the light changes half-way through.

On an event ride where the cyclists have a police escort through town.

RickF said:

I usually stop for the light, but there are three circumstances where I will run a light:

If there is no traffic and no pedestrian button, the light will not change until a car comes along. In that case, I will cross against the light.

When riding in a group, if the first riders gets through on the green, then the whole group will cross, even if the light changes half-way through.

On an event ride where the cyclists have a police escort through town.

Good point - a better question is "Under what circumstances will you run a red?"

Similarly to yours -
1. It has to be safe - obviously.
2. It has to be curteous - no one seeing me doing it should get the least irritated by it.
3. It has to be reasonable - the sensor won't pick me up and change in an acceptable time for instance.

I stop at red lights, but then I have to admit my favorite routes are on country lanes. The places where I do have to ride in residential streets are pretty few and generally I am just running errands.

If I lived somewhere where I could not get away from lights for my training rides, I might be tempted to cheat through more intersections. As it is, I do go through some. I roll through the "right on red" lights, when it seems more prudent to do so. Generally, though, I like to slow way down when I see that I am coming up on a red on the hope that it will change and I can charge through. When that fails, I like to stop at the last car so that I am not passing the same cars (and having them pass me again and again).

I read a good book that covers safe commuter biking, The Art of Urban Cycling

There are only a few circumstances where i will run a red...
one is if its really early/late and no-one is around
the second is if i get caught up in some really irrate drivers wanting to turn left. if there is no way that i can move over to let the impatient b*stards pass, then i will run the red if it is safe to do so.

The old chestnut I hear too often..bikes in groups are like articulated vehicles, so they all should stay together and keep going....

hmmm so there is only one brain and that one brain is a controlling all the rest...sorry doesnt wash it in court!.

Every rider has to take responsibility for his/her own actions, and that dear friends is what this poll is all about...

How responsible do you want to be to save your own life?.

These responses are important so please answer, you can select as many as you feel pertains to what you think about yourself, and others.

getting "stuck"at red lights is the leader at the moment,

seems strategy for tripping road sensors is in order, we have a few hints on that at aus.bicycle, from commuting on a steel frame and hoving over the sensors a bit longer to just laying the bike over close to the sensors, or using the pedestrian crossing buttons as a last resort...what is your trick, short of riding through the red, remember we want to encourage legal behaviour and good habits, and good example to the cagers who will watch your antics wondering what on earth you are up to !!

we are getting good responses here, please vote, it is important for a number of reasons, but this may also help the direction of some traffic management research and development of planning for cycling toolbox models being developed in the USA, UK, and Australia.

cheers

Roo

I just feel like a big dork straddlin my bike at a timed rural light and I'm the only one in site from here 2 christmas. Roll on, baby....😎 . When it's a busy street I just do the same as the cars, though I have no problems passing the same cars over and over.

Wouldn't say that I run Red's...🙄
However, I do find that I jump Greens alot.😉

My practice is exactly like Rick's. I stop at red lights the vast majority of times. In fact, I get quite annoyed when cyclists pass me and run the red light when I am stopped at a light. Perhaps more significantly, I see many motorists being very annoyed when they see cyclists run lights and otherwise violating traffic rules. One commented to me recently, "They want the same rights on the road as motor vehicles but they seem to think they are above the law when it cames to obeying the rules of the road." I see his viewpoint.

RickF said:

I usually stop for the light, but there are three circumstances where I will run a light:

If there is no traffic and no pedestrian button, the light will not change until a car comes along. In that case, I will cross against the light.

When riding in a group, if the first riders gets through on the green, then the whole group will cross, even if the light changes half-way through.

On an event ride where the cyclists have a police escort through town.

Van Hilliard said:

My practice is exactly like Rick's. I stop at red lights the vast majority of times. In fact, I get quite annoyed when cyclists pass me and run the red light when I am stopped at a light. Perhaps more significantly, I see many motorists being very annoyed when they see cyclists run lights and otherwise violating traffic rules. One commented to me recently, "They want the same rights on the road as motor vehicles but they seem to think they are above the law when it cames to obeying the rules of the road." I see his viewpoint.

we are getting some where, good to see the responses which will help guide some initiatives across the world in our advocacy programme (www.woj.com.au)

obviously the police escort isnt relevant, (but its important when you have one) to these issues, as we are looking for why you choose to stop or not stop under your own initiative...

this last week I was on Australia's Gold Coast for a few days and noticed the Saturday morning training ride bunches were generally stopping but the individual riders in the main ignored lights, even at busy intersections with fast through traffic...dangerous stuff and does little to mend the divide between drivers with a set against cyclists and cyclists who are trying to do the right thing...

we all get tarred with the bad example-think about it...how many times have you been verbally or otherwise abused or threatened by a driver or a pedestrian for the indiscretion of some other cyclists/s going through red lights or doing stupid things...

we all have a responsibility... please help us fix this with a solution that is meaningful and will save injury, trauma and lives...your input here is a start...thanks for voting...please ask others to join in the poll...cheers

roo

When faced with red light if possible switch to pedestrian crossing.

Getting close to the end of the poll, help us out with this poll it aids research and information from experienced riders, especially commuters and training riders help, but also those new to bikes, young or old, women riding for fitness, older folk doing the same, young folk learning, tell us what youve learnt about lights, add a comment here it is very useful info.

cheers to all who choose to ride for a better self and a better world...

Don't know if it's true or not, but I read somewhere that many drivers in France don't stop for stop signs if there is no one at the intersection.

I don't see that as a bad thing, especially if it's in a low traffic or rural area. It is kind of dumb to stop when nobody is there. 😕

Wurm said:

Don't know if it's true or not, but I read somewhere that many drivers in France don't stop for stop signs if there is no one at the intersection.

I don't see that as a bad thing, especially if it's in a low traffic or rural area. It is kind of dumb to stop when nobody is there. 😕

valid comment...that's why its important to collect these, all help to contribute towards locations that need light synchronisation or sequence change or just downright removal..

how many locations do you know where the light sequence is totally set to cause havoc and stop the free flow and especially set to ensure no free flow for those of us who chose to ride a bike.

thanks for the comment...
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You're welcome. 🙂 Good luck on your project.

To help trip the light signal, I use this device: signalsorcerer.comsignal sorcerer.htmlOpen ↗It is light enough for biking.

I will run lights if there is no cross traffic. It is silly to stop if there is nothing to wait for. How is that unsafe?