Bikers, I got question for ya

**Mity2** · April 24th, 2008, 07:35 PM

Every now and then, I came across intersection, which light would not change forever.
I was told because some intersection have senser which bike is too small to be picked up, so that computer thinks that there is no traffic, so lights stays red forever.

What do I do? What do you do? Do you run it? or wait until car comes behind you?

**IV_Warrior** · April 24th, 2008, 07:55 PM

I used to ride (thinking about getting a bike again) and know what you're talking about. For me, it depended on the time of day. If there was a reasonable probability that another vehicle would be coming along shortly that would trip the light, I'd just wait. If it wasn't likely that a car would be coming soon, but I thought a cop might be somewhere and see me, I'd make a right then turn around somewhere to go the direction I wanted. On at least one occasion, I think I ran one after waiting longer than I should have had to for the light to have changed, and there wasn't any traffic on the road in ANY direction, so I knew the chances of someone coming up behind me to trip the light were slim to none.

Lights that I knew were that way, I tried to avoid at "slow" times of the day, if it was possible to go a different route to get where I was headed.

**gnbrotz** · April 24th, 2008, 07:59 PM

Stay to the right or left of the lane, rather than the center (not in general, just for this specific problem).

**dirtybug** · April 24th, 2008, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by gnbrotz

Stay to the right or left of the lane, rather than the center (not in general, just for this specific problem).

Yup, Usually you can see the square outline on the asphalt where the sensor wire is, try to have the line run under the bike front to back.
There are also devices that claim to help trip the sensor but I have no personal experience with them. I'm not sure about PA but some states alow you to run the light after two light cycles (green, red, green, red , GO) if traffic is clear.

**str8shooter** · April 24th, 2008, 10:12 PM

If there's no chance of a car coming up behind me or in the opposite direction to trip the sensor, I run them when I think it's safe (and I can get away with it), or make a right, a yueey, and another right. I've never been stopped for running them, but hopefully if I ever do the LEO will accept my explanation. When I'm in a city where I can't make a right on red, it's never more than a few seconds before a car comes up behind me and trips the sensor. What I find to be a bigger problem is when the dope in front of me sits too far behind the sensor to trigger it, and doesn't have a clue. Then I have to either go around and in front of her (okay, it could be a him) to trigger it myself, or wait for them to drift forward, which people inevitably do as they grow impatient at lights.

**Atomic Dog** · April 24th, 2008, 10:36 PM

It's been said:

Put the bike right on the wire, and if you have to go for it, make a right. You can always get back the correct direction later but at least you are moving. If you have to get through, make sure its safe and go for it.

**SHEPHERD321** · April 24th, 2008, 11:00 PM

Some time back I remember reading on a bike forum that its legal in some other states to run the light, like a right turn on red. Its not in PA. Some lights that only change for cars, that I choose to use, because they are convenient and I pay my share of tax, I run them. Of course after stopping & waiting a short time.

**TaurusGuy** · April 24th, 2008, 11:05 PM

I have experienced this before but as others said, I figured out that staying to one side is usually enough to trigger the sensor. The few times it did happen to me, I am sorry to say that I wound up running the light. Of course, I did verify and double verify that traffic was clear all around before I did it.

**subdude** · April 24th, 2008, 11:25 PM

Happens to me every day. The light at the bottom of the hill from my office where I need to make a left onto the main road won't recognize my bike. I make a right on red, then a youie and go back thru to head the correct direction. Pain in the ass, but it's that or sit there for what seems like forever until a car pulls up behind me.