Southern California - Get the green light

This might be useful for you guys:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/828731/trigger_green_traffic_lights/

You can also just place your tires directly on top of the wires (parallel, so you are covering as much as possible) and that will trigger the lights...

Thanks LCI_Brian!!!

I run the lights.

You can also just place your tires directly on top of the wires (parallel, so you are covering as much as possible) and that will trigger the lights...

I haven't found this workable in the really real world.

I'll give a red light the benefit of the doubt for a few minutes, then I'll just go through. If it's a light that I know has a faulty sensor, then the red light is a stop sign to me.

I haven't found this workable in the really real world.


It is workable in the real world as the video proves. Did you actually try it? Where did you buy the magnets? Where and how did you attatch them to you bike.

You can also just place your tires directly on top of the wires (parallel, so you are covering as much as possible) and that will trigger the lights...

Thanks LCI_Brian!!!

Yup... when the outlines are clearly visible so I know where to place the bike, I can trip the light probably 90% of the time this way.

It is workable in the real world as the video proves. Did you actually try it? Where did you buy the magnets? Where and how did you attatch them to you bike.

No magnets, just using my tires to break the electromagnetic field... although the magnets would probably make it so that I did not have to identify where the wires are... now about the weight...

now about the weight...

maybe you can get it in CF:D

It is workable in the real world as the video proves. Did you actually try it? Where did you buy the magnets? Where and how did you attatch them to you bike.

Not the magnets, the tire-on-the-wire thing. Read the quoted text next time.

It is workable in the real world as the video proves. Did you actually try it? Where did you buy the magnets? Where and how did you attatch them to you bike.

Traffic lights don't switch that fast, that clip was timed.

Anyway, I don't doubt it's authenticity for the idea though, there are extremely powerful magnets you can get, although I was thinking of using an electro-magnetic field instead when I was thinking of solving this problem (which I assumed would be much stronger, and directional).

Me and a friend were talking about the science behind it during a ride, I knew -of- it as in electromagnetic coils, but never knew thats what they used to trigger traffic lights, I'm kind of amused it took this long for people to think of a solution.



As for me, I usually rest to the side of the lane, so I'm never in the middle of the sensor, so I haven't tried the tire thing either. I'll try that next time. I either wait for a car, jump across if it's an inactive street, or take a loop around the block if it's active.

They certainly don't switch that fast. But why would they switch at all?

Traffic lights don't switch that fast, that clip was timed.


I've seen ones that change that fast. I took the LAB Road I and Road II courses, and in Road II this was demonstrated. I was actually surprised at how quickly it changed. It depends on the intersection.

You don't need any magnets. If you can see the outline of the loop, position your bike just inside the loop, not directly on the wires. If you come across a faulty one, report it to the city, and they might adjust it.

They certainly don't switch that fast. But why would they switch at all?

IIRC the programming of some intersections switch to a timed mode depending on certain parameters.


Also pressing the ped walk button will do it, my friend an I have done it at busy intersections that wouldn't turn green.

I run the lights.

simplest solution.

Back when frames were steel, we'd roll up and lean the bike over as far as we could over the wires, and that was enough to trip them. The wires are an inductive pickup, so changes in the magnetic field will induce small current changes in the wire. But you need a magnetic metal alloy to make it work. With carbon bikes, probably your best bet is to lay the wjheel over sideways since your spokes are usually stainless steel (though it may be a non-magnetic stainless).

We used to lay our steel bikes over the sensors that were located in front of some gates on the SGRT (maybe it was Rio Hondo it was 15 years ago) and the gates would open and we could then ride around the water reclamation lakes. Back then it was nice because the loops were long and the road was new. One friend had a steel Paramount and it did not work so well with his bike, but he could get the gate to open too.

As for the street, when I ride my motorcycle it is hard to get the signal to trip sometimes and I will have to run the light if there are no cars around, so it really depends on the intersection.

Traffic lights are for cars.

BTW I found there are traffic light control loops installed in the bike lane along Camino Del Sur heading out towards Rancho Bernardo/4S Ranch!!

I can't get the tire trick to work either. Some day I'll get my lazy @$$ to buy some magnets and give that a try.

Definitely something that seems worth a try, particularly with a CF frame and not much steel. There are a couple of neighborhoods I ride through and I can never get the light to change (been a while, but Santa Monica side streets were always the worst for that).

Ok. I'll try it, with a twist.

I've got some very high strength sumarium cobalt magnets.
I'll tape one to the bottom of each shoe. That way I can just put my foot down directly onto the
loop wire.

And I'll be able to walk up (steel) walls.

You can also just place your tires directly on top of the wires (parallel, so you are covering as much as possible) and that will trigger the lights...

Thanks LCI_Brian!!!

I've had about a 50% success rate with this since you told me about it.

... yet another reason why steel is the only viable frame material!!!

Ok, I'm totally kidding: don't flame me. Seriously, I've had very good luck with tripping lights by positioning the bike close to where the wires enter the circle (or square, or whatever shape), but about 6-12 inches inside. When I stop, I usually leave my left foot clipped in and tip the bike slightly over to the right. This seems to cover enough area in the loop to induce a current.

Yeah I rode a steel frame without any success.

I have mixed results with the magnet trick on my motorcycle. Also have mixed results with the align-the-bike-tire-with-the-coil method. Dunno.

It depends on the type of inductive loop at the intersection and also the sensitivity that it is set to

Ok. I'll try it, with a twist.

I've got some very high strength sumarium cobalt magnets.
I'll tape one to the bottom of each shoe. That way I can just put my foot down directly onto the
loop wire.

And I'll be able to walk up (steel) walls.

Ahhh avoid man hole covers!

Aluminum will not trigger the loop, but most chains will (or should if calibrated correctly).

Great, now I have to calibrate my chain.

Great, now I have to calibrate my chain.

You calibrate the chain with magnets.......

maybe a chain made out of magnets.....




just sayin'....

Will a magnetic personality work?
I may be able to just stand there....

Will a magnetic personality work?
I may be able to just stand there....

repulsive or attractive?

repulsive or attractive?

Depends on who I'm standing next to....

Depends on who I'm standing next to....

Good point.....

You can also just place your tires directly on top of the wires (parallel, so you are covering as much as possible) and that will trigger the lights...

Thanks LCI_Brian!!!
No problem, here's a couple of links:

http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/green.htm
http://www.ci.bakersfield.ca.us/cityservices/pubwrks/trafficeng/pdf/bike_loop_info.pdf

The circle loops are the toughest, sometimes you can't the light to turn green if the sensitivity is set too low.

I run the lights.

same

If its early enough that no cars come for said light...its called running it.

Otherwise a car will be around the corner to trigger it for you

I'm not adding 20+grams of magnets when I can run them instead