Jiggle

If he's looking both ways then proceeding safely through the intersection, then he isn't really "running" the light. He's treating it like a stop sign.

HydroG33r 

I do the same... sometimes I even switch my route just for a change of pace.

When I was building up my fitness I was quite careful to research my routes and avoid steep grades or excessive up & down... now I don't really think twice about moderate hills (<5% for <30m = 100ft of elevation), and know I can do larger hills (up to 12% grade and ~120m = 400 ft elevation). Larger than that is a mountain, and you kind of know where all those are.

Medic Zero

And they'd hate cyclists for some other reason if 100% of us stopped for every red light and stop sign 100% of the time. It's no use trying to be nice for the cars.

mcours2006

I find that motorists around my suburb community are actually quite courteous. I've been fortunate that I've had very few problems on the road with them. Downtown, now that's a bit different. I absolutely hate riding downtown. People just all seem to be on edge there.

Medic Zero

I experience all kinds here, most appear to be courteous and yet I still get buzzed pretty much every day. To be clear, it's not as if I don't wait at some stop lights and stop for some stop signs that I normally wouldn't otherwise, when I see a car approaching or already waiting, it's just that I'm not going to let some hope of some car drivers thinking differently about cyclists based upon one more instance of one of us obeying traffic signals that were set up for a completely different mode of transport keep me from Idaho stopping or outright blowing an intersection with a control if it doesn't make any sense for me to stop. When I choose to stop and I easily could've blown through, it's more about being polite and not rubbing it in their face, I don't have any hope they won't curse me (and all cyclists) if I end up in the lane in front of them and they have to go around me. People are people.

Personally, I'm considering moving to someplace that doesn't have cyclists or cycling infrastructure. I hate everyone's lights and I hate the "facilities" they design for us. I'm happiest in the road, with no other cyclists. I'm strongly considering changing my route in to work for the next 6 months, as I work nights and so reverse commute and so am going against the stream at rush hour on what is probably the second busiest bike corridor in Seattle, and the past few days have been insane with all the strobing helicopter searchlight candlepower equivalent "headlights" everybody has decided they need to have now.

tjspiel

When I'm on a group ride in roadie mode, pretty much everything and everybody on the street registers just as an obstacle to watch out for. If there is a group of roadies behind you heading in the same direction, you might hear "rider up!" before they overtake you (assuming you're going slower). That's as much of an acknowledgment as you can expect but sometimes I'll greet other riders as we go by.

I'm usually focused on the rider in front of me or if I'm pulling, I'm looking out for obstacles and trying to maintain a good pace.

It doesn't matter that you're not wearing lycra, although if there were several of you wearing a different type of kit, it might trigger an "attack".

There's really no offense intended.

alan s 

You need to increase your candlepower. Much cheaper than moving. Oh, and stop hating.

Leisesturm

There is not. And I will never understand what compels otherwise reasonable people to make pronouncements such as this. Just a little application of rational thinking before hitting the send button would stop the slow erosion of credibility that follows revelations like the above.

Archwhorides 

Sorry, I must disagree with you - I've seen too many near misses between urban cyclists and mothers with babies in strollers to accept running of occupied pedestrian crossings as acceptable. If that erodes my on-line credibility, so be it.

Leisesturm

Grrr. I said nothing about the acceptability of running down babes in arms. I am talking about your references to them being punished more severely in an afterlife than... child molesters, investment bankers... Republicans...

tjspiel

I don't know. If Dante can make up his own regions of hell, I don't know why any else couldn't.

alan s 

So, you think it is OK to run over people you don't like or agree with?

Medic Zero

No, no, and no.
I've got plenty of light myself, two thirds the cyclists here now have a completely rude and detrimental level of candlepower.
I'm moving, it's just going to take a little time to pull off.
Hate keeps me warm and happy. I'll always hate. I love that about myself.
Lots of things deserve hating.

Leisesturm

give me a for instance...

alan s 

A Republican investment banker

Archwhorides 

Yessirree-Bob, there is probably a special place in Heaven for cyclists who run "Masters of the Universe" in cross-walks. The problem is getting them out of their SUVs first.

spare_wheel

i think they do occasionally jog or walk in central park...

(Hi NSA!)