Originally Posted by
ajmstilt
Where I commute all intersections are sensor controlled. The Left turn sensors never detects my bicycle when I'm moving.
What this means if if I stop at the end behind more than about 5 cars the gap between me and the car in front is too big and the left turn light changes before I can enter the intersection. (For most of my lefts, the signal is very very unforgiving and short.) So I filter to the front if more than 4 or 5 cars are present, if fewer I'll wait in line.
Light detection systems are a different matter. Although I do have problems with a few that won't detect me, it is a rare event that I can't trip a light. It's all about position and locating the best place to be detected.
Here's good primer on how to get systems to detect you. I use these techniques all the time and I've used them all over the US with good effect.
Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
Tandems, women, older riders... when the light (arrow) turns green, the car ahead is going to pull away like the cyclists are standing still. The light (arrow) will time out long before the bike gets to the intersection if more than 3 or more cars back. Cars behind will be livid. Again as I said to Patrick... throw gender, race or age into that charged dynamic of impatient cager who missed the turn because they were too decent to just run you over. You have to sit through the complete light cycle with their horn blowing or their yelling out their window that you should be on the sidewalk or whatever gets in their head to say to you that is against TOS for me to repeat here. YMMV, but I pick my battles. I filter as close to the light as possible to maximize the chance that I will get through the arrow on the first cycle, and I take a line through the turn that allows cars to pass if they need to. If they don't, great, but they can't say I didn't give them the option.
Where to start? First off, let's address the "women, older riders, minorities" statement. How condescending can you be? I know plenty women and older riders (I could easily be classified in that category) and minorities who are fully capable of accelerating from a dead stop to the speed of the cars moving in a left hand turn from 3, 4 or even 5 carlengths back from the light. I often find myself having to brake for the cars making a left turn as they are slowly proceeding through the turn. People don't drag race off the line on left turns.
Additionally, I've made literally thousands of left turns from the left lane while positioned behind the last car in the line when I arrived over 35+ years of commuting and I've never had anyone who sat with "their horn blowing or their yelling out their window that you should be on the sidewalk". I've ridden in 47 of the 50 states. I made left turns from the left lane while queued up behind cars even in large cities...Denver, Washington DC, Seattle, LA area, Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, Detroit, etc...and never had a problem. Most of my visits to those cities and states have involved riding a bike with up to 50 lbs of touring gear as well. Still never had a problem.
Originally Posted by
PatrickGSR94
No one is being confrontational. I just posted a video over the weekend of 5 cases of people doing stupid things (4 of those being stupid passing) over the past couple of weeks. NOT ONE ever honked, yelled, or came close to me in any way, shape or form. They put themselves and other motorists in danger, while ignoring me trying to help keep them safe. Find it in the "what does your commute look like" thread.
Exactly my experience. I've never had anyone honk at me or even be upset about me being in front of them on a left turn. I get plenty of honks and shouts in other situations but my capacity to ignore them is quite high.