wut,

Well for starters there is no checking the cross lights as the light is in the distance. Do you continue until you can assess the intersection or do you start slowing?
I nearly always know long before I get to intersection when it will change. The OP is a very rare hypothetical.

Normally cyclists can see light cycles well ahead of time, or see the crosswalk countdown, or see cross traffic slowing, or see a long line of waiting traffic, etc. But to have no idea, just a red light in the distance?

If in the distance the only choice then is to keep pedaling until you can assess the light and intersection.

if i see the red light in advance and knowing with my current speed would force me to a full stops i would start braking earlier before reaching the traffic lights by carefully adjusting my speed so that when the light turns green i would not need to unclip shoe from my pedal and cycle on forward :p

Edited :
on a side note : some traffic light do have count down timer that would be easier to guesstimate the time it will turn to green :)

I ride in the AM when its dark. I slow and look for lights. Its 0400hrs so not much traffic... except cops and meth heads.

These are interesting. I have to say, it may be harder for some people to get going while trying to clip in, but that's something I guess I've practiced a lot more. Sometimes I'll just goof around seeing how fast I can go one legged kicking the other pedal around just to practice getting going while not being able to clip in. Meanwhile, I can't do track stands, and unlike a couple of riding mates, am extremely clumsy starting off from holding onto something while clipped in. Another thing I've lost the ability to do with any grace is unclip my left foot first. When I first started, I was advised to practice both ways, and I did, but I eventually fell into the habit of only unclipping right, because I usually have a curb, I guess. Now I'm almost afraid to try. Really need to start doing more bike handling drills....

In the normal course of most peoples rides it may be rare, but the situation described is where the question may be most urgent.
For example, on the ride up 9W, just before the NY state line, there is a good descent that bends around to the right and bottoms out at a signaled T-intersection. There is a sign suspended over the road as one approaches it blindly, warning cars of the signal ahead, and it will flash when the light is red. Some will watch this carefully and modulate their speed so they don't get stuck behind a red signal. But because the traffic only turns onto the road from the left and cannot cross, a lot of cyclists will blow through the red light, especially solo, even when there are cars turning onto the same lane, because even though the shoulder itself is quite narrow, there really is plenty of room. And it is SOOO tempting; it's one of the few places where an ordinary B- or even C- level rider can exceed 20mph uphill - to the top of the rise at the state line on the other side of the intersection. Approaching the same intersection from the other side, there's a good climb before one gets to State Line and the top of that bowl, but again, because of the very broad sort of chicane in the course of the highway, there's also a bend to the right blocking ones view of the intersection, and a sign suspended over the road. However, because this way the traffic does cross the cyclists path, you really want to pay attention to that sign. A lot of people will just take the opportunity to rest at the top of the hill, then watch the sign over the road. Once it says the signal is red, they get ready, and a few seconds later, take off, so by the time they get close to the bottom, it's green. The last thing you want is to head down to the intersection and get a red light, because it's another uphill slog on the other side.

Yup, I felt that most of the responses were helpful. So thanks!

guess I have a handicap using pedals w cleats on just 1 side & a big flat on the opposite side. I can re-cleat after passing the intersection

Some local towns have new countdown timers on the cross walk, counting down the seconds. For some towns, when it hit zero, it's the switch from green to yellow. That's perfect, I can see 8,7,6 on the timer, and decide to accelerate or coast! But some towns changed to hit zero with 8 or 10 seconds to go, so walkers have time to cross even when the timer is at 1 second. That's not as helpful for bikes, but I suppose I could mentally count down from there.


With two sided SPD pedals, I can unclip at the very last instant before stopping. And when the light goes green, I just do a no-look stomp and go. Then I have the option to stand up and sprint across the intersection. I might miss the clip-in one time out of 10, but I can still pedal a revolution or two and then clip it in. It's great for city riding.

Coasting would mean my average riding speed would drop so nope :speedy:, I keep on pedaling until I get to the light. If it's still red, I stop, otherwise it depends on the intersection activity at what speed I'll cross.

Slowing down to any speed above walking in order to make the light without actually stopping, will be faster than speeding up to the intersection and stopping abruptly. Nothing consumes more time than accelerating from a standstill.

I'll pedal until the last moment when on discs. When on rim brakes, I slow much earlier. This works best for me given my mass and the frequency of rain here, both for safety margins and due to the hand pressure required for hard stops on rim brakes.

I realize you may be different, so before you reply with how and why you think this is ridiculous, let me remind you that you're free to keep doing whatever you do, and my choice is no actual threat to your lifestyle or preferences.

I do this:

-check my 6 for traffic
-maintain speed
-begin to own lane closer I get to the red light (using hand signal pointing into my spot)
-brake at the light

If the light changes to green, I'll accelerate to a "pursuit" effort and if it's flat that could be 25 to 30 mph. I'll still own the lane closer to the light IF it is an intersection where people might do a right-hook on me by them passing and stopping to turn right. And give space in front of myself in case a car does forget and slams brakes to make a right with me behind them.

That's how I roll.

Also, when stopped at a light, I own a spot just like a car. Too many cars don't respect your space if you stop too far to the right. I also don't stop inches from the car in front. I give enough space to prevent getting squashed. You're afraid of getting squashed, so people slide right. But you won't get squashed if you leave enough space.

Then, as traffic passes through the intersection, I'll move back over once through. They can't go faster than you in the intersection anyway.

Depends more on the traffic than anything else. I want the best situation at the intersection if I can get it - nobody passing on my left, what's in the left turn lane facing me, what's going on with "right on red" drivers there, etc.

Where I ride, I have a street turning off on the left side * , so at the red light , I use the green on the cross street.
then turn off from left side, (it is one way) , of the left lane..

* Main route, US 30, bends to the right there, so side street is actually continuing straight ahead.

From that point , westward, it's 4 lanes, curb to curb..

It's not that rare.

It is for noisebeam.

In the Phoenix area, most roads are long, straight, and flat. Stoplights are easy to see .5 mile ahead of you, so it's not hard to time them perfectly.

In other parts of the cycling universe the roads are not straight and flat. There aren't crosswalks. You can't see the cross lights until you get close to the intersection. And so on.

The way the OP stated the question, the light is in the distance.

Where do you ride?

Distance meaning you don't have to immediately brake.

you interpreted it that way, whil noisebeam and I interpreted it as farther off.

In this area, we can usually see stoplights a half mile away.

I've learned all the lights on route and i travel teh same route just to know the lights. I normally blow them. I used to stop but i've been nearly ran over trying to get up speed from a dead stop with car behind me. Saw a girl, stopped at a light and fall trying to get up to speed from a light and nearly got ran over.

I think the more we read here, the more obvious it is that context makes all the difference. Reading others going on about owning the lane, fear of being run over etc., makes me think of certain kinds of situations. But ironically, where I ride with the most traffic lights and the heaviest traffic - midtown Manhattan - I'm probably least worried about a collision, and I will ride super close to cars, trucks and busses, and when there is more than one car trying to turn, half the time I'll cut through them. Thing is, even when it seems like the traffic is moving fast, it really isn't. It only seems so because it is all so close, but even on a 45lb 3-speed Citibike, its easy to keep up. I wouldn't dream of riding a road bike the same way in suburbia.

Each situation is different. It depends a bit on whether the light is on a timer or a switch, and if I expect it to change. Also how long I anticipate the light will stay green, or how long I expect it to cycle through the light cycle.

There are some lights that I'll see red, maybe 5 blocks ahead, and being red 5 blocks ahead might mean it could go through a full green cycle, and back to red again... so time to either pick up the pace, or slow down????

Or other lights that I know will be red 99% of the time I get there. And, also, seeing the light green will mean it will always be red when I get to it.

I do tend to coast to a stop, and conserve energy a bit. So, coast to lights I expect to be a problem.

I do make some effort to "time" some lights, so I will coast a bit in anticipation I can hit them at light change. However, timing lights in a bike lane can be very dangerous, and so the use of caution is warranted, especially if vehicles are already signalling.

I have one stretch of a half dozen lights timed at about 20 MPH, that I will often hit at speed, sometimes moving into the left lane that has better traffic flow. On a perfect day, one can even catch up to the lights, so hit the first one (10th street) on a yellow, and one can get to the last one (1st/Mill street) just as it turns green.