You know you're outside London when

greg66_tri_v2.0

the duration of your journey in minutes exceeds the number of sets of traffic lights you ride through.

FFS. This morning from CB to Temple Tube every light on my route was green as I approached, then flicked to amber as I got close. So I did some totting up. 28 sets of lights in a ride that usually takes c 26 mins.

If I ride to my parents, who are just inside the M25, it's 59 sets of lights in an hour. And that's only because the last 1/8 or so of the journey is traffic light free.

Fecking lights. Burn them. Burn them all. With fire.

rjsterry

Only one a minute? You want to try my old Putney to Old Street route via Fulham, South Ken, HPK and Soho - 75 sets in a 50ish minute/10 mile ride. I have no idea how I stuck at that route for so long instead of the NKR and the Embankment. Still can't get over it a couple of years later - days of my life have been wasted at traffic lights.

Kieran_Burns

Haaaaahhhhh......

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... fic+lights


8)

UndercoverElephant

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Haaaaahhhhh......

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... fic+lights


8)

Yup, you're properly out of London when you have fewer than one a mile

rjsterry

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Haaaaahhhhh......

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... fic+lights


8)

Yes, yes, I know we've been here before, but every now and then London traffic lights just get on top of you and you need to vent your frustration. I still think a decent cordless angle grinder in the dead of night is the answer.

Matt.K

Ah, how the other half live.

My 9 mile commute has a massive 2 sets of lights!

One's a ped crossing that's hardly ever red, and the other's a single lane bridge that's red 90% of the time. A nice chance to catch my breath though.

spasypaddy

when i cross the M25 as i head out for a ride (so about 10mins from my house).

Kieran_Burns

rjsterry wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Haaaaahhhhh......

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... fic+lights


8)

Yes, yes, I know we've been here before, but every now and then London traffic lights just get on top of you and you need to vent your frustration. I still think a decent cordless angle grinder in the dead of night is the answer.

He loves me really. I am the wind beneath his wings.....

rjsterry

Kieran_Burns wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Haaaaahhhhh......

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... fic+lights


8)

Yes, yes, I know we've been here before, but every now and then London traffic lights just get on top of you and you need to vent your frustration. I still think a decent cordless angle grinder in the dead of night is the answer.

He loves me really. I am the wind beneath his wings.....

lost_in_thought

I've noticed that a few sets I pass through seem to have been switched off... temporarily or for good - who knows.

The Running Man

Fair shout : on my 23 mile route in I have 5 sets of lights and 4 of those are in the last kilometre of my journey down London Road in Bath!!

daviesee

Yet another reason for me not to contemplate moving to the big smoke.

When I leave work tonight I can go on many runs around 50 miles long and no lights at all. :P
I have no idea how far I could go if i put my mind to it.

The sticks have their advantages!

Edit:- I was wrong. :oops: 2 sets to get out of the industrial estate, then light free.

lost_in_thought

when........ the only thing that wakes me up in the morning is the effing bloody song thrush... if I find that blasted bird and there's a gun in my vicinity I won't be held responsible for my actions.

Jay dubbleU

Ha - you should try fox cubs playing on your lawn at three in the morning - hooligans - ASBOs all round :roll:

gaz545

14 miles... 101 sets of trafic lights.. avergae time is 1 hour 4mins.

bluehelmet

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Ha - you should try fox cubs playing on your lawn at three in the morning - hooligans - ASBOs all round :roll:

Foxes mating - there's no sound like it for making you thing the gates of hell have just opened outside your house in the dead of night... :twisted:

9 sets on a 12 miler into Newcastle (all on the Scotswood Road)

kurako

An interesting game to try is to see if you can get to work without ever putting your foot down (without leaning on street furniture or RLJing, that's cheating!). It keeps you on your toes as you need to sprint for green lights, coast to red lights and track stand when you get the timing wrong. I think the best I ever managed was 3 (all after getting into central London proper).

greg66_tri_v2.0

gaz545 wrote:

14 miles... 101 sets of trafic lights.. avergae time is 1 hour 4mins.

Feck me 101:54. We have a new leader.

stevie_90210

3 sets on my 20 mile journey. :-)

Kieran_Burns

Kurako wrote:

An interesting game to try is to see if you can get to work without ever putting your foot down (without leaning on street furniture or RLJing, that's cheating!). It keeps you on your toes as you need to sprint for green lights, coast to red lights and track stand when you get the timing wrong. I think the best I ever managed was 3 (all after getting into central London proper).

That would be... every day 8)

Mr_Cellophane

You should try the A13 cycle path when you have junctions like this http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=opera&q=beckton&oe=utf-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Beckton,+Greater+London,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&ei=M4_VS5T7GcOJ_Aaz5qSzDw&ved=0CAoQ8gEwAA&ll=51.520066,0.059481&spn=0.025422,0.053215&z=14&layer=c&cbll=51.520123,0.05959&panoid=9xtzpQlQc33zPQZNtfvAjg&cbp=12,217.73,,0,5.29and have 4 sets of lights none of which are on green together.

mickbrown

7 miles into central Manchester - 2 sets of lights.

Ah, the poor deprived North.

To be honest I'm miffed when they are green - need a breather by then.

Finbar Saunders

I've got one set at a pedestrian crossing on my 7 mile ride in to work. When I drive there are two sets, soon to become 3, but still not bad for Kent.

Porgy

Seem to be as many lights on the other side of the M25 near me as there are this side - until you get out past Gravesend that is. :?

rjsterry

To return to the original question ... when you see crops or livestock. And no, one or two chickens in a back garden don't count. Never thought I'd miss oilseed rape. or cowsh!t

Porgy

There be sheep with lambs on my commute into London

itboffin

None in 20 miles 8)

rjsterry

itboffin wrote:

None in 20 miles 8)

Sheep or traffic lights?

vorsprung

None on the route into Taunton and 8 on the way back. I use the back lanes in the morning and the A38 in the evening

asprilla

I didn't think it was many, but I just counted and it's 27 in 17 miles. However, 80 / 20 rule applies where 80% of those are found in 20% of my route

cjcp

This thread is genius. It replaces the need for me to count sheep. I can only remember counting the number of lights up to Horseguards before I fell asleep . See how far I get tonight (bit dangerous doing it in work )