How long do you spend stopped at red lights?
option_click
Posts: 169
I tracked my Weds commute using the Cyclemeter app on my iPhone, and it showed that on my combined journey to work and back, I was stopped at red lights for just over an hour!
Admittedly, my route does take me all the way through SE London to the City, but I was surprised.
So, who can beat this?
Please keep all RLJ comments to yourselves, thanks!
Admittedly, my route does take me all the way through SE London to the City, but I was surprised.
So, who can beat this?
Please keep all RLJ comments to yourselves, thanks!
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We ARE talking for the month aren't we?Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
Varies hugely, can be as little as 3 can be as much as 15.
So this morning's Garmin says:
Moving Time: 00:19:04
Elapsed Time: 00:23:23
Avg Speed: 18.8 mph
Avg Moving Speed: 19.4 mph
Max Speed: 27.0 mph
Monday's says:
Moving Time: 00:22:43
Elapsed Time: 00:31:23
Avg Speed: 15.4 mph
Avg Moving Speed: 16.5 mph
Max Speed: 25.6 mph- 2023 Vielo V+1
- 2022 Canyon Aeroad CFR
- 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
- Strava
- On the Strand
- Crown Stables
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Option Click wrote:I tracked my Weds commute using the Cyclemeter app on my iPhone, and it showed that on my combined journey to work and back, I was stopped at red lights for just over an hour!
Admittedly, my route does take me all the way through SE London to the City, but I was surprised.
So, who can beat this?
Please keep all RLJ comments to yourselves, thanks!
You were stationary at red lights for over an hour?!?
How long is your commute both in terms of time and distance.FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees
I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!0 -
Ummmm - about 3 to 5 mins at the most.....not many lights on my bimble.0
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EKE_38BPM wrote:You were stationary at red lights for over an hour?!?
How long is your commute both in terms of time and distance.
26 miles each way
Usually 1hr 30 actual riding time (plus traffic light stops)
Maybe I was particularly unlucky, but I hit *every* red light - sometimes only 100m or so apart through Brixton/Kennington/E&C0 -
Not sure, I should be getting my 2nd bike kit for the Cateye any day so will time it.
An hour though seems far too long. I commute through SE London - only 6 miles but I can't see how you could manage 30mins of being stationary in a single commute.0 -
mines anything from 3 to 10 minutesHat + Beard0
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Usually around 3-5 minutes a journey.0
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Out in the sticks we do this thing called anticipation. It's a bit complicated but involves slowing down as you approach lights likely to be on red when you get to them. If you do it right they change to green and you don't have to stop at all . Saves all that tricky track standing or messy unclipping business.Nobody told me we had a communication problem0
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hatbeard wrote:mines anything from 3 to 10 minutes
Wowser, I reckon I would see 3-4 mins max & I come in a bit further than you but more or less a simillar location/route. Where do you end up? I nearly always get stopped at TBR & more times than not Tower Hill.
I think the junctions/route you take accounts for a lot of the delays as some lights (such as crossing TBR) give more time to the major route. I once "raced" a motorbike from Charlotte Street (W1) to Lever Street (EC1) in a car & I won by 5 minutes - reason was that I took a route with 18 sets less of traffic lights!
Re-route!1997 Gary Fisher Big Sur
2009 Scott Spark 60
2010 Ghost 5000
2011 Commencal Ramones AL1
2012 Commencal Meta AM10 -
Probably due to a slow Friday afternoon, I did a rough streetmap-based count, and I have to go through more than 80 sets of traffic lights on my way to work - I guess it's not hard to rack up all that time0
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I have six sets each way so the maximum could be about 20 minutes per day if I was really unlucky or did not flick the "anticipate" button. Soon adds up.
(I also have two temporary sets at the moment which could easily add about another 15m per day because of the way they're set up - however I have worked out the detours, no doubt just in time for them to disappear next week...)"Consider the grebe..."0 -
Pufftmw wrote:hatbeard wrote:mines anything from 3 to 10 minutes
Wowser, I reckon I would see 3-4 mins max & I come in a bit further than you but more or less a simillar location/route. Where do you end up? I nearly always get stopped at TBR & more times than not Tower Hill.
I think the junctions/route you take accounts for a lot of the delays as some lights (such as crossing TBR) give more time to the major route. I once "raced" a motorbike from Charlotte Street (W1) to Lever Street (EC1) in a car & I won by 5 minutes - reason was that I took a route with 18 sets less of traffic lights!
Re-route!
I'm just never in that big a rush. I put the effort in when the roads open but I pootle through junctions. most of it is riding through the city (london bridge -> farringdon) have zero chance of not hitting a few lights along there.Hat + Beard0 -
only one set of lights on my route and I can judge them pretty much to avoid waiting - road works howeverFcn 5
Cube attempt 20100 -
Kieran_Burns wrote:0 hours
We ARE talking for the month aren't we?
I'm reconsidering the commute if it happens again before June I tell ya.0 -
Option Click wrote:EKE_38BPM wrote:You were stationary at red lights for over an hour?!?
How long is your commute both in terms of time and distance.
26 miles each way
Usually 1hr 30 actual riding time (plus traffic light stops)
Maybe I was particularly unlucky, but I hit *every* red light - sometimes only 100m or so apart through Brixton/Kennington/E&C
So in a 150 minute commute you were stationary for 60 minutes of it?! 40%!Option Click wrote:Probably due to a slow Friday afternoon, I did a rough streetmap-based count, and I have to go through more than 80 sets of traffic lights on my way to work - I guess it's not hard to rack up all that time
That works out to hitting every red light and spending 45 seconds at each.
If your numbers are correct I would seriously consider a different route.FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees
I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!0 -
Back when I worked in the square mile my commute of 13 miles (appx 100 sets of traffic lights) saw me stopped at reds for about 7-10 minutes. At the moment I can do my 8 mile commute without a single set of lights, even if I take a longer route home. The worst route takes in 5 sets of lights, so I barely ever have to stop.
In less than a month I start a new job in the square mile. It will be hard getting used to all the stopping again!0 -
only have 4 sets on my route to kendal, so not too bad probably 2 or 3 minutes max although if the level crossing goes down it can take another 8 min, why is that? its only a small train0
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I've looked at a couple of commutes and done it by percentage (easier to compare.)
Of course, the affect on journey time is worse as I presume that the time taken slowing to a stop won't be picked up - maybe I should try to brake hard at the last moment where I can
18.7%
19.7%
19.2%
18.0%FCN 9 || FCN 50 -
What are these mythical red lights?
Come to the country side where we still have Cow Cr*p on the roads, dodging pheasants and other wildlife !! :shock:
Only 2 mini roundabouts on my entire route ...FCN 3/5/90 -
Too long! I have this special talent of turning green lights to red just as I approach them no matter how I vary my route home. At the moment I am unable to reverse this trend.Scott Aspect 3.0
Decathlon Sport 7.1
Genesis Day 01
Focus Cayo0 -
what, you stop for red lights?
[/troll]
anwhere between 5-15 minutes at a guess. Don't have a fancy GPS on my ride but my HRM give you an idea of the stop/start/stop/start ride..
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I have a number of lights but all but one are ped crossings and quiet ones at that. so I only hit the crossroads and it doesn't take long for it to flick around again.
to be fair my route is intended that way I use back roads and parks for most part.0 -
iPete wrote:
I guess the only advantage to all of this stop-starting is that I'm getting some great interval training when blasting away from the lights each time!
As for comments re:re-routing, I'm going to look into an alternative - the A23 isn't the most pleasant road to cycle along on the best of days!0 -
On my 34 mile round trip to London the difference between my total and moving times is about 5-10 minutes.Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
No Garmin, but by taking the difference between my door to door and riding time, I can tell you that I am stopped for up to 10 mins of a 19km ride (normally 60mins or slightly less d-d)Riding on 5310