What do you do at red traffic lights?

If there's an ASL I use it. It not, I join the queue.
I am virtually guaranteed to be the only bike at the lights.
Contrary to most peoples opinion, we don't have many sheep at traffic lights in North Wales.

This.

If it's one or two cars I stay behind, pointless passing only to be overtaken again by the same people

Not really, bikes move off the line faster than cars, so better to have them at the front.

Nonsense thread

This is in the cycle training forum and is aimed to provoke thought and discussion. As mentioned above the vast majority of riders pass left (apart from the skilled riders answering this poll.)

Passing on the right is what people would learn during an urban riding skills session. If a couple of people here try right filtering or think that they may wish to learn more and get a training session then that is a good outcome.

Close my eyes, before..

Hard to answer your poll, Sometimes I will wait in traffic sometimes I will shoot up the left and sometimes pass on the right.

The shoot up the left is on the morning commute, the cars are so accustomed to it that they position themselves to the right and leave a big gap. To pass on the right would mean facing oncoming cars whereas there is often >1.5m on the left and a visible stream of people going through.

When the traffic is positioned 'normally' or if a left indicator is spotted then I use the right.

The only times I have been hit in London, I have been waiting in traffic so I tend not to do that as often down here but do it all the time in other parts of the country.

So I will vote other since there is no one rule despite modern trends for having hard and fast rules on how we behave. It sounds lame but I judge each situation and take appropriate actions as a result.

Any of the first three options I guess. Factors influencing my decision would include:
ASL/feeder lane
Direction I intend to take at the junction
How the cars are situated in the lane (close to or far from the kerb etc.)
Am I familiar with the junction?
Do I have any idea what stage the traffic light cycle is at?
Am I in a rush?
Is it just me, or am I pulling the kid in the trailer?

Not really, bikes move off the line faster than cars, so better to have them at the front.

This is bollocks. If you want to prove it, come sit in front of my car and see just how far off the line you get before two tonnes of steel goes into your back wheel.

Thats the poll we need!
Which is better:
**- **trackstanding at the lights on a hill to shoot of in a super speedy fashion
**- **balancing the clutch and accelorator on a hill to shoot of in a super speedy fashion

I drive an automatic, left foot on brake right foot ready to floor the gas pedal.

This is bollocks. If you want to prove it, come sit in front of my car and see just how far off the line you get before two tonnes of steel goes into your back wheel.

You'll be too busy putting on your makeup or texting to see the lights change so my money is still on ben.

I drive an automatic, left foot on brake right foot ready to floor the gas pedal.

Gas pedal?

'merica >>>

Shorter word with the added benefit of getting weak tea spat at screens across London.

what is wrong with getting there 6th and then setting off 6th?

nothing wrong with it, but that's six exhaust pipes you could be avoiding if you were beyond the traffic queue; and potentially six less cars to get past further up the road when they are queuing behind some other stationary motor traffic;

{scenario applied to my typical morning commute on quietish roads with lost of traffic lights..}

You'll be too busy putting on your makeup or texting to see the lights change so my money is still on ben.

Busted :(

I tend to sit back if there's no clear safe route to the front and it fucking boils my piss when I'm sitting waiting patiently because there's literally no safe route through and then the fucking world and their dog jump onto the pavement or do the one foot scoot-along version of a game of snake through the traffic just to get ahead of the couple of cars in front of them and then spend a fucking eternity trying to set off when the lights do change. achieving the square root of fuck all.

This is bollocks. If you want to prove it, come sit in front of my car and see just how far off the line you get before two tonnes of steel goes into your back wheel.

You read me wrong mate:

Not really, bikes move off the line faster than cars, so better to have them at the front.

Bikes have** faster acceleration **than cars, and it usually takes traffic about 30-40m to catch up/overtake me, by which point I've cleared the junction and out of the danger zone.

You'll be too busy putting on your makeup or texting to see the lights change so my money is still on ben.

Cheers man.

Can we have added choice of trackstanding like a boss/trackwobbling?*

*depending on how tired/drunk I am.

The left could also be a door zone as well, something to be aware of I guess.

Lean on the white van.

I often hang back, centre lane - staking out my territory. Then I glide past the sheep who bunch up on the front left with the simple momentum of being part of the traffic.

I think this is key. People should see themselves as part of the traffic rather than fighting against it.

The way the wobby peloton bunches up inches away from the nearside doors of the moving traffic on the right scares the shit out of me. Worse still is when you've got one wobbly peloton on the left, and a second wobbly line on the right from all the other smartarses who thought "I shall pass on the right!" but then discover there's no room for them at the front.

So yes, I also sit quietly smack-bang in the middle of the lane behind all the cars and weird events that will inevitably unfold in front of me at every junction.

if enough space is given, i'd stay on the left, if not then either hop on to pavement (if not very busy) or go on the right hand side. but if lights are about to change i'd just hang fire so don't get cut up with drivers turning without me being ahead of them

This makes you a dong. Stop it.

This makes you a dong. Stop it.

Depends on the pavement .

I'd move to the front and make eye contact - and in the nicest way possible claim me space as a road user.

nothing wrong with it, but that's six exhaust pipes you could be avoiding if you were beyond the traffic queue; and potentially six less cars to get past further up the road when they are queuing behind some other stationary motor traffic;

{scenario applied to my typical morning commute on quietish roads with lost of traffic lights..}

1. Six? There's only 1 vehicle in front of you. Unless you're sucking air straight from the pipe, if you hang back enough from the vehicle in from you, then you're not getting much in the way of fumes. The laws of entropy tell me these thing even themselves out.

2. If you're up front and not in a rush then you're hoping 6 cars pass you with the space and care you need. Assuming I have time on my hands I'd rather have 6 less vehicles pass me.

I tend to sit back if there's no clear safe route to the front and it fucking boils my piss when I'm sitting waiting patiently because there's literally no safe route through and then the fucking world and their dog jump onto the pavement or do the one foot scoot-along version of a game of snake through the traffic just to get ahead of the couple of cars in front of them and then spend a fucking eternity trying to set off when the lights do change. achieving the square root of fuck all.

THIS^^

I've sat in a car and witnessed this madness from a drivers point of view and it is truly scary especially when, you, in the vehicle got there first are about to set off and are suddenly swarmed seemingly from all directions. God forbid you planned on turning and had your indicator on.