RLJ (Red Light Jumping). (The definitive bikeradar thread)

I will never understand how riding bikes on a red light is so frowned upon whilst honking your horn and screaming shit at people on the street is common practice. That is something about English culture I will never understand

It's English culture to get worked up but do nothing about it.

There definitely levels of RLJing tho. I would never stop at a light/crossing where there is no traffic or ped's. That kind of stopping is just daft.

It's like the US road rule for turning 'their right' at a red light. Just makes sense if its safe to do so.

If there was a rule that stated cyclists could ride through red if it was safe enough, then it would make life a lot easier. So many cyclists don't seem to think that this is braking the law. Then they get flattened.

I'm not suggesting that we should have this rule, but so many cyclists seem to want it all their way.

We want car drivers to stop using their mobiles whilst driving - then we should stop jumping red lights.

Both are laws that are regularly broken. The police seem to take the latter far more seriously than the former.

It's English culture to get worked up but do nothing about it.

oh damn. so I'm already assimilated then am I =)

What constitutes a dick move is so subjective.

This time of year RLJing is even more attractive. If I'm already hossing it, it's dark, cold, wet, windy and I've been working late I just want to get my ass home. I don't want to stop, especially if I'm brakeless, if there's no good reason, the reason bit being equally subjective.

Because London is more densely populated with fucking idiots than anywhere else in the country.

When a man is tired of Lon.. oh fuck it.

Granted.

are you saying she was like the girl in the exorcist?

was she constantly changing lane? if not then as you mentioned she looked behind each time before changing direction, which is a good thing to do

or do you think the blase nodders who never look behind are good cyclists because they are confidently ignorant of their surroundings?

To each his own

I think being annoyed with people swerving, changing lanes, looking behind them and generally moving around too much on the bike (wich in turn makes everyone trying to anticipate the riders next move) comes from racing/training in pace lines etc where riding in a perfect straight line is the norm. And unnecessary diversions from that line is causing problems. Just like training on the velodrome gets you into the habit of at least looking over your right shoulder when you overtake.

Bottom line is if you are rattling around too much on the saddle everyone around you is bound to get just as nervous as you look doing it, if that makes any sense.

If there was a rule that stated cyclists could ride through red if it was safe enough, then it would make life a lot easier.

This is ultimately what it comes down to and whether or not one chooses to follow laws to the letter or to use them as a point of reference. I wouldn't kill someone but i would be partial to the occasional reefer. Up to the individual whether you let laws shape how you lead your life.

You want to see bad cycling, come to cambridge. Everyone has this provincial mentality as they trundle around on their faux-pashleys. Cyclists don't turn their head. They just stick their arm out, then make their move and hope for the best.

Jeez B&D...didn't realise you were so sensible!

What constitutes a dick move is so subjective.

This time of year RLJing is even more attractive. If I'm already hossing it, it's dark, cold, wet, windy and I've been working late I just want to get my ass home. I don't want to stop, especially if I'm brakeless, if there's no good reason, the reason bit being equally subjective.

If you need to transport your ass to your home, why don't you just ride it, and leave the bicycle at the farm.

This time of year RLJing is even more attractive. If I'm already hossing it, it's dark, cold, wet, windy and I've been working late I just want to get my ass home. I can't stop, because I'm brakeless, if there's no good reason, the reason bit being equally subjective.

Wrong thread?

I sometimes experiment by making like I'm nervous; moving left and right a bit, turning my head a lot and cetera. I find that this works to make more room for myself with aggressive drivers, simply because they don't want to damage their vehicles. I also notice that it doesn't work with inattentive drivers.

If you need to transport your ass to your home, why don't you just ride it, and leave the bicycle at the farm.

can't get the stupid bastard to stop at a red light. god knows i've tried.

Wrong thread?

Are you saying that you never ever ever even get mildly cheesed off that you've built up a good speed, its dark, it late, your legs are shot, rain is coming in sideways, there's no traffic for light years to be seen, but a perfectly capable human being insists on using a pedestrian crossing to cross the road, causing you to stop, and get back up to speed again.

i have no problem saying i hate this and other variants. if you never feel this way i bow to you as a superior human.

^^You could try whipping your ass?

I will never understand how riding bikes on a red light is so frowned upon...

For the obvious reason that bicycle are considered as a vehicle.

Ped crossing by Farringdon station, lunchtime, Borapede with skate-lid on comes barrelling into the crossing hoard, through the red, dinging his little bell like fury to make the inconvenient peds move for him.

This of course made him extremely popular, I am sure several of the ladies whom he almost hit were trying to give him their telephone numbers as he swerved around them.

^^You could try whipping your ass?

That's a very different kind of RLJ..... and seemingly more popular after that Grey shades epidemic....... and a very different kind of jump...... hmmm.....

^^You could try whipping your ass?

This tends to have the opposite effect. More partial to an eightball-and-reigns arrangement.

How does feel about this?

I will never understand how riding bikes on a red light is so frowned upon whilst honking your horn and screaming shit at people on the street is common practice. That is something about English culture I will never understand

It's against the law to rlj. It's not to shout and swear. (and it's not just a british thing, have you been to new York or Paris?)

You might think it's alright to rlj, but others don't, and that is why we have laws, so there is an objective set of rules about what can or can't be done.

You thinking it's alright to rlj, is akin to a car driver speeding/drunk driving/speaking on the phone because they think it's ok and they are in control.

It's against the law to rlj. It's not to shout and swear. (and it's not just a british thing, have you been to new York or Paris?)

You might think it's alright to rlj, but others don't, and that is why we have laws, so there is an objective set of rules about what can or can't be done.

You thinking it's alright to rlj, is akin to a car driver speeding/drunk driving/speaking on the phone because they think it's ok and they are in control.

Yeah jumping a red light on your bike is just like driving a motorcar drunk.

I've been honked at once or twice in 4 years of living in new york

Would you be fine jumping the queue at the local post office then?

Bad argument ed, red light jumping doesn't slow the journey of those behind.

that depends on the out come of the RLJ move.

accident/traffic chaos/ blood on the tarks etc.

accident/traffic chaos/ blood on the tarks etc.

i guess it sort of is like jumping the queue at the post office then

dalston post office?