Locking wheels and RLJing

[tdr1nka]

As brakes go, ideally the rear will slow you down and the front will stop you.

It is not really very sound advice to say using the rear brake was a mistake in this instance.

Having to rely on it to the point the wheel gets jumpy, again, shows that Karan was going to fast to react in time.

Both front and rear brakes should be used in conjunction with throwing your weight back in the saddle.

I do not advise anyone to use only their front brake in an emergency stop situation.

That would make you more likely to RLJ by flying thru the air on to your face, leaving your bike behind you at the lights.

 

[goo_mason]

Amber is stop with the qualification that amounts to 'if it safe to do so'. I can end up going through an amber light unwillingly because the tw*t behind me gets really close & I don't trust them to actually stop.

I thought that was what red was, given what I witness at the same few junctions on every commute!

 

[martint235]

I thought that was what red was, given what I witness at the same few junctions on every commute!

You're obviously on a well behaved commute. On my commute red means if you're on a bicycle please accept my apologies for shining my red light in your eyes and continue regardless as I don't apply to you. At all. Ever.

 

[GrasB]

I think the time of the amber phase is a red herring. Amber and red both mean stop regardless of how long they stay that colour.

Red is an unconditional stop.
Amber is stop conditional on it being safe to do so.

An aggressive input like extremely heavy braking is dramatically increasing the risk of you losing control of the car &/or someone going into the back of you so I would say unless there's a real need to do something close to an emergency stop then it's not safe to stop & so you'd pass through an Amber. When you get to the point where to not pass through a red light you do an effective emergency stop when you see an amber light & you're at or near the speed limit the phasing of the lights are inappropriate. I'm not thinking about dry roads here but more about in the first rain after the sun has been baking the roads for 2 weeks or so, these are difficult road conditions & made worse by artificial constraints which are needlessly there.

 

[MacLean]

What if it was a SMIDSY car pulling out of a junction right into your path, aint gonna be able to RLJ then.

Only time when RLJ is an understandable thing to do (imo) is those 'smart' traffic lights that dont seem to sence bicycles and stay permanently red until a car shows up.

Should be no exception to red lights for bicycles (imo) for anything else, if your skidding to just come to a stop you were too fast.

 

[Matthames]

Only time when RLJ is an understandable thing to do (imo) is those 'smart' traffic lights that dont seem to sence bicycles and stay permanently red until a car shows up.

You can make these traffic lights work by sticking a very strong magnet to the bottom of your bottom bracket.

Those lights are not just a menace to cyclists, but motorcyclists find them a nuisance to. I have had to RLJ a number of times whilst on a motorbike, because it was late at night and there were no cars around to set the lights off.

 

[MacLean]

You can make these traffic lights work by sticking a very strong magnet to the bottom of your bottom bracket.

Those lights are not just a menace to cyclists, but motorcyclists find them a nuisance to. I have had to RLJ a number of times whilst on a motorbike, because it was late at night and there were no cars around to set the lights off.

Really!? I ride mcycles too and havent had trouble.... yet. Will maybe try that out sometime. If the smart traffic lights dont even recognise motorcycles then who is the gimp that designed them!?! lol

Didnt know that about the magnet trick, but I sorta feel like I shouldn't have to do bodgy stuff like that in order to get traffic lights to work properly tho lol.

 

[Matthames]

Really!? I ride mcycles too and havent had trouble.... yet. Will maybe try that out sometime. If the smart traffic lights dont even recognise motorcycles then who is the gimp that designed them!?! lol

It was at least 10 years ago when I had my 125. Perhaps the smart traffic lights are a lot more sensitive now a days.

 

[PBancroft]

Seen this more than once. Highest count was three cars running the red, one with ped actually halfway across.

What upsets me most about this is that this crossing is a stones throw from a Sixth Form College and a Children's Home. If someone does get hit chances are its going to be a kid.

Really wish I hadn't said that now, feels like I might have been tempting fate.

Just been past this spot. Two cars, two police cars and an ambulance in the middle of the road. Young lad is being loaded into the ambulance. Lots of upset friends around.

Doesn't sound like a fatality (overheard someone say he can move his arms and legs) but still.

 

[Debian]

As has already been proffered on here - if you are unable to stop at traffic lights, or have to use aggressive braking in order to stop then you were going too fast, there's no excuse.

You should approach every set of green lights as though they're about to change. The amber "too late to stop now" time is so brief for a cyclist as to be meaningless.

If you do find yourself in an emergency braking situation though, correct use of the front brake alone will always stop you in a shorter distance than the rear, or front + rear will. If the rear brake is applied at all when the front brake is already at maximum braking efficiency then all that will happen is that the rear wheel will fishtail and you risk losing control.

 

[GrasB]

If you're talking about going through on a red I'd agree. However this isn't true for going through an amber light unless you expect traffic lights to become a stop sign, if you did this then you will actually be increasing your risk of being rear ended as people will not expect you to come to a virtual stop.