Traffic lights.

[Fresh Oats]

So, I got a motorbike after not having one for like 5 years (last one got stolen) 2 weeks ago. I had forgotten how much I love riding, should have got another one with the insurance money instead of a bicycle. ><
Anyway. I was riding to the gym last week around 9pm and I was reminded about something that drove me absolutely nuts when I lived down in Wellington; traffic lights that don't change to green. It happened all the god damn time in Wellington and now non-main ones do it here in Hamilton too. I've got the one that turns into the gym sorted, if I sit a little bit back and to the left of the lane it works fine. But all the other ones that don't work... sitting there for like 10minutes in the rain until a car finally pulls up. At least Wellington CBD was somewhat busy at night, Hamilton roads after 9 are dead.

How do you guys deal with this? is there some obvious trick or something I'm missing here? Do I just tape a bunch of broom handles together to poke the pedestrian crossing button?


Oh, and also, as a side note, why is it so hard to find fairings for a cafe racer? Do I need to get it custom built?

[HEsch]

Three lefts instead of a right?

Or, make sure you stop where the sensor pad thingamees are. No use if the lights are timers only.

[slofox]

I have been known just to truck on through the red if I have waited long enough...:whistle:

[Scuba_Steve]

I used to run them before I learnt the trick
"smart lights" should always do a full cycle IMO even if the green where nothing detected is only long enough for 1 vehicle it'd still improve shit significantly.

But, Pro Tip time... There's cut lines in the ground, park your bike over the centre one (pretty much centre of lane) & it should detect you

[Jeff Sichoe]

Park on these squares, with smaller bikes you might find putting in N and putting the side stand down in the middle of the square works a bit better.

https://www.drivingtests.co.nz/resources/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/induction-loop-traffic-lights-sensor-600x304.jpg

I've read about (but never tried myself) JB welding a small magnet to the sidestand (or under the bike I guess) can also help trigger the light sequence.

[Fresh Oats]

Ahh ok cool thanks. I always wondered what those things were.

[GazzaH]

According to this article (http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/detection.htm), these are inductive loops operating at about 20-30 kHz. Eddy currents induced in metal vehicles sitting over the loops change the inductance which gets detected by the electronics. Unfortunately, motorbikes, scooters and bicycles with relatively little metal compared to cars and trucks have less effect. The sensitivity is adjustable but if set too high, it may get triggered by traffic on adjacent lanes.

There are two common loop shapes: a plain rectangle ("bipolar"), or a pair of rectangles sharing a common side ("quadropolar"). Either way, they are most sensitive to metal above the lines ... so position your bike's metal wheels directly along the line - preferably the center line for the double-rectangle ones like those in the photo above since the centre line has wires from both loops, increasing the sensitivity right there.

Magnets are unlikely to have a noticeable effect. The loops are designed to detect sizeable lumps of metal near the lines, not poxy little fixed magnets (nor big strong ones for that matter). By all means try them, preferably scientifically (a controlled experiment: try to keep everything else the same while you do or do not introduce the magnets). Likewise with putting your side stand down, running the starter motor or 'lunging' the bike to get the rims a few millimetres lower. Conceivably safety boots with steel insoles might just have an effect: do let us know if stepping on the line triggers the lights. I suggest a repetitive dance move.

Other options include:
- pulling forward so following cars enter the sensor area;
- shouting abuse at the traffic engineers or the lights - "Change ya bastard" maybe;
- getting off and walking the bike across the junction;
- waiting patiently for at least one complete traffic light sequence, then carefully driving on at the appropriate point;
- waiting very patiently for a traffic cop :Police: to see your predicament, stop the traffic and direct you across the junction;
- going another way;
- getting a more metally bike;
- getting pals to align their bikes over the other lines alongside you;
- convincing the local council to send an engineer with a large tool, perhaps arranging to meet him/her there with your bike to demonstrate the issue and test the fix;
- complaining to the AA, Fair Go and, of course, KiwiBiker.

[AllanB]

Buy a Harley.

They weigh as much as a small car.


Sorted.

[WALRUS]

I read/saw something a few years ago about scooters and smaller bikes not being able to trigger those lights sometimes so whoever wrote the article wired a big, fuck off, electro magnet into their bellypan with a switch somewhere near their dash I think?

It meant they could rock up to a set of lights with their little Chinese "plastic fantastic" scooter, hit a button and the light sensor thinks "holy shit, an articulated lorry just appeared out of nowhere!!"

Possibly bollocks but I wonder if there's any merit to it.

[Fresh Oats]

- shouting abuse at the traffic engineers or the lights - "Change ya bastard" maybe;

Can confirm, doesn't work. Though I wasn't using the word 'bastard' so maybe that was my mistake.

[Scuba_Steve]

Can confirm, doesn't work. Though I wasn't using the word 'bastard' so maybe that was my mistake.

Were you yelling at the lights or the traffic "engineers" tho?
Prob doesn't matter, I don't think there's too much intellectual difference anyhow

[pritch]

I read/saw something a few years ago about scooters and smaller bikes not being able to trigger those lights sometimes so whoever wrote the article wired a big, fuck off, electro magnet into their bellypan with a switch somewhere near their dash I think?

It meant they could rock up to a set of lights with their little Chinese "plastic fantastic" scooter, hit a button and the light sensor thinks "holy shit, an articulated lorry just appeared out of nowhere!!"

Possibly bollocks but I wonder if there's any merit to it.

I have two neodymium magnets attached to the oil filter to collect any ferrous detritus in my oil. American sources state that an added bonus is that they assist with traffic lights. Having now told you this and got you all excited, I also have to tell you that the government suddenly banned the importation of neodymium magnets a few years ago. They were worried that a child might swollow some.

There are such things as magnetic sump plugs. As always there are cheap ones and some are more expensive. The more expensive ones are more likely to be neodymium and thus more effective. Being sump plugs rather than little coin shaped objects they may escape the notice of Customs.

OTOH though, if you have a collection of old HDDs, each one normally has a little neodymium magnet inside.

[Scuba_Steve]

I have two neodymium magnets attached to the oil filter to collect any ferrous detritus in my oil. American sources state that an added bonus is that they assist with traffic lights. Having now told you this and got you all excited, I also have to tell you that the government suddenly banned the importation of neodymium magnets a few years ago. They were worried that a child might swollow some.

Huh, turns out the ban is real
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/ban-sale-high-powered-magnet-sets

But in saying that there doesn't seem to be any real shortage of places to buy them in NZ
https://www.google.co.nz/search?ei=tVFNW9XNEIfP0AT8l5SYDA&q=neodymium+magnets+nz&oq=neodymium+magnets+nz&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0j0i22i30k1.5002.5002.0.5254.1.1.0.0.0.0.212 .212.2-1.1.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.211....0.rPfCnZS2Q5A

[GazzaH]

I still don't think little magnets will have the desired effect.

The loops (coils of wire laid just below the road surface) are energised by AC generated by some sort of oscillator circuit running at 20-30 kHz or so, generating an alternating magnetic field nearby. The alternating magnetism induces AC in big lumps of metal nearby, passing a little of the input energy into heat in the big lumps of metal, changing the oscillator circuit's operating frequency enough to be detected.

Tripping the sensor artificially involves either finding a passive way to couple the energy in much the same way as the big lumps of metal (maybe a shorted coil, or a smaller amount of metal such as a side stand or steel toecap placed close to the coil?), or actively interfering with the detector circuit (maybe transmitting pulses at about 10-20 kHz - perhaps revving the bike engine if the ignition circuit is not properly suppressed, zapping a Taser or cattle prod, or running some sort of oscillator thing - a multivibrator perhaps).

But, the easiest option is to stop with both wheels aligned on the loop, preferably the middle line. Being conductive metal circles close to the loop, the wheel rims should couple in and sap the energy quite well. Try it out ... and tell us about it.

[Graystone]

Huh, turns out the ban is real
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/ban-sale-high-powered-magnet-sets

But in saying that there doesn't seem to be any real shortage of places to buy them in NZ
https://www.google.co.nz/search?ei=tVFNW9XNEIfP0AT8l5SYDA&q=neodymium+magnets+nz&oq=neodymium+magnets+nz&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0j0i22i30k1.5002.5002.0.5254.1.1.0.0.0.0.212 .212.2-1.1.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.1.211....0.rPfCnZS2Q5A

Had similar thoughts, the ban is not achieving much, neodidlyum magnets are still everywhere (you might even say they are sticking around). Arguably if you put it in a device to facilitate lights changing it is a commercial use, thus not covered by the ban.

[Swoop]

... I also have to tell you that the government suddenly banned the importation of neodymium magnets a few years ago.

How odd.

I'll have to remember that the next time I buy some at my local shop.

"Just a fun-lovin' criminal".:woohoo:

[Hoonicorn]

I've wondered about the benefit of sticking magnets under your bike. Since cyclists and scooters should be detected by these things I don't see how a magnet should make any difference. It's a bitch when they don't work in busy peak time traffic and no one is behind you. At 9pm on a quiet street, just check the road is clear and run the red.

[SaferRides]

Try crossing the loop completely, not stopping on it. No guarantees but it might help.

[WALRUS]

I've wondered about the benefit of sticking magnets under your bike. Since cyclists and scooters should be detected by these things I don't see how a magnet should make any difference. It's a bitch when they don't work in busy peak time traffic and no one is behind you. At 9pm on a quiet street, just check the road is clear and run the red.

Ugh, I wish. We've got red light cameras here so you can't. I do have a mate who was sitting at a set of lights so long with no traffic in any direction, he got off and ran over to hit one of the pedestrian crossing buttons to trigger the next cycle

[neels]

I do have a mate who was sitting at a set of lights so long with no traffic in any direction, he got off and ran over to hit one of the pedestrian crossing buttons to trigger the next cycleYep, that works, have done it myself after I got sick of sitting in the left lane with the lights not changing.

[neil.]

Yep, that works, have done it myself after I got sick of sitting in the left lane with the lights not changing.

I've had to do that a few times in Hamilton on an aluminium bicycle. Motorbike seems to work fine though