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Nothing but Green Lights

Loved my training ride this morning (30km out and back route) as there are quite a few sets of traffic lights before i get out into the countryside - and i'm often having to slow down and stop which can really interrupt the flow, but this morning it just seemed that every light i approached either was green, turned green, or i got through just as it was turning red. All this meant that i shaved a massive 2 minutes of my previous best for the route (I'll attribute maybe 10s to my riding and the rest to the green lights!)

and then on the short ride to work afterwards the same thing happened. maybe someone implanted a transponder under my skin last night which changes all the lights as i approach.

certainly got me to work in a good mood - the only problem now is that i have a very difficult benchmark time to live up whenever i ride that route again ...

It really re-inforced the point about how much traffic lights can really affect one's overall time - do others have the same problem? do you stop your timer when you are stationary at lights?

Comments

  • I don't have too many traffic lights but roundabouts and t-junctions tend to slow me down.. the 305 is on Auto pause, so in theory it stops when I stop.. bit it never makes up for the lost time with slowing down then speeding up again..

    I know what you mean about PB's and traffic.. some of my fast rides have been not when I'm hammering it, but when the traffic is with you and you don't have to slow down or stop..

    Scotty
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    I think the nearest set of traffic lights is about fifteen miles away from my place....
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Jesster wrote:
    I think the nearest set of traffic lights is about fifteen miles away from my place....
    They probably have fire there as well!
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    I have the same on my commute, but also have to deal with traffic. When i have the open road and no lights etc i average about 30 to 35kph, but my journey takes me about 35 mins for 8.5 miles (just under 14k). I have timed with my watch and my cateye and the difference is huge - 33mins on the watch and 28 on the cateye (which stops when the wheels do) so over 8.5 miles it adds 5 mins of traffic lights and traffic jams not including time lost to slowing to fit through gaps/to stop. I think cars should be banned from the roads on nice days and during my commute.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    jon.E wrote:
    [quote="Jesster":4ursvi1t]I think the nearest set of traffic lights is about fifteen miles away from my place....
    They probably have fire there as well! [/quote:4ursvi1t]

    But the livestock in the road & all the grockles slow you down terribly.
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Britspin wrote:


    But the livestock in the road & all the grockles slow you down terribly.
    I had to google that word.Grockle 311000 refs from google I must now stand in the corner for being thick.
  • risris Posts: 1,002
    grockles! i forgot about them. my old man used to use 'emmet' for tourists. been a while since he was home to cornwall though!
  • Don't talk to me about tourists

    Got so sick of cars towing caravans today when on my cycle. They kept on pulling in when just the car had passed me, so the caravans got a bit too close for comfort! No traffic lights tho...
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    Ey, you lot! It could be worse, my friend is cornish and instead of saying 'whereabouts is that?' he'll say (cue westcountry accent)...

    ...." where's that to then?"

    hilarious.

    Casserole mum, where are you to? Kernow?
  • JoddyBearJoddyBear Posts: 66
    surely if he be proper westcountry like he'll say...

    'where be to 'en?'

  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Wheres em to then?
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    you lot are loons
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    What? Derail? Us? Real Kernow folk in Newquay?
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    Arrr, there are no Kernow folk in Newquay, just chavs.

    This is why i now live in St Mawes. Still no Kernow folk, just Jeremys and Tarquins from London.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    ohyah, tootling doyn to Wrock for the whole summaaaaahhh.
  • red lights in London accumulate about 15 riders at each set, you have a cyclists box at the front assuming a Chelsea tractor isn't sat bang in the middle of it. You get a racing start at the green light as everyone tries to race to get in front and so you make up a bit of time that way
    .. only for about 20meters until the next set though.
    If i got green lights all the way i'd save a loads of time.
    I only skip them early on Sunday mornings .. TT Sunday License i call it.
  • Godrevey is the best Cornish surfing beach ..
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    Natch, there is no best it all depends on the swell direction, quality and of course wind strength and direction. One break might work really well while one other may not. thats the way it is i'm afraid...

    Though when Porthleven is really going off, it can rival some of the best breaks in the world.
  • gingertrigingertri Posts: 277
    Grockle? WTF? can you corninsh people not speak proper ! though i'm from lancashire which can equally confuse people!
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