Traffic Light Trigger for your Bike

Step 3 Using the magnet to trigger lights

Look for the round or diamond-shaped cuts in the asphalt that show where induction loops are buried at intersections, and set your heel down near the tar lines. Here in Portland, some lights helpfully have a small bike between two hashmarks which you're supposed to line your wheels up with, which is a the perfect spot (and more sensitive, too).

Comments

[on your left]

I tilt my bike over to get the frame closer to the ground. I'm curious how well this small magnet is working.

[paper warrior]

how about a video

[senacharim]

More Pictures! I'd love to see this in action...

[maxwell]

Cool, have you had luck with this on the lights without a bike sensor?

[blacksmith_tb]

Well, they aren't "bike sensors", they're really car sensors, which is why we have to go great lengths to get their attention on our bikes. But the magnet isn't magic - it can't make a light without dectors change. Lights that don't have loops change automatically to control the flow of traffic.

[maxwell]

cool, so this is working on the big loops then. Here in LA they have a few spots with a smaller sensor loop in bike lanes. They're still pretty hard to trip, but not as impossible as the big car ones, thought that's what you meant with the stencils on the ground.

I found some interesting reading on this matter, seems a magnet shouldn't actually do much, but putting the rims in the right spot will, unless you've got carbon rims

http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/triggering-signals.html

http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/detection.htm