On 10/7/2014 1:06 PM, Joerg wrote:

snip

I have that problem constantly. There is one left-turn light which never
turns green but hardly any cars go there. So I ofetn cycle straight
across where more cars travel and trigger the light, then loop back
through a gas station. Then there are gates and that's worse, because
you simply cannot continue until the thing opens. Or heave the bicycle
over a fence and climb after it.

Some sensors can be triggered by scoping out the minor discolorations in
the road surface that indicate the loop and laying the bike. But I found
that only works well with the titanium frame bike of a friend. With my
aluminum frame it does not work.

Well it turns out that I know someone beta-testing this device for the
inventor and he got a little bit defensive about me not thinking that it
was the greatest idea since sliced bread.

The thing that he says is most useful about it is that it lets him find
a loop that is unmarked and where the pavement cuts have been paved over.

He said that it is also a great conversation starter. He takes his
bicycle on Caltrain and is constantly asked about it. I hope he made up
a good story about it!

This sort of device has been around for a long time but I don't think
that anyone has tried to commercialize it before.

http://gizmodo.com/5079430/traffic-loop-sensor-trigger-for-bikes-gets-you-more-green-lights

Most cities will increase loop sensitivity and/or paint a bicycle
marking on the pavement if you tell them about the problem. I find very
few that don't work, and it's not just my steel road bicycle. My
daughter's aluminum bicycle does just fine on them.