F.I.G.J.A.M

One of the things that riding for transportational purposes gives you is an intimate knowledge of local traffic conditions, including really fine details such as exactly when traffic lights are going to change. There is a major intersection that I have to negotiate on my ride to work each day. Here I have to make a right turn (remembering that Australians drive on the left -- so it means crossing four lanes of traffic) in the middle of the increasingly ironically named "rush hour". It is controlled by traffic lights. There is a relatively clear run free of traffic lights before it (i.e. only one set of lights which is usually green for me), but if you cop red at the set of lights at the major intersection, chances are you'll be there for a while.

Consequently, I've perfected the tactic of judging when they're going to change, and starting my sprint for the green quite early -- up to a kilometre before hitting the set of lights (even before they've actually turned green). This was what I did this morning. A quick glance up at the traffic conditions at the intersection in the distance, a quick glance over my shoulder to look for a gap, then I started the sprint. It involved doing it for a kilometre (against the wind, not that there was much of it) while carrying the commute and judging the gap in the traffic. I got to the intersection just as it was turning amber, meaning that I made it with about three seconds to spare.

Often I just do these things without giving them a second thought, as I've ridden that route so many times, day after day. This morning, however, I rode away thinking "you know, that was pretty bloody good, that".

Now, having just made this post, watch it all fall apart on me tomorrow!