Neutral or not?

There are different schools of thought on whether or not to put a bike in neutral at a stop light. I ordinarily stay in gear. The only time I go to neutral is when the person behind me has come to a complete stop and there’s no possibility of getting hit from behind. I’d much rather stay in gear and scan my mirrors to give myself an escape route should the car behind me not see me or should I need to take evasive action for another reason.

I also choose to stay well back of the car in front of me and to one side or the other. Again, this is to allow a buffer area and escape route. In neutral you are a sitting duck with no ability to act on your own behalf. There are of course situations on my commute where I need to stand to stretch or adjust my jacket. After 10 years I know which lights are long enough and which intersections are safe enough to do so in; but in unfamiliar environments it pays to give yourself an out.