Indicators

OldSeagul

Listening to Radio 2 in the car on the way home (it's raining and I'm a wimp), when I heard Ginger mention something about front & rear bicycle lights with indicators. Unfortunately I cannot find anything on the Internet except for this.

Does anyone have any ideas?

joe24

Halfords do one for the front and back of your bike. I think its expensive though, but it comes with lights built in, i think. It does look smart, but the price i think is way too much.



Joe

mikeitup

I have seen the "Bicygnals" too. They look great. Have considered them but can't find any reviews or posts from anyone that has them so still unsure as they are £40.

BentMikey

The style police will be onto you.

DavidTQ

Style Police

I believe their file on me started with an "attempted purchasing of a Chas and Dave album" :twisted:

Will have to pop into halfords and take a look, although not sure a little blinking light would be as visible as a "BIG" hand signal, not sure it would be as safe either, an arm and hand stuck across the road discourages last second overtakers on a right turn.

I do like the idea of a being able to gear, steer brake and indicate more safely in one go but I do like the added overtaking disincentive of a arm stuck across the remainder of the lane.

joebe

Nothing beat an outstretched arm and flat hand with the palm facing backwards to ward off a driver who thinks he can still pass when you're pulling out to change lanes etc. Indicator lights sound very naff and are likely to be totally ignored.

Ooohh, lookat all the smilies :!: :?

Oddballcp

Bikes already have flashing lights on so indicators will not be recognized as such. Stick your arm out the old fashioned way.

Drfabulous0

Yep, sticking out you arm would seem a better bet, most motorists won't be looking at your indicators as they won't expect it.

Archcp

I agree, indicators won't be expected, or looked for, and therefore probably not seen. Apart from anything else, they will be so close together, unless they are out on sticks, that it will be hard to tell which 'side' is flashing.

An arm stuck out - especially with some reflective stuff on it in the dark - is much better.

OldSeagul

I did find a website that offered indicators that you attached to your wrists and when you stuck your arm out, the movement caused the indicators to flash. Unfortunately only available in the US at the moment.

BentMikey

That makes me think of the inventor of the sideways bike - he had "indicators" on his fingers. It was like a red paper cone, about 20cm long, fitted over the end of one finger, I think a ring finger. He couldn't let go of the handlebars (one front wheel handlebar and another for the rear wheel), so he had to flick his finger repeatedly to signal direction.

psutton

They used to have these in the Argos catalogue. Don't know if they still do but they're probably crap anyway (like the lights I got from Argos for my kids as a way of using Nectar points). Anyway I've never seen anyone actually using this sort of set up. Agree with others that sticking an arm out is best.

el_presidente

www.bicygnals.com

they are really nasty

giggs

What's El Presidente talking about?.....nasty!? I've got a pair of Bicygnals indicators and I think they look great!! - and work brilliantly too. As for the comments about arm sygnals, I use an arm sygnal as well as the indicators. I really would recommend them.

BentMikey

Are you associated with the company in any way? It looks a bit like classic referrer tracking and commenting. I must admit the product looks OK, but I don't think I would put them on my bikes, LOL!

giggs

I don't, I just think they are pretty good. I've been impressed with them and the lights (front and rear - not just the indicator bit) are very bright too.

baudman

Not for me I'm afraid. Hand signals, and looking drivers in the eyes for me...

Hairy Jock

giggs wrote:

What's El Presidente talking about?.....nasty!? I've got a pair of Bicygnals indicators and I think they look great!! - and work brilliantly too. As for the comments about arm sygnals, I use an arm sygnal as well as the indicators. I really would recommend them.

They look like a complete waste of money and space! Get real, cycle safety is a far more important issue.

Porgy

I had a set from Woolworths - about £5 - but never got round to fitting them.

My partner wanted them - but I refused to fit them to her bike becasue I reckoned she'd give up hand signalling and get run over.

All in all - a fairly useless gadget - and I'm going to stick with using my arms.

PrettyBoyTim

I imagine the advantage of having indicators is that your indication continues even when you need your hands on the bars. Also, I guess it could be useful for other drivers to be able to see your intentions at all times when you're stationary waiting for a light to change.

On a related note, does anyone have any experience with rear lights that turn on / get brighter when you brake? I'd like some system like that - especially for touching the brakes very slightly when someone is driving too close behind me.

h i r 0

PrettyBoyTim wrote:

IOn a related note, does anyone have any experience with rear lights that turn on / get brighter when you brake? I'd like some system like that - especially for touching the brakes very slightly when someone is driving too close behind me.

I was thinking that this morning as I was riding down my own road (narrow, with cars parked nose-to-tail on both sides) with a WVM over-revving on my rear wheel at 18mph wondering how I was going to stop outside my house.

Hairy Jock

h i r 0 wrote:

PrettyBoyTim wrote:

IOn a related note, does anyone have any experience with rear lights that turn on / get brighter when you brake? I'd like some system like that - especially for touching the brakes very slightly when someone is driving too close behind me.

I was thinking that this morning as I was riding down my own road (narrow, with cars parked nose-to-tail on both sides) with a WVM over-revving on my rear wheel at 18mph wondering how I was going to stop outside my house.

Just use a Dinotte 3w Li Ion Tail Light and they will keep their distance...

PrettyBoyTim

Hairy Jock wrote:

Just use a Dinotte 3w Li Ion Tail Light and they will keep their distance...

That's very nice, but I think getting a Dinotte lighting setup would probably cost as much as the bike itself...

PrettyBoyTim

Hmm. this looks like a simple (and much cheaper) solution:

http://www.freelights.co.uk/product.html

Basically they've got some LEDs and the front and back that get blinked on by two magnets passing past an inductive coil mounted by the back wheel, forming an intermittent generator. They sell a version with a built in capacitor and a rear brake sensor that can give you a steady light when the rear brake is used.

It's just a shame that their LED mounts lack any kind of reflector. Also I think magnetic brake sensors would probably work more reliably than their sprung-wire solution.

I'm quite tempted to knock up some kind of DIY solution...

Teuchter

PrettyBoyTim wrote:

Hmm. this looks like a simple (and much cheaper) solution:

http://www.freelights.co.uk/product.html...

Tried these a couple of years ago. Yes, it's a simple solution but the large coil is quite heavy and makes a load of clacking noise as you cycle, each time the magnet passes. The switch to work the rear light was a very simple setup and once adjusted, worked fairly well.

It also looks a mess with loads of wires everywhere!

Ditched them in the end for some good old battery LED lights. Batteries last long enough anyway, they're brighter and I didn't really need a brake light - it was intended as an equivalent to a dynamo stand-light when you were stationary at junctions.

adifiddler

I was under the impression that indicators along with mirrors were illegal on bikes but may be i am wrong