Drivers seeing red?

2»

Comments

  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    CiB wrote:
    will3 wrote:
    CiB wrote:
    will3 wrote:
    Close up the bike lights are v bright esp when viewed straight on, but the light diminishes exponentially with distance, unlike the car headlights.

    enlighten me (sorry), why should this be? Cars don't have lasers for headlights!
    Easy. Stand in a dark lane and get your mate to drive towards you from ½ a mile away with the headlights on full beam. You'll be dazzled by their brilliance, esp when he gets closer.

    Now get him to ride your bike towards you from the same distance and tell me that he dazzling effect is the same with a couple of 3v state-of-the-art torches. It won't be. For most of the eternity that it takes him to reach you, you'll observe nothing more than couple of bright points of light.

    It's not a single factor, but a combination of power, distance, & size. 2 big 12v halogen headlights on full beam generate a sight more light than your two bike lights. Like it or not, that's what happens.

    I don';t dissagree with that, you seemed to be suggesting that car headlights' light doesn't diminish with distance, or that's how I read it.

    However, (and again I'm not on firm ground here) the intensity of the source of light is also a factor. So the car produces many times more light than the bike, but the size of the lamp reflector is also many times larger so the intensity of light may actually be less. (hence why a pearl lightbulb is easier to look at than a clear one, even if both have the same power output) Otherwise why do motorists flash me if I leave my light on full power? :roll:

    Either way, deliberately dazzling or blinding people is, in my view highly counterproductive.
  • northstar
    northstar Posts: 407
    tomb353 wrote:
    sounds like i should leave my blue light on steady; what with my lack of pedal reflectors I am asking for trouble......

    I haven't had pedal reflectors for years, flew off mtbing, slap a couple of ankle reflectors on.
    Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    will3 wrote:
    I don';t dissagree with that, you seemed to be suggesting that car headlights' light doesn't diminish with distance, or that's how I read it.
    Oh that's just semantics. I was stating the obvious that car headlights are brighter from further away than a bike light and by extension on-coming cars with full beam dazzle much more than bikes. That's all.

    Note to self - qualify every future statement to avoid such ambiguities. :?
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    Simon E wrote:
    downfader wrote:
    Simon, you might want to edit your post as you've put up a library agency picture - we wouldnt want to see the forum get into trouble or debt. :shock:
    It's a publicly available watermarked image at Alamy.com. I wouldn't complain if it was one of mine from there. However, discretion is the better part and all that, I'll change it to a link.

    Kiblams, try being behind a posh 4x4 with their multi-LED brake lights. Now that's what I call bright.

    Publicly viewable doesnt mean lack of copyrights and restriction of usage.

    I have over a thousand up there and I would complain - you're supposed to pay for usage. Obviously if you wanted to put up free images on the web thats up to you, thats not what Alamy (...or Getty... or iStock) is for. :wink:
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I'd definitely go with a minimum of two LEDs on the back - set at different angles slightly to cover your rear left and rear right.

    That and plenty of reflectives and you should be visible enough.
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    Best lights for distance viewing on faster roads, then? I'd go with Mars4 and Exposure Redeye for rear.
  • Kiblams
    Kiblams Posts: 2,423
    Well I used the three set of rear lights on my commute home and as far as I could tell there was no ill affect on the traffic behind me :D All that worrying about nothing :lol:
    HandsomeDog - OrangeCommuter
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    downfader wrote:
    Best lights for distance viewing on faster roads, then? I'd go with Mars4 and Exposure Redeye for rear.

    Followed by the RSP Astrum..... one 'spot' LED and one 'diffused' - I'm impressed....

    The Mars 4.0 is the best for reasonable money, then it's the Exposure and Dinnote which are serious bits of kit.

    The RSP Astrum is right up there with the Mars 4.0...... using these two (4.0 and Astrum) with my Mars 3.0 makes the 3.0 look rubbish, but they (Mars 3.0's) are a damn good light - I've got a neighbour with a Mars 3.0 and I can see him miles off before I catch him.
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Kiblams wrote:
    Well I used the three set of rear lights on my commute home and as far as I could tell there was no ill affect on the traffic behind me :D All that worrying about nothing :lol:

    Don't forget, the very bright bit is bang on behind you at a few feet.....in a car the driver is near the centre of the road...... you'll more likely get told "good lights mate".......

Categories