Silly Commuting Lighting

Bassjunkieuk

Having taken delivery of my nice new bike light set this morning before I left for work and then fitting them during the day I got my first chance to give them a try this evening :-)

Whilst I was riding home I was rather pleased with the extra output from the front light (a Cateye EL320 vs. the EL-130 I had before) which casts a nice white flashing dot on the road about 2-3m ahead of me.

Now for me this was amusing as a flashing light on the floor is usually one of the first signs that I've got someone on my six or attempting to take my scalp so I see my new light as the SCR equivalent of a laser dot on a snipers rifle :-)

This in turn got me thinking, do any other SCRer's re-position their front light to either hide their approach or give their victims an early warning? Or am I just taking the whole SCR thing a tiny bit to seriously?

There have been occasional times when I've had someone's light appear beside my right leg and it certainly gets me going a bit quicker :-)

redvee

Had the flashing light on the floor beside me and it cdonfused me. Was wondereing why the streetlights were flashing white like my EL320 then the roadie rolled past as we slowed for a set of traffic lights. Cateye EL320 is a bloody good light.

will3

redvee wrote:

Cateye EL320 is a bloody good light.

Until you try and use it in unlit lanes. Then it's bledy useless unless you're going at snail's pace, or the moon is full.

redvee

I'm a cityboy, I never venture out of town after dark, too scary

gbsahne001

will3 wrote:

redvee wrote:

Cateye EL320 is a bloody good light.

Until you try and use it in unlit lanes. Then it's bledy useless unless you're going at snail's pace, or the moon is full.

Same goes for the 520!

stuaff

will3 wrote:

redvee wrote:

Cateye EL320 is a bloody good light.

Until you try and use it in unlit lanes. Then it's bledy useless unless you're going at snail's pace, or the moon is full.

+1. For a commute, the 320 rocks. For unlit lanes on FNRttCs, I got a Hope Vision 1. Terrific output even on the lowest setting.

will3

StuAff wrote:

will3 wrote:

redvee wrote:

Cateye EL320 is a bloody good light.

Until you try and use it in unlit lanes. Then it's bledy useless unless you're going at snail's pace, or the moon is full.

+1. For a commute, the 320 rocks. For unlit lanes on FNRttCs, I got a Hope Vision 1. Terrific output even on the lowest setting.

Snap.

are you riding my bike?

stuaff

will3 wrote:

StuAff wrote:

will3 wrote:

redvee wrote:

Cateye EL320 is a bloody good light.

Until you try and use it in unlit lanes. Then it's bledy useless unless you're going at snail's pace, or the moon is full.

+1. For a commute, the 320 rocks. For unlit lanes on FNRttCs, I got a Hope Vision 1. Terrific output even on the lowest setting.

Snap.

are you riding my bike?

Nope, I'm riding one of the bikes in my sig

rjsterry

Not so much lights, but I do keep reacting to my own double shadow - you know when you cycle past a pair of street lights and two shadows swing round in front of you. Jumping out of the saddle only to realise the profile of the shadow looks strangely familiar :oops:

Bassjunkieuk

rjsterry wrote:

Not so much lights, but I do keep reacting to my own double shadow - you know when you cycle past a pair of street lights and two shadows swing round in front of you. Jumping out of the saddle only to realise the profile of the shadow looks strangely familiar :oops:

+1 Most often riding alongside Clapham Common as it's the only place where you get a lane to yourself!

Amazing what jedi-like skills of observation the seasoned SCRer develops :-D

Kieran_Burns

It's kind of odd the step up you HAVE to make in light output the moment you leave the lit roads.

I thought my singleshot plus was fine - then I got a Vision 2. Good God that thing is like having a car dipped beam in front of you :shock:

wyadvd

I commute 10 miles on lit and unlit A roads (some dual carriageway with polish hgv drivers to keep me company)

I started off with an el320 till i realized i was blind for half of my journey, so I got a singleshot plus for my bars and put the el320 on top of my helmet so I could directit into the eyes of drivers waiting at junstions to stun they (theat really works btw)

then I nearly came off on a deep pothole with a lorry tailing me really close.

So "blow the expense" i now have an exposure maxx daddy and everything before me is as it is during the day ....better in fact. and a redeye behind ...its small but very intense so vehicles think you are closer to them than you in fact are if anything (better than thinking you are a motorbike on the horizon or a red catseye at the edge of the road)

the single shot plus is now on my helmet. I look like an alien but i can see where im going and cars on junctions seeme because i can see the whites of their eyes looking my way and very constricted pupils too.

roger_merriman

first ride home after dark from new place, and with traffic rather than just the park.

with a powerful light, yes gives warning to other bikes that they are about to be scalped.

But also a light with a fair oomph means traffic is more aware of you.

asprilla

Unfortunately I find a lot of folks with bright commuting lights have them very badly adjusted and they are almost blinding for anyone coming the other way.

roger_merriman

Asprilla wrote:

Unfortunately I find a lot of folks with bright commuting lights have them very badly adjusted and they are almost blinding for anyone coming the other way.

my main light is aimed at a point 10feet maybe ahead? I still travel though pitch black as well so I need it to be bit of both but it's less than the cars dipped so shouldn't be a problem unless low and very close.

asprilla

It's mainly folks on MTBs I see in Richmond Park, who are obviously using their single track lighting for their commute. Head mounted units are the worst.

roger_merriman

Asprilla wrote:

It's mainly folks on MTBs I see in Richmond Park, who are obviously using their single track lighting for their commute. Head mounted units are the worst.

ah righty, though i though most had if not a dip a easy off button? I assume they would have more than one?

but I rarely go to RP at night.

asprilla

They do have a dip, but people rarely use them in my experiance.

gbsahne001

forgot to swap over lights this morning will have to travel back on the headtorch!