Light Positioning?

mudcow007

i went out on my first proper dark ride last night which meant i got to try out my lights

front - Moon X300

rear - RSP Astrum

when im on lit roads the front is on flash but pointed at the floor about 6ft in front of the bike, when unlit its on static 3/4 beam

rear is on flash all the time and pointed slight up.

how do you position your lights? i dont want to dazzle people but i also dont want to get squished

Long_Time_Lurker

I am concerned that a single light will get lost amongst the car lights, particularly on busier roads. I use some LED 'flashers' to compliment my main lights - cheap knog style things.
I don't use the flash mode on anything other than the small LEDs - they are bright enough to be seen, small enough not to blind a driver.
The flash mode on Exposures are akin to a strobe light in a club - too bright and distracting.

Front: Exposure Toro - mounted on the handlebars, pointed to the ground 3-4 feet in front, on minimum setting when on roads.
1 LED flasher - also on handlebar.

Rear: Blackburn Mars, on the seat post. On side-to-side flash mode (a la KITT from Knight-Rider). Pointed straight (rear lights are designed to be seen, so don't dazzle drivers).
1 red LED 'flasher' - attached to my helmet.
1 red flash stick (free with my Night Vision jacket), in the mesh compartment of my backpack. As the backpack is dark and hides the reflective strips on my top.

UndercoverElephant

Two rear lights, one on the seat-stay, pointing horizontally, one on my bag. Always have two rear lights, as you can't see when one fails. Mine are both on flash. One on the front, it's a dynamo light, so it's attached to the front brake calliper and doesn't flash. Points about 4m in front of me.

bails87

Prop the bike up somewhere where it's not going to get nicked, move away from it and see how the lights look from a distance?

mudcow007

cool!

so i need more lights i was thinking of getting another Moon (as its like day light when its on full) for the front an i have small flashes that i can attach to the rear of the bike

you can never have too many lights surely?

thanks all

mudcow007

bails87 wrote:

Prop the bike up somewhere where it's not going to get nicked, move away from it and see how the lights look from a distance?

i'll do that tonight an see if i can get a picture

how many lights do people generally have?

x2 front an x2 rear?

BigLee1

I always have a high vis jacket over my bag too so if my back light fails I`m always reflective. You can buy strips of iron on reflective tape from here to supplement any bags, jackets leggings

http://www.fancy-tapes.co.uk/store/product/70-0/

UndercoverElephant

BigLee1 wrote:

I always have a high vis jacket over my bag too so if my back light fails I`m always reflective. You can buy strips of iron on reflective tape from here to supplement any bags, jackets leggings

http://www.fancy-tapes.co.uk/store/product/70-0/

This is pretty good advice. I have some SOLAS grade self-adhesive reflective tape that I use to adorn my backpack, looks better than a hi-viz jacket and is astoundingly bright in headlights. It's even survived going through the wash a few times over the course of the year.

Whilst up to a point you can never have too many lights, I always think that two steady lights side by side makes you look like a car that's very far away. Also, don't forget side-visibility, get some of the reflective spoke straws or some of the Nite-Ize Spokelits, makes a massive difference.

bails87

I've currently got one "1200 lumen" (On low in traffic, and anyway, it's less than this in reality) bike light on the front and a Smart R1 on the back. I've also got a fibre flare and a chopped up hi viz jacket on my bag, and a spare 'get me home' front light in case there's a problem with the main one.

Also, spoke reflectors, and bits of reflective tape from Moglo:

Kieran_Burns

Spoke reflectors are on offer at Halfords at the moment - 3 for 2 - I picked up 3 sets for me and my mates (36 for £7.99)

flimflam_machine

Somebody's done a bit of research of headlight position on motorbikes, which suggests that the separation of headlights does help drivers judge the closing speed. As I recall the best arrangement was to have both vertical and horizontal separation i.e., a triangle arrangement. On that basis I'd suggest that twin handlebar mounted lights plus a helmet mounted light is the best solution.

My experience from seeing different light arrangements is that helmet lights are hugely beneficial for being seen as their up nice and high and can be pointed at cars.

For city commuting I use two Cateye EL135s on the handlebars (one steady, one flashing), these are really bright VFM and I'd be happy with just one. On the back a seatpost mounted Cateye TL-LD1100 (one row flashing, one row steady) and a helmet mounted flasher.

If anyone's got a recommendation for a flyweight white light for helmets I'd be keen to hear it.

Edit: plus of course I'm festooned in reflectives. I reckon that pedal reflectors are underrated as well.

BigLee1

flimflam_machine wrote:

I reckon that pedal reflectors are underrated as well.

I agree, a moving light or reflective is far more noticable

memsley89

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Spoke reflectors are on offer at Halfords at the moment

Cheers for this, looks like i'll be making a stop on me way home

Wrath Rob

BigLee1 wrote:

flimflam_machine wrote:

I reckon that pedal reflectors are underrated as well.

I agree, a moving light or reflective is far more noticable

Got some reflective tape on my cranks for exactly this purpose. Just mounted my 1100 on the Comtat (new seat post is wider and so needed a new bracket) so that plus the RSP should give me plenty of rear visibility.

Front is covered by the Ayup. BTW, it just came out on top on the MTB UK review here

bails87

From that review:
L&M Stella 300: £225

Magicshine MJ872: £120

Lupine Betty 12: £850!!!
:shock:

UndercoverElephant

Not wishing to be a boring old git, but exactly how helpful would any of those lights be on the road? I understand for off-road, but on? There's a hell of a lot of light going everywhere, there's a reason that cars dip their headlights, and if we're honest, do you need as much light as a motorbike? You aren't going anywhere near as fast.

kelsen

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Not wishing to be a boring old git, but exactly how helpful would any of those lights be on the road? I understand for off-road, but on? There's a hell of a lot of light going everywhere, there's a reason that cars dip their headlights, and if we're honest, do you need as much light as a motorbike? You aren't going anywhere near as fast.

I feel we need a 'Idiots with really bright front lights' thread...

UndercoverElephant

kelsen wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Not wishing to be a boring old git, but exactly how helpful would any of those lights be on the road? I understand for off-road, but on? There's a hell of a lot of light going everywhere, there's a reason that cars dip their headlights, and if we're honest, do you need as much light as a motorbike? You aren't going anywhere near as fast.

I feel we need a 'Idiots with really bright front lights' thread...

I'll get back in my old git's box. I'm all-for bright lights, but I like the ones that illuminate the road exclusively.

kelsen

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I'll get back in my old git's box. I'm all-for bright lights, but I like the ones that illuminate the road exclusively.

No, I actually agree with your lights to see vs lights to be seen argument. I just think this place is a lot more interesting when people get up on soapboxes

veronese68

I thin kI read in some review that LED technology had gone as far as it can for light output. I hope that means they'll start thinking about lens design more then. That amount of light focused nicely along the road would be great.

UndercoverElephant

Veronese68 wrote:

I thin kI read in some review that LED technology had gone as far as it can for light output. I hope that means they'll start thinking about lens design more then. That amount of light focused nicely along the road would be great.

I don't think that's true, the latest Cree press releases keep saying things like, "200 lumens per watt was considered the theoretical limit for white LEDs, well we've just managed 233, so ner!".

I can't wait for B&M to get hold of one of those and produce me a 500 lumen dynamo headlight with all of those lumens pointed at the ground. My current one is pretty ace, and that's nearer 200.

plumpy

On the subject of reflectives, I put a "slapwrap" thingy round each ankle - you can't feel they're there, and hopefully they are much more visible than pedal, shoe or overshoe reflectors would be.

Yes they look naff but once it gets to the point where it's already dark when I'm leaving work, I don't care. As I say to my (teenage) kids, they're at the age where they'd rather be dead than be laughed at, whereas...