Idiot super-bright commute lights + Richmond Park

martinwilly

Is it me or is is particularly muppet-like and inconsiderate to ride through serene Richmond Park on your nightly commute with a massive flood-light blinding oncoming riders?

Richmond Park is light & you can see fine at night with no lights at all. It isn't wild. It's a suburban park, albeit a huge and wonderful one.

You do need a light when you cross the Park at night so that runners, deer and other cyclists can see you.

You do not need a light to see where you're going. The only reasons I can think of for using a massive 500-lumen flood-light is that you a) have got one and want to use it, b) are scared of the dark, c) really like ruining stuff for other people.

I speak to each flood-lighting yomper I pass, politely asking them to dim/dip/switch off their lights. Join me?

curto80

You're not wrong. Similar thing on the CS3 with people running super bright lights, battery packs and everything. It's hardly mountain biking in the Cairngorms is it.

prhymeate

I've only been through at night once, but I definitely needed my light to see where I was going safely. It's only a small usb one though. There were some people cycling through with blinding lights, so I agree with you on that.

marcusjb

I do hear you on the nobbers with the super bright fire in every direction lights and it is a real pain in the arse training in there of an evening (not at the moment whilst the cull is running). Some of them are stupid and don't realise, some of them don't give a toss - I am not sure you will be able to educate them to change their ways though, but good luck.

The best we can hope for is people thinking about buying these kind of lights read stuff like this and then consider a more socially responsible light. Yes, it might cost more than £25 on eBay, but it also might last a lot longer, and other road users won't think you are a tit.

I am not sure on your idea that you only need a light to be seen in the park; okay, I know where every road imperfection in the park is due to havin done hundreds of laps over the years, but I still wouldn't ride it without a decent light (albeit one engineered to shine light on the road not the trees and moon). I am always amazed to see people riding through there without any lights - I have pretty good night vision, but I wouldn't like to do it!

As with most things in life, balance is needed.

anonymousblackfg

Shout at them. without them being told they're d*cks they'll not know, some just don't care and make their views known which I think you have to assume are riders out training from a particular club.

roger_merriman

This comes up every year, and agree it is anoying.

The park is dark, once your travelling at 15mph or more since the deer do stand in the road at night, having a light with a good wide beam is wise, this said you can get lights like that with a dip so you don't blind others.

bompington

marcusjb wrote:

consider a more socially responsible light. Yes, it might cost more than £25 on eBay,

So let me get this right, people need to buy lights that are more expensive and dimmer?

It's really quite simple. Use the hyper-elasticated polymerised circumferential attachment adapter unit (rubber band) that comes with the light to angle it down a bit.

roger_merriman

bompington wrote:

marcusjb wrote:

consider a more socially responsible light. Yes, it might cost more than £25 on eBay,

So let me get this right, people need to buy lights that are more expensive and dimmer?

It's really quite simple. Use the hyper-elasticated polymerised circumferential attachment adapter unit (rubber band) that comes with the light to angle it down a bit.

That would require some thought.....

Kieran_Burns

bompington wrote:

marcusjb wrote:

consider a more socially responsible light. Yes, it might cost more than £25 on eBay,

So let me get this right, people need to buy lights that are more expensive and dimmer?

It's really quite simple. Use the hyper-elasticated polymerised circumferential attachment adapter unit (rubber band) that comes with the light to angle it down a bit.

Now that's a bright idea.

bompington

Kieran_Burns wrote:

bompington wrote:

marcusjb wrote:

consider a more socially responsible light. Yes, it might cost more than £25 on eBay,

So let me get this right, people need to buy lights that are more expensive and dimmer?

It's really quite simple. Use the hyper-elasticated polymerised circumferential attachment adapter unit (rubber band) that comes with the light to angle it down a bit.

Now that's a bright idea.

Some of the previous responses did seem a bit dim

martinwilly

I'm very glad I'm not on my own.

And yes, I was wrong to say you don't need a light at all. You only need a very simple, feeble one though and shine it down at the road/path.

That's all it takes - people need to angle their lights down. Which means thought and that might be the stumbling block.

I'll keep up my polite requests. Feedback tends to be "Fuck off" or similar but I'm ok with that.


Hopefully it's a transitional thing and in ten years' time the critical mass will be with not using idiot lights, just as the critical mass is now with not running red lights. There will always be a few, of course.

cookeeemonster

I think the problem with the cheaper ones is that the beam pattern is all over the place. Unless you're angling it at your front wheel I'm exaggerating slightly here of course :P you'll blind others.

I also do the CS3 and there seems less of these idiots this year so far...also a lot more with lights thankfully. The main problem I have is with the head torch ones...it's like they're wearing the sun on their head. You have zero visibility on the narrow path with those in your eyes.

I run a 400 lumen lezyne pointed down in front of me. Brighter lights do help you be seen by cars and in certain parts of my route home on the CS3 and beyond it's useful for actually seeing the path and whats on it. And there's an awful lot of crap on it that never gets cleared. Still managed to run over a dead fox while overtaking someone a few weeks back so not foolproof

Kieran_Burns

bompington wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

bompington wrote:

marcusjb wrote:

consider a more socially responsible light. Yes, it might cost more than £25 on eBay,

So let me get this right, people need to buy lights that are more expensive and dimmer?

It's really quite simple. Use the hyper-elasticated polymerised circumferential attachment adapter unit (rubber band) that comes with the light to angle it down a bit.

Now that's a bright idea.

Some of the previous responses did seem a bit dim

Illuminating though

Matthewfalle

Some bloke shouted at me that my braziers were dangerous once. It was a fiery comment.

bompington

Matthewfalle wrote:

Some bloke shouted at me that my braziers were dangerous once. It was a fiery comment.

Don't you realise you're just going to get flamed if you post comments like that?

veronese68

martinwilly wrote:

I'm very glad I'm not on my own.

And yes, I was wrong to say you don't need a light at all. You only need a very simple, feeble one though and shine it down at the road/path.

That's all it takes - people need to angle their lights down. Which means thought and that might be the stumbling block.

I'll keep up my polite requests. Feedback tends to be "fark off" or similar but I'm ok with that.


Hopefully it's a transitional thing and in ten years' time the critical mass will be with not using idiot lights, just as the critical mass is now with not running red lights. There will always be a few, of course.

You need a bit more than that if you want to spot a deer in time to avoid it at any more than walking pace.

martinwilly

Veronese68 wrote:

martinwilly wrote:

I'm very glad I'm not on my own.

And yes, I was wrong to say you don't need a light at all. You only need a very simple, feeble one though and shine it down at the road/path.

That's all it takes - people need to angle their lights down. Which means thought and that might be the stumbling block.

I'll keep up my polite requests. Feedback tends to be "fark off" or similar but I'm ok with that.


Hopefully it's a transitional thing and in ten years' time the critical mass will be with not using idiot lights, just as the critical mass is now with not running red lights. There will always be a few, of course.

You need a bit more than that if you want to spot a deer in time to avoid it at any more than walking pace.

I trust the deer to react plenty fast enough to get out of my way. I sometimes (rarely) see them on the road. I spot them very late and with a WOAH! but you'd have to go some to hit one.


Something I didn't mention is that the Park is beautiful. It's a treat and a privilege to ride through there every day. Why would you want to ride in a narrow cone of bright light? Turn the effing thing off, enjoy the Park and let others enjoy it.

roger_merriman

martinwilly wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

martinwilly wrote:

I'm very glad I'm not on my own.

And yes, I was wrong to say you don't need a light at all. You only need a very simple, feeble one though and shine it down at the road/path.

That's all it takes - people need to angle their lights down. Which means thought and that might be the stumbling block.

I'll keep up my polite requests. Feedback tends to be "fark off" or similar but I'm ok with that.


Hopefully it's a transitional thing and in ten years' time the critical mass will be with not using idiot lights, just as the critical mass is now with not running red lights. There will always be a few, of course.

You need a bit more than that if you want to spot a deer in time to avoid it at any more than walking pace.

I trust the deer to react plenty fast enough to get out of my way. I sometimes (rarely) see them on the road. I spot them very late and with a WOAH! but you'd have to go some to hit one.


Something I didn't mention is that the Park is beautiful. It's a treat and a privilege to ride through there every day. Why would you want to ride in a narrow cone of bright light? Turn the effing thing off, enjoy the Park and let others enjoy it.

Never had spooked deer run out? Or rutting deer engrossed in the fight, move into the road/path? Deer sometimes do stuff, having lights that have a wide beam makes spotting them easier.

diy

1000 Lumen pointing in the right direction wont bother anyone. 100 lumen in your face is blimin annoying.

veronese68

I know of a couple of people that have hit deer. One of them had a deer jump up in front of him as he rode past at dusk. The other isn't too sure what happened as his memory is more than a little hazy. I also know of someone that had a rabbit jump into her front wheel that put her over the handlebars and she broke 4 ribs. I have also had a near miss in broad daylight where a deer being chased by another one suddenly changed direction and ran straight across in front of me. In the dark with no lights I wouldn't have seen it coming.
You don't need to blind people coming the other way, but you do need a decent light so you can see what is in front of you.

Kieran_Burns

Deer in hi-viz?

veronese68

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Deer in hi-viz?

That would be good as they seem to be made of magic light absorbing material. More and more dog owners are putting LEDs on their dogs, why can't the deer do that? Alternatively, fairy lights in the antlers would be good.

shmooster

I ride with bright lights through the park as I've had a few close encounters with deer so I do think you need decent lights to see by on darker nights. I was caught out when the clocks changed and had to either ride very slowly or tail someone which felt slightly rude and creepy in the dark so I'm sure I need ones to see by rather than be seen.
The important thing if you have ones that blind is to dim them, turn them off temporarily or shield them with your hand (has the advantage you can still illuminate the deer hiding on the left). Usually I get the odd thanks for this, and haven't had any complaints so seems to work. I agree on politely calling out people with blinding lights, they need to understand how bad it is. It's tempting when people don't dim to give them a full on taste of their own medicine but I try not to be a tw?t (don't always succeed).

kingtubby

Also bear in mind, some of the people who complain about the bright lights are unaware of how bright their own lights are...

jedster

I don't cycle through Richmond park but I agree with the sentiment.

On related topic of annoying behaviour - undipped moderately bright FLASHING lights - even a low power flasher gets you noticed, a bright one pointed at your eyes is massively blinding because your pupils just cant adjust

The other problem I have on my commute is that it takes me through a wood (on road) where MTBers like to do night riding. Regularly they finish up on the road with these massive undipped searchlights pointing straight at me. Can't see a fecking thing after that