Those out at dark - rears are just as important! !
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Yes I do, day and night. It's for my safety*.
*(In 2010 a colleague in our club was hit from behind and killed at a crossroad junction by a driver
in a Landrover Discovery who claimed he didn't see her. Even on the lowest setting, this light is bright
enough** to get noticed).
** Please don't deviate this thread to start talking about being too bright and dazzling.0 -
De Sisti wrote:Yes I do, day and night. It's for my safety*.
*(In 2010 a colleague in our club was hit from behind at a crossroad junction by a driver in a Landrover Discovery
who claimed he didn't see her. Even on the lowest setting, this light is bright enough** to get noticed).
** Please don't deviate this thread to start talking about being too bright and dazzling.
I have a rear light on during TTs ... it's normally my Smart R2 on flash mode. It's pretty bright and it's been commented on that a following rider can see it but never seems to get closer .... which is nice as it's demoralising for them
I always use 2 rear lights in the dark - incase one fails or falls off - not a frequent occurrence, but it's easy to have the 2 lights on there anyway.0 -
I'm not deviating. As you obviously realise yourself, that light is too bright for night use.De Sisti wrote:Yes I do, day and night. It's for my safety*.
*(In 2010 a colleague in our club was hit from behind at a crossroad junction by a driver in a Landrover Discovery
who claimed he didn't see her. Even on the lowest setting, this light is bright enough** to get noticed).
** Please don't deviate this thread to start talking about being too bright and dazzling.
You're recommending it when even the site you linked to asks you to confirm you're aware it's for daytime use only.
The thread title is: "Those out at dark - rears are just as important!"
So I'm hardly going off topic. This is not a light for use at night. Simple as that.
Your anecdote about your club colleague does not legitimise your use of an unsuitable light.0 -
De Sisti wrote:it is not illegal to use it
Are you sure about that?www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0 -
Point well made.....I trust you've heard of sarcasm?De Sisti wrote:
Yes it does, because it is not illegal to use it and in my opinion (the only one that mattersAi_1 wrote:
Your anecdote about your club colleague does not legitimise your use of an unsuitable light.
with regards to my safety) it is suitable.
So you think your opinion has an impact on the ability of drivers to not be blinded, irritated or otherwise have their behaviour influenced by the irresponsible use of stuff you've bought for the wrong reasons?0 -
De Sisti wrote:
Yes it does, because it is not illegal to use it and in my opinion (the only one that mattersAi_1 wrote:
Your anecdote about your club colleague does not legitimise your use of an unsuitable light.
with regards to my safety) it is suitable.
I have to ask; do you drive a vehicle on the road?
If you do then I cannot comprehend how you think running a light as bright as that is suitable. Would you drive with your main beam on just because it would benefit you?
If you are not a driver then I strongly suggest you stop using that light otherwise you may find your attempt at your safety could seriously backfire on you.0 -
Why not? Lights which are too bright are dangerous - ask any motorcyclist riding behind a car with its fog lights on in the rain for no reason - it bounces off the droplets on your visor to horrible effect. I have had the same effect with some of the more extreme cycle lights.De Sisti wrote:** Please don't deviate this thread to start talking about being too bright and dazzling.
You can find yourself behind some selfish arse on a bicycle on a country lane, in the pitch black, in the pouring rain, completely unable to see the road up ahead due to the red flashing nightmare in front.You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.0 -
Back to original topic...
Consider your arms/sleeves too, as well as front & rear lights
I drove up behind a cyclist the other night and he was plenty visible, good rear light, yellow gilet with reflective bits
His road positioning was not the best however, he was dithering-about in the middle of the road and then turned right into a sideroad (rather than clearly being positioned out in the right of the lane, he turned from the middle)
I also turned right and then caught him up as he turned right again
- he had his right arm out in a classic, clear, obvious, right-arm-out-I'm-turning-right signal : but had black sleeves, black gloves, no reflectives on his arm and you couldn't see this in the car headlights unless you were right on top of him
I could just picture some impatient driver passing him and t-boning him as he turned right, with him under the false impression he was giving a good clear signal...0 -
Yep - saw the same thing last night - a black arm indicating right. And read a review of a reflective jersey - great front and rear visibility - nothing on the sleeves....
I used to have some brilliant illuminite gloves for winter - they were really reflective - but the inner lining went.
Now Aldis winter gloves have a nice bright stripe on them - but you'd think a reflective jersey would have done a better job of being reflective ?0 -
Re the bright car lights from audis behind you (when you are driving), my SEAT has an automatic dimming function on the mirror. Basically there is a switch at the base of the rather chunky mirror that you turn on and every light that reflects off the rear view mirror is a lot dimmer and has a slightly greenish hue too. I no longer worry about idiots with full beam on behind me now or that annoying sod with the poorly adjusted headlight shining slightly up and no longer angled to the left. I've spotted one local driver who has an old banger whose heasdlights are cross eyed so that one is continental and the other is UK based and angled to the left. He has had it like that for a good few years which means he knows a dodgy MOT test centre because light angle is a failing point. I've had that fail before now.
My issue with lighting on bikes is the head torch. I am not talking about those purpose built helmet lights but a walking/camping/climbing/running head torch. These are sometimes hugely powerful beasts and often highly directional in the beam angle. Put that on top of a head that is moving around to look at things and you no longer have a slightly dipped bike light but a spotlight to dazzle oncoming drivers. Add to that the fact most cyclists on a quiet and dark road will often look directly at the driver of the oncoming car. IMHO head torches should be used off road on night MTB trips ONLY. If you are on the road they are too directional and can not be dipped like a bar mounted bike light.0 -
Up until today I was running a Lezyne Macro Drive rear which pumps out 70 lumen in flash mode (after a couple of years of abuse it fell off on the way to work). Someone on here a while back tried to tell me that it was in fact illegal to use it in said mode at night which I thought was a load of tosh. At the start of this year, when I was stopped at some lights on the home leg of a night ride, a police car pulled up in the next lane and the passenger/policeman wound down to his window to tell me that my rear light was the best he’d ever seen!0
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True story, I mentioned to someone that his rear light was not on a few weeks ago. He seemd to hear but ignored me. At the next traffic light I asked if the battery was dead. His response: “ I never use the rear light for short rides like these in well lit areas. The front is more important as people need to see you coming” – I was amazed.0
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A lot of people in our club seem to think brighter is better for rear lights, and flashing is better than constant. It's a nightmare on evening rides, why some people think a bright red light can't be seen unless it's flashing is not something I understand, cars/van/lorries/motorbikes don't have flashing tail lights. At least with a constant bright light, your eyes can adjust to it. One bright (but not blinding) light on constant and a dim one flashing is what I find to be best. That way there is always a light on and the flashing one isn't blinding when it flashes. Front lights are similar, I wouldn't have my Cree light flashing, but a cheap, low power one like this (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lezyne-femto-dr ... light-set/) is suitable.0
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Tangled Metal wrote:
My issue with lighting on bikes is the head torch. I am not talking about those purpose built helmet lights but a walking/camping/climbing/running head torch. These are sometimes hugely powerful beasts and often highly directional in the beam angle. Put that on top of a head that is moving around to look at things and you no longer have a slightly dipped bike light but a spotlight to dazzle oncoming drivers. Add to that the fact most cyclists on a quiet and dark road will often look directly at the driver of the oncoming car. IMHO head torches should be used off road on night MTB trips ONLY. If you are on the road they are too directional and can not be dipped like a bar mounted bike light.
I recently posted a thread asking for advice about a front light for unlit roads. The post that caught my eye was in favour of a B and M Ixon IQ Premium.(Thanks TimothyW and Ai_1) This light is specifically designed for cyclists and conforms to some German road standards for not dazzling oncoming drivers. No bad thing IMO. I've bought one and am impressed.
So is there an all singing all dancing rear light that keeps cyclists safe without dazzling drivers,keeps you noticed and doesn't cost £146 as one previous poster was suggesting? Am I right in thinking that some rear lights profess to be better at allowing drivers to judge the distance better to the rider? Do they do what they claim?
Links please.TY. Preferably rechargeable.0 -
IanRCarter wrote:A lot of people in our club seem to think brighter is better for rear lights, and flashing is better than constant. It's a nightmare on evening rides, why some people think a bright red light can't be seen unless it's flashing is not something I understand, cars/van/lorries/motorbikes don't have flashing tail lights. At least with a constant bright light, your eyes can adjust to it. One bright (but not blinding) light on constant and a dim one flashing is what I find to be best. That way there is always a light on and the flashing one isn't blinding when it flashes. Front lights are similar, I wouldn't have my Cree light flashing, but a cheap, low power one like this (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lezyne-femto-dr ... light-set/) is suitable.
In club rides I can see how it can be a nightmare. But, for commuting, brighter is better so that you don't get lost in the sea of constant red. Where there's congestion flashing, and bright flashing, is very very useful.
I've taken a different approach this year. I have a Philips Saferide. It's nowhere near as bright as my Lezyne Mega Drive was but it's more useable. And, even though less bright, the size of the beam/lens makes it easier to see.
Where I've really, IMO, improved safety is with choosing a see sense front and rear. Arguably the front is too bright (I chose the 200 version as my micro drive was in the same ballpark) but the rear (125) is spot on.
The intelligence of these lights is excellent. If your on an unlit lane then you get flashing every 2/3 second or so. Headlights come up ahead or behind and they start to flash quickly. Brake and they do the same. Go up a hill they get faster. And because they change constantly the battery life is superb.My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
Facebook? No. Just say no.0 -
I drove from St Pancras to the M1 a couple of weeks back. Very aware of cyclists, and very aware of notwanting the car scratched. Amazed at those without lights, just not visible until the very last minute.
As for no front light, that makes you invisible in a mirror, including when tryIng to filter through, an unlit cyclist does not show in the glare from traffic behind. As for no back light, well,that really is asking for trouble, though credence to the guy in black, completely unlit, by Regent's Park doing nigh on 30 mph, any slower and I would have hit you before I saw you.
The biggest problem though is the mass of lighting and glare, just too difficult to see anything unlit,or dimly lit, in the general glare.
Based on how I saw it from a car, I would go one constant, one flashing, both front and rear. And make them bright.0 -
florerider wrote:The biggest problem though is the mass of lighting and glare, just too difficult to see anything unlit,or dimly lit, in the general glare.
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Different strokes for different folks. Out here in the rural backroads of North Yorkshire in the middle of the night there are only three visible lights... mine, the moons and the occasional car you see once every hour. And the moons optional.
I imagine the average commuter in London sees more cars in 30 seconds than i do on a 4 hour day ride, never mind a night one. Consequently all i need on the arse of my bike is a simple 0.5watt flasher like the Planet X Phaart range or the Wilkinson 0.5w flasher. Which is still bright enough to have people behind me shielding their eyes.
I imagine if i was cycling in a built up area i'd want to blind the feckers with something more potent, just to be on the safe side but riding round country lanes with a rear 3w flasher like this and some others, putting out 120 lumens or more would be cause for a justifiable slapping, me thinks. Especially if on flash.0 -
Ouija wrote:florerider wrote:The biggest problem though is the mass of lighting and glare, just too difficult to see anything unlit,or dimly lit, in the general glare.
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Different strokes for different folks. Out here in the rural backroads of North Yorkshire in the middle of the night there are only three visible lights... mine, the moons and the occasional car you see once every hour. And the moons optional.
I imagine the average commuter in London sees more cars in 30 seconds than i do on a 4 hour day ride, never mind a night one. Consequently all i need on the ars* of my bike is a simple 0.5watt flasher like the Planet X Phaart range or the Wilkinson 0.5w flasher. Which is still bright enough to have people behind me shielding their eyes.
I imagine if i was cycling in a built up area i'd want to blind the feckers with something more potent, just to be on the safe side but riding round country lanes with a rear 3w flasher like this and some others, putting out 120 lumens or more would be cause for a justifiable slapping, me thinks. Especially if on flash.
YUp, I live somewhere rural, and flashing lights work well enough. Funnily I often drive past guys on a dual carriageway with real bright lights, see them minutes away and they get a wide berth by everyone. Took me by surprise that a cyclist with good lights on a main road with traffic at 70 and faster was more visible than in a high street in London.0
