[Closed] Is my light "too bright"?

Does anyone know which lights in the uk are or are close to being German regs compliant?

I used my bright off roaders for a bit and had quite a few cars pull out in front of me, in every case just as I got close to them? I thought it odd as I had no problems with my old bar mounted joystick. Repaired the joystick and problem free ever since?
On the bars just pointed down. My off roaders on low 350 lm are silly and light up too much.

I've always thought it strange we can do whatever we like with powerful lights.
Cars fail their MOT if they're not correctly adjusted.

Oh and solid rear light at night, converted after audaxing.

All these people saying that helmet lights are stupid on the road, you clearly dont commmute in built up areas. Having a light high up on your head is a massive benefit to allow you to be seen over the top of parked/stationary cars when your handle bar lights are blocked. Of course high powered or flashing lights are inconsiderate but saying all helmet lights are pointless is far from the truth.

I agree with that Buzz. A light on your helment that allows you to be seen = brilliant. A light on your helmet that you are using to see stuff = bad for other people, especially directly in your line of sight.

A light with a front white and rear red light would be a great addition to most cyclists lighting.

I remember a cyclist in Long Ashton last winter. I was following a bus and he was coming the other way but his light was so powerful the bus driver had to stop and I could see why when he got past the bus and shone it straight into my windscreen.

It seems that we look at the windscreen area and blind drivers?

A light with a front white and rear red light would be a great addition to most cyclists lighting.

Just having a front white light and rear red, in one light or two, is the basic legal requirement and few satisfy that.

Though a single helmet light in that fashion used on its own is unsuitable as if you turn your head you suddenly become invisible. If it's not illegal, it's downright dangerous.

Static red rear light in my opinion. Optional flashing or pulsing in addition. Static bright front white light, never flashing, and deflected down and towards the kerb. Helmet light off or tilted to the left with oncoming traffic. If it's actually a road ride I might consider an additional but low power flashing light on the helmet. Enough to be a noticeable flash but not enough to light your way, and then a decent one on the bars to light the way.

Wouldn't have thought a Mk7 joystick was in 'too bright' land in terms of output, but in terms of location/aim it could well be. Try angling it down a tad.

On another note, one of the bus companies in Sheffield has outfitted it's fleet with boy racer/Range Rover style HID's, which are truly night vision destroying if you're in a car and the bus is right behind you thanks to the wonders of mirrors. I look forward to them sorting that out.

Seems to me cyclists can't get anything right,

Of course they can. Put the lights on you bars, on low, aim them down slightly and don't put them on mega strobe. Easy.

Slow strobes don't do anyone any favours. They're not on long enough for people to track your movement, and the blind the shit out of everyone else (drivers, cyclists, peds etc). The last thing I Want to do to the driver of a 2 ton killing machine is remove their ability to see.

Some people might not be affected by it, but I definitely am, so bear that in mind!

I use one main light on steady and smaller flashers for visibility. On the back I used to do the same but I've been using my cateye on very rapid flash cos I think it's fast enough to allow movement tracking.

POINT. IT. DOWN!

According to my audax mate we should have reflectors fitted. If that is the case and we don't use them, I don't then bleating about not being seen is a bit off, also something about light height?

I have been dazzled by a cyclist to the point I struggled to see where I was going.

When I'm cycling on the road I have my light on low and angle it down. I don't want to blind a driver to the point he can't drive safely.

Does anyone know which lights in the uk are or are close to being German regs compliant?

Philips Saferide and Supernova Airstream are both pretty much dip beams with a distinct cut-off. I have both and the beam on the Philips is better, though the light itself is a bit heavy and basic, while the Airstream is more like a Joystick in concept and a bit more expensive. Nicely engineered and can be charged via USB while in use if that bothers you.

Angling lights down is okay to a point and works okay ime experience if you have something like a Joystick with a narrow, defined spot. Less clever with a big flood as by the time it's anywhere near dazzle free, you can only see about five metres in front of you.

Exposure's Strava is okay too as long as you angle it slightly down and to the left. It has a flattish beam which doesn't have a true cut-off, but is a useable compromise with a bit of care.

All ime etc.

I can't believe this thread has run to 3 pages

oldgit - Member
According to my audax mate we should have reflectors fitted. If that is the case and we don't use them, I don't then bleating about not being seen is a bit off, also something about light height?

Highway code is reflectors and reflective clothing.

Though it comes under 'should' in the code, so it's not a legal requirement, at least with the reflective clothing.

Lighting is something we as cyclists seem to get away with.

It's been interesting reading through the responses here.

If I summarise the above kindly: I'm being advised to take care with the aim of the light and to consider the pros and cons of taking it off the helmet mount.

I've now bought a bar mount for the light, where it will join a lower power light. I was already aiming it (so I thought) to hit the ground c.15 meters ahead at under 1.5 meters on my drops when on my helmet, as per CTC article.

The Joystick may or may not qualify as an off-road light, but to me this thread highlights the issue of how easy it may be to fall foul of what is considered reasonable with bike lights.

In my car, save for driving around on full beam / side lamps / with faulty lights, there's not much that I can do that would go beyond a "reasonable" or "compliant" standard setting. It seems a whole lot easier with a bike light.

Exposure should do a double ended version of their flash/flare for road use I reckon - pulsing rather than flashing and not as bright as a joystick.

Like this?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/topeak-headlux-helmet-light/rp-prod47006

I have been dazzled by a cyclist to the point I struggled to see where I was going.

Yep, I use an unlit path for part of my commute, and the number of million-lumens idiots is increasing, sadly. Once they've dazzled me, I have no night vision at all, and one of these days I'm going to end up running into a pedestrian.

I have a B&M Ixon Premium and it's chuffing great - more than bright enough for decent paced riding on unlit roads, but has a proper cut off on the beam so it's never in anyone's eyes.

i run a C&B Seen 1200 lumen light which in the OP's link has a less than favourable review based on the amount of light it kicks out. if its pretty light i stick it on flash...but if its dark then i leave it on constant.
i got pulled over by the police a few months ago due to the light, but not to be told off but they wanted to praise me on how well they could see me a mile off and that i was doing a great job of making myself as visible as possible to other road users. i asked them and showed them the light on flash ans although it has a lower light output in this mode it is very dazzling due to the frequency of the flash....the police said it was fine....just to be on the safe side i have the light pointed downwards so it projects the beam about 3 metres in front of me and slightly towards the kerb

just to be on the safe side i have the light pointed downwards so it projects the beam about 3 metres in front of me and slightly towards the kerb

That doesn't sound optimal for actually being able to see where you're going?

oldgit: PDW fenderbot must be the perfect Audax rear light. Reflector and a low wattage constant LED. I mount one to my SKS guards for back up and for the "yest I did have a rear reflector" defense should I need it in court for compensation.

My non-mudguarded bikes have no such light.

While on the subject of annoying/distracting lights. Was out last night and passed a rider who had a strobe thing as a front light. He tucked in behind me for a couple of miles so I had his bloody strobe lighting the way. Quickly got very annoying. Surely much worse than a bright solid light?

A lot of modern mtb lights are way to bright and have a poor beam pattern and side visibility to boot.

Someone posted a home made diffuser on here, looked like a good idea for improving standard mtb lights for road use:

[img] [/img]

at least he saw you...

Strobing lights are horrendous.

This talk of dip/main has got me wondering why there aren't remote switches for the lights?
On the motorbike it's an easy to use rocker switch on the LH switchgear. Surely that must exist as a plug-in for LED bike lights with the dip/main function?
A universal waterproof push to make replicating what's on the back of the lamp unit, that clamps to the handlebars?
Anyone?

Someone posted a home made diffuser on here, looked like a good idea for improving standard mtb lights for road use:

I tried that on the same model of Lumenator, it's of very limited use, though it's arguably better than a full beam.

This talk of dip/main has got me wondering why there aren't remote switches for the lights?

Exposure's Strada comes with one, works brilliantly and is compatible with all their Smartport lights. Genius.

Remotes exist - but light/brand specific - [url= http://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-remote-switch-with-cable/ ]e.g. exposure's version[/url]

I don't think it would ever be possible to make a universal one - simply too many variations in the way they are designed electronically and electrically.

Strobing lights are horrendous.

It was. Had the section of road not had some street lighting and been properly dark it would have been much worse and probably quite dangerous. First time I've been annoyed giving someone a tow.

I used to meet a few people using very high powered flashing front lights while commuting on the Forth bridge. I found them quite disorientating and actually felt a bit queasy if I didn't look well away.

I assume people use front flashers to be seen, rather than to see, so high power seems a bit unnecessary. For me, it makes more sense to use a high powered light as constant illumination for the road, and a front flasher for attention doesn't need to be blindingly bright.

Does anyone know which lights in the uk are or are close to being German regs compliant?

I recently bought a B+M Ixon Core as a new backup light (usually rely on a DX MJ836 as the main light). Tiny, but a very effective beam pattern, and I have actually been using it as my main light instead of fitting the DX light.
I think the German approach makes sense for road lights; i.e. putting the light where it matters with a carefully engineered reflector, instead of just pumping out a high powered circular beam that wastes your input power by lighting up redundant areas and potentially dazzles other road users.
I am now planning to get a dynamo and another German light as my main illumination.

Eventually there will be legislation and roadside testing for cycles, this will
be implemented after about the 7th legal defence by the drivers barristers based on the 1st case where it was argued that the driver was blinded by an on coming cyclist using a megablitz and hence splatted the poor sod on their side of the road made invisible by the oncoming retina burning light.
Lab tests with the cars built in video data logger as approved and mandated for all insured vehicles convinced the judge/jury in all cases.

LOL at the FSOL track, I haven't listened to that for ages...

Plenty of ****ers using strobey high power lights on the Bristol 2 Bath cycle route. I have one but put my hand over it when a cyclist or walker approaches... Problem is I need a decent light for the unlit Bath end. I use a £7 Cree torch and even that results in people shouting insults if I dont dim it fast enough.

I think the UK lights situation has got a bit riduculous.

There are a LOT of bike shops in my area - little shops, big shops, framebuilders, national chains, 2 x massive mail order places. And then add in all the high street stuff like Argos, Wilko, Toys r Us etc etc. But there isn't a single retailler where I could walk in and buy a legal light.

UK light regs are a shambles, and I'd have to do a chunk of research and go mail order to buy something meeting the German regs.

Jameso popped up on page 1 extolling the German beam pattern - so why can't I buy one from the 166 front lights listed at Evans?

So what can be done? CTC lobbying doesn't seem to be getting anywhere fast. Write to MPs? Hassle shops? - Hint to James at Evans HQ 🙂