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My first cycle back from the smoke to home last night which encompasses a couple of parks, some cycle lanes, some canals and a bit of road.
Why do people feel the need to have these completely unnecessary bright lights on their bikes? Generally they're pointing right in on comers eyeline which is painfully dazzling!
If this applies to you, please tilt your lamps more towards the floor. I'm still seeing spots! 😂
I think there are lights for seeing in the woods at night and lights ideal for being seen on a commute.
They are two different things IME.
Couldn't agree more. STVzO lamps for the win. And shouting at other users of the cyclepath with million lumen blinders too.
I think there are lights for seeing in the woods at night and lights ideal for being seen on a commute.
They are two different things IME.
Doesn't explain why half of the commuters I pass in the mornings are blinding me. I doubt that these people are using Maxx-Ds or similar, just lights that they've ordered from the internet with nothing in the spec to suggest MTB or otherwise, and it also doesn't explain why the local Santander bikes also have blinding lights.
But, what really gets on my nerves, is the fact that this all happening during daylight hours, at the moment, when I can see as far as is possible to see using normal daylight, and we're on a cycle path which most people use for several miles, so don't need the lights for road visibility. It only gets worse as the nights draw in, but at least there are fewer people riding over the winter.
Wait till they have 'strobe' setting on. I have a front light with a defined cut off (cheap Ali-Express one) that is clearly waist height, then a more powerful one that has a remote that is easily switched off. It's a nightmare on the Fallowfield Loop once it starts to get dark. At least the 'dipped' lamp gives a load of light on the ground so I can just look down when someone comes with their strobe. The other option is to seitch on 2200 lumens in their face and watch them burn.
Maxx-Ds or similar, just lights that they’ve ordered from the internet with nothing in the spec to suggest MTB or otherwise
Because a billion lumen lamp from ebay is six quid with the added excitement of a battery that might or might not burn down your house when charging it.
A proper light is not.
It's all an arms race innit. That and the general public have no idea what a lumen is or how to affix their lights to bike so as to not dazzle everyone else.
I turn off my MTB lights when I get to the road as other road users would hate me otherwise! I have a small light for the mile or so home.
Doesn’t explain why half of the commuters I pass in the mornings are blinding me. I doubt that these people are using Maxx-Ds or similar, just lights that they’ve ordered from the internet with nothing in the spec to suggest MTB or otherwise, and it also doesn’t explain why the local Santander bikes also have blinding lights.
I think most lights are designed to throw light out - and don't go through the STVZ testy certification thingy.
Mrs_oab's new bike has an STVZ light on - but is very very easy to point level and therefore still bling people.
FWIW, my eyes have always been sensitive to light - without sunglasses I get headache and eyes ache - but as I get older all sorts of car, bike and street lights are harsh to my eyes. Perhaps the move to LED as well from ye olde 0.5w Raleigh light set?
Not for commuting but I do use a Maxx-D with a bar remote on cycle lanes and roads. This allows me to dip it to something like 400 lumens with two clicks or turn it off completely with a press and hold. I have it pointed 4 degrees down which I find optimal for trail riding, but I appreciate the light spread isn't good for other people around even at low power so I often turn it off and just use the helmet light when I'm near others.
Be safe Be seen.
There was one following me as I was driving up the road today, a headlamp that Rhod Gilbert would have ranted about. I'm reasonably sure that they're simply oblivious, all it would've taken is a slight angle adjustment so that it wasn't aimed directly into my RVM.
Be safe Be seen.
All well and good until you've seen them momentarily before being blinded and then aren't seeing shit for the next half a minute.
Most of the general public cannot angle a helmet properly on their head, how do you expect them to cope bother with a light!
All well and good until you’ve seen them momentarily before being blinded and then aren’t seeing shit for the next half a minute
Aye,and it will be one of those £12,345,678.front lights of the classifieds -->> 😉
A Maxx-D, angled down by 4 deg and on the lowest setting will still be blinding by for others. They’re designed to flood an area with light, not direct it in a specific pattern. It’s need to be angle over 25deg to even remotely stop that.
I’d also suggest that many people become literally fixated on the problem instead of just looking ahead and slightly down and to the side. You can still see where you’re going just fine,
I was once riding home through Hyde Park at night, and someone came past me going the other way with a rear light on the front of their bike. As all I could see was the red flash, having it come towards me at a decent pace when I knew I wasn't riding fast really screwed with my mind for a few seconds until I figured out what was going on.
I commute with very bright lights facing forward, it works exactly as intended, oncoming vehicles treat me like a motorbike and give me room. The downside is it probably annoys a few people, but the only reason I have the light is to avoid being killed by a car and for that it works extremely well. It's a trade off I'm very happy with.
The other interesting observation is that at night I'm so focused on cars that I have occasionally almost pulled out in front of another bicycle at roundabouts as they weren't bright enough to register in my mind and I just 'didn't see them'. Quite interesting how the mind works.
Why do people feel the need to have these completely unnecessary bright lights on their bikes? Generally they’re pointing right in on comers eyeline which is painfully dazzling!
Everyone knows that robbing the oncoming traffic of their ability to see anything is by far the safest policy. That's why, when I'm driving, I always save my full beams for when I'm driving around town! No point dipping them until you're on the deserted country lanes ftw
footflaps
I commute with very bright lights facing forward, it works exactly as intended, oncoming vehicles treat me like a motorbike and give me room.
Are they bright & dipped? Or bright & shining out in a cone of light that temporarily blinds & dazzles anyone coming towards you?
Doesn't sound like a great plan to me, and one of the main things that gets the 'bloody cyclists' ranters in the office going over the winter.
I’d also suggest that many people become literally fixated on the problem instead of just looking ahead and slightly down and to the side. You can still see where you’re going just fine,
You haven't got a choice when your commute is along a 3m wide, unlit cycle-path through a wooded valley. An overly dazzling light can blind someone 100s of metres away and hide pedestrians even if they are in front of the light.
I'm surprised after decades of drivers never switching their full beams and or fogs off followed by ten to fifteen years of 50%o of vehicles being faux by four things with headlights at precisely normal car driver head height and left on full beam permanently we even notice the bright bike lights thing anymore.
Evolution really is outdated isn't it?
Over lamped tis a thing. Spoils night riding in my opinion
I ride next to an unlit guided busway, when the on coming buses won't dip their full beams, my exposure joystick (I've only just realised how that sounds), does a good job of persuading them that might need to. On the road it's either off or set to low, but there are some bits I need a bit more light
I'm getting it on the off-road path I commute on. It's daylight and there are no cars, but every 3rd person coming the other way is trying to give me a suntan.
Flashing / strobe lights at night are horrific too. It's dark, put the bloody thing on a constant beam!
I meet two clowns riding towards me this time of year, one dazzles me so I give him 6000 lumens but he wobbles on regardless & the other has a single front light that flashes on off 0.5 second intervals - how he rides with it is beyond me.
A Maxx-D, angled down by 4 deg and on the lowest setting will still be blinding by for others. They’re designed to flood an area with light, not direct it in a specific pattern. It’s need to be angle over 25deg to even remotely stop that.
I appreciate that, hence what I said about often turning it off. I should say these are mostly quiet cycle paths and country roads, rarely encounter many people. Also I think it's ok compared to LED car headlights.
I commute with a battery powered train horn permanently sounding at 130 decibels, it works exactly as intended, oncoming vehicles treat me like a freight train and give me room. The downside is it probably annoys a few people, but the only reason I have the horn is to avoid being killed by a car and for that it works extremely well. It’s a trade off I’m very happy with.
The other interesting observation is that I'm an oblivious donkey.