multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,808
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
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I have the light mounted to the right of the wheel on a couple bikes, and on the front of the fender on one. It doesn't make much difference.
Yes, having it off center makes a shadow on the other side; but the shadow is very close to the bike, far behind the area that I'm watching as I ride. There is absolutely zero chance of something appearing in that shadow that hadn't been visible a few seconds earlier, and anyway, the shadow is off to the side, not where I'm riding. So it's not a big disadvantage.
And yes, that shadow creates an area where the light is blocked and a driver in that area will not see it. But no driver is likely to stay in that area for long; it will be just a moment. So it's not a big disadvantage.
Having the light next to the wheel also means that light from the headlight falls on the spokes, which are moving, and make a distinctive light show that clearly says "bicycle" to anyone who sees it. That's a good thing.
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