Front LED Blinker!
#26
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Being able to single out a particular bike on a bike path a half mile away is absolutely irrelevant to safety on a bike path. It may or may not make sense on a road as the closing speeds are faster and the bikes are more scarce, but on a path, I'll probably have passed at least 10 other bikes before I close with the one with the light. Knowing another bike is coming while I do that is absolutely useless information. And given that every time you half the distance, you quadruple the brightness, by the time you get to within a few feet of me, that light I could see at a half mile is temporarily blinding. There's just no way that the guy with the bright flashing light is doing anything other than creating a hazard on a path.
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Passing in opposite directions doesn't lend itself to an extended "polite" conversation. "Turn off the blinker" is about as much as I can get out without turning around and chasing them.
Most do turn them off, but one guy started calling me a whiner. His was literally the brightest light I had ever seen, and I saw it from a half mile away at high noon on a clear day. By the time we closed, it was completely blinding. The nicest thing I yelled at him after he called me a whiner was "moron".
Most do turn them off, but one guy started calling me a whiner. His was literally the brightest light I had ever seen, and I saw it from a half mile away at high noon on a clear day. By the time we closed, it was completely blinding. The nicest thing I yelled at him after he called me a whiner was "moron".
I find that a loud "Your light sucks!" can be communicated while passing.
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When I was selling these things in a shop, I used to tell neophytes that the higher powered front lights (say, 400+ lumens) were used for you to see where you were going - they were designed to illuminate your path. Front lights of lesser lumens (and rear lights) were designed for people to see you. I always explained that a high-powered light can be extremely distracting to oncoming vehicles if pointed right at them. My suggestions were to run the rear light at all times if that made them comfortable. On the road, the strobe can be on during daylight and especially dusk, but the light should be slightly angled down to prevent blinding (and actually distracting) oncoming traffic. I often suggested getting a less intense light if they were only using it as warning to oncoming traffic.
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#30
Full Member
Thread Starter
Well I did not expect such a response in the terms of others are bothered also. So, I may give it a try and ask a passing cyclist with a bright strobing LED to turn it off when seen on the MUP.
#32
Senior Member
be nice to try it.
Will turn off front flashing light if I do
None in Alaska
will have to get out more . Try to find one
I did a section of a “rails to trails “ near Connelsvile, PA last Oct
was nice to not have vehicles &
few road intersections,
#33
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I often cruise at 14 mph. If an oncoming cyclist is moving at about the same speed, our closing velocity is pretty fast. Whatever I say, the other person is likely to hear one or two words of mine and no more. I'm not going to stop just to complain about someone's lights.
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#34
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I sometimes wonder if the gadget and gizmo-heavy world many people live in drives the behavior of some. "I have this cool dynamo-powered lighting system and I am going to run it 24/7."
#35
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Then there are the people who run taillights in the front. What are they thinking? Some of them run headlights in the back, and others run taillights in the back.
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#36
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I often cruise at 14 mph. If an oncoming cyclist is moving at about the same speed, our closing velocity is pretty fast. Whatever I say, the other person is likely to hear one or two words of mine and no more. I'm not going to stop just to complain about someone's lights.
I've timed "turn off the flasher" for just such a situation, but my voice carries very well so I can spit it out in the last 25 feet or so. I've actually looked back and seen people changing the settings or turning it off (can't really tell which from behind).
#37
Senior Member
What am I missing? I've never heard of anyone on a bicycle having a head-on collision with a car. Why do you need a front light at all....unless you're riding at night and need help to see?
And if you're riding n the correct side of the street, cars are coming up behind you. I guess you could make a case for being seen at busy intersections, but is that the reason??
I've been riding for over forty years, this is a serious question.
And if you're riding n the correct side of the street, cars are coming up behind you. I guess you could make a case for being seen at busy intersections, but is that the reason??
I've been riding for over forty years, this is a serious question.
#38
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What am I missing? I've never heard of anyone on a bicycle having a head-on collision with a car. Why do you need a front light at all....unless you're riding at night and need help to see?
And if you're riding n the correct side of the street, cars are coming up behind you. I guess you could make a case for being seen at busy intersections, but is that the reason??
I've been riding for over forty years, this is a serious question.
And if you're riding n the correct side of the street, cars are coming up behind you. I guess you could make a case for being seen at busy intersections, but is that the reason??
I've been riding for over forty years, this is a serious question.
A front light prevents not only head-on collisions but also hooks across your front. When a driver is more or less in front of me and I don't think he sees me, I wiggle my handlebars, which seems to help. I learned that from the SMIDSY motorcycle video, and it works well.
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#39
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I was hit head-on by a car. I don't remember it, and I don't remember the ambulance ride. I was riding to work, and the next minute I remember is a doctor standing over me, waking me up. He had witnessed it and said I flew 50 feet.
A front light prevents not only head-on collisions but also hooks across your front. When a driver is more or less in front of me and I don't think he sees me, I wiggle my handlebars, which seems to help. I learned that from the SMIDSY motorcycle video, and it works well.
A front light prevents not only head-on collisions but also hooks across your front. When a driver is more or less in front of me and I don't think he sees me, I wiggle my handlebars, which seems to help. I learned that from the SMIDSY motorcycle video, and it works well.
That makes a lot of sense--thanks! Our attention is definitely drawn more to motion and change than a steady stationary light. I think the slower blink rate works better than a fast strobe on the street, BTW, because you have the attention-getting change without the "too quick for your pupils" effect. Even on a bike path, I don't have trouble keeping track of the location of a bike with a slow-blink headlight, and it doesn't affect my ability to see other people around them as much, either.
Glad you're still with us! I've had a lot of close calls with drivers I could have sworn were looking right at me, and have had to scream to get their attention. That's definitely last resort. Tunnel vision is a real thing and it's good to be reminded of it.
#40
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There are reasons that car drivers don't see motorcyclists and cyclists, and they can be explained by science. The obvious one is that they are generally not trained or conditioned to see us. The other one is that when we turn our heads or eyes, we think we are seeing everything in the sweep of our vision, but we are not. The "movie" is made of a few still pictures, and it's easy to miss one in the middle. I wish I had the video that demonstrates it. I think it's in an airplane pilot training video.
I see one guy on my bike path who has a long rod across the front of his bike with lots of lights on it side by side. I think he has at least six lights in total. That's smart, but it's a lot of trouble.
I see one guy on my bike path who has a long rod across the front of his bike with lots of lights on it side by side. I think he has at least six lights in total. That's smart, but it's a lot of trouble.
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#41
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There are reasons that car drivers don't see motorcyclists and cyclists, and they can be explained by science. The obvious one is that they are generally not trained or conditioned to see us. The other one is that when we turn our heads or eyes, we think we are seeing everything in the sweep of our vision, but we are not. The "movie" is made of a few still pictures, and it's easy to miss one in the middle. I wish I had the video that demonstrates it. I think it's in an airplane pilot training video.
I see one guy on my bike path who has a long rod across the front of his bike with lots of lights on it side by side. I think he has at least six lights in total. That's smart, but it's a lot of trouble.
I see one guy on my bike path who has a long rod across the front of his bike with lots of lights on it side by side. I think he has at least six lights in total. That's smart, but it's a lot of trouble.
#42
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Apparently you all don't ride trikes...your inches off the ground and have the profile of a kid riding a go-cart.
Yes, I usually ride on the 'Greenway' trails. And, yes, most of the DF's and trikes are sporting flashing lights, (white in front, red in back) during the day. I kinda like it, from where I sit.
My ride is all black, and more or less blends into the asphalt pavement at a distance. I feel its a courtesy to light up, so people can actually tell what is coming their way.
I'm adding a totally obnoxious bright led lit flag pole, not so much for the trails, but for the streets...I want every driver to at least have a fighting chance of seeing me while they are texting, doing their make-up or arguing with their kids about whats for dinner.
Sorry, to the folks with sensitive eyes, I think the compromise is worth it...I do know what you are talking about (after 7 eye surgeries, bright stuff doesn't make me too happy either).
ron
Yes, I usually ride on the 'Greenway' trails. And, yes, most of the DF's and trikes are sporting flashing lights, (white in front, red in back) during the day. I kinda like it, from where I sit.
My ride is all black, and more or less blends into the asphalt pavement at a distance. I feel its a courtesy to light up, so people can actually tell what is coming their way.
I'm adding a totally obnoxious bright led lit flag pole, not so much for the trails, but for the streets...I want every driver to at least have a fighting chance of seeing me while they are texting, doing their make-up or arguing with their kids about whats for dinner.
Sorry, to the folks with sensitive eyes, I think the compromise is worth it...I do know what you are talking about (after 7 eye surgeries, bright stuff doesn't make me too happy either).
ron
#43
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I'm really not that bothered by other cyclist's bright flashing headlights.
I consider them a very temporary, extremely minor annoyance.
I consider them a very temporary, extremely minor annoyance.
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#44
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#46
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Alternate perspective
My usual ride consists of alternating road and greenway/mup paths. I have the flashing white light on the front and red on the back. The front is angled to light about two+ yards in front of me. The lights not only keep me safe from drivers, they also catch the attention of trail walkers and casual riders who are meandering back and forth across the pavement. And I'm averaging around 14mph - so I'm not being a obnoxious speed demon.
This is a technological improvement over safety lighting from days gone by. It's what I want on my kids' bikes too.
If any jerks yell(smh) at me, I might yell back. I might not.
This is a technological improvement over safety lighting from days gone by. It's what I want on my kids' bikes too.
If any jerks yell(smh) at me, I might yell back. I might not.
#47
Senior Member
Alaska law
https://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/...laska_Laws.pdf
gives a visible distance of 500’
for front white light (for night riding)
no rule to have a daytime front light
but
Tailights have no night rules.
”A bicycle must be equipped with a tail light which displays a
red light visible 500 feet to the rear of a bicycle.”
I read it that I have to always have a rear red light but only
a white front light at night.
https://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/...laska_Laws.pdf
gives a visible distance of 500’
for front white light (for night riding)
no rule to have a daytime front light
but
Tailights have no night rules.
”A bicycle must be equipped with a tail light which displays a
red light visible 500 feet to the rear of a bicycle.”
I read it that I have to always have a rear red light but only
a white front light at night.
Last edited by bogydave; 11-02-18 at 12:57 AM.
#48
faster downhill
try not staring into the light, kind of like driving at night. just another post for people to complain about anything. and before you attack me for being reasonable I will turn my front light off when on a "greenway"
#49
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Sorry, I use mine every ride. I have to take streets for the first and last 2 miles of my rides on the MUP. And at least on the Razorback Greenway in NW Arkansas there are plenty of street crossings, sharrows and driveways to warrant it. I try and keep it pointed low, and on the lowest setting.
I've also nearly been run in to by other cyclists in many of the tunnels the greenway has. Some tunnels have no lights on during the day. Goofs wearing dark sunglasses riding at speed enter the tunnel and can't see anything. Prior to using my headlight I actually bumped shoulders with a guy, my right grip was already almost touching the wall. I have no idea if it helps but I get tired of almost getting hit.
I've also nearly been run in to by other cyclists in many of the tunnels the greenway has. Some tunnels have no lights on during the day. Goofs wearing dark sunglasses riding at speed enter the tunnel and can't see anything. Prior to using my headlight I actually bumped shoulders with a guy, my right grip was already almost touching the wall. I have no idea if it helps but I get tired of almost getting hit.
#50
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Sorry, I use mine every ride. I have to take streets for the first and last 2 miles of my rides on the MUP. And at least on the Razorback Greenway in NW Arkansas there are plenty of street crossings, sharrows and driveways to warrant it. I try and keep it pointed low, and on the lowest setting.
I've also nearly been run in to by other cyclists in many of the tunnels the greenway has. Some tunnels have no lights on during the day. Goofs wearing dark sunglasses riding at speed enter the tunnel and can't see anything. Prior to using my headlight I actually bumped shoulders with a guy, my right grip was already almost touching the wall. I have no idea if it helps but I get tired of almost getting hit.
I've also nearly been run in to by other cyclists in many of the tunnels the greenway has. Some tunnels have no lights on during the day. Goofs wearing dark sunglasses riding at speed enter the tunnel and can't see anything. Prior to using my headlight I actually bumped shoulders with a guy, my right grip was already almost touching the wall. I have no idea if it helps but I get tired of almost getting hit.
The OP was complaining specifically about high intensity blinkers, which I took to mean strobes. By your own account, you turn down the intensity, so I don't think you're doing what was complained about.
I really have no complaints about moderate intensity lights with slow blink rates. The strobes I'm complaining about are really airplane-level brightness being used for a purpose they're completely inappropriate for, and it is not, as some of the people here seem to be saying, just a matter of discomfort.