Strategies for fog
12-19-17, 01:31 PM
#26
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12-19-17, 05:00 PM
#27
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12-20-17, 10:02 AM
#28
GATC
Physical/technical aspects of lighting during fog
Frontlight:
Frontlight:
- beam angle of the light should be below 30° (to reduce self blinding while provide line of sight)
- should be as far away from the drivers optical axis as possible (to reduce blinding by illuminated water drops in the air)
- Color temperature should be as low as possible, at least neutral white below 4.000K to improve vision by removing short, blue to violet wavelengths from the projected light. These wavelengths are difficult for the human visual system to process properly, and they cause perceived dazzle and glare effects in rain, fog and snow. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_yellow
- beam angle of the light should be above 120° (to bee seen from any rear incoming angle)
- luminous flux should be above 40lm (be bright enought to be seen early enough)
- illuminated area of the light should be as large as possible (to allow distance calculation for following road users)
- illuminated area of the light should have a aspect ratio unequal as possible (to allow distance calculation for following road users)
and yes taillight visible from straight and above
12-20-17, 10:32 PM
#29
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My issue with fog isn't lighting it's having to wipe my glasses off every 100 feet.
12-21-17, 11:54 AM
#30
Portland Fred
Good tips, it is not useful to just light up all the fog in front of you, best to use a headlight that can be aimed at what you are looking at (the road). Such a light is still visible to oncoming traffic (which should be in the opposite lane although if there's so much fog you can't see the lane markings, well...)
and yes taillight visible from straight and above
and yes taillight visible from straight and above
Note that headlight needs to be low as observed earlier -- partly to try to get under the fog, but also to keep the light from bouncing back in your eyes. Bright helmet mounted lights are the worst. In thick fog, this will cause the light to reflect right back in your eyes.
Ability to see in thick fog will be limited. In my stupidest crash of all time, I lost the road in thick fog on a completely straight and level section I'd ridden literally thousands of times, went over an embankment, and landed in a ditch filled with icy cold water
12-21-17, 12:38 PM
#31
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if no one saw you fall & if you were knocked unconscious, you could have died from hypothermia & your body could have gone un-found forever?
12-22-17, 07:39 AM
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12-22-17, 10:17 AM
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+1. Although that's mostly an issue with very dense fog, or light rain that's not falling fast. I can't see without my glasses, and sometimes, I can't see with them!
A helmet visor or cycling cap helps some, you can tip your head forward to catch some of the droplets. But for the rest I need terrycloth thumbs on my gloves.
12-22-17, 10:59 AM
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This has been a heartening read. My schedule has calmed down recently, allowing me the time to finally start back up bike commuting to work. The problem has been the thick fog so early in the morning around here (and sleeping in is not an option), and I haven't had the nerve to ride in these condition at 5AM. It's good to read that this is a legitimate concern for more experienced commuters.
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12-22-17, 02:37 PM
#35
Full Member
Have not tested this myself yet though:
One little drop of hair shampoo (preferably one without color) and NOT using water, but using a cloth/handkerchief to dry. Shaving cream may have a longer effect.
However, when fog begins to condensate from the heat it takes some of the protecting layer away I believe.
:-/
One little drop of hair shampoo (preferably one without color) and NOT using water, but using a cloth/handkerchief to dry. Shaving cream may have a longer effect.
However, when fog begins to condensate from the heat it takes some of the protecting layer away I believe.
:-/
12-22-17, 03:14 PM
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Moisture on your glasses isn't like moisture on your windshield when you are driving. Because the glass is close to you eyes you can still see relatively well, unlike in a car where you cannot. But there are enough stops where I have the chance to take off and wipe the glasses.
12-31-17, 05:37 PM
#37
Portland Fred
BTW, keeping glasses clear was one of the major reasons I had my eyes lasered. I strongly recommend this option if it's workable because it fixes your entire field of vision -- so you get great peripheral as well as in the focus point. It's a total game changer.
Also, those who wear glasses only for eye protection rather than vision correction need not sacrifice their glasses mounted mirrors in conditions where glasses can't be worn. Just pop the lenses out of some cheap sunglasses and wear that.
06-08-19, 03:09 AM
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06-08-19, 07:19 AM
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The color is an interesting thought.
Fortunately my occasional (fair weather) fog situation is where a MUP crosses and climbs from a reservoir, and there's rarely even any other bike traffic if I hit it after dark, so it's mostly about seeing where I'm going. I primarily run a headlamp and sometimes the amount of reflection starts to get to the edge of becoming an issue, have considered just mounting something similar as low as I can for those situations.
I wonder if the cheap bikelight/flashlight vendors will ever get on board with yellower LEDs. In a pretty saturated market it would seem like it could be a differentiator.
Fortunately my occasional (fair weather) fog situation is where a MUP crosses and climbs from a reservoir, and there's rarely even any other bike traffic if I hit it after dark, so it's mostly about seeing where I'm going. I primarily run a headlamp and sometimes the amount of reflection starts to get to the edge of becoming an issue, have considered just mounting something similar as low as I can for those situations.
I wonder if the cheap bikelight/flashlight vendors will ever get on board with yellower LEDs. In a pretty saturated market it would seem like it could be a differentiator.
06-08-19, 09:56 AM
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Exactly right, although mounting the fog lights lower does not « get under » the fog. Rather, it is so the fog does not reflect the light back to the rider or driver. So, consider mounting a steady light or two at the level of the axle. That should help with your visïon.
06-09-19, 12:28 PM
#41
Banned
Fog is very common here. Our house is pretty close to the sea and the fog horns from ships can wake us up at night.
As everyone is used to it, no one does anything special about it.
I'm sure that bright lights such as those posted would be downright frowned upon by motorists and the police. I'd be surprised if their not illegal as it's illegal to drive with the mandatory fog lights on our cars on if conditions don't permit.
It's always foggy here, so we treat it as usual and do nothing different than usual.
As everyone is used to it, no one does anything special about it.
I'm sure that bright lights such as those posted would be downright frowned upon by motorists and the police. I'd be surprised if their not illegal as it's illegal to drive with the mandatory fog lights on our cars on if conditions don't permit.
It's always foggy here, so we treat it as usual and do nothing different than usual.
Last edited by acidfast7; 06-09-19 at 12:31 PM.
06-09-19, 12:30 PM
#42
Banned
I'd say we get the fog of the OP photo maybe 30 to 40 commutes/year.
