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Headlight that can be seen from the side

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Headlight that can be seen from the side

Old 03-29-23, 08:57 PM
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urbanknight
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Headlight that can be seen from the side

Looking up the CA guidelines for riding at night, and they have a lot of requirements that make you look like a Christmas tree. One is that the headlight can be seen from the sides. I have two good headlights already, but I wouldn't say they're visible from the side. It doesn't seem like manufacturers consider that an important feature so it's hard to tell which ones actually light up on the sides and which just look like it with a wrap around appearing lens. So, what's your favorite?
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Old 03-29-23, 09:09 PM
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I'd check out the lights on bike24.com, they're a German company that carries a lot of German lights which also might have the requirement. I've got Moon, Niterider, and Cygolight and none of mine have sidelights. Only down side is their shipping went up to 30.00 euro but their lights will be much more affordable and you can pad the order with affordable tubes to make up for the shipping costs, doesn't take too many $3.50 continental race tubes to make the high shipping on a 50.00 light seem reasonable.
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Old 03-29-23, 09:14 PM
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My Cygolite Metro has slots on the side that light up, so I would think it complies with the CA requirement. But they are not all that obvious. I wish the side light was larger.

Mark
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Old 03-30-23, 07:25 AM
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I was going to share the CA requirement for the light being visible from the side. I could not find that or any change in CA regulations for lights. They did change the motor vehicle passing distance.

Can you share the new lighting reg or even an existing one tha requires side lighting?

Thanks
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Old 03-30-23, 07:55 AM
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having a headlight seen from the side is different than having it light up the ground on the side
my first modern bike light a plant bike blaze something or other had side cutouts so it could be seen from the side, like traffic coming from an intersection or driveway
for example this one, which is more modern than the one I bought 15? years ago


https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-H...43553240&psc=1
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Old 03-30-23, 08:00 AM
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Light and Motions’ s bike lights, including the helmet mounted Vis series have an amber side light.
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Old 03-30-23, 02:02 PM
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Originally Posted by debade
I was going to share the CA requirement for the light being visible from the side. I could not find that or any change in CA regulations for lights. They did change the motor vehicle passing distance.

Can you share the new lighting reg or even an existing one tha requires side lighting?

Thanks
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/f...1.&lawCode=VEH

CVC 21201 (d) A bicycle operated during darkness upon a highway, a sidewalk where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction, or a bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall be equipped with all of the following:

(1) A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle.

(2) A red reflector or a solid or flashing red light with a built-in reflector on the rear that shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle.

(3) A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet.

(4) A white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles that are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors.

The reflectors and reflectorized tires shall be of a type meeting requirements established by the department.

(e) A lamp or lamp combination, emitting a white light, attached to the operator and visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle, may be used in lieu of the lamp required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (d).
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 549, Sec. 2. (AB 28) Effective January 1, 2016.)
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Old 03-30-23, 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by But its me
Light and Motions’ s bike lights, including the helmet mounted Vis series have an amber side light.
if I’m reading it correctly, CA requires white light on this one. Interesting since the front side reflectors can be white or yellow… and apparently we need both lights and reflectors!
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Old 03-30-23, 02:36 PM
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Would using two lower output lights be feasible? Could stick them to the helmet or strap them on the bars after aiming the beam as needed.
Originally Posted by urbanknight
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/f...1.&lawCode=VEH

CVC 21201 (d) A bicycle operated during darkness upon a highway, a sidewalk where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction, or a bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall be equipped with all of the following:

(1) A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle.
300' from the side is not going to be cheap if trying to find one light to do both front & side lighting.

IMO, that reg is overreaching for those cycling peds in that state & if it's applied anywhere else in the states. front & rear reflectors or front & rear lighting or a combination of the options are all one should be required. Proper illuminating equipment or not; If a cyclist is zipping around at night using busy roads carelessly, avoiding crosswalks, running reds, blowing stop signs & is involved in an incident, they better have a good reason (if they live to tell about it) in doing so.
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Old 03-30-23, 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Troul
Would using two lower output lights be feasible? Could stick them to the helmet or strap them on the bars after aiming the beam as needed.

300' from the side is not going to be cheap if trying to find one light to do both front & side lighting.
Funny, I hadn’t even thought to interpret it so that the 300’ is required from the side as well. I would consider separate lights to fulfill the intent of the law if not the letter, but yeah that law is poorly worded and extremely overreaching. What crossed my mind is we are the land of litigation, and I could easily see a driver claiming a lack of liability simply because the cyclist wasn’t fully compliant with this holiday lights requirement.
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Old 03-30-23, 04:36 PM
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It's almost like they might have copied & pasted verbiage from the motorcycle book to use in that hindering regulation.
next, you'll be required to pass an inspection in order to have rights for using the public property.
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Old 03-31-23, 09:21 AM
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Several of my front lights (CatEye GVolt 25C, Xanes SFL-01, older models no longer sold) show white light to the sides. Others have a glowing ring as part of the lens or housing (including my 1978 Berec Eveready). Visible from 300'? In the pitch black, f'sure. Against dense light clutter of a city street? If that's what they want, they need to write a more descriptive law.

Rear lamp: red light with DOT/CPSC reflector. The B&M View, CatEye Reflex and Planet Bike Grateful Red come to mind.

Pedal reflectors? Shimano PD-T780.

Tires with reflective sidewalls? Schwalbes, check.

I think my commuter/utility bike is compliant.

Last edited by tcs; 04-01-23 at 09:51 AM.
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Old 03-31-23, 09:40 AM
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I doubt that if a bicycle had a couple of yellow side marker lights, and they are available flashing now, that Law Enforcement would quibble about a headlight that didn't meet the letter of some arcane law. My Cygolite 1200 has the same slits mentioned earlier on the Metro, and I have to believe they will pass muster. My seven year old MagicShines kind of scallop the bezel around the front glass so some light kind of spills to the sides, so its clear they were on the same page years ago. It's enough, and I hope no one plans to scrap perfectly good headlights over hyper-literal interpretation of legalese. My common sense reading of that law does not make me think a headlight has to throw as much light to the sides as it does straight ahead! Furthermore, I am quite certain that even without bezel cuts and etc. the splash of light in front of most lights would be quite visible from the sides. Flashing or passive side marker lights are just gravy IOW.
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Old 03-31-23, 09:42 AM
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If you ride in an urban area, it's a good idea to be able to be seen from the side. But those cutouts on a headlight aren't going to be enough. That's why I wear a helmet light.
That law doesn't really specify the angle at which you can see the light for 300 feet. I guess they meant well.
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Old 03-31-23, 09:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Leisesturm
...Law Enforcement...
I'm not worried about the man. As urbanknight said in post 10, it's a sharp insurance lawyer trying to convince a jury that his DWI client hitting you was really your fault.
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Old 03-31-23, 09:49 AM
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
If you ride in an urban area, it's a good idea to be able to be seen from the side. But those cutouts on a headlight aren't going to be enough.
Word: Blackburn Grid Sidebeacons.
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Old 03-31-23, 04:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Leisesturm
I doubt that if a bicycle had a couple of yellow side marker lights, and they are available flashing now, that Law Enforcement would quibble about a headlight that didn't meet the letter of some arcane law. My Cygolite 1200 has the same slits mentioned earlier on the Metro, and I have to believe they will pass muster. My seven year old MagicShines kind of scallop the bezel around the front glass so some light kind of spills to the sides, so its clear they were on the same page years ago. It's enough, and I hope no one plans to scrap perfectly good headlights over hyper-literal interpretation of legalese. My common sense reading of that law does not make me think a headlight has to throw as much light to the sides as it does straight ahead! Furthermore, I am quite certain that even without bezel cuts and etc. the splash of light in front of most lights would be quite visible from the sides. Flashing or passive side marker lights are just gravy IOW.
Originally Posted by tcs
I'm not worried about the man. As urbanknight said in post 10, it's a sharp insurance lawyer trying to convince a jury that his DWI client hitting you was really your fault.
Yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen LEO’s care about even NO lights on a bike at night.
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Old 03-31-23, 05:02 PM
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
Yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen LEO’s care about even NO lights on a bike at night.
wonder how many actual know that it exists in the books, & for those that do know, how many are likely to interpret it logically?

Just the thought of being stopped for "equipment" while out getting in some ride time would be quite annoying. IMO, I am in compliance, but I could my opinion being dissension by the enforcer.
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Old 03-31-23, 08:21 PM
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Originally Posted by tcs
Word: Blackburn Grid Sidebeacons.
On Amazon
From the Source
Any questions?
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Old 03-31-23, 11:40 PM
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Some years ago, when I was doing more night riding, I wondered if I had enough side lighting.

I decided it's not a problem. Headlights have bright reflector spill light at a very wide angle. It's not enough light to light up the road far away, but the reflector surface itself is a very bright point light source for an approaching driver. (Those tiny side light windows on bike headlights? Marketing. Too dim to do anything useful.)

The Jogalite wide leg band is very comfortable, and extremely reflective, all 360 degrees. I had two of them when I rode a lot at night. On cycle club night rides, when a cyclist even got a few hundred yards ahead of the group, our headlights really lit up the leg bands and the motion instantly showed "cyclist!".

If the driver is on a road exactly 90 degrees from my route, either he sees me approaching his path from the side when I'm farther away, or his headlights pick up my very bright ankle reflector bands. Or I'm already past him and he's seeing leg bands and bright taillight spill light.

If he's quite close, my headlight and taillight reflected from the road surface, reflective bands, and general car headlight illumination works.

I checked my small Cygolite 550. It has a main LED reflector, and four small LED button lights that are wide angle.
At about 15 degrees ahead of the exact 90 degree side view, the four LEDs are very bright, and the main reflector is just as bright. It's eye catching.

This is the 15 degree angle.
The main light projects way ahead, but the spill light is very wide.




~~~~
Those Blackburn side lights look good. But if I was adding side lights, I'd want a spoke light, spinning in circles.
.

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Old 04-01-23, 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by rm -rf
Those tiny side light windows on bike headlights? Marketing. Too dim to do anything useful.
If they are visible from 300' (in total darkness), then the useful thing they do is meet the (editorial comment: ridiculous) requirement of the law.

If I was adding side lights, I'd want a spoke light, spinning in circles.


Are there any spoke/wheel/tire valve lights that don't need batteries, being powered by the wheel's motion?
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Old 04-01-23, 10:46 AM
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I looked at my B&M front dynamo lamps and a couple of newer ones, IQ-XS and a Cyo, shine in such a manner that the light is indeed visible from the side. A older Cyo, though, yields light only visible from the front. I have not followed the issue, but can speculate that the importance given to the visibility of light from the side for front lights must have risen only recently.
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Old 04-01-23, 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by 2_i
I looked at my B&M front dynamo lamps and a couple of newer ones, IQ-XS and a Cyo, shine in such a manner that the light is indeed visible from the side.
I'd never paid any attention to it, but yeah, my IQ-X and IQ Onefive both show just a little bit of light to the sides - enough to meet the legal requirement, anyway.
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Old 04-05-23, 02:38 PM
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Originally Posted by But its me
Light and Motions’ s bike lights, including the helmet mounted Vis series have an amber side light.
Light and Motion with the amber side light - works pretty goodly



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