A trick of the light.

[Davidc]

Having a steady back light as well as any flashing ones is supposed to improve positioning and distance perception for drivers.

 

[Schneil]

Do you think there's a good argument to have two sets of lights, rear and front?

If the lights are moving further apart - object coming closer?

Not sure how you do this on a bike though!

 

[Spinney]

There's still plenty of ground for misinterpreting the lights - classic example of twin headlights (obviously of a motor vehicle) in the far distance - you know this because the lights look close together. Then it turns out to be a motorbike with twin headlamps and you nearly pulled out in front of it...

Not as easy to misinterpret with cycle lights, but separated lights probably of limited use unless there is some sort of standard distance apart and (probably more important) drivers bother to observe and think about what they see!

On the hand, if you follow the christmas tree school of thought, the more the merrier!

 

[Puddles]

You want these Pat, RevoLights:

View attachment 31720


Or maybe even MonkeyLectric wheel lights:
View attachment 31721

We have those, Squidge thought them fantastic so he had to have some for his bike and then he had to buy them as christmas presents for his Grandad (they get quite interesting on the speed an electric bike goes) & for Maggots trailers.

We do not do much night time on the road riding, in fact, it is practically zero, but when you are 7 those are the ultimate in cool!

We have internal lights on the trailers and also external on the bumpers, not tested Bertha in the dark yet to see what her dynamo lights are like. I think the lack of "dark" cycling we do would negate the need for more lights than we have. Although it is a good something to bear in mind as this will increase over time.

 

[semislickstick]

There's still plenty of ground for misinterpreting the lights - classic example of twin headlights (obviously of a motor vehicle) in the far distance - you know this because the lights look close together. Then it turns out to be a motorbike with twin headlamps and you nearly pulled out in front of it...

Not as easy to misinterpret with cycle lights, but separated lights probably of limited use unless there is some sort of standard distance apart and (probably more important) drivers bother to observe and think about what they see!

On the hand, if you follow the christmas tree school of thought, the more the merrier!

Well, I was fooled a few weeks ago cycling in the evening along Ramsey Road in St.Ives, a guy on a bicycle had set his two front head lights the same as a Motorcycle(set further apart than you normally would on a bike),with the silhouette & lights I just thought it was a sports motorcycle taking it easy in a 20/30mph zone, made me chuckle, I hope it helps him!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

The speed I cycle, I seem to be after everyone

Same here

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Your cateye was too bright? That is madness!

He he: a pedestrian also complained about this light last winter.
It is a very bright CatEye, bought it to see where I'm going in the unlit park on my commute.

@potsy , @buggi no fear, I've got more lights than Santa's sleight on my bikes, planning to keep it that way ... note cyclecraft (page 35) says one good lamp at the front and rear suffice
That book gives me cycling angst!

 

[classic33]

He he: a pedestrian also complained about this light last winter.
It is a very bright CatEye, bought it to see where I'm going in the unlit park on my commute.

@potsy , @buggi no fear, I've got more lights than Santa's sleight on my bikes, planning to keep it that way ... note cyclecraft (page 35) says one good lamp at the front and rear suffice
That book gives me cycling angst!

Santa's sleigh has no lights fitted & relies entirely on Rudolphs red nose at the front.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Santa's sleigh has no lights fitted & relies entirely on Rudolphs red nose at the front.

That would be the British Santa, global warming innit ... continental Santas are beacons
The USA Coca Cola Santa doesn't seem to skimp on the electrics either

 

[Crankarm]

There's still plenty of ground for misinterpreting the lights - classic example of twin headlights (obviously of a motor vehicle) in the far distance - you know this because the lights look close together. Then it turns out to be a motorbike with twin headlamps and you nearly pulled out in front of it...

Not as easy to misinterpret with cycle lights, but separated lights probably of limited use unless there is some sort of standard distance apart and (probably more important) drivers bother to observe and think about what they see!

On the hand, if you follow the christmas tree school of thought, the more the merrier!

When I was first knocked down in 1999 on a roundabout an RAC guy who witnessed it said to the driver "He was lit up like a f****g Christmas tree and you still f****g hit him!" So there is a school of thought that suggests more lights and much brighter lights gives motons a better target to aim at. My experiences would support this. It would seem cycling ninja chavs dressed in black on a BSO with no lights and headphones in their ears that suddenly jump off pavements across your path causing you to swerve NEVER get knocked down.

 

[winjim]

Pedal reflectors are good because they give cues about distance and whether the pedals are turning or not (i.e. when stopped or braking).

Agreed. A red light could be anything, a distant car perhaps. Pedal reflectors pretty unambiguously say cyclist. Ditto spoke/wheel reflectors. I think reflectives make it much easier to judge distance than lights alone.

 

[Tyke]

Do you think there's a good argument to have two sets of lights, rear and front?

If the lights are moving further apart - object coming closer?

Not sure how you do this on a bike though!

Not from that point but I always have 2 each end incase one fails, especially the rear you might not notice this when riding.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I'm wondering if people look for car lights and judge the distance by how far apart two lights look, as all vehicles are roughly the same width. When it comes to two wheels travellers there's a point of reference missing. Maybe people look for the familiar, not for anything different.

 

[buggi]

My experiences would support this. It would seem cycling ninja chavs dressed in black on a BSO with no lights and headphones in their ears that suddenly jump off pavements across your path causing you to swerve NEVER get knocked down.

I'm always saying this!! The amount of drivers who complain to me at work !! And i always say to them "its funny how you see them, but you don't see me!!

 

[buggi]

Agreed. A red light could be anything, a distant car perhaps. Pedal reflectors pretty unambiguously say cyclist. Ditto spoke/wheel reflectors. I think reflectives make it much easier to judge distance than lights alone.

the problem with reflectors though is that its not until they are within headlight range that you see them, and if the car is already going too fast it might be too late by then.