Bike light question

[IJ2]

Hi people.

More a vitrual advice question here.

I have to deign an LED bikelight. I have come up with the idea below.

It lighta the road ahead, as well as illuminating the rider as well, as, being a driver, it is hard to see cyclists at night.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone could comment on the visual appeal of the light, as well as any suggestions to improve it. Would you buy something like this?

Theres 2 mounting brackets; a single mount, and a double mount so the light sits centrally.

This is it on the double mount placed onto a set of bars.

All comments welcomed, critical or not.

Evaluate away

 

[HLaB]

Sometimes bars are cluttered with other things, computers, secondary lights, etc and the double mount takes up two spaces for one light.

 

[IJ2]

Sometimes bars are cluttered with other things, computers, secondary lights, etc and the double mount takes up two spaces for one light.

Ok.

Where is a more appropriate position for it?

In all honesty I havent cycled for a few years, so I was hoping to tap into your guys knowledge.

 

[HLaB]

Ok.

Where is a more appropriate position for it?

In all honesty I havent cycled for a few years, so I was hoping to tap into your guys knowledge.

If you want to be central perhaps the Stem

 

[IJ2]

I was thinking central would be more approriate as opposed to offset to one side, but this may be due to me not actually being a cyclist to any great extent.

I'm curious as to the form as well. Would that be attractive, or is a more machine-like form more apprpriate?

 

[Tynan]

it is very central though in fairness so there should still be room either side for whatever

 

[Night Train]

I quite like the light being central but I would also probably have a pair of them.

How does it illuminate the rider and would that reduce night vision?

 

[Cheddar George]

I like the idea of illuminating the rider and it should only need a secondary low power LED.
The stem/mount thingy looks a bit long and flimsy, even on a decent road it looks like it would probably start oscillating quite badly - what material is it made from ?

 

[PatrickPending]

You'd also need to consider the power supply, and heat sinking (if you were to use the high power LEDs).

 

[ufkacbln]

There is an external problem, apart from the lights themselves.

A significant number of accidents occur at junctions, and the lighting is not an issue. I use heavy duty of road lights which are brilliantly bright, but still get people pulling out.

The problem is twofold, the failure to see, looking but not registering the cycle, and secondly simply discounting the cyclist as happens during the day.

Lighting the cyclist has two downsides, firstly looking at a computer, GPS etc will involve looking at the beam and degrading night vision, and secondly the chances of visualising the cyclist beyond the greater intensity of the forward facing beam.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I'm not sure I'd want a light shining up at me when riding. Perhaps if it had a hood that would prevent the light hitting my face, so that it only shone on my torso and legs...

Anyway, there may be legal problems with a backwards-facing light. By law rear facing lights must be red, but you probably don't want to illuminate the rider with red light as it could cause confusion. You might be all right if the bike light could only be fitted to the centre of the handlebars, as the rider would obscure the light.

 

[Alcdrew]

Smaller is better.

As has been said, handlebars get cluttered these days with computers, bells etc. A double bracket takes up twice the space.

And I think people will be more impressed with an effective light that is as small and robust as you can get away with.

Have to agree with this. size matters!! and in this case smaller the better.

I want my bike light to be discreet until I turn it on. So make it as small as possible, so it doesn't look like you have a light on your bike. But super bright so when turned on it blinds drivers...

 

[IJ2]

Cheers guys.

Good advice.