Bike light question

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rogerzilla

Legendary Member
Bike lights still have vastly less lumen output than cars. It's more to do with the dazzling effect of a small light source in a generally darker environment away from street lights, I think. And most people just hate cyclists.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
lumen output is the issue not the wattage.
I think it's more about the lumens reaching other people's eyes than mere output.

The refusal of dazzlers to accept that they're causing needless problems is rather irritating. From how often politicians now mention it, I think it's the second most likely reason we may end up with tougher bike checks and fines, after the smaller but more serious problem of people riding with failed/no brakes. Calling them snowflakes instead of fixing one's lights isn't a great response.
 

Johnno260

Guru
Location
East Sussex
I get shouted at by peds because my light is "too bright". It's a 3W light aimed about 6 yards ahead. What do the poor snowflakes do if they see a car with 120W dipped towards the pavement?

I spent ages setting my lights up so they have less chance to dazzle, issue is with bumps and dips in the road the light will always raise a little and make some mad.

If I lower mine any further I will pretty much just have the light facing downwards.

The horse riders in and around my area just go ballistic on cyclists for using lights, if it's dusk and on slow pulse it makes them twice as mad.

I just don't react to haters anymore, I cba they aren't worth wasting the effort on, or getting upset about.
 
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rogerzilla

Legendary Member
I think it's more about the lumens reaching other people's eyes than mere output.

The refusal of dazzlers to accept that they're causing needless problems is rather irritating. From how often politicians now mention it, I think it's the second most likely reason we may end up with tougher bike checks and fines, after the smaller but more serious problem of people riding with failed/no brakes. Calling them snowflakes instead of fixing one's lights isn't a great response.
We're not talking about a trail light here. It's a low powered 4 x AA light aimed downwards as far as I dare. They are just moaning because they hate cyclists.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
We're not talking about a trail light here. It's a low powered 4 x AA light aimed downwards as far as I dare. They are just moaning because they hate cyclists.
And yet, they moan about your light, not your presence, which is what the few haters that I encounter do. "Aimed downwards as far as I dare" really does make it sound like the light is a torch strapped to a bike, not a bike light shaped for road use. Maybe, just maybe, there's a sound reason why people object more to having torches shone at them than car headlights? If you're wedded to the light, vertical fresnel lenses are available from the likes of CandB-seen and I guess it should be possible to make a cutoff shroud if there's no suitable ready-made one... or you could just get a proper bike light... or more likely, you'll keep on claiming it's somebody else's problem.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
And yet, they moan about your light, not your presence, which is what the few haters that I encounter do. "Aimed downwards as far as I dare" really does make it sound like the light is a torch strapped to a bike, not a bike light shaped for road use. Maybe, just maybe, there's a sound reason why people object more to having torches shone at them than car headlights? If you're wedded to the light, vertical fresnel lenses are available from the likes of CandB-seen and I guess it should be possible to make a cutoff shroud if there's no suitable ready-made one... or you could just get a proper bike light... or more likely, you'll keep on claiming it's somebody else's problem.
Another way of wording it would be pointing as close to the wheel as possible.

Where you get the idea it's a torch, god, and yourself only knows.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Another way of wording it would be pointing as close to the wheel as possible.

Where you get the idea it's a torch, god, and yourself only knows.
I get the idea it's not a road bike light because they are aimed by lining the top edge of the main beam up with the horizontal (if facing a wall) or horizon, or by using a spirit level against an alignment line on the light, not by pointing anything downwards or near the wheel.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
I get the idea it's not a road bike light because they are aimed by lining the top edge of the main beam up with the horizontal (if facing a wall) or horizon, or by using a spirit level against an alignment line on the light, not by pointing anything downwards or near the wheel.
Not what you said though
""Aimed downwards as far as I dare" really does make it sound like the light is a torch strapped to a bike, not a bike light shaped for road use."

Most lighting on cycles is directional.
 

winjim

Straddle the line, discord and rhyme
I get shouted at by peds because my light is "too bright". It's a 3W light aimed about 6 yards ahead. What do the poor snowflakes do if they see a car with 120W dipped towards the pavement?
I have an opinion about cyclists who use lights which are too bright and dazzling. I also have an opinion about people who use the term 'snowflake'. The two opinions appear to be reinforcing one another.
 
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